If you run a retail business, you know how important it is to keep tight control of inventory. But have you hit on the best way to get the job done? 

One strategy is to train employees to count inventory on a regular basis. Certainly, doing the job in-house seems like a cost-effective way to go. But it takes planning. 

Doing the job in-house means you’ll have to close down the store for a block of time, which could be an inconvenience for regular customers. Or, you may have to pay employees overtime if counting is done after business hours.

Whatever schedule you choose, you should definitely reward your team by offering them good food and beverages. After all, counting inventory is hard work and it can get tedious. Perks, like free pizza, water and soft drinks can go a long way in keeping energy and morale up, as well as interest in doing a good job. 

It also takes organization. If you’re relying on staff to count inventory, having storage areas mapped out for them will help the process. Also, boxes of merchandise should be clearly marked with content descriptions.

Perhaps the do-it-yourself strategy of counting inventory in-house isn’t so cost-effective after all, when you consider all the time and effort that goes into the planning.

The bottom line is, you want accuracy. Can doing it in-house give you that assurance?

Another option that may be easier on you and your employees is to hire an outside inventory management service such as Blue Chip. Third-party inventory management professionals provide a fast, accurate, and, yes, cost-effective counting process.

As one of Blue Chip’s clients said, “After seven years in business, we finally had you inventory our store. We’ll never do it ourselves again!”