RunKarobarBill Book Format in Excel, Stock Sheets & When Your Shop Needs Billing Software
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:
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Bill No. | A running number: 1001, 1002, 1003 |
| Date | Bill date |
| Customer name & phone | So you can call them when the new stock arrives |
| Item name | Keep spellings the same every time. "Shampoo 200ml" and "shampoo 200 ML" are two different items to Excel |
| HSN code | Needed if you charge GST |
| Qty | How many |
| Rate | Price per piece |
| GST % | 0, 5, 12, 18 or 28 |
| Amount | =Qty × Rate |
| GST amount | =Amount × GST% / 100 |
| Total | =Amount + GST amount |
| Paid / Due | How much came in today, and how much is pending |
Two tips that save a lot of pain:
- Lock the formula columns (Review → Protect Sheet) so nobody types over them at 9pm.
- Keep one sheet per month. A single sheet with three years of bills will eventually freeze. Usually on the 31st.
Stock management system in Excel (the simple version)
A basic inventory management xls sheet needs only six columns:
| Item | Opening stock | Stock in | Stock out | Closing stock | Reorder level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue packet | 40 | 24 | 51 | =40+24-51 → 13 | 15 |
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:
- your shop name, address, phone and GSTIN at the top
- "Quotation" in big letters (so nobody mistakes it for a bill)
- quotation number and date
- customer name
- item, qty, rate, amount, and GST if you charge it
- "Valid till" date, because prices change and you don't want a customer showing up in March with a quote from Diwali
- terms: delivery time, payment terms
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?
- You have more than one version of the same file. And they disagree.
- Stock on screen doesn't match stock on the shelf. Every time you check.
- Only one person knows how the sheet works. And they're on leave.
- Bills are made on paper first, then typed into Excel at night. So every sale is entered twice.
- 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:
- a Windows desktop app with silent one-tap printing for receipts and barcode labels, and USB barcode scanner support
- an Android app on Google Play
- any browser on your phone, tablet or PC
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.
- fast POS billing and receipts
- retail and wholesale billing with party khata (running balances, statements, "paying now / remaining" on every bill)
- cost batches with exact profit on every sale
- staff attendance with face + GPS, so you know who's actually at the counter
- your own online store that sells from the same stock
- AI Studio to turn product photos into reels and posters
One app instead of a spreadsheet, a register, an attendance book and a WhatsApp group.
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.
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.