If your inventory has taken on a life of its own—lurking in dusty corners, tripping your unsuspecting employees, or making late-night noises when nobody’s around—take a deep breath. You’re not alone. Loads of businesses struggle with inventory control, stock rotation, and let’s face it, too many piles of stuff. The good news is that it’s never too late to regain the upper hand. By following these 4 simple tips (and maybe having a light sense of humour about it all), you can whip your stockroom into shape in no time.
By Team Savant
Image: Kadarius Seegars
Embrace the Power of Organisation
You know that friend who swears they “work better in chaos”? Yeah, that friend is lying. When it comes to running a business, an organized inventory is essential. Labels, colour codes, and neatly stacked boxes aren’t just for hyper-organised neat freaks. They’re actually key to saving time, preventing panic attacks, and preserving your sanity. If you can’t find the exact widget your customer desperately needs—or worse, if you don’t even realize you’ve run out—kiss that sale goodbye.
Set Up a System (and Stick to It)
It’s one thing to vow, “I will never again lose track of my inventory!” and another to make it happen. Create a system—whether it’s digital or old-school pen and paper—that tracks incoming and outgoing stock. The trick is to be consistent. Skip the sporadic updates or half-hearted data entry. If you’re only logging stuff every other Tuesday because “Tuesdays feel like a good day for inventory,” you’re asking for trouble. Routines might not be sexy, but they’ll save you a world of headache when tax season rolls around or when you’re trying to figure out why your best-selling item is always missing in action.
Business Self Storage: Your Secret Weapon
Unless you’re the world’s biggest fan of living amid tottering stacks of cardboard boxes, sometimes you simply need more space. That’s where business self storage comes in. Picture it: your office or shop floor, free of overflow stock, and your bulky seasonal items neatly tucked away in a secure, off-site facility. Not only does this reduce the clutter, it also boosts workplace safety (goodbye, falling box towers) and saves you from having to expand into a larger, more expensive space before you’re ready.
Rotate Like Your Life Depends On It
In the food industry, they say “FIFO”—first in, first out. It’s an easy concept: the oldest items move out first, so you’re not left with spoilage, and you can save a ton of money, not to mention resources. Even if you’re not dealing with perishable goods (like cheese or bananas), the principle applies, and can be similarly efficient for you. After all, in most industries, products have a cycle, and new versions can quickly render older models obsolete, and unable to generate a profit for you. Keep your inventory fresh by rotating stock and making sure new shipments don’t get buried behind ancient boxes. Nobody wants last year’s outdated gadgets when the shiny new ones have arrived.
Make your inventory work for you!