Starting a new business is never easy. Your head is all over the place, and while you are making sure to recruit good candidates, to prepare all the inventory and gadgets, there is a good chance that you have forgotten one of the most important things – storage space. Even though there are many things that you have to consider as a company owner, extra storage space is a must. And only a little after starting your business, you will begin to realize why. Renting a space bigger than 1000sq. feet can be super expensive for newbie business owners. After putting everything at its place (desks, computers, cubicle walls, etc.), there will hardly be any storage space left. Renting additional space for storage is an option, but rather an expensive one. An alternative could be using your own private space, like a basement, or garage. But it comes with its downsides. Water damage, pest issues, and temperature fluctuations are regularly occurring in such spaces, and they could be a major threat to your business’as assets.
When in need of extra space for your business, the most logical solution would be to rent a storage unit. Monthly cost is significantly lower than renting an additional place, plus it is built for storing office supplies, filing cabinets, desks, chairs, and other material. Here are some of the reasons why this is your best option.
1. Safety First
A good thing about storage units, that spaces like garages or basements do not offer is security. Usually, facilities like these are monitored 24-hours a day, they have high-security locks, pin-coded access points and well-secured fences around the facility. Plus, for most of the day, these facilities are guarded by one of their managers. Also, by giving your employees separate pin-codes, you will have control over who and when enters the unit.
2. Piles, And Piles Of Papers
As someone who runs a business, you probably know about the importance of keeping your documents safe and secure. Mostly for tax purposes, you need to keep and save your documents for a couple of years, or more, until you throw them away. Imagine having a 5-year-old pile of papers in your business environment? Even if you do not mind it, think about their safety, and how easy it would be for them to get lost, or destroyed by accident. By leaving them in your store unit, they would not take up space in your office, and you can access them whenever you need them.
3. Inventory Storage
If you happen to run a retail business, you must know how quickly the lack of space becomes a huge problem. Renting a bigger storage unit near your business would be a perfect idea. That way you can access your inventory and tank up your stock very easily. Plus, by dedicating an entire space just for your inventory, you can organize it much more effectively. Depending on the nature of your retail shop, be prepared that you may have to rent or buy a forklift for your storage unit. Companies like NFM have some special offers for business newbies.
4. Separation – The More Secure, The Better
In unfortunate events such as fire, or water damage, keeping all of your business valuables and important equipment can leave terrible consequences on your company. By separating some of your documents and valuables, you will ensure that if such events occur, you will have at least part of your business saved.
5. Improve Business Environment
Keeping your office environment nice and neat is very important. Firstly for your employees who spend more than half of their day in their offices, and very importantly, for your clients. When a prospective client walks into your office area, what do you think gives them the first impression of your company? Employees, of course, but the even bigger impression is made by the environment. You do not want your clients to visit and see disorganized and cluttered office environment, as they will think the same about your business. Eventually, they would not want to do business with you, and you will end up losing your clients and the money. Never underestimate the power of the first impression.
6. Boost Productivity Levels
It may sound unrelatable, but well organized and tidy environment is not only affecting your clients but also your employees (maybe even more). No worker ever is going to tell you that working in a disorganized environment made them motivated and more content, in contrary. Clutter is going to suffocate them during their work, and it will most likely make them nervous. Just by cleaning and organizing your office area you can assure higher productivity levels, and more content and a more relaxed team of employees.
In the end, when starting a business, every dollar counts, and it is not easy to think upfront about your business needs. But learn from the experience of others, and make sure not to make the same mistakes.
