How We Handle Inventory at The Orderly Space
At The Orderly Space, we know we cannot do our jobs without the support of our inventory. While transforming my garage into a full inventory storehouse for all of our frequently used items has been a process, it has also given us exactly what we need to fully support our clients on their organizing projects.
So, what should I have to handle inventory?
Our inventory has expanded over the years and boy--it has been a bumpy road! However, we have maintained inventory since the very beginning and have plans to expand our inventory in the future as our needs increase. This could mean investing in a warehouse space as our current inventory has completely overtaken my garage space!
So, what are some integral parts of making sure handling inventory goes smoothly? We tend to think the following helps a ton!
Inventory Manager
We have found that hiring someone to handle all of the inventory has been a huge blessing for our business. This is where our rockstar Aimee comes in! Aimee is our inventory manager and handles all the things when it comes to our inventory--Ordering, stocking, inventory tracking, receiving, and everything in between.
To stay on top of our most frequently used items, Aimee is typically ordering at least daily. We made sure reorder points are set in our Quickbooks so that she is alerted and orders accordingly.
Bookkeeper & Accountant
For your inventory handling, and really for many other business needs, we suggest hiring and utilizing an experienced bookkeeper and accountant. They can help you make sure that your things are set up properly from the very beginning. At the start of The Orderly Space, we made some mistakes that cost us both time and money that could have easily been avoided had we used a bookkeeper and accountant from the get-go.
You live and learn--or in our case, we learned and are teaching you how to handle your inventory management process the right way. ;)
An Inventory System
We like to keep things as systemized as possible to avoid miscalculating or losing inventory in the process. At The Orderly Space, we created simple spreadsheets of all the frequently used items and when organizers are heading out to a job they simply fill out their sheets with the product they take with them.
Later on, they will fill out the sheet with the actual product used and purchased by the client on site and then this makes sure the right amount of unused product makes it back on the shelf and ready for another day.
Some of our most popular products that are used include:
Container Store Multipurpose Bins
Container Store White Bins with Handles
Acrylic Drawer Dividers
Target Felt Bins
Target Y-Weaves
Our product quantities kept on hand are determined by the upcoming jobs we may be working on, how frequently we use that product, and where we are ordering from. If you are needing to place an inventory order to the Container Store, for example, this can take a lot longer to get than an order placed to Target or Amazon. Knowing these things will help keep your inventory system in check and your favorite products ready to go for your clients!
How We Use Inventory + Products with our Clients
We have found that one of the most beneficial things about having inventory on hand is that our clients don’t have to worry about going to locate items prior to their organizing project: We bring everything and more with us. This eliminates the need for clients to return unused items and be concerned about items not being in stock--we are the ultimate fairy godmothers of product delivery.
We keep almost all of the organizing products on hand that our clients would need for their homes. However, if any large pieces of furniture are requested from a client, we simply send them the link to purchase that on their own prior to our project date. Most bins, bin clips, dividers, etc are kept on hand and ready to go in our organizer’s vehicle.
Upcharging Products
Recently, The Orderly Space has started upcharging on products. Why the upcharge? We go through the process of ordering, stocking, and preparing all of the materials for our clients. This extra service is well worth the upcharge on the product that clients are receiving and it was offsetting some of the charges we receive on our end, such as with Quickbooks.
Our upcharge is small and fairly insignificant to what our clients would probably spend if they had to do a Target run, because you can’t not check out all the cute little areas throughout the store and grab that coffee on the way out, right?
A convenience our clients love
Having inventory on hand is a huge convenience for our clients. Since we are helping design their space and getting it decluttered and aesthetically organized, we know exactly what to pull and how much of specific items to bring with us to a job. We show up prepared and our clients do not have to lift a finger to go search for the right items for their space.
If you can’t do inventory, that is okay too. Not every professional organizer that I have run across has the space to handle inventory. There are other ways to make your service just as white-glove as we do.
One of the ways we’ve seen other organizers successfully handle getting client products is by having their client’s credit card on file, ordering all items in bulk shipped directly to the client prior to the project, and then returning any unused items after the project is through.
Alternatively, I’ve spoken to many organizers who simply rent a storage unit when space at their home or office doesn’t permit.
Whatever method you find words for you and gives your clients an unbeatable service--go for it! Our system has definitely evolved with a lot of time and perseverance and willingness to shift how we do things. The end goal is still the same: provide an epic service to our clients from start to finish.
As we pull product together for upcoming jobs, we will text photos like this to clients to make sure products meet the client’s aesthetic and goals.
What products do I need to start an inventory?
Over the years we refined our inventory to only the absolute best and most versatile items that satisfy both high and low budget projects. If you are considering stocking up on an inventory I have created two tiers of products that I consider essential to our business.
