Do you have a dream about starting a business and need space for stock or equipment?
Do you already have a business and need more space?
Are you looking to expand your EBay, Etsy or other work-from-home business?
Or are you just moving more trade online?
Whatever your business circumstances, a self-storage unit can provide essential flexibility and accessibility to help you take advantage of new opportunities as they arise, keep your stock organised and your home decluttered, and the costs are far lower than renting business premises but have the bonus of being an allowable expense.
Recent events have boosted the demand for online retailers even further so why not read on for some of the many ways in which a self-storage unit can help you grow your business. Storing with us is the perfect plan for starting or growing your enterprise.
WORKING FROM HOME
You may already have been working from home, or you may be taking a new approach following the Covid restrictions. Perhaps you have decided to ‘go it alone’ or scale up your ‘side-hustle’ that’s beginning to outgrow the space you have at home.
Instead of piling every spare surface with paperwork or filling your garage with stock, taking a storage unit rather than an office or other business premises can offer the perfect solution for keeping your work and home life separate. By allowing you to keep costs down and offering the flexibility to increase or reduce unit size simply and quickly, without costly extended commitments, storing with Clear Space is the perfect plan for starting your business.
Let’s look at some examples.
Online seller/retailer
If you sell products online, it’s easy for your stock to begin to take over and fill every spare corner of your home.
A self-storage unit can provide a safe place for your merchandise, space to photograph it and create product listings and even space to pack and dispatch it. Move everything into a storage unit and you can clear up the goods cluttering your house.
Plus, at Clear Space, our drop-off point agreements with major couriers mean that your stock dispatch and receipt is all in one place.
Makers and crafters
Websites like Etsy have opened up great opportunities for individual makers creating handmade pieces, such as jewellery, bags, clothing, home decor etc. But the finished products, as well as the raw materials, packaging, and the business paperwork, can begin to take up a lot of home space.
Self-storage provides a safe and convenient place to store your supplies, your finished products prior to sale, and any business necessities, at a much lower cost than other business premises.
CHARITY ORGANISATIONS AND EVENT ORGANISERS
Running a local charity or organising events means you often need promotional material and items for events such as gazebos, tables, information stands, competition prizes and more, some of which you may only use infrequently. You may also need somewhere secure to keep records and other sensitive information.
A self-storage unit can provide a safe place to keep all these items, as well as providing an operations base for fundraising with the option of multiple keys for access by different committee members. At Clear Space we already have a number of charities using our rooms for just this reason.
DRIVE-UP STORAGE FOR CONTRACTORS
For landscapers, builders, and other contractors, self-storage can provide a simple and effective solution for safely storing equipment, tools and materials.
At Clear Space we offer drive-up storage units within our secure perimeter, protected by security gates and CCTV, and available to access 7 days a week (and out of hours by arrangement). You can park your vehicle outside for easy loading and unloading, and we also offer on-site overnight parking for your business vehicles.
TIPS FOR STORING STOCK IN A SELF-STORAGE UNIT
When you take a unit at Clear Space Self Storage you can be sure it will be dry, clean, and in a fit state ready for you to store your valuable stock. We also provide trolleys and sack trucks to make it easy to move and arrange your stock as needed.
The following tips will help you keep your stock safe and secure until you need it:
Label and store your stock by sell-by-date
If your stock has a sell-by date – for example if you sell beauty products or non-perishable food items such as canned goods or dried fruit – store those items closest to their sell-by date at the front of the unit. That way it’s easy to know which items to pick first in order to prevent wastage and ensure products are in date for your customers.
KEEP STOCK PROPERLY WRAPPED AND IDEALLY ON SHELVING
To maintain your stock in best condition, keep the items in their protective packaging and, ideally, off the floor. Shelving will make it easier to find the items you need and will help to ensure your stock is kept in customer ready condition.
Here at Clear Space Self Storage units can be configured to your specific requirements, with racking available to rent where needed.
Be sure to keep an inventory
A simple list on a sheet of paper will do, as long as you remember to add or delete the items each time you store or remove stock. There are also many free inventory templates for Microsoft Word or Google Sheets (see zapier.com for example).
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WITH A SELF-STORAGE UNIT
Clear Space offers a dedicated service with maximum flexibility and convenience to help you manage and grow your business.
Our pricing is competitive and transparent. You only ever pay for the unit size you occupy and charges stop as soon as you vacate. You can increase or decrease your storage size as often as you like.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED UNDER ONE ROOF
Use our spacious customer welcome area to take a break. Help yourself to free coffee and water. Buy boxes, bubble wrap & tape. Arrange insurance and van hire, or get contacts for removals and man & van services. You can even stay connected and catch-up on your emails with our free super-fast Wi-Fi.
Call us today
If you need space for the next move in your business, drop in or call us today on 01749 601157 for a friendly chat, information and advice on any storage needs
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