The Hidden $3,000/Month Cost of Manual Inventory
You're paying someone $20/hour to do what a $29/month app does better. Here's the math nobody wants to show you.
⏰ Track This Tomorrow
Time how long these tasks take your team:
- Morning inventory count: ___ minutes
- Updating stock levels: ___ minutes
- Creating purchase orders: ___ minutes
- Checking for low stock: ___ minutes
- Fixing inventory errors: ___ minutes
Bet it's over 4 hours/day across your team.
The Real Cost Breakdown
What You Think It Costs
- Employee doing inventory: $20/hour
- 4 hours/day = $80/day
- 20 days/month = $1,600/month
- "Not that bad," you think.
What It ACTUALLY Costs
Direct Costs:
- Wages: $1,600/month
- Payroll taxes (15%): $240/month
- Benefits (20%): $320/month
- Subtotal: $2,160/month
Hidden Costs:
- Stock-outs from human error: ~$500/month in lost sales
- Over-ordering mistakes: ~$300/month in dead stock
- Time spent fixing errors: ~$200/month
- Customer complaints from wrong inventory: Priceless
REAL TOTAL: $3,160/month ($37,920/year)
The $29 Solution That Does It Better
What Inventory Apps Actually Do:
- ✅ Real-time stock tracking (no daily counts)
- ✅ Automatic low-stock alerts
- ✅ One-click purchase orders
- ✅ Barcode scanning (10x faster)
- ✅ Multi-location sync
- ✅ Sales forecasting
- ✅ Zero human error
The Apps That Actually Work
I've tested 20+. Here are the only 3 worth your time:
1. For Shopify: Stocky (FREE with POS)
Best for:
Retail stores with under 1,000 SKUs
Setup time:
2 hours
Monthly cost:
$0 (included with Shopify POS)
2. For Multi-Channel: Cin7 ($299/month)
Best for:
Selling on Amazon + Shopify + Wholesale
Setup time:
1 week (they help you)
ROI:
Usually 10x in prevented stock-outs alone
3. For Simple Needs: inFlow ($71/month)
Best for:
B2B or wholesale with basic needs
Setup time:
1 day
Why it works:
Dead simple. Your grandma could use it.
Implementation Checklist
Week 1: Setup
- Export current inventory to CSV
- Clean up product names/SKUs (biggest time suck)
- Import to new system
- Connect sales channels
- Set reorder points
Week 2: Training
- Train staff on barcode scanning
- Set up low-stock alerts
- Create first automated PO
- Run parallel with old system
Week 3: Switch
- Turn off manual counts
- Reassign that employee to sales
- Watch errors disappear
- Count your money
Common Objections (And Reality)
"But my business is unique!"
No, it's not. You buy stuff, store it, sell it. Same as everyone.
"My staff won't learn new software!"
They learned TikTok. They can learn this.
"What if the system goes down?"
What if your employee calls in sick? Software is more reliable.
The Bottom Line Math
Your current way: -$3,160/month
With inventory software: -$299/month
You save: +$2,861/month
That's $34,332/year
Want Us to Set This Up For You?
We'll analyze your inventory, pick the right software, migrate your data, and train your team. Takes 1 week. Saves you $34K/year.