Frequently Asked Questions

What is YieldWorks?

YieldWorks is a comprehensive estimating and business management desktop application designed specifically for creators' businesses — woodworkers, resin and epoxy artists, vinyl cutters, ceramics makers, 3D printers, and any maker's business. It replaces messy spreadsheets and disjointed tools with a single, intuitive platform that streamlines the entire workflow from customer inquiry and cost estimation to production tracking, inventory, and invoicing.

Who is YieldWorks designed for?

YieldWorks is built for small manufacturing businesses, custom fabrication shops, and the maker community. Whether you're a solo woodworker, a resin artist, a vinyl crafter using Cricut or Siser products, a 3D printing service, or any small-batch producer — YieldWorks is built for you.

What platforms does YieldWorks run on?

YieldWorks is available as a native desktop application for:

• macOS — Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel, universal build
• Windows — 64-bit (x64)

Does YieldWorks require an internet connection?

No. YieldWorks stores all data locally on your computer and does not require an internet connection for core functionality. An internet connection is only used optionally for license activation validation, checking for updates, and optional crash reporting.

Who makes YieldWorks?

YieldWorks is developed by Blazing Concepts, a sole proprietorship based in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

What editions of YieldWorks are available?

Edition	Best For	Key Difference
Standalone	Single-person shops and solo makers	All core features for estimating, invoicing, inventory, and reporting
Teams	Multi-person shops	Everything in Standalone, plus employee management, work order assignments, and team task tracking

How do I activate my license?

1. Copy your license key from your purchase confirmation email
2. Open YieldWorks — the activation screen appears on first launch
3. Paste the key into the License Key field
4. Click Activate License

Your license key always starts with CRAFT- followed by a long string of characters.

Does license activation require an internet connection?

Yes — a brief internet connection is required at the time of activation to validate your license key with the YieldWorks store. Once activated, your license status is saved on your computer and no internet connection is needed to run YieldWorks.

Where do I find my license key?

Your license key is delivered by email immediately after purchase through the YieldWorks store. It also appears in your LemonSqueezy customer portal.

Can I use my Standalone key to activate the Teams version (or vice versa)?

No. Your license key is tied to the edition you purchased. A Standalone key will not activate the Teams version, and vice versa. If you need to upgrade, purchase the Teams version and activate with the new key. If you own the Standalone version and want to upgrade to Teams, contact support for a special discount code.

Does my license expire?

No. YieldWorks is a one-time purchase — buy it once and own it forever. There is no subscription, no recurring fee, and no expiry date on your license. The software is yours to keep and use indefinitely.

What do I get with updates?

• Bug fixes and security patches — Free for the lifetime of your license.
• New features and enhancements — Free for 12 months from your original purchase date. After that, functional updates are available at a discounted upgrade price.

What's the very first thing I should do after installing YieldWorks?

After activating your license, go to Settings in the left sidebar. This should be the very first place you visit because the information you enter here (business name, address, tax rate, markup, payment instructions) flows throughout the entire application — it appears on your printed estimates, invoices, and PDFs.

What should I configure in Settings?

Setting	Why It Matters
Business Information	Your name, address, phone, and email appear on all PDF exports
Pricing Defaults	Default markup % and tax rate are auto-applied to new estimates
Fiscal Year	Aligns quarterly and annual reports with your tax periods
Payment Instructions	Printed at the footer of every invoice PDF
Measurement System	Choose Imperial (inches/BF) or Metric (cm/m³) for the Board Foot calculator

What should I do after configuring Settings?

Follow this recommended setup order:

1. Settings — Configure your business info, defaults, and preferences
2. Maintenance — Create categories (e.g., "Hardwood," "Vinyl," "Epoxy") and custom units of measure
3. Catalog — Add your materials, hardware, labor types, and machine types
4. Customers & Suppliers — Add your client and vendor contacts
5. Estimates — Start building your first estimate!

What are the Summary Cards on the Dashboard?

The Dashboard shows six clickable cards: Total Estimates, Draft, Accepted, Materials, Hardware, and Customers. Each shows a live count from your database. Clicking any card takes you to that section. When you first install YieldWorks, all cards show "0" — that's normal until you start entering data.

What's the difference between Materials and Hardware?

• Materials are stock items consumed during production — lumber, vinyl, resin, fabric, filament, etc. They are tracked by units like board feet, ounces, or rolls.
• Hardware items are discrete, countable components — screws, hinges, knobs, rivets, brackets, etc. They are tracked per piece.

What are Labor Types and Machine Types?

• Labor Types define different kinds of work with hourly rates (e.g., Design at $45/hr, Assembly at $35/hr).
• Machine Types track equipment overhead costs — setup cost plus cost-per-minute of run time. Useful for CNC routers, laser cutters, 3D printers, etc.

Can YieldWorks pre-load vinyl materials for me?

Yes! If you work with vinyl (Cricut, Siser, etc.), go to Settings → Data Tools and click Import to instantly load 200+ pre-configured vinyl products into your catalog. Each imported material includes a name, retail cost per roll, roll dimensions (width and length in inches), and is categorized under "Vinyl." You should review and update prices to match your actual supplier costs after importing.

How does the Yield/Package pricing system work?

YieldWorks lets you buy in bulk but price by the exact fraction used. For example:

• You buy a resin kit for $89.99 (Cost Per Unit)
• The kit is 1.5 gallons (Package Size + Pkg Unit)
• You price projects by the ounce (Usage Unit)
• 1.5 gallons = 192 ounces (Yield Qty)
• YieldWorks calculates: every ounce costs $0.468

This means when you add 10 oz to an estimate, the cost is automatically $4.68.

Why are dimensions important for materials?

For sheet goods and roll materials (vinyl, HTV, acrylic, plywood), defining width and length is critical for the built-in calculators to accurately calculate proportional costs. If dimensions are left blank, the Vinyl Calculator will assume a tiny 12" × 12" area, causing wildly inaccurate cost estimates.

How do I track inventory?

The Inventory page shows real-time quantities and values for all materials and hardware. You can:

• Filter by category, stock level (in stock, low stock, out of stock)
• Manually adjust stock with Add, Remove, or Set — each adjustment requires a reason for audit trailing
• Automatically update stock by receiving Purchase Orders (stock increases by the received quantity)

How do Purchase Orders affect inventory?

When you mark PO line items as "Received," your inventory stock levels automatically increase by the received quantity. This is the primary automated way to flow inventory into the system without manual adjustments.

How do I create an estimate?

Click New Estimate from the Dashboard or the Estimates page. Fill in the project name, select a customer, and start adding line items across five cost sections:

• Materials — pulled from your catalog
• Hardware — pulled from your catalog
• Labor — hours × hourly rate
• Machine Time — setup cost + (minutes × cost/min)
• Misc Costs — free-text items like shipping or permit fees

How does markup and tax work on estimates?

The Summary Sidebar on the right shows a live cost breakdown:

• Subtotal — sum of all line items
• Markup % — your profit margin (defaults from Settings, editable per estimate)
• Tax % — your tax rate (defaults from Settings, editable per estimate)
• Total — final estimate including markup and tax

What are the estimate status options?

Status	Meaning
Draft	Still being built — not yet sent to the customer
Sent	Sent to the customer for review
Accepted	Customer approved — ready for production
Rejected	Customer declined
Expired	No longer valid

Can I email an estimate directly to a customer?

Yes. When a customer with an email address is selected, the Email button activates at the top of the form. Clicking it opens your computer's default email application with a pre-filled draft addressed to the customer, with the estimate number in the subject line.

Can I generate a PDF of my estimate?

Yes. Click Print / Save as PDF at the top of the Estimate Form. The PDF includes your business header (from Settings), customer information, all line items with costs, and the total.

What happens when I change a material's unit on an estimate line?

If you change the unit (e.g., from gallons to ounces), YieldWorks automatically converts the per-unit cost proportionally, so your pricing stays accurate.

What calculators are built into YieldWorks?

Calculator	Triggered By	What It Does
Board Foot / Sheet	Wood, Lumber, Acrylic categories	Converts dimensions to Board Feet and calculates cost
Resin / Liquid	Resin, Epoxy, Silicone categories	Calculates cost per fluid ounce from bulk containers
Vinyl / Roll	Vinyl, HTV, Adhesive categories	Calculates proportional cost for a cut from a roll
Material Price	Any material	Works backwards — calculates per-unit cost from a total price paid

How does the Board Foot Calculator work?

Enter your board dimensions (length, width, thickness in inches) and number of pieces. The formula is:

(Length × Width × Thickness × Pieces) ÷ 144 = Board Feet

The Cost per BF auto-fills from your catalog. Click Apply to Line to insert the result directly into your estimate.

