Who it’s for · Makers and handmade brands

An AI business advisor for makers and handmade brands

Product safety rules, costing and pricing, selling online and at markets, and wholesale to shops, with a plan built for makers.

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Questions founders like you ask Wren

Wren answers with your business, where you’re based and your numbers in mind, and ends each answer with a next step you can add to your plan.

“Do my products need safety testing or labelling?”
“How do I price handmade products?”
“Should I sell wholesale?”

Your first 12 weeks

A typical starting plan. Yours is built from your answers in setup, so the steps, order and providers change with your stage, location, time and budget.

Week 1
Prove people will pay Strategy
Sell your first 20 pieces to people who aren’t friends or family: a market stall, Etsy or a local shop.
Week 1
Write a one-page plan Strategy
Fill in a Lean Canvas: customer, problem, offer, channels, revenue, costs and your unfair advantage.
Week 1
Check your name and protect your brand Legal & setup
Search the trademark register and company register for conflicts before you print anything.
Week 1
Choose a structure and register the business Legal & setup
Choose between sole proprietorship (simplest) and a limited company (protects personal assets and is what investors expect).
Week 2
Register for taxes Legal & setup
Register with your tax authority for a business tax ID.
Week 2
Open a business bank account Money
Keep every business payment out of your personal account from day one.
Week 2
Licences, permits and checks Legal & setup
Check product safety rules for what you make: cosmetics and soaps, candles, toys and children’s items, and food often need testing, labelling or registration.
Week 2
Create your brand basics Brand & web
Pick a logo, two colours and two fonts, and write them on one page so everything stays consistent.
Week 3
Set up bookkeeping Money
Connect your bank feed to accounting software so transactions sync automatically.
Week 3
Get contracts and policies in place Legal & setup
Publish terms of sale, returns, shipping and privacy policies.
Week 3
Get the right insurance Legal & setup
Get product liability insurance, especially for cosmetics, candles, food or children’s products.
Week 3
Choose where you’ll work Space
Working from home is fine early on. Use a virtual office for a professional registered address and mail handling.
Week 3
Launch your website Brand & web
Build on Shopify with great product photos, clear shipping costs and reviews.
Week 3
Protect your privacy and safety Legal & setup
Use a business address instead of your home address on your website, invoices and listings: a virtual office, mailbox service or coworking address.
Week 4
Set up how you get paid Money
Use Shopify Payments or Stripe, plus PayPal and Apple Pay / Google Pay. More payment options lift conversion.
Week 4
Equipment, fit-out and suppliers Operations
Choose fulfilment: ship it yourself at first, then hand it to a fulfilment company (a 3PL) once you pass about 100 orders a month.
Week 4
Claim startup credits and perks Money
Before paying for email, accounting, website, booking or marketing tools, check a deals marketplace for a discount or free months.
Week 5
Pick 3 numbers to track every week Strategy
Track conversion rate, average order value and cost to acquire a customer.
Week 5
Pick two social channels and a posting rhythm Socials
TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest work best for products. Lead with video.
Week 6
Plan your launch Getting customers
Send product to 20 micro-creators before launch.
Week 6
Find a mentor and a peer group Programs
Book a free session with a business mentor or advice centre near you.
Week 7
Land your first 10 customers Getting customers
Sell at 2–3 local markets or craft fairs and collect emails at every one.
Week 8
Start an email list Getting customers
Collect emails from your website, checkout and events.
Week 10
Work out what it costs to win a customer Getting customers
Add up last month’s marketing and sales spend (ads, tools, freelancers, events, and a fair value for your own time) and divide by new customers won.
Week 10
Review your pricing Strategy
Price each item at materials + your time + packaging and fees, then double it for wholesale headroom.
Week 11
Collect reviews and testimonials Getting customers
Ask happy customers within 48 hours of a great moment, with a direct link.
Week 12
Set up customer support Hiring & team
Use a shared inbox or chat widget and reply within one business day.

Licences and rules

Some products have safety rules before you sell: cosmetics and soaps, candles, toys and children’s items, and food often need testing, labelling or registration.

Wren flags when a step needs a licence, registration or a qualified professional, and says who to check with where you’re based. It gives general guidance, not legal advice.

Numbers to watch

Track conversion rate, average order value and cost to acquire a customer.
Add up last month’s marketing and sales spend (ads, tools, freelancers, events, and a fair value for your own time) and divide by new customers won.
Track the share of customers who order again within 90 days, and revenue from returning customers.
Customer value over time: average order value × orders per year × gross margin × years a customer keeps buying.

Log your main number (orders) in each weekly check-in, and Wren tells you what it means and what to do next.

Providers Wren may suggest

For each step, Wren picks the three best fits for your business and location from a directory of 300+ providers. Some that often come up, depending on where you’re based:

US Consumer Product Safety CommissionLicences, permits & checks
ShopifyWebsites & domains
EtsyWebsites & domains
Shopify POSPayments & POS
FaireEquipment & sourcing
KlaviyoMarketing & sales tools
GorgiasCustomer support
Office for Product Safety and StandardsLicences, permits & checks
Not On The High StreetWebsites & domains
FolksyWebsites & domains
SCOREAccelerators, incubators & mentoring
MicroMentorAccelerators, incubators & mentoring

Listings aren’t endorsements. Providers can’t pay to be recommended.

Questions

Do handmade products need safety testing?

Some do: cosmetics and soaps, candles, toys and children’s items, and food often need testing, labelling or registration before you sell. Wren flags what usually applies where you’re based.

Should I sell my products wholesale?

Wholesale brings bigger, repeat orders at lower margins, often about half of retail. Wren helps you check you still make money at that price and set minimum orders and payment terms.

How does the free trial work?

Answer the setup questions, choose Starter or Pro and add your card. Nothing is charged for 14 days. We email you 3 days before your trial ends, and you can cancel any time before then in one click so you’re never charged.

Other businesses Wren helps

Every plan is built for the kind of business you run.

Start your plan this week

Start your 14-day free trial

Then from $19 a month
Cancel before it ends and pay nothing
Sign up with Google or email