There’s nothing worse than making a great sale, then digging frantically through piles of clothing for hours desperately trying to find that item you just sold. Maybe you thoughtlessly misplaced something within your inventory system – or maybe you have somehow survived this long without any inventory system at all!
If that’s the case, we’ve got your back. Every reseller can benefit from these great inventory organization tips for your Poshmark, eBay, or Mercari inventory. Let’s get organized!
Step 1: Pick a Place
Chances are if you’re disorganized with your inventory, it’s everywhere! Some bags piled up in your living room, other pieces flung in the closet, and yet more clothing strewn over your desk. We need to fix that.
The most important first step is isolating an area of your house that will be ONLY your inventory storage spot. This could be a garage, closet, or a specific corner of your bedroom or home office. Wherever it is that you have the room for it, it’s now your designated Inventory Storage Area. Congrats!
Now that you’ve got your dedicated reselling business inventory storage space, let’s fill it in an organized way. Shelving can be a huge help so that you’re using your entire vertical space that’s available!
Step 2: Create a Numbered System
Many Poshers and online resellers turn to numbered bins and bags to keep track of inventory and stay organized. It’s a simple system to get started, and the only real challenge is remembering to write down which bin you put each item in when you store it!
The easiest way to start with a system like this is to create a spreadsheet on Excel or Google Sheets to track the item location, as well as additional info about the cost, availability, and more. You’re going to also need some of those big plastic storage tubs that can be stacked or that fit in your organizational shelves! Make sure they’re not so huge that you can’t easily lift them when they’re full, though.
Within those tubs, many sellers like to separate items into bags to keep them organized and clean, ready to ship when sold! For example, if you have 6 tubs A through F, you can then sort the bags within the tubs as A1, A2, A3, etc. When you source inventory, take the time to separate each item into its own bag within your bins and enter the code into your spreadsheet. You’ll be able to find it easily when it sells!
Step 3: Sorting by Category
How do you pick which items to put in what bin, and what about items that don’t fit well into bins or need to be hung?
One of the easiest ways of sorting your inventory is by type. Tshirts go in one bin, and another for sweaters. That bin is for dresses and skirts! This may seem obvious, but this is the easiest way to start when you’re just getting organized. Another option is to sort by color. If you’ve just got a big consignment box of cute graphic tees, you might have an easier time finding things if you know where all your blue items are!
What about for items that don’t fit in bins? If you have room, set up some hanging racks or section off part of your closet to hang coats and bulky dresses. Organizing these by color can help you find them in a snap! With items like shoes, snagging some shoe shelving can be a huge help when you’re trying to keep your items organized. Numbering each shelf like a bin keeps the system in place!
Step 4: Stick with it (and do tasks IMMEDIATELY)
When an item sells, we know you’re going to take 5 seconds to celebrate – but that sixth second better be updating your inventory spreadsheet! As soon as you get behind, the whole system can fall apart.
Got an item listed? It better be sorted and in your inventory spreadsheet! Item sold? Time to update the spreadsheet! It may sound like a lot of work, but when you’re running a reselling business you’ll thank yourself for every bit of extra organization you lay down.
Step 5: Don’t be Afraid to Make Updates!
If something about your system isn’t working for you, don’t keep doing it regardless! Part of being a small business owner is recognizing what is working and what isn’t. Experiment with different organizational systems, or implement tips you hear from friends or colleagues along the way.
The reselling business is always growing and evolving, and your organizational skills and methods can do the same!
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