Stock Tracker

Track Every Item in Your Inventory — Know What You Have and What It's Worth

The Stock Tracker is one of the most important sections of the Prepared Finance Book for any business that sells products. Whether you run a shop, a market stall, a pharmacy, or a food kiosk, knowing exactly what stock you have — and its value — is the foundation of smart selling.

Many business owners in Uganda carry stock worth millions of shillings but have no written record of what's on the shelf. When stock goes missing, when prices change, or when items expire — they only discover the loss when it's too late.

What You Record

The Stock Tracker is organized in a clear table with these columns:

Date — When the stock was recorded or received
Item Name — The name of each product (e.g., Sugar 1kg, Bar soap, Airtel airtime)
Quantity — How many units you have of each item
Unit Cost / Buying Price — How much you paid per unit
Total Value — Quantity × Unit Cost for each item
Tax (if applicable) — Any tax paid on the items

How to Use It

At the start of each month (or each week for busy shops), list all the products in your business. Write the quantity you have and the cost per item. Multiply to get the total value. At the bottom, add everything up to know your Total Stock Value.

As you sell items during the month, you can update the quantities. At month-end, the difference between your opening stock and remaining stock tells you how much you've sold — and whether anything has been lost, stolen, or wasted.