Business Storage
Self-storage is useful for everyone, but today I’d like to focus on the uses for small businesses. Whatever your small business does, maybe you’re a carpenter, or you have an online shop that sells handmade clothes, or you fix computers, there will be times when you have stock, parts or equipment that needs to be stored safely.
The options open to a small business owner are store the items at home, rent or buy a business premises, or rent self-storage. If you have a spare room in your house this is of course the cheapest and simplest option. The down side is you never get away from work, if your business takes over your home. Your family might not want your business taking over your home, which could lead to conflict. Sadly with house prices as high as they are not everyone has the luxury of spare room.
Options
Another option is renting or even buying a business premises, this will enable your business to grow. You’d have to be sure that you’ll be able to afford all of the costs involved, most leases are for over a year and you’re committing yourself to a long term spend. There are also hidden costs involved, with business rates, insurance, heat and light, and possibly parking charges it all adds up. This isn’t for every business, you have to be sure your business will continue to grow to require the cost.
The final option is self-storage. Self-storage is very flexible and cost effective. If you are ordering in bulk to cover a busy period simply rent extra storage, and when business is quiet you can have a smaller unit, or stop renting for a while. This is a storage solution that will flex with your needs, with no hidden costs.
The other plus side of self-storage is it tends to be more convenient to access. Self-storage units can be more central than a cost effective business unit to rent – if you need something close to the centre of town this is the best option. You’d be spending a lot to rent an office or warehouse in the centre of town, but the self-storage units are a cost effective way to rent the space you need in a central location. With access to the storage units 24/7 you can be sure you can get your stored items whenever you need.
Safe Storage
The security of your belongings is very important if you’re running your own business. If you have stock or tools stolen your whole business stops functioning for a while, not only costing you to replace the stolen items, but also the work that would have happened in the weeks after the theft. You don’t want to let your customers down, as this can have a detrimental effect on the business in the future. It can become very expensive and stressful. Thieves tend to break into offices and warehouses out of hours, as they know they’re unlikely to be manned and there is usually computer equipment which is easy to take and sell on.
Secure and Clean
Self-storage units tend to be a lot more secure, as they’re designed to keep your possessions safe. With a perimeter fence, CCTV and secure, locked units (without breakable windows) they are a much safer option to store your business equipment. The other thing to consider is the conditions you’re keeping your items in. If you’re using storage for paperwork or stock that needs to be kept clean and dry it’s important to consider the condition of your storage solution. If you hire a cheap office or warehouse solution you can’t be sure it’ll be free of rodents, mould and other things that could damage your stock. A self-storage unit is kept clean and dry, and there are rules to stop people storing items such as food that might attract pests.
You can see why self-storage units are a useful solution for the small business. If you’re in need of some extra storage for your business get in touch to ask about what we have available, we will be happy to help you.
