Starting with small inventory: a worked 500 TND budget
With limited money, do not turn the entire amount into merchandise. Keep funds for testing, packing, shipping and waiting for collection payouts. The 500 TND here is a teaching example, not a sufficient minimum for every business or a quotation for starting a company. Goods, formalities and tools can cost very…
With limited money, do not turn the entire amount into merchandise. Keep funds for testing, packing, shipping and waiting for collection payouts. The 500 TND here is a teaching example, not a sufficient minimum for every business or a quotation for starting a company. Goods, formalities and tools can cost very different amounts. Replace each assumption with your actual commitments before paying.
Define what the first batch should teach you
A stock trial should answer clear questions: does the item match your offer, will customers accept it at the price, and can you finance another purchase after collection? Starting with ten unrelated categories may leave too little evidence for each. Choose a range you can inspect, explain and monitor.
Set the amount you can expose to the trial without compromising essential needs and choose a review date. Do not assume everything will sell quickly or that payout arrives on dispatch day. Expected sales are not cash available for the next purchase.
Give each part of the budget a job
Our fictional store allocates 240 TND to goods, 30 to a sample, 40 to packing materials, 80 to shipping operations, 30 to illustrative tools or administration and 80 to an uncommitted reserve. These total 500 TND. They are not recommended ratios for everyone, and the administration line is neither a registration fee nor a Matjri subscription price.
| Function | Illustrative amount | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Goods | 240 TND | 20 units × 12 |
| Sample | 30 TND | Specifications examined? |
| Packing materials | 40 TND | Unused supplies remain available |
| Shipping reserve | 80 TND | Charge and collection dates |
| Administration and tools | 30 TND | Replace with real costs |
| Uncommitted reserve | 80 TND | Do not spend by default |
Consult the official RNE formalities for the relevant business documentation. A hypothetical line does not cover every obligation. Record known necessary payments before deciding how much remains for goods.
Buy a quantity you can reassess
Twenty units at 12 TND account for the example’s 240 TND. If a supplier requires more, do not raise the purchase just to keep a quoted unit price. Consider another option or wait until funding fits. Allocate colours or sizes using the evidence you have, noting what remains uncertain rather than presenting guesses as proven demand.
Inspect the sample and then the actual delivery, retaining purchase cost and associated charges. Unused packing supplies are not an immediate loss: an unused carton remains available, while a dispatched parcel consumes part of those materials.
A ten-parcel operating example
Suppose ten parcels are dispatched, eight delivered and two returned. Each delivered customer pays 25 TND for the product and 7 TND delivery, totalling 32 TND. Gross collection is 8 × 32 = 256 TND. Illustrative charges are 6 TND for every dispatch, an extra 2 TND per return and 1 TND packing per outgoing parcel.
Transport is 10 × 6 + 2 × 2 = 64 TND, packing is 10 TND and the eight sold units cost 8 × 12 = 96 TND. The batch contribution is 256 − 64 − 10 − 96 = 86 TND before sampling, administration and other expenses. It is not the business’s final profit, and delivery status does not establish that the bank has received the money.
Connect the cash record and physical stock record
Record amounts paid, due and received separately. In stock, distinguish available units, goods with the courier, expected returns and isolated items. If the two returns are physically received in saleable condition, twelve of the original twenty units remain unsold. Do not advertise those returns as available before receipt just because a return was announced.
Check collection arrangements with your provider; the official INTIGO COD information is one reference, not a universal payout calendar. A small budget can be strained by timing even where the product’s contribution looks positive.
Set reorder conditions before enthusiasm takes over
- Received goods match specifications and can be supplied again.
- Cancellation and refusal causes are understood.
- Actual packing and delivery costs are known.
- Enough collected money has really arrived.
- Operating reserves remain for the next cycle.
Matjri product and order tools can organise a small catalogue and its references. Add tools only after checking their current costs and purpose. Testing without paid advertising is possible, but photography, time, communications and transport still require resources.
After the first batch, document learning rather than only units sold. You may need a clearer description, different sizes or a decision to stop an unsuitable product. Uncommitted cash preserves those choices; it is not a problem that must be solved by purchasing more stock.
Questions about a small starting budget
Is 500 TND always enough?
No. This is an exercise. Product, tools or formalities may exceed that figure. Gather actual costs and obligations before deciding the scale of a trial you can finance.
Should I reinvest the entire payout?
Separate costs, commitments and reserves first. Money received is not all profit, and some expenses may still be unpaid. Reordering without checking them can create a cash shortage.
What should I do today?
Fill the six budget functions with real numbers. Reduce the stock purchase if shipping and follow-up are no longer funded rather than making the reserve disappear from your worksheet.