Inside Store First: 3D Printing Direct

3D Printing Direct - a business run from self-storage

Here at Store First, we’re pleased to be in a position where we’ve been able help SMEs, and other businesses that run from self-storage, across the country make the most of their businesses and enjoy greater growth and higher profits.

We’ve told you about our facilities for SMEs before, though. So we thought it was about time we let you hear it from the horses’ mouths, so to speak; we decided to get some input from some of the businesses that are making our storage centres their homes.

First, we spoke to Simon Connell, who operates from our Liverpool Store First centre.

Simon had been running his 3D printing business, 3D Printing Direct, from his Mum’s house. After a while, she became unhappy with the printers clogging up their house. So Simon had to begin to look for alternatives:

“After my Mum asked me to move the printers and stuff out of the house, I’d done a bit of research into the various storage units near me, and Store First was one of the ones I decided to visit.

Originally I was just looking for a place to store the printers when they were not in use because my mum wasn’t happy with them in the house.

That all changed when I went down to Store First and set up my account. I went down on a Sunday was met by Andy (one of the Liverpool Store First team) and to say he was helpful would be a complete understatement! He made me a brew and we had a chat about my company and he put me in touch with another business that would help mine grow, before I’d even signed anything!

Then we filled out all the paperwork and he took me on a tour of the building showing me where all the facilities were, how to use the doors and shutters, where the board room and office pods I could use whenever I wanted were, and showed me how to access the free Wi-Fi and free printing – which is perfect for printing out our order slips. As if that's not enough, Andy told me they will take in any post or parcels for me and keep them safe and if I’m having a package picked up by a Courier, I can leave it with Andy or JP, the manager, and they will see that it is safely handed over.

After that he took me to my unit, gave me the key to the free high-security padlock Store First provide and helped me move a few bits in. It was amazing service right from the off and really helped me out to realise that I didn’t need to move the printers every time they needed to be used, I could run my business right from my self-storage unit!”

Simon now runs his business completely from Store First, Liverpool. Storing and operating his printers in his storage unit, and doing all of his other business activities from the office facilities provided at Store First.

Operating from his 75 sq ft self-storage unit for the last 6 months, Simon feels he now has the freedom to really start to grow his business without the security worries that accompanied keeping his expensive equipment in his own house.

Simon thinks that working from Store First has even helped his business to become more successful:

“What it comes down to is the staff. Andy and JP go above and beyond for me, as they do for all the other customers. They have made me feel part of the family, not just a costumer. That has helped me not have to worry about the small things and concentrate on the growth and development of my company.

Store first has removed so much worry from my business. When you start a new company whether it’s your first, or one hundred and first, there is so much to think about, worry about and distract you from your main goal.

Store First offers so many facilities included in the rent of the storage unit; the set up and running cost is slashed from tens of thousands to just hundreds of pounds. This allows me to concentrate on my company. More time + more money = faster growth + bigger profit.”

We’ve helped many other SMEs, like Simon’s, to prosper and grow by working from one of our storage units. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing their stories with you, too.

In the meantime, we’ll leave you with the words of a customer for whom, ‘satisfied’, is an understatement.

When we asked Simon if he would recommend us to his friends and other SMEs, here’s what he had to say:

“YES! You would be mad not to. I don’t understand why more people aren’t running their SMEs and businesses out of Store First storage units!

I actively encourage other SMEs to move to Store First and when people say to me, ‘I want set up company that sells X or Y’, the first thing I tell them is, ‘I know a place that you will love and that will help your business to thrive: Store First’.”

If you’re interested in finding out what Store First can do for you and your business, then get in touch today!

Or, if you're in the Liverpool area and need 3D printing, get in touch with Simon on info@3dprinting.org @3DPrintDirect or online at www.3DPrintingDirect.org