Getting Started

Getting Started with Buy Sell Tracker

Learn the basic workflow for adding inventory, recording sales and expenses, and reviewing your business results.

The basic workflow is simple: add inventory, record sales, track expenses, and review your results.

Before you begin

Understanding the Basic Workflow

Buy Sell Tracker is designed to keep the main records for your reselling activity connected. You begin by recording the items you purchase for resale. As those items sell, you record the sale information and any expenses associated with the business.

Your dashboard and reports then use those records to help you understand purchases, sales, expenses, inventory, and profit.

For the most useful results:

Enter purchases, sales, and expenses as they occur. Keeping your records current gives you a more accurate view of your business activity.

01 Add Inventory
02 Record Sales
03 Track Expenses
04 Review Results

Step 1

Add Your Inventory

Inventory is the starting point for items you purchase with the intention of reselling. Each inventory record stores the information Buy Sell Tracker needs to follow that item from purchase through sale.

When adding inventory, you can record information including:

  • Item name
  • Description
  • Purchase date
  • Purchase price
  • Quantity purchased
  • Acquisition source
  • Inventory photo

If you purchased several identical items together, the quantity allows you to track those items as a single inventory record while Buy Sell Tracker keeps track of how many remain available.

Expenses that belong specifically to an inventory item can also be associated with that item. This helps keep those costs separate from general business expenses.

Step 2

Record Sales as Inventory Sells

When an item sells, locate the appropriate inventory record and use Record Sale.

Enter the:

  • Sold date
  • Sold price
  • Quantity sold

If the inventory record contains more than one item, you do not have to sell the entire quantity at once. Record the number sold and Buy Sell Tracker updates the quantity still available.

Example:

If an inventory record contains four items and you sell one, record a quantity sold of 1. The remaining quantity will continue to show as available inventory.

When all available quantity has been sold, the inventory record is treated as sold out.

Step 3

Track Your Expenses

Buy Sell Tracker separates expenses into two general types: expenses connected to a specific inventory item and general business expenses.

Item-Related Expenses

Use an item-related expense when the cost belongs directly to a particular inventory item.

These expenses stay connected to the appropriate inventory record.

Business Expenses

Use a general business expense when the cost applies to the business rather than to one particular inventory item.

Business expenses are entered from the Expenses section.

Keeping the two types of expenses properly categorized helps Buy Sell Tracker provide a clearer picture of your actual business results.

Step 4

Review Your Dashboard

The Dashboard gives you a quick overview of your activity for the current month. It is designed to answer the basic question: How is my reselling business doing?

The Dashboard includes:

Total Sales Sales recorded during the current month.
Total Purchases Inventory purchases for the current month.
Total Expenses Expenses affecting your current-month results.
Gross Profit A quick view of profit before general business expenses.
Net Profit Your profit after applicable expenses.
Active Inventory Inventory records that still have quantity available.
Items Sold The quantity of items sold during the current month.

The Dashboard is intended as a quick current-month snapshot. Use Reports when you want to review a specific date range or see more detailed records.

Step 5

Use Reports for a Detailed View

Reports give you more detailed information than the Dashboard and allow you to review business activity over a selected date range.

Purchases Report

Review inventory purchased during the selected period.

Sales Report

Review recorded sales and quantities sold during the selected period.

Business Expenses Report

Review general business expenses for the selected period.

Inventory Status Report

Review your current available and sold-out inventory.

Profitability Report

Review sales, costs, expenses, gross profit, and net profit in greater detail.

Reports can be adjusted using the available date range and filtering options. Supported report data can also be exported to CSV, and reports are designed to be print-friendly.

Continue learning

Where to Go Next

This guide covers the basic Buy Sell Tracker workflow. The other Help Center guides will provide more detailed instructions for each part of the application.

Need additional help?

Still Have a Question?

If you cannot find the answer you need in the Help Center, contact Buy Sell Tracker support and provide enough detail for us to understand the issue.