# Keeping a running inventory



## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

How do you keep track of what you sold and what you have? I googled it found lots of programs that will take me months to learn, I am trying to keep a "running inventory" but I spend all my time counting when I feel I should be making soap. Id like to know what I sold. Its easy to just count the cash box at the end of a market, but how many OMH or BRV have I sold in the last 2 months. For example, do I add it to inventory when its cut and drying, or when its wrapped, or when its in my car, and so on. Any info would be great. Dorit


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Make an inventory of what you have right now and then tally what you sell at market and when you're home right away adjust your inventory with that info. Add the bars of soap you make immediately to you inventory.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I keep track of exactly what I've sold by item using sales receipts. I write one out for each customer (whether they want one or not). I use the two-part small ones that you can buy at OfficeDepot or any of those kind of stores. I also use SoapMaker3, a program for soap and lotion-making. It keeps track of purchases, inventory of both raw materials and finished goods and you can input your sales, as well. I would be LOST without it. Google it. For the price, it is a great tool!


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## tmfinley (Feb 21, 2008)

You can also make yourself a tally sheet. I use it at the farmer's market. It has all my products in a column and all I have to do it put a tally mark in the appropriate spot to see how many of each item I sold at the end of the day. Beats counting every single bar of soap and bottle of lotion at the end of every market. Just don't forget to mark when you get busy!


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I use a tally sheet like Tiffany. It's the easiest way I've found to keep track during a market or show. Then when I get home I use the info to update my inventory that I keep in an excel workbook. Every batch I make gets entered there too so I can easily see what I have in stock. I do physically count it all twice a year. Well, not every single bar...as I know how many fit in a full box. So I just count the single bars in partial boxes and add it all up.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

For sales I use carbon receipt books and my printed out pay pal invoices.

For inventory, I do it much like I do my pantry. When soap is cured, half is wrapped, half is naked, and both go into their own boxes of 50 (I also go to the racks and see if all that batch needs to be wrapped or all needs to be naked). My goal is to have 10 boxes of each scent naked and wrapped by Christmas of each year, so when one is taken down to be packaged there is an empty space so that soap's card goes on the stack to be soaped this week. This time of year I am lucky if each scent holds 4 to 6 boxes (plus what is on the cure racks and what I keep in my soap room just for quick sales).

By soaping what is being ordered at least 2 or 3 of the 4 nights I soap (even though their actual order will be pulled Monday from the racks), I can fill orders pretty quickly.

So when I walk into my storage (right now a rented storage) soon my new addition, I can simply walk up and down the shelves and instead of counting bars, I count boxes of 50. But I don't count how many I have, I count how many more I need :crazy Lotion and toiletries are simply rows in the soaproom, when the row gets down to a few more left, I make a batch, or buy it from who I wholesale it from. Vicki


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Agree with everyone about how to keep track of goods sold, which was the original question. But how do you keep track of purchases? Can't say enough about SoapMaker3. And if you sell accessories, they can be inputted, too. Keeps track of costs, sales and profit.


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## Angelknitter12 (Feb 16, 2012)

Ditto Vicki. I am not nearly as large of a business as Vicki, but the carbon receipt book is a great way to keep track of things. I also put my paypal into my carbon book so that it is all in one place which makes taxes easier for me.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

You pay taxes on your paypal? I don't until I hit $2000 in payments for goods. Why you try to remember to ask folks to send you it in gifts column instead  After $2000 in goods paid in, you get a 1099 misc. from them in the mail (geeze that doesn't sound right), so they are turning in from that dollar forward ($2001) at the end of the calander year. If someone has time go read it on paypal, let us know if that dollar amount is correct.

Cindy, I have a gal who does my books which includes my costs and purchases, she also sets my prices. Vicki


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## jdranch (Jan 31, 2010)

For shows, the tally sheet is quick and easy. You can also bring a specific amount of each soap and count the ones you have left as you tear down at the end of the day or when you get home and put them back. For me, while it can change, I kinda know the hot sellers and which soaps aren't moving. I'd rather tally how much money I am making than which soaps I am selling. 

I have soapmaker and excel sheets and clip boards with all the information- but really, I have boxes on shelves. Each box has the scent name and how many bars are in the box. In fall, when there are multiple boxes of the same scent, I have an index card with the scent and how many are on that shelf (scent per shelf, or split the shelf in half and have two scents per shelf). As I pull soap and add soap, I cross out or erase the old number and write the new number. When it gets low (for me, low is under 24) I make more.


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

For shows, we count how much we pack and then count how much we unpack.

Here at the soap room, we take a weekly inventory (rough count), but we also keep track of sales through quickbooks.

PJ


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

Great advice, I've implemented some already. Now I am looking for a book on how to run a cottage industry, can you recommned any good books? Thx, Dorit


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

The books that helped me the most were Ellie Winslows marketing books. She is on the forum. I believe I have one of her ads stickied at the top of For Sale. Vicki


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> The books that helped me the most were Ellie Winslows marketing books. She is on the forum. I believe I have one of her ads stickied at the top of For Sale. Vicki


 :yeahthat


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