With so much to think about these days, the last thing many retailers—perhaps you included—want to think about is taking inventory of the merchandise you have in-store. While we agree with you that it’s not exactly a “fun” job, someone’s got to do it—and here’s why.

Your merchandise is not only the biggest asset in your business; it’s your most significant business expense. Knowing exactly how much of each item is on your shelves and in the warehouse is the first step in overall inventory management, and great inventory management is the major catalyst for higher profits.

Inaccurate inventory counts can also cause you to inadvertently overpay your taxes. That’s because overestimating the dollar value of inventory drives your cost-of-goods downward and your profit (on paper) upward, leading you to pay taxes on income you did not actually earn. Who wants to pay Uncle Sam an extra cent, especially when every penny you can actually put ring up, rather than put in the Tax Man’s pocket, counts?

By contrast, underestimating the dollar value of your inventory instead of performing an inventory count will cause you to show less profit. This may have a negative effect on your relationship with your banker, investors or other creditors.

In short, to obtain a true picture of how well your retail business faring, you need a completely accurate accounting of how much inventory you own. And computerizing your point of sale system with a solution like pcAmerica’s Cash Register Express makes that job a lot easier.

To get more information about pcAmerica point of sale solutions, visit www.pcamerica.com.