Small businesses make for incredible case studies for anyone studying commercial decision-making or looking for inspiration for their own start-up.
This is because while small businesses have fewer resources than larger entities in their sector, they tend to make do and still compete with the larger brand names all the same.
Understanding why and how this is can help your own entrepreneurial ambitions, or enable you to make smarter decisions with your own small company.
One essential measure to get right for any business is that of appropriate inventory management. This feeds into logistics, manufacturing or production output, security and safety, and many other business decision trees.
One of the most vital secrets of capable inventory management is that of self-storage use. Self-storage services are not only convenient but can help companies with limited space or rented premises handle their inventory correctly.
In this post, we’ll discuss how self-storage for small business solutions is the hallmark of intelligent inventory management.
1. Small Business Self-Storage Is Cost-Effective
Let’s face it, renting or owning commercial premises is expensive. Inventory needs space, and so the more you have, the larger your building needs to be. It’s not as if you can just rent space owned by others for temporary storage either, because you need the proper security and safety infrastructure in place to prevent theft and damage.
Self-storage solutions have all of that to hand and more. They can keep your inventory safe, grant round-the-clock access, and ensure CCTV and security measures are put in place to secure all clients’ storage. Self-storage services take this responsibility seriously because their brand reputation lives and dies by how secure their premises are.
This not only saves you in rented or purchased square footage under your own control but allows you to forgo the usual security guard hires or contingency measures in place to prevent theft.
2. Business Self-Storage Can Scale
You may be a “small business,” but how large or small or grow and shrink to can depend on the year, the circumstances, and the pursuit of your business priorities.
After all, we saw many businesses downsizing for survival in 2019-2022 due to the Covid-pandemic, and many companies change their focus entirely, opting for remote work and remote deliverables.
Self-storage services can assist you in this way by scaling to your needs. It’s not hard to see where such value lies here. From fluctuating inventory levels defined by promotional campaigns or seasonal scales to manufacturing slumps post-Christmas, self-storage services can ensure that you always have the space you need, and never pay for more than you need.
It’s that scalability that all small businesses benefit from, and working out an appropriate subscription or short-term contract with your self-storage provider can assist you in that.
3. Inventory Management & Suitable Conditions
We’ve discussed the fact that inventory needs to be secured, and you can save a pretty penny by relying on self-storage services for that.
Yet keeping your inventory secure is hardly worth it if the goods are in damaged condition. That’s why self-storage units services will offer climate control so you can store your items at the correct temperature you need to preserve them. Cool and dry is often the best environment to keep them in, especially if there’s a heatwave outside.
While self-storage services may not have specific provisions like commercial refrigeration units, they can help in other areas, like ensuring the storage area is completely free from pests, while still retaining the privacy and security of your stored inventory.
4. Self-Storage Provides A Perfect “Middle-Ground”
The benefit of running a small business is that flexibility becomes a fine bedfellow. But what is the willingness to be flexible without the means to actuate it?
For example – let’s say you’re refurbishing your office. As such, you’ve invested in some high-end office furniture to improve the health of your employees. This may include standing desks and ergonomic seats to ensure the spinal health of those working for you.
So far, so good. But this may leave you with a plethora of refurbished old office chairs that you need to sell off. You might not have much room in your office for them. Thankfully, the self-storage units are just a simple drive away – allowing you to list your auction job lot and keep the previous chairs in good condition.
As you can see, self-storage isn’t always about highly noble or visionary business decisions. Convenience and a comforting middle ground to give you some flexibility can be reasons enough to use those services.
5. More Inventory Management Flexibility
You don’t have to run your entire inventory management approach out of self-storage services. These provisions are here to provide you with further flexibility and convenience when you need them.
This might mean that you bulk buy raw materials that only need to be stored in secure, cool and dry areas, and keep them in your self-storage area until you need them. This helps you make use of economies of scale, getting larger discounts the more you buy and protecting yourself against supplier shortages.
You can also keep expensive inventory safe here. Perhaps you’re moving your premises from one location to another, with the self-storage service central to both locations. Using that as a crutch to help you secure inventory is a no-brainer.
Self-storage services don’t have to become the very centre of your inventory management and stock rotation, but they can certainly help you with the convenience you need to keep things running smoothly.
Contact Self Storage Australia for the best self-storage services!
If you’re looking for the best self-storage services in Australia, you’ve found the right people!
We understand the need for cheap, secure commercial storage solutions for businesses managing their inventory. After all, managing inventory is what we do as a business every single day.
We’ve become very adept at identifying our client’s needs and accommodating them. So why not call us today to discuss your requirements? We’d love to learn more about your enterprise.
Feel free to use our contact form today, and our friendly team will reach out.