A Reorder Reminder for the Small Things You Buy Online

Big purchases get planned. It's the small ones that catch you out: the sandpaper, the cable ties, the gloves, the printer ink, the cleaning wipes. None of them cost much, but running out of one can stall a job while you wait for a delivery.

A one-person business has no stores cupboard and nobody else to notice the shelf is empty. A short list with reorder dates fixes most of this.

Build the list once

Open a spreadsheet, a notes app or a page in your job book. Keep it to one screen. For each repeat purchase, add these columns:

• Item, described precisely enough that you could reorder it without hunting for the old listing.
• Where you buy it, plus a backup supplier.
• Usual quantity per order.
• How long it lasts at your normal workload.
• Delivery time, as the supplier states it.
• Reorder date, the next day you plan to buy.

Start with things you've run out of in the past year. Those are the ones that matter most. Add others as they cause trouble.

Set the reorder point, not just the date

A date alone isn't enough, because workloads change. A busy fortnight uses consumables faster than a quiet one. So also write a trigger, such as "reorder when one pack is left."

The trigger should leave enough stock to cover the delivery time. If the supplier says delivery takes several days, you need more than several days of stock left when you click buy. Add a little slack for the week the courier is late.

Make the reminder do the work

Put each reorder date in your calendar as a recurring reminder, with the item name in the title. Keep it on the device you look at every morning. If you'd rather batch things, pick one weekly slot, perhaps Friday afternoon, and review the whole list in a few minutes. Anything at its trigger goes in the basket.

Batching also helps with delivery costs. If three items come from one supplier, ordering them together is often tidier than three separate orders. Check what delivery costs and how long it takes before you decide.

A quick check before each purchase

Before paying, run through a short routine. Builders already do this with materials, since you wouldn't order timber without knowing the grade. The same habit is worth applying to anything you buy online for yourself, not only for the business. Look for:

• What exactly is in it, in plain words, including strength or size.
• How much you use, and so how long it will last.
• Anything added that you didn't expect.
• What delivery costs and how long it takes.
• What happens if you're not happy with it.

If a seller hides any of these, move on. The same checklist works for personal items such as supplements. For a worked example of it applied to one category, see what to check before buying supplements online. Anything you take for your health is also a question for a pharmacist or GP, not for a product page. That applies especially if you take regular medication, are pregnant or have a long-term condition.

Watch the repeating order

Many online shops default to a repeating order. Before you pay, check whether the basket is set to a one-off purchase or a subscription, and how you cancel. If you do choose a subscription for something you use steadily, put the renewal date in your diary the same day. Then you can decide each time whether you still want it, rather than finding out from your bank statement.

Keep it honest

Once a month, or whenever you finish a big job, glance down the list and fix whatever has drifted:

• Delete items you no longer use.
• Change quantities that proved too high or too low.
• Update the backup supplier if the first choice let you down.
• Note anything you ran out of anyway, and ask why the trigger failed.

The point isn't a perfect system. It's a list short enough that you'll actually keep it current. If it starts to feel like admin, trim it back to the items that have cost you a delayed job before. A reminder you trust is worth more than a thorough one you ignore.