Step 3 of 3 · Products
Build the thing your customer buys
Bring recipes, packaging, labor, and your selling price together.
Before you start
Save and check your recipes first. Decide exactly what the customer buys—one cupcake, a box of six, or another finished product—and gather its packaging and assembly costs.
Review the Recipes guide1. Define one sellable product
Open Products and start a new product. Enter the Product Name and category. In Serving & Quantity Details, enter the Production Yield and choose how the product is sold: by the batch, individually, or both. Full Batch SKU and Individual Unit SKU are optional; leave them blank until you need to connect sales items.
2. Add the recipe portions you actually use
Choose saved recipes or ingredients and enter the amount that goes into this product. For six cupcakes from a 24-cupcake recipe, use six servings (or the equivalent recipe portion), not the entire batch. Check the quantity and unit beside each component.
3. Add the costs around the food
Add the box, board, label, or other supplies used for this product. Use Additional Cost for a one-off expense that is not already in your Pantry or recipes. Include additional assembly or decorating labor and review overhead. Avoid adding preparation labor twice when it is already included in a recipe. Costs you leave out cannot be reflected in the price.
4. Compare suggested and actual prices
Set your target profit margin, then compare the suggested and actual selling prices shown for your chosen selling method. Batch sales show batch prices; individual sales show per-serving prices; selling both shows both. Margin is the share of your selling price left after costs; it is different from markup. When pricing a sales channel, review its fees and discounts before choosing a final price.
5. Save and review the finished product
Choose Save Product and reopen it. Check its components, quantities, total cost, selling price, and margin. Repeat this process for your top three to five products before expanding your catalog. Revisit prices when your costs change.
A quick example
Six cupcakes at $0.50 each plus a $0.50 box cost $3.50 before extra labor and overhead. If the complete cost becomes $5, a 50% target margin implies a $10 selling price: $5 ÷ (1 − 0.50). Adding 50% to cost gives $7.50, which is only a 33.3% margin.
Illustrative numbers only. Use your own prices, quantities, and costs.
You’re ready for the next step when…
The saved product describes the right quantity for sale, includes all relevant costs once, and shows the selling price you intend to charge.
If something looks off
A price looks unrealistic? Check that you used a recipe portion rather than its entire batch, that packaging is counted once, and that the selling price and cost use the same batch or serving basis. A suggested price is a calculation from your inputs; your market and business judgment still matter.
Opening a workspace requires a Costli account with access. These guides are always available to read.
Still need a hand? Contact Costli support.