Tracking what you hold.
WHEN YOU NEED ONE
When a spreadsheet stops working: several people updating, several locations, or stock moving faster than anyone can record.
THE OPTIONS
Stock management built into your shop platform, which suits online-only selling A separate inventory application, where you sell in person as well A spreadsheet, which is adequate for longer than people expect
THE HARD PROBLEM
Reconciling online and offline sales. If you sell in a shop and online, stock will disagree unless one system is authoritative and everything updates it.
Decide which system is the truth, and make everything else follow it.
WHAT TO CHECK
Whether it integrates with your shop platform, if you need that Whether it handles the units and variations you use Whether several people can use it simultaneously Whether it exports
PRACTICAL ADVICE
Reconcile against physical stock periodically regardless of the system. Software drifts from reality in every business; the question is how quickly you notice.
THE ALTERNATIVE
For a small operation, a disciplined spreadsheet beats a system nobody maintains.