Example: 4 boards of Red Oak at 48" × 6" × ¾" = 6.0 BF × $6.50/BF = $39.00

How does the Resin Calculator work?

Enter the container price, container size, and unit (Gallons, Quarts, or Liters). The calculator converts to fluid ounces and gives you a cost per ounce.

Example: 1-gallon jug at $89.99 → 128 oz → $0.70/oz

Click Use Price to apply the per-ounce cost to your estimate line.

How does the Vinyl Calculator work?

Select a roll material from your catalog, enter your project width and height in inches, and the calculator determines the proportional cost:

Cost per Sq In = Roll Cost ÷ (Roll Width × Roll Length)
Project Cost = (Project Width × Project Height) × Cost per Sq In

Example: Oracal 651 at $4.49 on a 12" × 60" roll, project is 8" × 5" → $0.25

Click Add to Estimate to insert a line item with the material name, cut dimensions, and calculated cost.

What if my vinyl material shows a warning in the calculator?

This means the material doesn't have width and length dimensions defined in the catalog. Go to Catalog → Materials, find that material, and enter the roll width and length in inches. The calculator needs these dimensions to compute accurate costs.

Does the Board Foot Calculator support metric?

Yes. In Settings → Preferences, switch the Measurement System to Metric. The calculator changes to centimeters and outputs in cubic meters.

How do I create an invoice?

Go to Forms → Invoices and click to create a new invoice. You can:

• Build it from scratch by selecting a customer and adding line items
• Click Import from Estimate to pull in all line items from an existing accepted estimate

What are the invoice status options?

Status	Meaning
Draft	Still being built
Sent	Sent to the customer
Paid	Fully paid
Overdue	Past due date, unpaid
Void	Cancelled / no longer valid

Can I track partial payments?

Yes. In the Payment Details sidebar, enter the Amount Received and Date Received. The Balance Due field updates automatically (Total minus Amount Received). You can also click Mark Paid in Full to instantly set the amount to the invoice total and status to Paid.

Where do my payment instructions appear?

The payment instructions you set in Settings → Payment Settings are printed at the footer of every Invoice PDF, below the line items and totals.

Can I email invoices?

Yes. Same as estimates — when a customer with an email address is selected, the Email button activates. It opens your default email client with a pre-filled draft.

Can I add shipping costs to an invoice?

Yes. The Shipping Details sidebar lets you add a shipping date, shipping address (defaults to the customer's address), and shipping cost. The shipping cost is added to the invoice total.

What is a Work Order?

A Work Order translates an accepted estimate into actionable production steps for the shop floor. It bridges the gap between sales and production.

How do I create a Work Order?

Go to Forms → Work Orders and create a new one. You can:

• Build it manually with tasks
• Click Import from Estimate to auto-populate tasks from an existing estimate

What are the Work Order status options?

Status	Meaning
Scheduled	Planned but not started
In Progress	Currently being worked on
Completed	All tasks done
On Hold	Paused
Cancelled	No longer needed

Can I generate an invoice from a Work Order?

Yes. Click Create Invoice above the task list. Only tasks marked as Billable are included in the generated invoice. You'll be prompted if no tasks are marked as billable.

Can I print a Work Order for the shop floor?

Yes. Click Print Job Sheet at the top to generate a printable PDF of the work order.

What information does each task line have?

Each task includes: Status (Pending/Working/Done), Description, Estimated Qty, Actual (for tracking variance), Notes, and a Billable toggle. In the Teams version, there's also an Assigned To field for individual task assignment.

What reports are available?

Financial & Tax Reports:

• Income Report — Revenue from paid invoices
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) — Direct production costs vs. revenue
• Sales Tax Summary — Tax collected from customers
• Purchases Report — Spending on supplies from suppliers

Performance & Operations:

• Time-Based P&L — Revenue vs. costs over time with margin percentages
• Project P&L — Profitability per individual project/estimate
• Invoices Report — Paid vs. outstanding invoices with aging
• Remaining Effort (Teams) — Actual vs. estimated effort on open work orders
• Team Tasks (Teams) — Work orders and tasks by team member
• Mailing List — Printable customer address list for labels

Can I view reports by month, quarter, or year?

Yes. All financial reports support Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual views.

Does YieldWorks support fiscal year reporting?

