The phone rings. Your best customer needs 5 more of your specialty centerpieces for her party the next afternoon. You promise to have them finished and delivered in plenty of time. But when you get started on them you realize you're all out of the main ingredient!
This type of dilemma can be avoided by exercising a stringent inventory tracking system. This doesn't mean that you need expensive software, although such programs can make the task easier.
Jem's Guide to Small Business