Paul
3 min read
Nov 23, 2022

Key Points:

  • It's not uncommon for small businesses to start off by manually managing their inventory with an excel spreadsheet
  • An inventory tracking system can help with much more than just checking which items are low or out of stock
  • Easyship can help you manage customer demand and take away your shipping stress

Have you just started a small business? First of all, congratulations! That's really exciting. We know how overwhelming it can be when you've just started up, and all you want to do is let the world know about the products or services you offer. But as with any business, there's a lot of admin work and set-up involved before you can even think about order management or sales orders.

If you're going to be shipping products regularly then an inventory tracking system is a pretty important tool to consider. Don't worry, in this article, we will take a look at how to manage and track your inventory, what an inventory tracking system is, and recommend an inventory tracking system to get you up and running.

What Is an Inventory Tracking System?

An inventory tracking system is a way for business owners to keep track of how much stock they hold so they know when to re-order, know what products aren't selling and how many items they are currently storing. If you have a warehouse, then tracking your inventory will ensure that you are also contributing to good warehouse management and not overstocking the space you have available. If you do end up overstocking or your business grows to be very large then you may end up needing multiple warehouses.

Inventory tracking systems can help with:

  • Keeping an eye on stock levels
  • Preventing product overstock and shortages
  • Manage costs related to inventory management
  • Planning seasonal promotions according to what stock is available
  • Controlling supply chain lead times

How Do You Manage and Track Inventory?

Are you a fan of spreadsheets? While a lot of people tend to shy away from spreadsheets because let's face it - they can be rather dull, they're actually really useful when starting out. If you've used Excel before then you may be wondering "can Excel keep track of inventory?" and the answer is yes!

If you've just started your business and don't have the funds to pay for an inventory tracking system then excel can be your savior. A quick Google search for an '"excel inventory tracking system for small businesses" is bound to give you some free templates that you can use to get started.

However, if you're looking for something more advanced, (or maybe you just hate spreadsheets) you may wish to invest in an inventory tracking system that's a step up from manually keeping track on excel.

There are a few factors you need to track in order to keep an eye on your inventory.

Here's How to Track Inventory With Ease:

  • Record your current stock levels
  • Categorize your stock
  • Regularly check which items are low or out of stock
  • Ensure your purchase orders are correct before placing an order
  • Make sure you receive all your stock orders from the supplier on time and that there are no damaged goods

Related post: Inventory Management

Inventory Tracking System For Small Businesses, Girl Using A Laptop

What Is the Best Program to Keep Track of Inventory?

There are a few good inventory management software options to choose from, so you'll need to find which one is best for you and your business needs. It's important to keep up to date by viewing real-time inventory levels so that you don't disappoint your customers. Order fulfillment should be a top priority when you're starting a business. Nobody wants to miss out on a sale because they didn't stay on top of their inventory tracking method and let things fall behind.

There are many great inventory-tracking software options for you to explore, however, we'd recommend giving Dear Inventory a try. With Dear Inventory, you can streamline your stocktake, automatically generate product data, manage your inventory and so much more. Plus you can integrate your Dear Inventory account with Easyship!

So, Would a Small Business Need an Inventory Tracking System?

When considering if your small business needs some help with managing inventory, it is important to consider, how many physical items you will be storing, how much you can afford to spend on stock, and if you have enough resources left to invest elsewhere.

In short, if you have just started your small business and don't have much stock or a customer base, then you may be better off using free software such as an excel spreadsheet to save on costs. If you find that your business is growing quite quickly and you're finding it hard to manage your inventory and stock levels, then an inventory tracking system will definitely be useful to you.

All in all, when starting a business, you will need to look at your budget and assess if you can afford to outsource or pay for software. You may not be able to afford to use an inventory management system until you have grown a loyal customer base and are getting a regular income. Assess as you go along, and at least you know there are options out there to help you manage your inventory with ease.

Start off small and manage what you can if you think that is best for you and your business. At least you know that tracking your stock levels can be taken off your hands when your small business has grown to a good size and you need to focus on other things.

