Built by a cottage food operator, for operators

My background is in software development. I've spent years building web applications, thinking about clean UX and reliable data. In 2024, I started something very different: Fantastically Unbelievable Candies. I wanted a sour candy but I couldn't find a candy that hit the senses like a sour candy should, so for fun I tinkered with a recipe until it hit just right, shared it witha friends. After enough encouragment from all kinds of folks I decided to take it to local farmers markets.

That's where I learned and continue to learn how messy the business side of a cottage operation actually is.

Like a lot of makers, I started with a spreadsheet. At first it worked fine. Then the tabs multiplied, the formulas got complicated, and one small change would break three other things. I started spending more time maintaining the sheet than understanding the business.

I spoke with other cottage food operators and heard the same challenges. Most don't have a clear understanding of their true expenses or margins, and even when they do, they're unsure how to interpret the numbers or take action. The available tools are often built for much larger businesses or simply don’t align with how a cottage food operation actually runs.

So I built something I could actually use, CottageOps. It's a simple way to get data in quickly and clear answers out, without the spreadsheet grind. It bridges the gap between making great products and making better business decisions.