More and more Americans are realizing the value of starting a small online sales business from their home. If you're one of this growing group, though, you may want to invest in one key tool that not enough small retailers take advantage of: self storage. What might you use self storage for within your retail venture? Here are a few tasks it's perfect for and why.
1. Inventory Storage. The most common use for self storage for online retailers is inventory storage. Because most online sellers start out working from their living room or spare bedroom, they often store growing amounts of inventory at home. Unfortunately, this can put it at risk of damage by kids and pets, and it puts at risk the safety of little ones or your furry friends. Move it to safer, more easily organized storage offsite.
2. Assembly or Kitting. Do you buy items that are then assembled into products or kits you resell? You'll need a large empty space to work with, and one without a lot of distractions. Assembly processes tend to be repetitive and can be fairly dull, so they need focus on the details. You'll get this focus by taking this step to a quiet, secure location.
3. Photos and Marketing. Most online sellers must photograph or take video of their products for online sales platforms. Transform a self storage area into a photo studio with control over all the elements you need to take the best pictures of your goods. In a storage area, unlike most other spaces, you control everything from lighting to temperature to noise.
4. Shipping and Receiving. Some self storage facilities make things even easier for small businesses by accepting packages for tenants. Whether or not yours provides this service, you can use the storage unit as a base for the careful work of preparing packages for shipment to customers — another task which requires attention to detail in an unobstructed environment. If you can do receiving there as well, your inventory never needs moved.
5. Tools and Equipment Storage. Inventory isn't the only thing a storage unit can keep safe. If you use expensive tools, computers, or equipment, store them safely in a locked and guarded facility. Do you use large equipment not suitable to be kept in a spare bedroom? Keep it safe in its own unit. And as you grow, your business vehicle can find a happy home without filling up your garage.
Want to know more about using self storage as an important base for some or all of your online retail activities? Start by touring facilities in your area today. You may find that it's a solution to problems you haven't even encountered yet.
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