{{ want-the-cheapest-rates }}

How Easyship Can Help With Your Inventory Control

Easyship can help you meet customer demand and handle your shipping needs so you can spend more time keeping track of your inventory management system. Tracking your inventory levels can take time, especially if doing it manually and you'll need to make sure that you're aware of how much stock you hold and what your typical inventory turnover looks like. So, remember to look at your inventory data often.

Easyship has some great features to help you grow your new business:

  • Easyship Shipping Dashboard: Manage all your orders and shipping activity from our shipping dashboard. Import orders, upload CSVs, or sync directly from your eCommerce store
  • Fulfillment Built for Growth: Easyship has warehouse partners on four continents so that you can reach your customers all across the world. Plus, Easyship helps scale up fulfillment capabilities without increasing overhead costs
  • Powerful Shipping Automation: Our shipping software allows you to automate your shipping manage orders & tracking while handling all the necessary paperwork so you can focus on scaling your business globally

Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and let us help you start growing your small business and take away the stress of shipping

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key Points:

  • It's not uncommon for small businesses to start off by manually managing their inventory with an excel spreadsheet
  • An inventory tracking system can help with much more than just checking which items are low or out of stock
  • Easyship can help you manage customer demand and take away your shipping stress
Get Your Ship Together.

By submitting the form, you agree to receive marketing emails from Easyship.

Save up to 91% on Shipping. Try for free.

Effortlessly compare 550+ courier services with one global account. Instant discounts. Start in minutes.

Shipping Internationally? Unsure What Tariffs or Duties Apply?
Try our FREE Tax & Duty Calculator

Trying to stay up to date on the latest cross-border shipping and import requirements? Get an instant estimate of all applicable taxes and duties for every country across 220+ global destinations or sign up and take advantage of our in-built HS Code lookup tool.

Calculate Tax & Duties Instantly (Free Tool)
Ready to Stop Overpaying for Shipping?
Try our FREE Shipping Rate Calculator

Looking for the cheapest way to ship a package? Get an instant shipping quote and compare rates from 550+ courier services across the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and more. Simply add your package size and delivery location, and you'll find the best deal in seconds.

Calculate Rates Instantly (Free Tool)
Planning Your Campaign?

Get in touch with us now and our shipping consultants can give you a detailed quote and additional info to help with your campaign.

Get in touch
The Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ couriers at a glance.

GET RATE QUOTES FREE
The Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ couriers at a glance.

GET RATE QUOTES FREE
Get in touch with our fulfillment experts!

We believe simple pricing is the best pricing. Get a quote with a simplified pricing structure and no hidden fees.

Contact us
Need help fulfilling your crowdfunding campaign?

We provide the necessary tools needed to keep you on budget for shipping and to safely deliver your product to backers around the world.

Learn more
Try our duty & tax calculator!

Need to estimate your shipping duties & taxes? Our calculator can give you an idea of what to expect.

TRY IT NOW
Save up to 91% on Shipping. Try for free.

Compare 550+ courier services with one global account. Start in minutes.

GET STARTED FOR FREE
Get a Free Quote for Your Campaign

Receive a personal cost estimate for your crowdfunding campaign from our trusted global fulfillment partners. Easyship is a certified Indiegogo partner.

GET FREE QUOTE
Looking for great rates from a top courier?

Save up to 74% on UPS shipping rates by shipping with Easyship. You can run a quote and generate your first shipments in literally minutes!

SHIP WITH UPS TODAY
The cheapest way to ship for eCommerce

Get instant access with volume-discounted shipping rates. Save up to 89% off on USPS, UPS, FedEx, and more. Easyship is free for 50 shipments each month.

SIGN UP FREE TO SAVE
Find your perfect fulfillment partner with expert help

Let Easyship connect you to the largest shipping and fulfillment network on Earth. You’ll find trusted partners for all things logistics. Guidance is free from our global shipping experts.

ASK AN EXPERT
Don’t miss our money and time-saving features!

