What to charge for a personalized planner, with the math done
A Half Letter (5.5 × 8.5 in) planner with 120 pages, hard covers, and spiral binding sells for about three and a half times what its supplies cost.
Below is the math with example numbers. Repeat it with yours, or use the calculator.
- Supplies$17
- Your work$25
- Your profit$18
What goes into each planner: the supplies
Count only what leaves with the piece: the 120 pages (60 sheets printed on both sides), the ink, the two covers, the spiral binding, and the lamination.
Ink is counted separately from paper: each sheet takes its share of the cartridge.
The supplies for one planner
| Paper | $4 |
| Ink | $5 |
| Covers | $4 |
| Spiral | $2 |
| Lamination | $2 |
| Supplies | $17 |
Your hourly rate
This is where almost everyone goes wrong: they charge for the supplies and give their time away.
Your hourly rate comes from three numbers: what you want to pay yourself each month, what the business spends, and the hours you actually produce.
In the example, you want to pay yourself $2,500 and the business spends $320. You work 40 hours a week: 173 a month.
Only 65% of those hours go to making planners. The rest goes to answering messages, packing orders, and buying supplies: that leaves 112.7 productive hours.
If a planner takes you 1 hour, your time on it is worth $25.
What the planner costs you
Supplies plus time: $17 + $25 = $42. Charge less than that and every planner costs you money.
If you charge $42, you haven't made a profit: you've only paid yourself.
Your profit, by dividing
On top of your pay, the business needs profit: to replace the printer or to cover a slow month.
A profit of 30% of the price is a good starting point.
You work it out by dividing, not adding, because the percentage is of the price.
Dividing
$42 ÷ (1 − 0.30)
$60
Your profit is 30% of the price.
Adding 30%
$42 + $13
$55
Your real profit would be 23%.
The price: $60
If someone asks "why is it so expensive?", you answer with the math: $17 for supplies, $25 for your work, and $18 of profit.
The price, broken down
| Supplies | $17 |
| Your work | $25 |
| Your profit | $18 |
| Price | $60 |
What if other sellers charge $40?
Then once their supplies are covered, they're paid $23 for 1 hour of work: $23 an hour, with no profit.
Your price comes from your workshop, not from someone else's.
What you can lower is the cost: buy paper by the ream, print in batches, and get faster with practice.
If someone asks for ten
On a wholesale order you don't give away your profit: you share the savings.
Ten planners in a row take less time each, and paper costs less per sheet when you buy it by the ream.
If you get down to 45 minutes and $14 in supplies, the cost is $33 and the price is $47. Your hourly rate and your 30% profit are still covered.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to make a 100-page notebook?
It depends on your paper and covers, but the math is the same: supplies plus your time. In this guide, the planner costs you $42 and you charge $60.
How much should I charge to put a custom cover on a notebook I didn't make?
The same: your supplies plus your time. If you're only covering it, your supplies go down, not your hourly rate.
Do I add shipping to the price?
If you pay for it, yes. If your customer pays for shipping separately, it doesn't go into the planner's price.
What if nobody in my town pays $60?
Lower the cost, not your hourly rate: buy paper by the ream or print in batches. If it still doesn't work, that product isn't worth making at that price.
Do this math for your planner
In Makria the math runs on its own from your supplies and your printer, and your PDF quote comes out of it.
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