The Benefits Of Self-Storage For Online Retailers

Over the last few years the rise of the online business has been astronomical. It’s an easy business model to run, and has the potential to be hugely lucrative. But the main problem with running a product based business online is storage. Because despite the fact that your shopfront is online, you still have to store the products somewhere. And if you’re running an e-commerce business, that often becomes your back bedroom, your garage or even your loft. But that’s not very practical, or very good for your stock! So today, we’ve got a few reasons you should consider using self-storage for your online retail business.

Free Up Space

As we’ve already mentioned, running an e-commerce business often means you end up storing your stock in less than ideal places. With a self-storage unit, you can have a storage space as big or as small as you need it, available exactly when you need it. And things like taking deliveries are often included in the costs, so you can have deliveries sent to the unit instead of your home. And even better, you can expand or shrink it at any time. So if you know you will need a bigger space to store seasonal stock at one time of the year, but you won’t need it for the rest of the year, you can rent an extra unit, or a slightly larger one for the time you need it, and then simply move back to the smaller one when the rush is over. This leads us on to our next point…

Save Money

It’s also a lot cheaper as a storage option, over something like a bricks and mortar premises. A self-storage unit won’t charge you council tax, business rates, VAT or high rates of rent. Instead, you pay one flat price for your unit, no matter what you’re doing with it. This makes it easier to predict your outgoings, and 90% of the time it’s cheaper than renting shop space. Expanding your space is also more cost effective, which makes it perfect for very seasonally influenced businesses. Overall the cost savings of a self-storage space are huge, and for an e-commerce business it helps keep costs low and margins high.

Improved Security

There is hardly a safer place for you to keep your stock than a self-storage space. Unlike your home, which can only have limited security for, a self-storage facility comes fully kitted out with security and staff. Most facilities will have around the clock security, CCTV, extra staff and each individual unit will have its own security padlock or code, which only you know. All of your merchandise will also be inspired, and kept in a humidity-controlled environment to reduce the chance of spoilage. Your stock will never be safer!

Added Extras

Of course, a self-storage space is rarely just storage. Most facilities will offer you added extras that can really help an e-commerce business grow. For example, self-storage facilities are usually happy to take deliveries of stock in for you, and keep them safe until you are ready to collect them. They will also offer things like office space and meeting rooms, dedicated reception teams, van rental and so on. So really, you’re not just renting space – you’re gaining access to a wide network of services to support your business on a long term basis. source: blueboxstorage