How Self-Storage Can Help Your Business

Lately more and more small and large businesses have turned to self-storage over warehouses for their storage needs. There are a few different reasons for this switch including more flexibility, better security, better maintenance policies, and more accessibility. With so many different facilities operating, and the various features each facility offers, businesses need to inform themselves on what to look for in a self-storage company as well as what to do to prepare the contents for storage. Preparations vary according to the items being stored and the length of time of the storage. This article will discuss the various features of self-storage as they pertain to small and large business owners looking for a better solution over the typical warehouse facility.

Warehouses allow people to rent a certain amount of space, or a unit, to store inventory, office supplies and equipment, just about anything a business owner would need storage for. The disadvantages to warehouse storage include limited accessibility, lack of security and maintenance and lack of space options. Warehouse storage can be adequate for items of little value and are not made of materials that are hazardous or likely to attract moisture or pests. If the company is not overly concerned with the security or condition of the items (for example a large supply of cardboard boxes for shipping) than a warehouse may be a viable solution.

However, most businesses do care about their supplies, even those that are of relatively little value. For this reason it is best to use a self-storage facility, which will better protect your company’s items from theft, harsh temperatures, rodents and insects. Warehouses are typically only accessible to customers during normal business hours whereas many self-storage facilities allow renters 24-hour access to their units. Warehouses usually hire a security guard or two to walk around the building periodically, while self-storage companies post guards, use perimeter fencing, security camera and theft-deterrent lighting. To gain access, individuals are usually required to scan a card, or punch in a code on a keypad. Some self-storage facilities have even added thumb print or hand print verification scanners for better security.

There are many possible uses for self-storage facilities for business owners. Business self storage is much safer for storing inventory than renting a warehouse. Your inventory will have less chance of getting stolen, or damaged at a facility with high security, climate controlled environments and protection against vermin. Excess office supplies may not seem important or valuable enough to rent a storage unit for but as any business owner knows, every supply costs money and you would have to find a place to store it somewhere. Finding yourself in the position of having to replace a large bulk of supplies, even inexpensive supplies like paper or file folders, that have been damaged by water, heat or rodents, can add up to hundred of dollars better spent elsewhere. If just one accident like this is prevented, the difference in cost between a warehouse and a self-storage unit has been refunded.

Self-storage containers can be helpful for storing excess office equipment during a move from one office to another. With the correct precautions, even sensitive electronic equipment can be stored for as long as you need. In the event that a seasonal item does not sell as well, you can store the excess inventory in the self-storage unit until the following year or until your business has a clearance sale.

By purchasing office supplies, such as printer paper, in bulk your business can save money. Use the self-storage container to hold the excess supplies until you have need of them. You can also store past documents that need to be saved but do not need to be kept close at hand inside a self-storage unit. Possibilities include tax documents, past employee files, and outdated contracts that may still require service or fall under the limits of legal action.

The majority of indoor self-storage facilities offer climate control, which prevents the unit from becoming colder than 40

The two commonly used types of storage are container storage and self storage. Container storage predominantly offers a storage option with limited sized outdoor containers, sometimes stacked and only accessible by prior arrangement with the need of a fork lift truck, often surcharged. BusinessStorage offers companies and individuals a larger variety of sizes from lockers to large tailor made individual units, or multiple units to meet exact requirements. The units are situated within a larger building offering individual self contained rooms. The larger storage facilities offer a choice of units located on different floors utilising lifts and wide industrial staircases, all with goods handling and distribution equipment such as pallet pump trucks, sack trucks and trollies for ease of access at no extra charge to the individual or business.

Self Storage facilities are usually easily located in heavily populated areas, along major roads and near to retail and business parks. Ideal for business clients as an alternative to owning or leasing expensive industrial units with long leases.

The ideal space maker for businesses, self storage offers businesses the flexibility to manage their own space by swopping between unit sizes as and when required, with the option of short and long term periods of hire via a straight forward license agreement. The individual storage units themselves are lockable and secure with the occupier holding the key. Some self storage facilities offer the option of retaining a key to help with the receiving and despatching of goods on the occupiers behalf. All self storage companies offer extensive security measures such as PIN codes / swipe card entry systems, monitored closed circuit television and police monitored alarm systems, and some even with 24 hour seven days per week security patrols.

