How do you prep inventory for a busy season?

[Ryan_M]

Hi Sellers!

This week, we're looking to gain more insight into your busy season prep process! 

1. How do you prepare for a busy season and make sure your inventory is stocked/managed easily? 
2. What does your inventory look like after a busy season is complete?
3. Are there any pain points for getting back on track to business as usual?

Looking forward to your replies! 😃

[Bronze_Palms]

We run inventory the first week of the month. It is not our standard count where we pull everything out and are meticulous with it. We do rough estimates on where everything is at and anything under 50 units is counted so we can be exact until more stock is received. When busy season wraps up, we take a couple weeks to deep clean and reset then do a much larger and more precise inventory count. All managed in Square!

[HC_Charlie]

Great question @Ryan_M , oh how I wish I was more prepared LOL. I'm using this season as lesson so I'm in a better positing next year. I'm flying by the seat of my pants this year as my first year in adding wholesale fulfillment to my regular retail store. I plan to tally up the item sales after this holiday is over, and use that to help plan NEXT YEAR and figure out what items and how many I'll need to produce and have on hand. All of my items are handmade, so it's been a struggle to keep up. I'm hoping next year to have enough quantities on hand at the start of the holiday season to be able to ship orders within a shorter time frame than this year.

[jnsyummiesweets]

Since I just started, honestly if I have sales and is busy season, I stock my products. Easy for me just packed and go. 

[jnsyummiesweets]

I really need help with marketing and sales, anybody able assist me where I can attract and how to attract customers to my website and make sales. 

[Cosmicdrive36]

1. We try to stock up by Halloween. Our back room is full right now. We have put a lot of attention in the last couple years into how to organize the shelves in the back room so we can easily keep track of how much of each item we have in backstock. 

2. After the busy season, we usually have our lowest inventory levels of the year. This is a good thing because then we can do inventory counting using the Square for Retail iOS app at the beginning of the year. 

3. I think all the employees are tired at the end of the busy season. Getting back into the swing of things takes some time. Luckily January is a bit slower, so it allows us to reenergize a little. 

[Cosmicdrive36]

Anyone with an answer please 

[ProsperityPools]

Our busy season is typically spring and summer, so we buy excess chemicals and parts throughout the winter to make sure we have enough on hand to get through the busy season. Even if it's not needed much right now, it's smart to have on hand because the last couple of years there have been shortages. I learned my lesson after having to drive all over Houston just to look for enough chlorine tabs for 80+ customers' pools, so now we stock up and prepare!