It’s one of the first questions we’re asked by new clients in Galway: "How often do I really need to do this?"

Some owners are used to a chaotic, "once a year for the accountant" stocktake. Others, paranoid about losses, try to count everything themselves every single week and burn out.

The expert, honest answer is: it depends.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" schedule. The optimal frequency for your business depends on your sales volume, your staff structure, your specific "problem areas," and your goals. It’s about finding the sweet spot between total control and cost-effectiveness.

Let's break down the most common frequencies.

Monthly Stocktaking: The Industry Standard This is the most popular and, for 80% of businesses, the most effective and balanced schedule.

· Who it's for: Nearly every established pub, restaurant, and hotel in Galway.

· Pros:

o Actionable Data: A month is long enough to identify real, meaningful trends but short enough to fix a problem before it costs you thousands.

o Cost-Effective: It provides the best return on investment (ROI). The fee is easily covered by the savings you’ll find in just 30 days of data.

o Keeps Systems Tight: It creates a regular rhythm of accountability. Staff and managers know an audit is always on the horizon, which keeps procedures (like recording waste) sharp.

· Cons: In a very high-volume, high-risk bar (e.g., a nightclub), a serious theft issue could go unchecked for 3-4 weeks.

Weekly Stocktaking: The High-Control Model This is a much more intensive and costly approach, but it is a powerful tool for specific situations. This often takes the form of a "key-line" stocktake, focusing only on your high-risk, high-value items (e.g., all spirits, wine, and the top 3 draught lines).

· Who it's for: Very high-volume city-centre bars, nightclubs, businesses with new and untested management, or any business with a known, active problem (like suspected theft) that needs to be stamped out.

· Pros:

o Maximum Control: You have a pulse on your business in near-real-time. A variance is spotted on Monday and fixed by Wednesday.

o Rapid Problem-Solving: If you introduce a new cocktail, you can see its exact GP and yield after just one week.

· Cons:

o Cost: It's the most expensive option.

o "Data Noise": You can get lost in tiny, week-to-week fluctuations and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Quarterly (or "Ad-Hoc") Stocktaking: The "Flying Blind" Model This is when you only get a stocktake once every 3-6 months, or just "when you feel like it." We strongly advise against this.

· Who it's for: Honestly, this is not recommended for any active pub or restaurant.

· Pros: It’s the "cheapest" option in terms of fees paid.

· Cons:

o It’s Not a Tool, It’s an Autopsy: The data is so old, it's useless for management. By the time you find out you had a 5% profit leak in January, it's already April. The staff member responsible might have left, the supplier issue is long past, and you can't fix a problem that happened three months ago.

o No Deterrent: It creates a "Wild West" culture. If there's no accountability, processes get sloppy, over-pouring starts, and waste isn't recorded.

The Professional Recommendation: Start Monthly, Then Adapt For 9/10 new clients, we recommend a monthly schedule. This gives us the first 3-6 months to establish a clear baseline for your business.

After that, we'll have an honest, data-driven conversation. If your reports are consistently clean and your GP is stable, you have great systems! We can then discuss moving to a bi-monthly or quarterly check-in. But if those first reports show high variance, we know we have work to do, and the monthly schedule is critical to fixing the leaks.

As your Galway stocktake company, we don't sell a "one-size-fits-all" package. We provide a custom, flexible solution that gives you the control you actually need.