As the industry has grown over the years it has developed its own advisory watch dog and governing body, the Self Storage Association United Kingdom. All members of the Self Storage Association have to meet the associations criteria and use their approved license agreement. With the help of the Self Storage Association and the Financial Services Authority there are now insurance options available for the customers goods whilst in storage.

Self storage can now offer small businesses and individuals a complete safe, secure and flexible storage solution

Finding the right size self storage unit for your needs can be tough. You may have a specific group of items that you want to store outside of your home, but not know the best way to do so. You may also have the belief that the smallest self storage unit that you can find is still the size of a room – too large, in other words, for a very small collection of items. But there are options that you can consider to make the most of your storage space. Consider mini-storage – the cost effective alternative.

Not all storage units are considered equal. And while larger

Consider some of the best items that you can store in mini-storage units. One of the first ideas for mini-storage is if you maintain a home business. If you maintain an inventory – a small inventory – but feel more comfortable storing it outside of your home, a small unit may be your best bet. Simply install shelving along the back wall of your unit and stack all of your inventory neatly and easily so it’s at your fingertips any time you are ready to sell it.

Another idea for mini-storage is also related to having a home business. For your tax records, you will need to hang onto your financial records for several years beyond the current calendar year. Depending on the amount of paperwork your home business generates each year, this can mean storing a lot of documents. Instead of stacking these in your precious office space or relegating them to the attic where they’ll get confused with other storage boxes, consider using a mini-storage unit to store them safely and securely.

Storage units are great for storing collections. But what if you only have a small collection, or a collection of small items? Well, then you only need a small storage unit! Your baseball cards will thank you for finding them a small, dry, climate-controlled non-pest-infected space where they can be stored all on their own while they grow in value.

If you are working on a special project, you may have many items that you need to collect before you can get started, or research that will need to be done ahead of time. In order to keep your collection of items or your accumulated research together and easily accessible in one place, consider renting a mini-storage unit to use as work on your project progresses. Because most mini-storage units are rented from month to month without any need for long term contracts, you can keep your unit as long as your project lasts!

Another opportunity to use a rental unit is if you are working on an initiative or project with a group of other people. If you all need access to the same items or data but it is not convenient for you to always travel to one another’s homes to use what has been collected, consider renting a mini-storage unit that you can all visit whenever necessary. A related idea is if you will be selling items for a fundraiser. When you will be splitting duties with others, put all of the items you will be selling in your mini-storage unit and you can get what you need, when you need it!

There are many different reasons to use a mini-storage unit. You can mix and match reasons as well, and maintain several mini-storage units for various different needs in your life, instead of running the risk of accumulating clutter by assuaging all needs with one larger unit. But whatever your reason for needing a self storage rental to help you to effectively store your items, it is important to understand that there are many sizes available. So when you only have a small need, you only need a small unit. That’s when it’s time to consider mini-storage – the cost effective alternative!

Self storage is actually a shortcut for the phrase self-service storage. Some companies also call it mini storage or mini warehouse. The idea is that, a person or persons are given storage space for rent (like an apartment) and they basically have full control over the space. They can store almost anything in these leased storage facilities including boxes of household goods, supplies for a small business, excess inventory, and whatever else they might need to keep secure. The storage units are watched over by the operator, and both he and the client have the only access to the unit. Self storage facility operators usually provide computer-controlled access to rental space areas and many often use security cameras for surveillance. However, the storage has in no way the authority to control, possess, or move the goods inside the unit unless it is requested by law.

There are now over 50,000 storage facilities in the US that provide storage solutions for personal and commercial purposes. Public self storage areas have also started increasing in number in urban and residential areas because of the greater demand on secure storage. Since apartments and small houses have limited space for people’s things and so, over the years, a good portion of residential areas have been converted into self storage facilities.

Self storage businesses offer a variety of storage unit sizes to residential and commercial tenants. They also give you the option of choosing the environment for your goods. There are units measuring 10 feet wide by 5 feet deepalmost like a large closet. There are also units as large as the back of a big truck. Storage rental is often dependent on the size of the unit and the period you will be leasing the space.

