Unless you are starting a service business, a good
inventory-control feature will be an essential part of your
bookkeeping system. If you are going to be manufacturing products,
you will have to track raw materials, work-in-process and finished
goods, and separate subledgers should be established for each of
these inventory categories. Even if you are a wholesaler or
retailer, you will be selling many different types of inventory and
will need an effective system to track each inventory item offered
for sale.
Another key reason to track inventory very closely is the direct
relationship to cost of goods sold. Since nearly all businesses
that stock inventory are required to use the accrual method for
accounting, good inventory records are a must for accurately
tracking the material cost associated with each item sold.
From a management standpoint, tracking inventory is also
important. An effective and up-to-date inventory-control system
will provide you with the following critical information:
- Which items sell well, and which items are slow
moving
- When to order more raw materials or more items
- Where in the warehouse the inventory is stored when it comes
time to ship it
- Number of days in the production process for each
item
- The typical order of key customers
- Minimum inventory level needed to meet daily orders
Content Continues Below
Excerpted from Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up
Book You'll Ever Need, by Rieva Lesonsky and the Staff of
Entrepreneur Magazine, © 1998 Entrepreneur Press