Most businesses need some storage space for essential business functions such as manufacturing materials, stock, computer equipment, tools, and machinery. With the gig economy prevailing and many people choosing to pursue a side hustle, many people are starting businesses from home.
From manufacturing items to packaging products for despatch, there are plenty of business processes that come with their own storage requirements, and it’s important to make your life as easy as you can during the early months of running a business as there is so much other work to do.
To help you work out the best way to expand your storage space, there are a few things to consider:
How big are you expecting to get?
While it may be sensible to secure storage to accommodate your needs as you grow, if your future involves more expansion, you may want to increase your storage space to allow for that. While it may not be possible to predict your business’s exact trajectory, it’s sensible to at least consider the speed at which you might increase your output if you continue to grow as expected.
Creating storage that will meet your needs for the foreseeable future can save you time and money as your business grows. Having a little extra space in the early days of running your business can also be helpful as you develop systems and streamline your processes.
More storage may also allow you to benefit from economies of scale when purchasing stock or materials. If you don’t have to worry about space, you can seek out promotions and deals that might not be available on smaller orders, so it’s worth researching if this could save you money when considering how much room you might need.
What do you need the space for?
One of the most important factors in deciding what kind of storage you need is what the space will actually be used for. This may have an impact on the type and location of your ideal storage solution and may be influenced by external factors such as temperature, humidity, ventilation, and location.
Whatever your business, it’s important to ensure that you protect your assets, whether that’s your computer or your inventory. Proper storage is not just necessary to keep out the weather, it’s also an important security measure to protect your physical and intellectual property and ensure that your business can run efficiently.
You can even turn your existing storage into a more practical solution, for example by using one of these Quonset hut container cover kits to make more work or storage space out of existing shipping containers.
How will you organize your storage?
There are plenty of questions to consider when deciding how best to organize your storage, and you may need to try a few different systems before you hit on one that works for you. Some things to ask yourself include:
- Are you looking to store raw materials in a way that is easily accessible when you need them?
- Will you have any perishable items in your storage space?
- Do you have stock that needs rotating regularly to keep your supply fresh?
- Do you need a workspace alongside your storage area?
- Will you be packaging items in your storage area?
- How often will you access your storage space?
- Are there any regulations about storing the items you use for your business?
- Do you need to monitor the temperature or humidity of your storage space?
Make the most of your storage
Having invested in a storage solution, it’s important to make It work for you by maximizing your efficiency. Make sure you aren’t moving clutter into your new space and plan where everything will go before you start moving in so that every space has a purpose.
Choose practical storage bins or boxes to help protect your items and keep everything organized. Put your label maker to work so that you can put your hands on whatever you need whenever you need it and spend your time focussing on the rest of the business.
