# Guides for running a shop in Kenya

> Straight answers to the questions shop owners ask, from choosing a point of sale to balancing the drawer and counting stock.

- [What is a POS system? Meaning, parts and how it works](https://wavepos.app/guides/what-is-a-pos-system.md): What a point of sale system is, the parts it is made of, and how it runs a shop’s sales, stock and reports.
- [How much does a POS system cost in Kenya?](https://wavepos.app/guides/pos-system-cost-kenya.md): The software, hardware and hidden costs of a POS system in Kenya, with rough 2026 price ranges and worked examples.
- [How to choose a POS system for your shop in Kenya](https://wavepos.app/guides/how-to-choose-a-pos-system.md): A practical checklist for choosing a POS system in Kenya, with the questions to ask every vendor before you pay.
- [How to accept M-Pesa payments in your shop](https://wavepos.app/guides/accept-mpesa-payments.md): Till number or Paybill, payment prompts, fake messages and end-of-day reconciliation: M-Pesa for shops, explained.
- [Can a POS work without internet? Offline POS explained](https://wavepos.app/guides/offline-pos-explained.md): What an offline POS does when the internet drops, how sales sync afterwards, and the habits that keep them safe.
- [POS hardware setup: receipt printers, scanners and cash drawers](https://wavepos.app/guides/pos-hardware-setup.md): What hardware a till needs, how to connect a receipt printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner, and how to fix common problems.
- [How to do a stock take in your shop, step by step](https://wavepos.app/guides/how-to-do-a-stock-take.md): A stock taking procedure for shops: full and cycle counts, blind counts, variances valued at cost, and how often to count.
- [How to balance a cash drawer at the end of a shift](https://wavepos.app/guides/cash-drawer-reconciliation.md): A cash up procedure for Kenyan shops: float, petty cash, counting by denomination, variances, and checking M-Pesa and card takings.
- [How to prevent theft in your shop: stock and cash](https://wavepos.app/guides/prevent-shop-theft.md): The usual ways stock and cash go missing from a shop, and simple, fair controls that stop each one.
- [How to manage customer credit in your shop](https://wavepos.app/guides/manage-customer-credit.md): Practical rules for selling on credit: limits, records, statements, follow-up and debtors ageing, with KSh examples.
- [How to calculate profit in a shop: margin, markup and net profit](https://wavepos.app/guides/calculate-shop-profit.md): Gross and net profit, markup and margin, and cost of goods sold, explained with a full monthly example for a Kenyan minimart.
- [How to move from Excel or a stock book to a POS system](https://wavepos.app/guides/move-from-excel-to-pos.md): A step-by-step plan for switching from Excel or a stock book to a POS: product list, opening stock, VAT, training and the first week.

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Source: https://wavepos.app/guides