A maker's logbook: five questions to ask yourself every week

A maker's logbook is a weekly review of a few figures that answers five questions: what sold and where, what to make again, what to restock, which market to keep and which items draw interest without selling. You do it from the week's notes, without a complicated spreadsheet.

A maker doesn't need to spend their evenings in spreadsheets. But following a few figures every week changes a lot of decisions. The aim isn't to measure everything. It's to know what to look at so you can steer things more calmly, and not judge yourself on a single day.

What sold this week, and where?

Split your sales by channel:

• market sales;
• workshop sales;
• online sales;
• custom orders;
• consignment and stockists.

Stall sales are recorded as the day goes on, which makes this weekly review quick to do.

This shows where your business really comes from. It avoids the "I have a feeling that" trap. The feeling is still useful, but it carries more weight when it rests on reliable figures.

A made-up example: €310 of market sales and €90 online, so €400 for the week. From 16 sales, the average basket is €25 (400 ÷ 16).

What should you make again?

Identify the items that did best: those that went quickly, those people keep asking for, those that sell without a price cut.

A made-up example: the blue bowl sold six times this week, with no discount. Decision: make it again for the next market.

What needs restocking?

Look for:

• items that are almost sold out;
• missing variants;
• pieces to make before the next event.

To follow quantities over time, the method for stock management across workshop, markets and online gives a simple way to organise things.

A made-up example: only one silver ring is left, while the restock threshold is two. Decision: make two more before the next market.

Which market should you keep?

Every event should leave a record: takings, number of sales, how it felt, weather, cost and decision. To compare events with each other, earnings per hour help: what you kept divided by the number of hours spent. The market profitability calculator does this sum for you.

A made-up example: a market that leaves you €353 for 12 hours spent gives earnings of about €29 an hour.

After a few months, these notes become a map of your business: the places that sell, the busy periods, the items that follow the seasons. To go further with this choice, read how to tell if a craft market is worth it.

Which items draw interest without selling?

Some items catch the eye, prompt questions and get photographed, but rarely sell. Before you drop them, check four things: the price, the photo, how they're displayed on the stall and how you talk about them.

If nothing changes after one or two markets, drop the item, or keep a single piece as a display piece.

A rhythm you can keep up

The logbook only works if you keep it up. Choose a fixed time in the week, for example the same day after your last market, and always keep the same headings. Comparing two weeks in a row tells you more than analysing one week on its own.

Keep the review short: five questions, one decision for each. If a heading doesn't give you anything clear, note it and move on to the next. The logbook should help you decide, not cost you an evening's work.

Weekly template

Week of:
Market sales:
Workshop sales:
Online sales:
Custom orders:
Consignment and stockists:
Total takings and average basket:
Items to make again:
Items to restock (and threshold):
Items that draw interest without selling:
Decision for the week:

Frequently asked questions

Should I do this review even in a week without a market?

Yes, but it will be shorter. Workshop and online sales are enough to answer "what to make again" and "what to restock".

How is it different from the post-market review?

The post-market review looks at a single event. The weekly logbook looks at your business as a whole and helps you decide what comes next: what to make again, what to restock, which market to keep.

How many weeks does it take to see a trend?

There's no single answer. Two or three comparable markets are already enough to see whether an item or a place holds up. Treat these readings as pointers, not certainties.

To keep your sales by market and see what you kept after each event, Comptartisan gives you the material for this weekly review, which you then copy into your invoicing tool.