Yes. Set your fiscal year start month in Settings → Fiscal Year. When set to a non-January month (e.g., July), quarters are labeled as fiscal quarters (e.g., "FQ1 2026–2027") and years as fiscal years ("FY 2026–2027"). All reports respect this setting.

How does the COGS report work?

When a customer pays an invoice, the linked estimate's costs become Cost of Goods Sold. The report breaks down costs by Materials, Hardware, Labor, Machine, and Other, and calculates Gross Profit (Revenue minus COGS). If an invoice isn't linked to an estimate, COGS shows $0 for that invoice.

Can I print reports?

Yes. Every report has a Print button in the top-right corner. Clicking it opens your OS's native print dialog, where you can print or "Save as PDF." The sidebar and navigation are automatically hidden for a clean printout.

Where is my data stored?

All data is stored locally on your computer in a SQLite database file called estimator.db:

Platform	Path
Mac	~/Library/Application Support/yieldworks/estimator.db
Windows	C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\yieldworks\estimator.db

How do I back up my data?

Copy the estimator.db file to a safe location (external drive, cloud folder, etc.). We strongly recommend implementing a routine backup strategy.

Tip: On Mac, the Library folder is hidden by default. Hold the Option key, click Go in Finder's menu bar, and select "Library." On Windows, type %appdata%\yieldworks into File Explorer's address bar.

Does YieldWorks collect my data or send it to a server?

No. YieldWorks does not collect, transmit, access, or store your business data on any server or cloud service. The software does not collect usage analytics, telemetry data, or personal information without your explicit consent. Limited data may be transmitted only for license activation, update checks, and optional crash reporting — none of which includes your business data.

Can I export my data?

Yes. You can export your data using the export features provided within the application. Your data is and always remains your property.

Who owns my data?

You do. All data you enter — customers, estimates, invoices, inventory, work orders — is your property. Blazing Concepts claims no ownership, right, or interest in your data.

What are the system requirements?

	macOS	Windows
Minimum OS	macOS 10.15 Catalina	Windows 10 (64-bit)
Recommended OS	macOS 12 Monterey or later	Windows 11
Processor	Apple Silicon (M1+) or Intel — universal build runs natively on both	64-bit (x64) processor
RAM	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Disk Space	300 MB for installation; additional space for your database as it grows
Internet	Required for initial license activation only. All core features work offline.

How do I check for updates?

At the bottom of the left sidebar, you'll see the current version number and a Check for Updates link. Click it to see if a newer version is available. If an update exists, a download button appears.

My Dashboard shows all zeros — is something wrong?

No. When you first install YieldWorks, all Summary Cards show "0" because no data has been entered yet. Follow the Getting Started steps to begin populating your database.

Where can I find the database file on Mac if the Library folder is hidden?

Open Finder, hold the Option key, and click Go in the menu bar. "Library" will appear in the dropdown. Navigate to Application Support → yieldworks → estimator.db.

Where can I find the database file on Windows if AppData is hidden?

Type %appdata%\yieldworks directly into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter. This takes you directly to the database folder.

I imported vinyl materials and the costs don't match my supplier prices. What should I do?

The imported prices are based on standard retail pricing. After importing, go to Catalog → Materials and update any prices to match what you actually pay from your suppliers.

Can I delete a category that has items assigned to it?

No. You'll see a warning telling you how many items need to be reassigned to a different category first. Move or reassign those items, then delete the category.

What does the Teams edition add?

The Teams edition includes everything in the Standalone version, plus:

• Team Management — Add and manage employee/contractor profiles
• Estimate Assignments — Assign estimates to specific team members
• Work Order Assignments — Assign overall work orders and individual tasks to team members
• Email Assignments — Email work order details directly to assigned team members
• Team Reports — Remaining Effort and Team Tasks reports

What fields are Teams-only?

• Assigned To on Estimates
• Assigned To on Work Orders (both the order level and individual task level)
• Email button (✉) next to assignment dropdowns
• Remaining Effort and Team Tasks reports

What information can I store for each team member?

Field	Description
Name	Full name
Email	Contact email
Phone	Contact phone
Location	Where they're based (e.g., "Main Shop," "Remote")
Active	Toggle active/inactive

Can I upgrade from Standalone to Teams?

Yes. Purchase the Teams version through the YieldWorks store and activate with your new Teams license key. Your existing data is preserved — the Teams features simply unlock.