How should I count the toner and parts stock at my office equipment dealership before selling?

Stock at a dealership sits in more places than people remember: the main shelves, service vans, technicians’ bags, a back room, and boxes at customer sites. List each place first, then count place by place. Seal what you have counted so it does not get counted twice or moved mid-count.

Separate consumables from parts. Toner, drums and fuser kits have different shelf lives and different demand than board assemblies, rollers or feed parts. Check boxes for damage, expiry marks or open packaging. Parts pulled from trade-in machines belong in their own group, since their condition varies.

Be honest about stock that no longer matches your customer fleet. If the machines it fits have mostly been retired, say so in the sheet. A buyer who finds it later will question the rest of your count. Tie the count to your records. Compare it with purchase invoices, recent sales and the book figure, and explain gaps. Your accountant can advise on how the count is used in a sale. A buyer may ask to observe or repeat it. Photograph the shelves as you go, since pictures settle later arguments about what was there.

Key takeaways

• List every storage place, then count place by place with two people.
• Keep consumables, parts and trade-in parts on separate lines.
• Mark slow and obsolete lines yourself before the buyer finds them.
• Reconcile the count to invoices and records, and explain the gaps.