It’s common to think that self-storage units are primarily used by people who are moving house or have no space to store excess items. In many cases this is true. Businesses however shouldn’t overlook the benefits of economic savings, efficiency and space management that self-storage units offer. Today we’re going to discuss how businesses can leverage these benefits and the types of businesses that can apply them to their operations.

Economic Savings

All self-storage providers offer small, medium and large storage unit options.  If you’re a small business who just needs some space to store inventory, then a small storage unit is all you may need.  As your business grows you can take up an additional unit or upgrade to a slightly bigger unit to match your needs.  Flexible commercial real estate options just don’t exist for customers with such needs.  That means there’s a very good chance you would have to lease an area much bigger than your actual needs, thereby putting unwanted economic pressure on your business.

Renting a self-storage unit is generally much cheaper per square metre than commercial real estate or office space.  Established businesses and tradespeople therefore find it more economical to rent a storage unit in lieu of signing a commercial lease with a long-term commitment.  As an added benefit, self-storage facilities offer customers a month-to-month rental option with only a 7-14 day termination clause.  Further to these flexibility benefits, self-storage units only require you to cover one fee – the unit itself.  There are no water rates, council rates or land taxes and in some cases electricity costs to care about.

Efficiency and Space Management.

Small businesses that operate from home, especially as they begin to grow, can soon realise that work clutter and inventory is beginning to slip into their living area, hallways and bedroom. Consider reclaiming these treasured parts of your home by relocating your inventory to a small storage unit.   Established business too can benefit by reducing clutter such as seasonal inventory or business records that require industry and government compliance.  A small to medium storage unit can help you uphold your compliance obligations and conserve valuable office space.  By setting up some shelves in your storage unit you can also keep your business records organised in an orderly fashion.

Another added benefit of using a self-storage facility is that you can have your inventory delivered to your unit.  All leading courier companies visit the Hills Self Storage facilities on a daily basis.  Your deliveries can be received and dispatched from within the facility.  Think of this as your personal concierge service while you spend more time on promoting and growing your business.

Businesses That Use Self-Storage.

Here are some businesses that could be run entirely from a self-storage unit.

Online Retailers

Although most of these small business ventures start off small and operate from home, the need for greater available inventory builds once their hard work finds success.  A small storage unit from as little as $100 per month is a practical and inexpensive solution for expanding your business.  You can think of it as your command centre for merchandise drop offs, dispatch and sorting when you partner up with a courier service.

Landscapers and Maintenance Contractors

Items used in these types of businesses are often bulky and irregularly shaped.  It can be disruptive to you and the rest of the family if big lawn mowers, leaf blowers and long ladders are taking up all the garage space or the back yard.  A medium to large storage unit may be just the solution you’ll need.  Prices start from $250 per month.  Our Galston centre also offers open yard spaces for storing heavy vehicles and machinery.  Furthermore, if you have employees, you can set up your storage unit to be accessed by them to retrieve tools.  This way there is no need for them to drop by your house to pick up work equipment.

Local Theatre Companies and Art Galleries

A warehouse-style unit can be the ideal storage solution for props and art work that not for immediate use.  Also, in many instances, a storage unit allows for the added benefit of having a degree of temperature and humidity control.

Real Estate Agents and Property Styling

Large ‘For Sale’ signs and other marketing materials may not necessarily be ideal to have stored in a back office if you a have real estate business.  Similarly, if you have a property styling business a large storage unit may be a more practical and inexpensive solution to pricey commercial space for storing lounges, beds, wall art and other decor items.

Time to make your move.  If you’re a business owner that is looking to better organise your operations, save some money and improve efficiency then call us on 02 8850 0770.  You can also visit one of our centres and speak with an experience storage consultant to discuss how we can help you grow your business to the next level.