Storage buildings are usually only single-story structures with drive-up units. A storage facility with multiple single-story units is the most common type of holding unit available to urban and suburban areas. Storage Center is one storage facility found in the Fort Lauderdale area that also services nearby places like Riverdale, Harbour Isle of Ft lauderdale, and Dania Beach, FL. Most storage companies also offer moving vans and trucks to help with the transportation of goods. U-haul truck rentals are available for clients who need to transfer large volumes of goods to a storage container. Some may offer moving services for free, depending on the operator. For lighter loads, moving supplies like boxes and carts to make moving and storage easier and more organized.

Climate-controlled units are now part of the standard feature of storage areas. A climate-controlled storage unit prevents mold and mildew problems. This is very ideal for storing fragile or important materials like paintings, old documents, and even wine This is not the same as cold storage. Cold storage is literally storing goods in low temperatures. Restaurant owners and meat shops store their goods in facilities like this one. Old warehouses and large grocery stores are usually converted to climate controlled rooms since they have interior units.

There are also facilities who provide motorcycle storage. It’s like a garage away from home. Motorcycle owners and retailers can use storage facilities to secure bikes and parts instead of just letting the mess lie around in the garage.

There are approximately 58,000 self storage facilities worldwide, of which 52,000 are located in the United States. In the future, greater demand for units will be a sure thing, so if you have storage needs, better call your nearest facility in FT Lauderdale.

Usually one knows pretty far in advance when they plan to have a garage sale or a yard sale. Maybe it is something that you do on an annual basis. During the course of the year many people may drop off things that they think will suit the upcoming sale or maybe you run across things here and there that could be sold. Some people see things in other people’s trash and grab it real quick with the future garage sale in mind.

While this is all a great idea, the problem is likely that you are accumulating this stuff all around your house. It might be jamming your garage, maybe it is filling your basement, and maybe your yard looks like a salvage yard but whatever the case may be there is no reason to continue on like this. If you rent a mini storage unit near your home (there are plenty) not only can you eliminate all of the build up around and in your home by dropping it off at the storage unit but you can also use the unit for preparation when the time comes nearer for the sale.

If you are very organized then as you drop off the stuff to the unit you will categorize it so it is somewhat easier to deal with later on but for those that are not so tidy, the unit itself will make a big difference in the end and in maintaining your sanity. The nest time your sister drops off a bag of clothes that her children have out grown, it’s off to the unit rather than on your living room floor for days before it gets hauled to the garage or the basement. Plus, consider that you need to keep your garage as accessible as possible as that will be the place to be once your sale is up and running.

If possible, place things in tote according to category, separate clothing at least by gender and separate kids clothes from adults. When it comes time for pricing it will be a lot easier. The cost for a small mini unit is very lean so just reimburse you at the sale. Often there is more than one person conducting or participating in the garage sale, if that is the case split the cost.

When the time gets nearer to the actual event you can use the storage unit and a work station for pricing and setting everything up then all you will have to do is move it to your garage and there will be tables and racks just waiting to accept it in the most organized manner possible. The stuff will be priced and all set to go. More importantly, you didn’t have to run around your house trying to get it all together.

A yard sale is a great way to purge space taking items that you no longer need, but someone else may need, and at the same time earn some cash. For the yard sale to be successful, it needs to be organized well. Start sorting. Organize your yard sale in the same way you look for things in a department store and sort your items by category, i.e. kitchen items, appliances, linens, household items such as lamps, throw pillows, clothes, luggage, sporting goods, auto, etc.

Without being organized with a defined goal and plan intact, you will likely not be very successful. That is one of the main reasons that renting the storage unit is so great! It is a work station away from home, your own little private space to set up your sale. Advertise your sale in the newspaper, on the internet, use flyers and get the word out. Make sure you know how much lead time you need to place an ad. The day of the sale, make sure you start early! Yard sale shoppers are early birds and will sometimes line up a good half hour or more before your advertised sale time.

This will be no problem for you because you will have set everything up the day before when you visited the storage unit. At this point you should have cleared out the unit and fulfilled your contract so that what is not sold must either be donated or tossed. The purpose of the storage unit is only to get you organized in the preparation and success of your upcoming sale. The idea is not to keep adding stuff throughout the year anticipating selling it the following year.