Home-based businesses are convenient and economical in many ways, but storage is a frequent problem for online retailers working from their home. Devoting all extra storage space to the business inventory can crowd everyone in the home and make it inconvenient to find products when they need to be shipped. Renting a storage unit is an affordable option, but it must be kept organized to make it as functional as possible.
Choosing the Space
Select a unit that will allow enough room for shelving to line the walls and still provide room for a workstation in the center. Choose a climate controlled unit if any of the inventory is sensitive to extreme temperatures or high humidity. This is also necessary if the outside temperatures could make it uncomfortable to work inside the unit for the length of time it would take to retrieve items or put away new stock. Consider choosing a storage company that is staffed and offers a receiving service for packages if frequent deliveries are needed to maintain the inventory. This will eliminate the need to cart newly received items from home to the storage unit every day.
Keeping Shelves Organized Create an inventory chart that labels all shelving from left to right from the entrance and what items are on each shelf. Update the list immediately when new stock arrives or when an item is sold. Place small items in bins to keep the shelves neater and make the most of the available space. Opening and closing the garage-style doors can deposit a lot of dust into the room, so keep items protected from dust by using lidded totes or keeping larger items wrapped in plastic.
Using the Workstation A small table or desk in the center of the unit will provide a convenient work area. Keep the inventory list here along with additional inventory sheets, pens or pencils and all shipping supplies. Processing orders in the unit will eliminate an additional trip home to package the items before shipping them out. Keep a small cleaning kit at the workstation with a handheld vacuum cleaner, garbage can and clean rags. This way, it is possible to keep the unit tidy and make certain the merchandise is dust-free when it is prepared for delivery.
Remember Insurance Protection Homeowner's policies will often cover a small amount of off-premises belongings, but not necessarily enough to cover the full cost of the inventory. Talk to an insurance agent to discover how much is covered and what type of incidents are included. Additional insurance, either through the insurance company or from the storage facility, may be needed to have adequate protection.
For more information, contact Inlet View Mini-Storage or a similar company.
Share21 June 2016
