The most common pricing mistake is copying the shop next door. Their costs are not your costs, and a price that earns them a profit may be losing you money.
Count everything that goes into one sale
- Stock or materials — what you actually paid, including freight
- Transport — PMV fares, fuel, delivery
- Your time — if you spent a day making it, your day has value
- A share of fixed costs — market fees, rent, phone credit
Add these up for one item. That number is your break-even. Selling below it means paying customers to take your goods.
Then add your margin
A margin of 30–50% above break-even is common for retail. If the market will not pay that price, the answer is usually to cut costs or change products — not to sell at a loss.
Watch for the silent costs
Spoilage, credit given to friends who pay late or never, and "sampela bilong mi" from the stock all eat margin. Write them in the book too — what you can see, you can fix.