Is a great business really that great if it’s not prepared for the unpredictable? The growth and scale of any type of business is never linear. It’s important to expect plenty of challenges along the way, but it’s also important to be prepared for when your business is booming.
When a business is thriving this generally lends itself to the need for additional space. Your team of office staff could have grown, you may have more stock to oversee and handle, or may need more space, in general, to carry out day-to-day services.
This is where a self-storage facility could be your saving grace. Here are some of the no-brainer reasons you should consider leasing out the extra space when you need it.
1. A Self-Storage Facility Helps Entrepreneurs Grow
So, perhaps you’ve started your very own business and brand from the ground, up. As an ambitious entrepreneur that wants to scale their business, a self-storage unit could come in handy in more ways than one.
Let’s say you started your business from your own home (like more entrepreneurs do). There comes a time when your daily operations and inventory will outgrow the space you have. Or maybe you just want to keep your business and home life separate? Always a good idea.
A self-storage facility is a perfect solution for all of your business by-products. Whether it’s inventory, equipment, merchandise, or a place to work with your staff, the extra space allows you to spread out and grow.
As a budding entrepreneur that wants to scale their business, you might want to read this blog: “How to Store Your Leftover Business Stock” for expert advice.
2. Store Files and Records Outside the Office
If you’re a business owner based in either the medical or legal world, you’ll know all about the paperwork that these industries still seem to rely on. While many processes have gone digital in recent years, there’s still a large amount of paperwork involved in both industries.
A self-storage unit is the ultimate solution to storing some of your most important paperwork that you often have to hold onto for several years. While you could have a legitimate filing cabinet system going on, paperwork can pile up fast. The last thing you want is an overstuffed and disorganized office space. Not only is it unprofessional, but it’s also unhygienic.
A storage unit can hold entire filing cabinets, you don’t even have to unpack your paperwork into boxes. Wheel your filing cabinets into the storage unit and free up some space in your office.
Most storage units today also include smart climate control, so this is a great way to store important documents and prevent them from becoming damaged.
3. Control Your Surplus Supply
When it comes to the retail industry, there probably isn’t one retail business that hasn’t had to deal with surplus stock. So, when you haven’t been able to sell all of your supply, what do you do with it? You’ll need to store it until you can sell it, or find a solution on what to do with it.
Surplus stock tends to happen during the change of seasons. Even if you haven’t sold this excess stock yet, it’s still worth a good chunk of change, so you want to be able to control it. With the additional space of a self-storage unit, you can get a handle on day-to-day stock rotation, both old and new, as well as your operations.
If you’ve ordered in new stock for an upcoming season, a self-storage unit is also a great option. Perhaps you don’t have enough shelving room in your store or space to hang your new stock? With a self-storage unit, you can keep your stock safe until you have the room to display it.
As a retailer, you always want to opt for climate-controlled self-storage units. This is the best way to protect your merchandise from degrading over time. You can also better plan your stock rotation if you have room to store inventory. For example, you can keep certain items in storage until the right season or time of year hits and sell them for a higher markup when the season is appropriate.
4. Store Equipment and Maximize Work Floor Space
This is especially useful for blue-collar businesses based in a variety of industries such as construction, manufacturing, landscaping, mechanics, etc.
It’s no secret that heavy equipment and tools are bulky and take up unnecessary space on your workshop floor. A good solution for this is to store unused equipment in a self-storage unit and keep your work area clear for maximum use of space.
As a contractor, you might not have brick-and-mortar office space, but still need a place to store your business office equipment, hardware, paperwork, and other paraphernalia. This is where a self-storage unit is your answer.
As each industry goes, not all equipment is necessary for every single job. When it’s not in use, you want to ensure it’s stored in a safe, clean, and controlled environment to protect your investments — equipment doesn’t come cheap!
Keep in mind, however, that you want to rent a storage unit that’s close enough to your worksite. This saves both you and your employees driving time when you need to use a certain tool, machine, or piece of equipment.
5. It’s a Great Short-Term Storage Option
Some industries require fluid amounts of space on a short-term basis. If you’re a realtor, home decorator, personal organizer, or staging business, you’ll know all about this.
A secure storage facility is the best option for these types of businesses because they allow you to rent them on a short-term, temporary basis. Even if it’s for a couple of days while you work on a project!
These units can also be delivered to your business or worksite and placed directly opposite the space for easy access. With self-storage, you can keep items such as furniture, decor, drapes, carpeting, and more in a clean and undamaged state.
To add to this, if you are renovating your business or moving premises, fully enclosed units can come in very handy during this time. This a great place to temporarily store important office items such as hardware, filing cabinets, furniture, etc. that you don’t want to damage during the move or renovations.
6. Streamline the Handling of Your Inventory
If you’re an e-commerce business, a self-storage facility can also be majorly beneficial for you, especially with regard to handling your inventory. Successful order fulfillment is the backbone of any e-commerce business, so you need a space that allows you to efficiently manage your day-to-day operations.
In short, a self-storage unit could act as your command center or hub for all of your inventory. From there, you can pick and drop off your merchandise as and when needed. It also allows you to keep your stock organized and keep track of what you do have, and what you need to order/create.
7. Safely Store Specialty Items
You may have a niche business that operates and depends on specialty products. Whether you work within the pharmaceutical industry, with cosmetics, or food items, climate-controlled storage facilities are an absolute must for your stock.
Many specialty items might be sensitive to temperature, humidity, and the local climate in general. By storing them in the right facility, such as a temperature-controlled unit, you have ultimate peace of mind.
Not only this, but you can use your storage unit to store other business paraphilia. Whether it’s marketing material, or specialty equipment you want to keep safe, etc.
8. A Storage Unit Offers Guaranteed Security
Finally, if there’s one thing you can count on with a self-storage unit, it’s the safety of everything you store in it. In today’s day and age, storage unit technology is ever-evolving. In fact, storing your business items in a self-storage facility could be even safer than storing them in your own office.
All storage facilities or lots include 24/7 surveillance as well as CCTV and alarm systems. Firstly, no one could really infiltrate the self-storage lot without being caught, let alone breach a self-storage unit itself.
Many self-storage units include complex locking systems that lock from the inside. Only a specific key can open the unit and no amount of manpower could break it open from the outside. Many units also include camera surveillance systems inside them.
Thanks to specific climate control, your goods will be protected from the elements, humidity, insects, and mold growth too.
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One of the major considerations when hiring a self-storage facility is whether the cost is worth it for your business. But for guaranteed business scalability, you need space to spread your wings! You’ll find that the benefits far outweigh the costs.
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