#cost-of-goods-sold
Learn how to calculate and track cost of goods sold for inventory valuation
A rage room sells the destruction of its own inventory, so session revenue means nothing without a cost per smash. This guide covers revenue by package tier, standard-cost breakable COGS, e-waste disposal rules, workers comp classification, waivers versus insurance, and the 2026 Section 179 limit of $2.56 million for buildout and equipment.
A handmade candle priced at $13 typically costs $8.31 to make, pack, and support — then Etsy takes another ~13% in fees. This guide breaks down the full per-candle cost, the divide-don't-add pricing formula for a true 40% margin, and how to price wholesale without losing money.
Sushi food cost hides in fish yield loss of 45-60%, making $8/lb wholesale fish cost $16/lb usable. This guide covers yield testing, rice portion control, prepaid omakase deferred revenue, gift card breakage rules, itamae labor economics against the 60% prime cost benchmark, and a weekly bookkeeping routine for sushi operators.
Manufacturers budget roughly $75 billion a year in co-op advertising funds and about half goes unclaimed. How accruals, pre-approval and proof-of-performance claims work, why claims get denied, and why ASC 705 presumes a vendor allowance reduces COGS rather than advertising expense.
A fireworks stand earns most of its annual revenue in about ten days. This guide covers per-season profit centers, consignment inventory accounting, stacked permit and surety-bond costs, fireworks excise taxes, and the annualized estimated-tax method for lumpy seasonal income.
A classic salted pretzel costs about $0.29 per unit once packaging and realistic yield are counted. This guide shows how to build per-batch recipe costing cards, hold a 28-35% blended food cost and 55-60% prime cost, book waste and samples honestly, and choose between a kiosk and a storefront with a break-even calculation instead of a gut feel.
A quick lube earns its margin per car, not per markup. This guide shows how to cost bulk oil by the quart on every delivery, reconcile each tank book-against-stick weekly, book shrinkage and used-oil hauling as separate accounts, and review the five daily KPIs (car count, average ticket, add-ons per 100 cars, bay time, gross profit per car) against industry benchmarks such as 0.95 cars per labor hour, 80 percent gross profit on labor and 50 percent on parts.
A bookkeeping guide for window screen and screen door repair businesses. Separate revenue lines for rescreens, frame rebuilds, doors and landlord contracts; track mesh by grade (fiberglass, aluminum, solar, pet-resistant) as cost of goods sold; log mileage per stop at the 2026 IRS rate of 72.5 to 76 cents; and bank spring surplus to cover three to four months of fixed costs through winter.
A 50% markup on an $8.00 cost yields a 33% margin, not 50% — the single most expensive arithmetic error in small-business pricing. This guide gives the formulas for cost-plus, value-based, and penetration pricing, worked examples, the markup-vs-margin correction, and how to A/B test a price before committing.
How to keep the books for a gas station with a convenience store — splitting fuel from inside sales, tracking tank inventory in gallons, booking lottery as an agency arrangement, recording tobacco buydowns, and keeping card fees off the revenue line. U.S. convenience stores rang up a record $341 billion of in-store sales in 2025, yet NACS found the average in-store basket lost roughly seven cents per transaction after expenses.
Pour cost is beverage COGS divided by beverage revenue — target 15-20% on spirits, 20-25% on draft, and 25-35% on wine by the glass. This guide covers how to compute usage and variance weekly, why a half-barrel keg yields about 112 pints instead of the theoretical 124, and how to split revenue, COGS, comps, and keg deposits so the leak is visible in the ledger.
A tortilleria's masa cost per dozen moves about 5 cents when yield shifts 10 percent — the entire profit on a wholesale dozen. How to cost masa by measured yield, split retail and wholesale revenue and COGS, book presses and ovens under Section 179 or 7-year MACRS, and track the five KPIs that expose a losing route before the bank does.
