Commercial Storage Tips for Businesses

Less Overhead Cost

If you’re using your building or office as a storage unit, you’re overpaying. The rent that you’re paying for a larger space is far more than the monthly cost of a commercial self storage unit. Even if you rent the largest size self storage unit, you’re still going to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on overhead costs for rent and utilities.

Increased Productivity

When you utilize commercial storage, you’re giving your employees more room to do what they need to. Studies show that productivity increases when offices are clean, organized, and clutter-free. By utilizing a commercial self storage unit, you’ll provide the ideal environment for personal and organizational success.

Safer Document Storage

Rather than storing your sensitive information in a file cabinet somewhere in an unguarded office, use commercial self storage. The Lock Up Self Storage’s units are 100% secure and will give you the added peace of mind when you need to store documents that include sensitive information.

Ability to Grow

If you’re in the process of growing your company, you need to have the added space that comes with it. Rather than wasting space storing extra furniture, documents, or excess office supplies, use a commercial self storage unit. Then, when you’re ready to hire more employees, you won’t have to deal with finding a completely new building.

1. Always Prioritize Security

When looking for a self storage company, always prioritize security. You’re going to want to use a company that has premium security features and goes the extra mile in making sure that your things are protected. This is extremely important if you’re going to be storing sensitive documents or information. Always ask the self storage facility about their security features and try touring the location before signing up. This way, you’ll be able to assess the security on your own and see whether or not it will be sufficient for your commercial storage needs. The Lock Up Self Storage has hundreds of commercial storage opportunities across the country that provide clients with premium security they can trust. Our units feature security-controlled gates, motion-sensor lights, 24-hour camera monitoring, digital locks, and more. We’re here to make sure that your commercial storage stays safe and secure.

2. Choose Temperature Controlled Storage

Temperature controlled self storage units, also referred to as climate controlled self storage units, are essential to elongating the life of your things. Extreme temperatures can cause things to degrade quickly, even when they’re in a covered unit. The fluctuation between high and low temperatures can cause rust, mold, mildew, cracking, deterioration, and more. If you’re going to invest in a commercial self storage unit, make sure that you choose temperature controlled storage. Even if you don’t live in an environment with extreme temperatures, temperature controlled units will help you reduce the buildup of dust and lower the likelihood that pests will make their way inside your unit. For more information on the benefits of temperature controlled self storage units, check out this article.

3. Don’t Overstuff Your Unit

Once you’ve found your commercial self storage facility, you’ll want to decide on what size storage unit to get. While it can be hard to tell how much room you really need at first, it’s important to remember that it’s always better to have a little extra room than not enough. This is extremely important with commercial self storage units that are going to be accessed regularly throughout the year. When you overstuff your unit, you make it more difficult to access important things that are stored inside. You’ll have to spend time taking everything out of your unit just to get to what you need. Instead, opt for a slightly bigger unit than what you need so you can create aisles and spread things out. Then, whenever you need to access your unit, you’ll be able to walk inside, find what you need, and get out without having to unpack and repack the entire thing.

4. Create a Plan

In addition to making sure that your unit is adequately sized, you’ll want to create a plan. Take some time to get organized and determine how your commercial storage unit is going to be laid out. Try getting out a piece of paper and designating “areas” in your storage unit for certain things. Remember to store like things together and always label your boxes. Create a section for archived documents, tax documents, excess office supplies, and unused furniture. This way, when you need to access your unit you’ll know exactly where things are. To take things to the next level, consider creating an inventory so that everyone in your business knows exactly what’s inside the storage unit at all times. This can help create a sustainable workflow without wasting precious resources.

5. Improve Inventory Storage

In addition to having an inventory of the contents of your storage unit, you can use a commercial self storage unit for extra inventory of your business’ products. If you have overflow of a certain product and don’t want it cluttering your office, just create a section in your storage unit and move them there. This is another reason temperature controlled units are so important —it ensures that your products stay in the best condition possible before being sold to your customers. Keep your inventory storage organized and thoroughly tracked inside of your unit and always have a process for updating it once things have been sold.

6. Understand Your Contract/Lease Policies

Finally, make sure that you understand your contract or lease policies with your self storage facility. Read the fine print and know what you need to do. Some self storage facilities recommend taking out business insurance or personal insurance as an added safeguard. Some companies require a set leasing period. Some companies don’t have any flexibility if you need to expand. Make sure that you fully understand what you’re signing before moving forward and always opt for a self storage facility that puts your needs first.