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Business7 Jun 2026 · 7 min read
Records for a small business without Excel — stock, expenses, clients
When the spreadsheet gets messy: build a simple app that stores data in a database and works from the phone. With the prompt and examples.
Excel is great until it becomes chaos: ten tabs, formulas that break, and no one knows which version is the real one. For a small business — a tradesperson, a shop, an agency — a simple app is tidier and works from the phone. Here's how.
What you typically need
| Record | Stores |
|---|---|
| Stock | Item, quantity, cost and sale price |
| Expenses | Date, amount, category, note |
| Clients | Name, contact, order history |
Prompt for a stock record
Build a stock-tracking app for a small shop.
ITEM: name, quantity, cost price, sale price.
• I add, change quantity (+/−), delete an item.
• A list of all items, search by name.
• A red warning when quantity drops below 5.
• Total stock value (sum of quantity × cost).
IMPORTANT:
• Data in the database (nocodeon.db) — so I can access it
from the phone in the shop and the computer at home.
• Google sign-in so only I see my data.
• Works on mobile, big buttons.Why this beats a spreadsheet
- Always the latest version — no “which sheet is real?”.
- From the phone — enter it right away in the shop, no remembering for later.
- Yours only — Google sign-in, data tied to your account.
- No breaking formulas — the app does the math for you.
Extend as needed
- “Add a report: how much I spent this month by category.”
- “Add clients and link orders to a client.”
- “Email me when an item drops below the minimum.”
Start with one record (e.g. just expenses), use it for a week, then add the next. The goal isn't a “system for everything” on day one — it's something you actually use and that grows with the business.