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Ecommerce-Ready Billing Software: Sell In-Store and Online From One Stock

Sunil has a file on his shop computer called STOCK_FINAL_v7_REAL_new.xlsx.

There is also a v6. And a v8, which nobody remembers making.

Sunil isn't a real person. His spreadsheet is. It's on a computer in every second shop in India.

Every night he types in the day's bills. Every Sunday he "matches stock." Every month-end he stares at a cell that says #REF! and wonders what he did to deserve it.

One day his son asked a simple question.

"Papa, how many packets of the blue one do we have?"

Sunil opened the file. Scrolled. Filtered. Scrolled again.

Then he walked to the shelf and counted.

That's the moment Excel stops being a tool and starts being a hobby.

If you're still on Excel, that's fine. It's free, and it works for a while. So let's make it work properly first. Then we'll talk about when to stop.


Bill book format in Excel (copy this layout)

If you're making bills in Excel, set up one row per item with these columns:

ColumnWhat goes in it
Bill No.A running number: 1001, 1002, 1003
DateBill date
Customer name & phoneSo you can call them when the new stock arrives
Item nameKeep spellings the same every time. "Shampoo 200ml" and "shampoo 200 ML" are two different items to Excel
HSN codeNeeded if you charge GST
QtyHow many
RatePrice per piece
GST %0, 5, 12, 18 or 28
Amount=Qty × Rate
GST amount=Amount × GST% / 100
Total=Amount + GST amount
Paid / DueHow much came in today, and how much is pending

Two tips that save a lot of pain:


Stock management system in Excel (the simple version)

A basic inventory management xls sheet needs only six columns:

ItemOpening stockStock inStock outClosing stockReorder level
Blue packet402451=40+24-51 → 1315

Add conditional formatting so the closing stock turns red when it drops below the reorder level. Now Excel tells you what to order, instead of your customer telling you what you don't have.

The catch? "Stock out" only works if someone updates it after every single sale.

Someone never does.


Invoice quotation format

A quotation is a bill that hasn't happened yet. Keep it simple:

When the customer says yes, the same details become the invoice. In Excel, that means copying, pasting and hoping you changed the word "Quotation."


Five signs your shop has outgrown Excel

Be honest. How many of these sound familiar?

  1. You have more than one version of the same file. And they disagree.
  2. Stock on screen doesn't match stock on the shelf. Every time you check.
  3. Only one person knows how the sheet works. And they're on leave.
  4. Bills are made on paper first, then typed into Excel at night. So every sale is entered twice.
  5. You can't answer "what's my best-selling item this month?" without a free afternoon.

Two or more? It's time for billing software.

Not because Excel is bad. Because your shop got bigger than a spreadsheet.


What good billing software should do (that Excel can't)

Billing and stock in one step

When you make a bill, stock should go down on its own. No "stock out" column. No Sunday matching sessions.

That's how runkarobar works. You bill, and stock updates live. You can see profit, payments and best-sellers without building a single formula.

Billing software on PC and online

You want billing software for PC at the counter, because a queue doesn't wait for anyone typing with one thumb.

But you also want billing software online, so you can check today's sales from home without driving back to the shop.

runkarobar gives you both:

Same shop, same stock, everywhere. No more emailing yourself the Excel file.

Billing software with GST-ready products

If you're looking for billing software with GST in mind, start with your product list. In runkarobar, each product has GST-ready fields: HSN, company and unit. Set it once, and you stop typing HSN codes into a spreadsheet at midnight.

Billing software for retail shops

This is what runkarobar is built for. Clothing, footwear, electronics, general stores, wholesale traders.

One app instead of a spreadsheet, a register, an attendance book and a WhatsApp group.

Ecommerce-ready: sell in-store and online from one stock

Here's where Excel really gives up.

Say Sunil starts selling online. Now the blue packet sells at the counter and on his website. Two places, one shelf, one very confused spreadsheet.

Sell the last packet at the counter at 6pm, and the website keeps showing it as available. At 9pm someone orders it online. At 10am Sunil is on the phone, apologising.

With runkarobar, your own online store runs on the same stock as your billing counter:

One stock. Two ways to sell. Zero apology calls.


What about pharmacies and restaurants?

Fair question, because a lot of people search for billing software for pharmacy and billing software for restaurant.

Here's the honest answer.

A pharmacy needs batch and expiry tracking on every strip of medicine. Before you choose any software, check that it tracks expiry dates, not just stock.

A restaurant needs table orders and kitchen tickets (KOT). That's a different kind of software from shop billing.

runkarobar is built for retail shops and traders. If you run a store that sells products off a shelf, you're in the right place. If you run a kitchen, look for software made for restaurants.

We'd rather tell you that now than after you've paid.


So should you ditch Excel today?

Not necessarily.

If you have one counter, fifty products and a lot of patience, the Excel formats above will serve you fine.

But if you saw yourself in Sunil's story, try this: run runkarobar alongside your spreadsheet for one month. It costs ₹1.

At the end of the month, check which one knew how many blue packets were on the shelf.

Sunil did. He hasn't opened v8 since.

Start your first month for ₹1 →


FAQ

Can I make a bill book in Excel?
Yes. Use one row per item with bill number, date, customer, item, HSN, qty, rate, GST %, amount, GST amount, total and paid/due. Lock the formula columns and start a new sheet every month.

How do I make a stock management system in Excel?
Track opening stock, stock in, stock out and closing stock for each item, with a reorder level. Use conditional formatting to highlight items below the reorder level. It only works if every sale is entered.

What should an invoice quotation format include?
Your shop details and GSTIN, the word "Quotation," a quotation number and date, customer name, items with qty, rate and amount, GST if applicable, a "valid till" date and your terms.

When should I switch from Excel to billing software?
When stock on screen stops matching the shelf, when you're entering sales twice (paper, then Excel), or when only one person understands the sheet.

Can I sell online and in my shop from the same stock?
Yes. runkarobar's online store uses the same stock as your billing counter, so a sale in either place updates both straight away.

Is runkarobar billing software available for PC and online?
Yes. There's a Windows desktop app for the counter, an Android app on Google Play, and it works in any browser. Your data is the same on every device.

How much does runkarobar cost?
Plans start at ₹600/month, and your first month on any plan is ₹1. See all plans.

Ready to run your karobar?

Billing, stock, staff and your own online store in one app. Try your first month for ₹1.