Regular stock takes are usually for the reasons outlined above. Therefore you are counting and valuing all of your direct cost stock items. They are the items that you use and can’t re-use when you make a sale. In a food and beverage business it would include, food, beverages and packaging, but would not include crockery, furniture etc. On a less regular basis it is a good idea to do a ‘complete’ stock take and count and value everything in your business.

There are numerous stock taking systems on the market, from an excel sheet to a complex software programme. You can set up a simple stocktaking system in your business by taking the following steps and using the simple Stock taker template in the assets section below.
Every stock taking system requires some focus and hard work at the beginning, because you need to populate the system with all of your stock lines.
Step 1. List your stock lines in logical groups linked to how you run the business and in a language that everyone in the business will understand. Then list the stock lines within these groups in alphabetical order.
E.g. in a restaurant you might have: dry goods, chilled goods, frozen goods, beverages, cleaning materials, packaging and so on.
Step 2. Create a simple spreadsheet or use the 'simple stock taker’ template from mybusiness1st (located in the assets section below)
Step 3. Establish what a 'unit' is for each stock item.
You need to establish what you are going to call a ‘unit’ of each stock line and then be consistent in the use of this measurement. e.g. product | unit | comment | Sweetcorn | 120g tin | During stock take count the number of tins. I case count has 12 tins |
This can be trickier when you are dealing with small stock items. Where items are fairly low in value so it is best to go to the case or box as a unit and then make a considered guesstimate on loose stock or open