Ask a crafter how long it takes to make their product, and you'll often hear "oh, about an hour or so." But when they actually track it? That hour turns into three. And that "quick" project they priced at $30? It's paying them $6/hour.
Your time is the most valuable resource in your craft business— and the one most often given away for free. This guide will show you how to track your time, set an hourly rate, and make sure every product pays you what you deserve.
Why Time Tracking Matters
Accurate time tracking transforms your craft business by revealing:
- True labor costsKnow exactly how much your time costs on each product, not a rough guess.
- Profitable vs. unprofitable productsSome items look profitable until you factor in time. Find out which ones actually make money.
- Process inefficienciesSpot where you're spending too much time and opportunities to streamline.
- Accurate pricingPrice based on real data, not optimistic estimates that undervalue your work.
What Time to Track
Most crafters only think about "making time," but your labor includes much more:
- Design and planning. Sketching, prototyping, choosing colors and materials, solving problems before production.
- Sourcing and prep. Shopping for supplies, organizing materials, cutting, measuring, preparing workspaces.
- Production. The actual making—sewing, painting, assembling, whatever your craft involves.
- Finishing. Quality checks, touch-ups, curing time you need to monitor, adding final details.
- Photography and listing. Taking photos, editing, writing descriptions, uploading to platforms.
- Packaging and shipping. Wrapping, boxing, printing labels, trips to the post office.
Reality check: Most crafters underestimate their time by 40-60%. When you start tracking everything, the real numbers might surprise you.
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CraftsTrack automates pricing so you can focus on what you do best—creating.
Setting Your Hourly Rate
Your hourly rate should reflect the value of skilled, creative work. Here's how to determine yours:
Minimum Rate Calculation
At the very least, your rate should cover what you'd earn at a regular job, plus self-employment costs:
- Base wage you'd accept$18.00
- Self-employment tax (~15%)$2.70
- No benefits adjustment (~10%)$1.80
- Minimum hourly rate$22.50
Skilled Rate Guidelines
Based on skill level and craft complexity:
- $15-20Beginner
- $25-35Intermediate
- $40-60Expert
- $75+Master artisan
Consider: How many years of experience do you have? How specialized is your skill? What do similar professionals charge for comparable work?
Time Tracking Methods
- Timer AppsUse your phone's timer or apps like Toggl. Start when you begin a task, stop when you finish. Simple and accurate.
- Time BlocksWork in defined blocks (e.g., 25-minute Pomodoros). Count blocks per project. Good for maintaining focus.
- Project LogsKeep a notebook by your workspace. Jot start/end times for each work session. Low-tech but effective.
- Batch TrackingMake 10 of something, track total time, divide by 10. Averages out variations and is efficient for production runs.
Using Your Time Data
Once you have accurate time data, put it to work:
Recalculate Product Prices
Take your actual time (not your guess) and multiply by your hourly rate. Add this labor cost to materials and overhead. Does your current price cover it?
Labor Cost = Actual Hours × Hourly Rate
Identify Time Sinks
Look at where your time goes:
- Is packaging taking too long? Invest in better systems or supplies.
- Spending hours on photos? Consider batch photography sessions.
- A product taking twice as long as expected? Raise the price or streamline the design.
Compare Products
Calculate your effective hourly rate for each product:
Effective Rate = (Price - Material Cost) ÷ Hours
If one product earns you $8/hour and another earns $30/hour, you know which one deserves more of your attention.
Improving Your Efficiency
Time tracking reveals opportunities to work smarter:
- Batch similar tasksCut all your fabric at once, assemble multiples together, package in batches. Switching between tasks costs time.
- Prep in advanceOrganize materials before production sessions. Have everything ready so you can focus on making.
- Create templatesStandardize listings, packaging, and common customer responses. Stop reinventing the wheel.
- Invest in toolsIf a $50 tool saves you 30 minutes per week, it pays for itself in months and keeps paying forever.
Pro Tip: Track time for one month, then look for your biggest time-waster. Often, fixing just one inefficiency can save hours per week.
Your Time Tracking Action Plan
- Choose a tracking method that fits your workflow. Simple is better—you're more likely to stick with it.
- Set your hourly rate. Be realistic about your skill level but don't undervalue yourself.
- Track everything for one week—design, production, packaging, admin. Get the full picture.
- Calculate labor costs for your top products using real time data.
- Adjust prices where needed to ensure every product pays your rate.
- Identify one efficiency improvement and implement it this month.
Your time is the one resource you can never get back. Track it, value it, and make sure your prices reflect the hours of skilled work that go into everything you create.
Price Your Crafts with Confidence
CraftsTrack helps artisans and makers calculate accurate costs and set profitable prices—automatically.
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