Paint, craft & maker studios
Books and taxes for craft party franchises.
A trailer packed with kits for a Saturday of back-to-back birthday parties, a royalty check owed to the franchisor every month, and mileage that adds up fast across three parties in one weekend. Gus sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
June made $8,200. Graduation and birthday parties kept the trailer busy every weekend, and I kept the royalty and ad fund payments to the franchisor in their own line since they come out as a percentage of what you bring in.
- Party booking paymentsParty bookings
- Franchise royalty paymentRoyalty and ad fund fees
- Craft kit suppliesParty kit materials
- Fuel, party trailerVehicle and mileage
- Party lead payrollStaff pay
Why your books are different
A mobile craft party business's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees party fees and a supply bill. Your business owes a royalty on every dollar of revenue to a franchisor, packs a fresh materials kit for every single event, and puts real miles on a vehicle every weekend. When the books do not know that, royalty and mileage costs can quietly eat a season's profit without anyone noticing.
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1
Royalty and ad fund fees get missed or estimated late
Most craft party franchises owe a royalty and an ad fund contribution as a percentage of gross revenue, due on a schedule the franchisor sets. If revenue is not tracked cleanly month to month, that percentage gets estimated late or guessed at instead of calculated from real numbers.
What we doKeeps gross party revenue clean and current, so the royalty and ad fund percentage owed each month is calculated from real numbers, not a guess. -
2
Per-party kit costs get averaged instead of tracked
A wood sign party costs differently to supply than a candle pouring party, and if every kit purchase is lumped into one general supply line, it is hard to know which party types actually make money once materials are accounted for.
What we doKeeps kit materials tracked by party type, so you can see which formats are actually profitable once supplies are factored in. -
3
Vehicle and mileage costs disappear into general expenses
A trailer or van running to three parties in a weekend racks up real fuel and maintenance cost, and if that is not tracked separately, it is easy to underprice a party that requires a long drive.
What we doKeeps vehicle and mileage costs in their own line, so travel-heavy bookings can be priced to actually cover what they cost to get to. -
4
A multi-territory business blends its books together
An owner running more than one franchise territory can end up with bookings, staff, and supply costs from different territories all mixed into one set of books, making it hard to see which territory is actually performing.
What we doKeeps each territory's revenue and costs visible separately when a business runs more than one, so performance by territory is clear. -
5
A kit supply order distorts one month
A bulk order of craft kit materials to stock a busy season of bookings can cover months of parties, but if the whole bill lands in one month's books, that month looks like it barely made money.
What we doKeeps kit supply purchases in one steady line and flags a bulk order so a heavy-buying month is not mistaken for a bad one.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a mobile craft party business.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Party bookingsBirthday, corporate, and group events, booked by party type.
- Studio-based sessionsWalk-in or in-studio events, if you have a home base.
- Retail kit salesTake-home craft kits sold outside of booked parties.
- Gift card redemptionsMoved into revenue only when a card is actually used.
Money out
- Royalty and ad fund feesPercentage-based payments owed to the franchisor.
- Party kit materialsCraft supplies packed fresh for each event, tracked by party type.
- Vehicle and mileageFuel, maintenance, and insurance for the party trailer or van.
- Staff payParty leads and setup crew paid per event or by payroll.
- Booking system feesFranchise-provided scheduling system costs.
- MarketingLocal ads on top of any required national ad fund contribution.
- InsuranceGeneral liability, given off-site and in-home events.
- Card processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keeps before you get paid.
What we watch for you
- Royalty and ad fund percentage
What is owed to the franchisor each month, calculated from clean gross revenue.
- Kit cost by party type
What materials actually cost per format, so pricing reflects real profitability.
- Mileage cost per event
What travel actually costs against how a party is priced.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things mobile craft party owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Based on this month's gross revenue of $8,200, your royalty and ad fund contribution comes to $738. I keep that percentage calculated fresh every month so it is never a guess.
Right now, candle parties are running a better margin once kit cost is factored in. I keep that broken out by party type so you can see it clearly.
Close, once fuel and time are counted. I keep mileage tracked separately so you have real numbers before quoting the next far-away booking.
The tax side
The tax side of a mobile craft party business.
Most of what goes wrong here is royalty fees estimated instead of calculated, and vehicle costs undertracked.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Royalty and ad fund fees are deductibleOngoing royalty and ad fund payments to a franchisor are a deductible business expense, separate from the original franchise fee, which is often amortized over time rather than deducted all at once.
- Vehicle and mileage deductionsA vehicle used mainly for party transport can be deducted using the business standard mileage rate, 72.5 cents a mile through June 2026 and 76 cents after, or by tracking actual costs.
- Kit materials as inventoryCraft supplies bought in bulk for party kits are inventory until used, then they become the cost of the party. Tracking roughly what is on hand keeps the return accurate.
- Worker classification for party leadsA party lead who follows your script, uses your kits, and works your schedule is usually an employee, even if only working weekends.
Deductions craft party franchises and mobile craft party businesses miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Craft kit materials
- Vehicle fuel and maintenance
- Royalty and ad fund fees
- Booking system fees
- Staff pay for party leads
- Liability insurance
- Local social ads
- Card processing fees
- Trailer or vehicle storage
- Party setup supplies
- Uniforms with your logo
- Cleaning supplies
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A mobile craft party year, kept every month.
A summer party season, a fall lull, and a holiday party rush all pull differently. Your team keeps you ahead of the calendar and the return both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how royalty payments and party bookings have tracked so far.
- October
Before the holidays
Gus looks at kit stock, staffing for holiday party season, and any equipment worth buying before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for craft party franchises and mobile craft party businesses. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions mobile craft party owners ask first.
How does Gus figure out what I owe the franchisor each month?
He keeps gross party revenue clean and current, so the royalty and ad fund percentage owed is calculated from real numbers instead of an estimate.
Can Gus tell me which party type actually makes the most money?
Yes, kit materials and costs are tracked by party type, so you can see which formats are actually profitable once supplies are factored in.
Does Gus track mileage for the party trailer?
Yes, vehicle and mileage costs are kept in their own line, so travel-heavy bookings can be priced to cover what they actually cost to get to.
I run two franchise territories. Can the books tell them apart?
Yes, each territory's revenue and costs can be kept visible separately, so you can see how each one is actually performing.
Is a bulk kit supply order going to make a month look bad?
Gus keeps kit material purchases in a steady monthly line and flags a big stock-up, so a heavy-buying month is not read as a slow one.
My books are behind from tracking bookings across a few different apps. Can Gus still help?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever