If you have a home-based business or have a small office you use to run your venture, the day may come when you need more room to expand. If you can’t afford to pay for expensive rent at a much bigger location, though, there is something you can use as a good in-between solution: a storage unit.
Storage units are affordable, range in sizes to suit many needs, and are available in most cities and towns. Here are some tips to consider when you choose and use one.
Determine the right size for your needs
Begin by working out how much space you’re going to need. Storage units come in different sizes at different price points, so you need to know how large to go. Consider your current needs, but also consider how these needs may grow over time and the amount of space you could require in a year or two or three years. While you can always change units as needed, it’s easier to avoid unpacking and repacking facilities if you have a good idea of business growth expectations and can plan accordingly.
You might be able to get your staff, if you have them, to measure up the main bulky items you want to store or to give you dimensions for the types of storage boxes or filing cabinets, etc., you plan to archive off-site and an estimation of the number of them. If you need help, though, chat to personnel working at storage unit facilities, as they have a good idea of how much can fit into differently-sized units and may provide some guidance.
Pick a reliable storage firm
A key component of using storage units is picking secure locations in the first place. Don’t just sign a contract with the storage facility closest to your office, warehouse, home, etc., or the one you’ve seen advertised a lot. Instead, research what’s on offer in your general area and the different price points and potential deals available.
Check contracts for the fine print you need to know about, including any potential hidden fees. For instance, some places have significant cancellation fees if you end your agreement early. In particular, though, pay attention to the reputations different places have. You need to pick a reliable storage firm that has been around for a while and is likely to remain operational for years still.
Look at online reviews and testimonials to see what current and previous customers have said about different firms, or ask your friends, family, business colleagues, and the like for recommendations.
Consider your requirements
Before selecting a storage unit facility, work out precisely what you require the unit and the storage firm to provide. For example, you may want access to just a short-term lease or need a particularly long one. You may be after extras such as included insurance or the ability to store potentially dangerous goods there or other items that some places won’t allow.
You may also need temperature-controlled units to keep items such as artwork, furniture, electronics, wine, antiques, photos, and the like secure. Perhaps security is very critical when making your unit selection. If so, ask if there are on-site security guard services available or if units and the areas around them have cameras installed and high fences.
Other factors you may be looking for include wide access or handy loading bays near the unit you get allocated or the ability to have deliveries or pick-ups accepted when none of your staff or yourself can be there in person to supervise.
Inventory and organize items
The work doesn’t stop once you’ve chosen a storage unit and been given the keys to it, of course. Before you move everything into the space, take the time to inventory all the items that will be kept there. This way, if anything needs locating quickly, you have a reference for where it is and won’t have to spend hours or days searching for something at your office or home when it’s stored off-site. Keep backups of your inventory list in the cloud or on another external server so you can always access the details, too.
After everything has been moved to the storage unit, organize the possessions held there, so there’s some order to things if you need to locate certain goods. Label all the boxes and other packaging items with a list of what’s inside and there’ll be no need to go digging and pull everything out to find what you’re after.
Keep similar pieces or goods that relate to each other, such as all those dealing with a particular project or from a specific business location, etc. You might even organize things by years or size. Just be sure to choose a system that makes sense for your business and store notes of this organization securely.
Utilizing a storage unit has many benefits and can alleviate some stressors, provided you go about sourcing and stocking one strategically. Considering all the factors above should help you with this.
