How self-storage providers can help your business retain flexibility

Self-storage for businesses

Self-storage can often be perceived as the territory of those who are moving house, or those with such huge collections of records (or anything) that their spouse has demanded they move it out of the house before the collection takes over.

However, more and more regularly, self-storage units are being used by businesses, too.

Why self-storage for business?

A large number of businesses, ranging from local SMEs, to national companies like British Gas, are discovering the benefits of using self-storage units.

Self-storage can be used to save businesses time and money and to help them to retain the flexibility they need to remain operational and profitable.

5 ways self-storage can help your business retain flexibility

Businesses are facing ever increasing amounts of pressure when it comes to cutting costs and finding intuitive ways to maximise their profits. Here are our 5 top tips on how self-storage could help your business save money and retain flexibility.

Cheaper than large new premises

Whatever reason you think your business needs to move from its existing premises, to a larger, new location; it might not.

Consider why you’re moving. Are you taking on new staff to aid growth? Are you running out of room for filing old documents? Whatever it might be, you could save a considerable amount of money by thinking of moving some of your excess files or unused furniture to a self-storage unit.

By moving things you don’t need to use every day to off-site storage, you could forestall the need to move and save a significant increase in rent in the process; self-storage is often cheaper than office space and you won’t need to pay business rates on it.

Easily up and downsize with seasonal changes to required amounts of stock

If your business has quieter and busier periods during the year due to peaks and troughs in seasonal sales, then self-storage could be the money saving answer for you.

Rather than wasting money by paying for space which remains empty for large portions of the year, you could rent self-storage space only during the times when your stock overflow demands it.

By utilising a self-storage unit as your overflow warehouse, again you save on the rent and business rates during empty, or quieter periods. You also benefit from state-of-the-art security measures and round the clock access to your stock – enabling you to meet seasonal demands whilst drastically reducing your overheads.

Secure space for archiving documents

Your business might be in the professional services industry, and beginning to find that your archive of documents and case-notes, or historical accounts, is taking over your office.

If this is the case, then using a self-storage unit to house documents that you need to keep, but don’t need regular access to, could be the money saving option that saves you from needing to upscale your business premises itself: saving you time, rent, and business rates.

Reduce overheads

It could be that your business is already paying more in rent and other overheads than it can sustain. If this is the case, then you could reduce your outgoings significantly by downsizing your office space and consigning storage of any items that aren’t needed regularly to a self-storage facility.

If you can keep the same number of things and staff as you had previously, but cut your costs by moving some to off-site storage, then self-storage could be the cost-saving option for you and your business.

Reduce your utility bills

By choosing to use a self-storage facility instead of increasing the size of your business premises, or even reducing the size of your business premises by storing things you don’t have regular need of, you can make cost savings on utility bills.

You don’t need to heat and light a storage unit, and with utility bills always on the rise, this could bring you a saving that could be reinvested in new staff, new stock, new software or anything else that might help your business to grow.

Increase the flexibility of your business with self-storage

By using a Store First self-storage unit for your business, you can take advantage of bulk-buying discounts without needing to invest in permanent office space to store your goods in. You can store excess furniture and equipment and possibly even reduce your existing costs. Whatever you might need storage for, the key advantage of self-storage is its flexibility: don’t pay for space you don’t need and don’t pay for it for longer than you need it.

Why not take a look at some of our case studies and find out how we already help businesses retain flexibility and increase profit margins and give Store First a call today to see how self-storage can help you?