Inventory management is crucial yet often chaotic for small businesses. Without oversight of stock levels, orders, and product locations, companies face bloated inventories, stockouts, and frustrated customers. However, the right inventory management system for small business brings order from the chaos through automation, organization, and analytics.
We explore the top 7 inventory programs for small business to empower small businesses to gain control, cut costs, and boost customer satisfaction. From entry-level options to advanced systems, one of these inventory software development services products can tame even the wildest inventory beast.
Inventory mismanagement bites hard for smaller companies. Lacking resources to absorb excess stock or react to stockouts, small businesses experience:
However, the survey found only 18% of small businesses use inventory management software. The remaining 82% rely on error-prone manual processes.
The reasons often come down to limited budgets and personnel. Yet the consequences of chaos compound over time. By implementing one of the following solutions, small businesses can realize quick wins:
Keep reading to find the right solution to meet your business and budget.
Orderhive meets basic inventory needs for early-stage ecommerce businesses. As a freemium system, it offers a surprising depth of features at no cost.
Key Features
Pricing
The free plan supports unlimited products and orders. Paid upgrades provide bulk order creation and shipping integrations.
Who It’s For
Orderhive suits new ecommerce stores needing essential inventory software for small business. The free option allows startups to handle inventory basics without financial risk.
Zoho Inventory gives small businesses real-time visibility across all sales and fulfillment locations. Its focus goes beyond inventory to connect online, retail, and warehouse operations.
Key Features
Pricing
Zoho offers incremental pricing tiers based on the number of users and transactions. Volume discounts are available.
Who It’s For
Small ecommerce, retail, and wholesale firms needing holistic operational visibility should consider Zoho Inventory. Real-time tracking across locations enables confident selling and purchasing with small business inventory software.
TradeGecko accelerates inventory tasks through intelligent automation. Small businesses can cut order processing overhead while leveraging data to improve decisions.
Key Features
Pricing
TradeGecko pricing scales across three tiers based on product volume.
Who It’s For
Process-burdened wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers benefit most from TradeGecko. Automation empowers lean operations to scale efficiently using inventory management software for small businesses.
Dear Inventory specializes in single-product, multi-location companies that need consistent visibility. Custom processes for each location enable personalized inventory optimization.
Key Features
Pricing
Dear Inventory offers flexible plans based on a number of locations and users.
Who It’s For
Single-product retailers with multiple locations need Dear Inventory. Examples include auto parts suppliers, electronics component distributors, and retail franchisees requiring a robust inventory system for small business.
Fishbowl streamlines small-batch manufacturing inventory with production-centric processes. Businesses gain control over raw materials, WIP, and finished goods across the production floor.
Key Features
Pricing
Fishbowl bases pricing on the number of logged-in users per month. Custom quotes are available.
Who It’s For
Specialty manufacturers and wholesale distributors benefit most from Fishbowl’s production focus. Those handling raw materials, custom builds, quality assurance, and assembly workflows maximize Fishbowl’s value.
Cin7 combines point-of-sale, inventory, warehouse, B2B ecommerce, and 3PL integrations for unified retail management. Retailers gain a single view with the flexibility to expand sales channels.
Key Features
Pricing
Cin7 offers transparent pricing per warehouse. Enterprise options are available for large operations.
Who It’s For
True omnichannel small retailers who sell online, in retail stores, and wholesale need Cin7. Real-time visibility and seamless integrations allow small teams to manage expansive sales reach.
As a pioneer in cloud ERP, NetSuite brings enterprise-grade inventory management to small business budgets. Customization enables broad business process oversight.
Key Features
Pricing
Base ERP Package – $999/month
Full User License – $100-$200 per user/month
Limited User License – $50-$100 per user/month
Who It’s For
Rapidly scaling small businesses benefit most from NetSuite as increased complexity demands process rigor. However, the expansive system requires inventory expertise to maximize value.
With many solutions available, small businesses must align key elements of their inventory operations to the right software capabilities. Consider the following:
Inventory chaos creates profit leaks that threaten small businesses. However, our 7 highlighted solutions demonstrate that options exist for companies at all stages and sizes. Although implementing new software takes effort, the long-term benefits of control, efficiency, and insight outweigh the short-term pains.
With the right foundation to manage increasing complexity, small businesses can execute growth ambitions without taking on enterprise-sized headaches. What matters most is selecting the inventory management software for small business that aligns with your specific inventory needs and budget. So take control and stop inventory chaos from hijacking your potential – order awaits.