Explore the powerful features that 100K+ merchants use to ship smarter, not harder. Shipping automation, live rates at checkout, live duty and tax – all free to try with Easyship.

EXPLORE ALL FEATURES
Start saving on shipping in seconds

Create your free Easyship account to streamline shipping and save with discounted rates. No hidden fees. No minimums. Just savings.

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Create Your Shipping Policy Free

Use our guided walk-through to build the perfect shipping policy for your eCommerce business.

CREATE YOUR POLICY FREE
Looking to intergrate your Shopify store?

With 550+ pre-negotiated shipping services available with discounts of up to 91%, you can save time & money today when you integrate your Shopify store with Easyship

REGISTER FOR FREE
Use Easyship Free Every Month

Easyship is free to use for 50 shipments every month. You’ll save big on our discounted shipping rates up to 91% off, and save time with smart automation. Signup is fast and free.

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Don’t miss the key steps to fulfillment success

Follow the easy path to fulfillment success. Easyship’s free fulfillment checklist provides a proven step-by-step so you can ship at scale without the guesswork.

VIEW THE CHECKLIST
Ship for less with any courier, guaranteed

Save up to 89% off all shipping rates. Easyship offers the guaranteed cheapest volume-discounted rates on the market from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ global couriers.

SIGN UP TO SAVE
Don’t miss all our money and time-saving features!

Explore the innovative features that 100K+ merchants use to ship smarter, not harder. Shipping automation, live rates at checkout, live duty and tax – all free to try with Easyship.

EXPLORE FEATURES
Want the cheapest rates?

Register for an Easyship account today and you will gain access to the cheapest rates, instantly.

REGISTER FOR FREE
Watch out for international duty and tax!

What exactly does it cost to ship cross-border? Use the free duty and tax calculator from Easyship to view accurate import costs for any shipment to anywhere.

USE FREE
Protect Your Crowdfunding Budget from Cost Creep

Prices are rising, deliveries are slowing. Get up to speed on the state of crowdfunding shipping with expert Easyship analysis and keep your campaign on budget.

LEARN MORE
Discover the Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 550+ courier services at a glance.

GET A FREE QUOTE
Discover Your Cheapest Way to Ship

Find the guaranteed cheapest shipping in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discounted rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ global couriers at a glance.

COMPARE RATES FREE
Compare the best rates in seconds

Get an instant estimate of the cheapest shipping rates with our free calculator tool.

GET FREE RATE QUOTES
Save money on every shipment

Save up to 91% off shipping with Easyship’s discount courier rates. Create your free account to save instantly on 550+ courier services, including USPS.

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Ready to ship internationally?

Get help from our global shipping experts on warehousing, global shipping and to connect with our network of trusted 3PLs.

GET FREE SHIPPING TIPS
How’s Your Covid Shipping Policy?

Use our free shipping policy generator to formulate your safest, most customer-friendly shipping policy in seconds.

GET YOUR SHIPPING POLICY
Try Pre-generated Return Labels For Free

Register for an Easyship account today and get 30-days access to a Premier plan with access to Pre-generated Return Labels.

Generate Return Labels Today
Discover the Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS® & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ couriers at a glance.

GET RATE QUOTES FREE
Get Up to Speed On Covid Shipping

Explore our Covid shipping resources to make sure your shipment arrives on time and in good condition.

LEARN MORE
Free Shipping for the Holidays 101

Learn how the leading brands offer free shipping, calculate costs, and ship on a budget for the holidays in our free shipping guidebook.

LEARN MORE
Your Perfect Shipping Policy, Ready in Minutes

Use Easyship’s free shipping policy generator to formulate your perfect holiday shipping policy for returns, tracking, and more. Just follow the prompts and you’re done!

GET YOUR SHIPPING POLICY
Scale Your Growth Internationally With Pro Tips

Learn how to ship internationally without missing a step. Our case studies show you proven tactics for shipping worldwide from Easyship users who did it right.

READ CASE STUDIES
No items found.
Share on:

Related Articles

No items found.