Guides
Plain answers for people who run a business.
Pricing, stock, getting paid and VAT, explained with worked examples and real numbers. Written for shop, restaurant and warehouse owners, and checked against official sources.
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How to price products: methods, price lists and discounts
How to price products for a shop or wholesale business: cost-plus, competitor, value, keystone and psychological pricing, trade price tiers and discounts.
Cash flow for small business: forecast, stock and credit terms
Cash flow for shops and wholesalers: why profit is not cash, how to build a 13-week cash forecast, and how stock and credit terms tie up money.
VAT for small businesses in the UK: registration, rates, schemes and returns
When you must register for VAT, how the £90,000 rolling test works, which rate applies, the small business schemes, return deadlines and penalties.
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- Margin = profit ÷ priceMarkup and margin calculatorWhat price gives me the margin I want?Open
- Gross = net × (1 + rate)VAT calculatorHow much VAT is in this price?Open
- Daily sales × lead time + safetyReorder point calculatorWhen should I reorder, and how much?Open
- Food cost = plate cost ÷ priceFood cost calculatorWhat should this dish cost on the menu?Open
By topic
Every guide.
Start & run1
Topic page: Start & run
Selling & pricing4
- How to choose a POS system: a buyer's checklistA plain checklist for choosing a till: hardware, offline use, stock, credit, price lists, VAT, reports, support, data export and the real cost of switching.
- How to price products: methods, price lists and discountsHow to price products for a shop or wholesale business: cost-plus, competitor, value, keystone and psychological pricing, trade price tiers and discounts.
- Markup vs margin: the difference, with formulas and examplesMarkup vs margin explained with formulas, a conversion table and worked examples, plus the pricing mistake that quietly costs shops profit.
- Van sales and route orders: how to run sales routes that make moneyVan sales vs pre-selling explained: plan routes by customer value, load and reconcile the van, set a minimum drop, track rep numbers and cash every day.
Stock4
- How to do a stocktake: full counts, cycle counts and variancesA step-by-step stocktake checklist: when to do a full count, how cycle counts work, counting without closing, and how to handle variances.
- Reorder point: formula, safety stock and worked examplesHow to calculate a reorder point: daily usage × lead time + safety stock, with worked examples, three ways to set safety stock and how much to order.
- Stock control: a complete guide for small shops and wholesalersStock control explained: record every movement, rank products with ABC analysis, set reorder points, measure stock turn, cut shrinkage and count regularly.
- Stock valuation: cost vs selling value, FIFO vs weighted average, and dead stockHow to value stock: at cost and at selling price, potential margin, FIFO vs weighted average vs latest cost, slow and dead stock, and discount losses.
Money & credit4
- Cash flow for small business: forecast, stock and credit termsCash flow for shops and wholesalers: why profit is not cash, how to build a 13-week cash forecast, and how stock and credit terms tie up money.
- Customer credit for wholesalers: limits, terms, ageing and when to stop supplyingHow wholesalers give trade credit safely: who gets it, how to set a credit limit, which payment terms to offer, reading aged debt and collecting on time.
- End-of-day cash up: a step-by-step till count and checklistHow to cash up a till at the end of the day: count the float, check cash, card and credit sales, handle overs and shorts, and lock the day.
- How to get invoices paid faster: terms, reminders and stop rulesPractical ways to get invoices paid faster: clear terms, same-day invoicing, a reminder schedule, statements, deposits, easy payment and stop-supply rules.
Tax & VAT5
- Making Tax Digital in the UK: what it means for VAT and Income TaxMaking Tax Digital for VAT and for Income Tax explained: who is in, from when, what digital records and compatible software mean, and a checklist.
- SSCL in Sri Lanka: rate, liable turnover, the Rs 36 million threshold and due datesHow the Social Security Contribution Levy works: 2.5% of liable turnover, the share for each sector, the lower threshold from 1 July 2026, and worked examples.
- VAT for small businesses in the UK: registration, rates, schemes and returnsWhen you must register for VAT, how the £90,000 rolling test works, which rate applies, the small business schemes, return deadlines and penalties.
- VAT in Sri Lanka: rate, registration threshold, filing and what is changingSri Lanka VAT for businesses: the 18% rate, the Rs 15m quarter and Rs 60m year threshold, payment and return dates, RAMIS, SVAT's end and secured POS.
- VAT invoice requirements in the UK: a checklist for full, simplified and credit notesEvery detail a UK VAT invoice must show, when a simplified invoice up to £250 is allowed, what a valid credit note needs, and the mistakes HMRC sees most.
Restaurants & food2
- Food cost percentage: formula, plate costing and menu pricingHow to work out food cost percentage, cost a plate line by line, set menu prices from a target, and cut waste with portion control. Worked examples.
- How to run a restaurant: the daily operations guideThe daily routine of a well-run restaurant: opening and closing checklists, prep, stock, staff, menu engineering, kitchen tickets, QR orders and cash-up.
The product
See how EasyTaskr does it.
Each feature and each trade on its own page, with the steps on screen and a tour to click through.
Latest from the blog
News and notes.
POS vs ERP: what's the difference, and which do you need?
A till takes payments; a business system runs stock, customers, credit and reports. How to tell which you need and the signs you have outgrown spreadsheets.
Sri Lanka's VAT threshold stays at Rs 60 million: the cut to Rs 36 million was dropped
The proposed cut in the VAT registration threshold to Rs 36 million was abandoned. VAT stays at Rs 15m a quarter or Rs 60m a year. SSCL did drop.
Tap a product on the till to see it big
On the EasyTaskr till, tapping a product now opens a big photo with price, stock and details. Only + or Add to sale adds it. Each till can switch back.
Run it all in one place.
EasyTaskr keeps the till, stock, invoices and customer balances in one system, with margin and stock value reports built in.