If you’ve ever watched “Shark Tank” on TV, you have likely become familiar with the pitfalls that are faced by small businesses. This can be true for both new, emerging operations, and those that have succeeded past the notable two-year mark, the point in time when emerging businesses are deemed to have “beaten the odds.”
It takes a lot of courage to start a business. It also takes a great idea, a market niche to be filled, ambition, and plenty of luck! Ask a successful business owner, and if he/she is candid, they will tell you that on top of all their hard work, good luck plays a big part in getting a business off the ground. If this is the case, it seems only sensible to leave as little to the elusive “good luck” odds as possible.
Cost and Control
Keeping costs down is a huge component in the early stages of a new enterprise. But so is having services or product immediately ready and available for the customer. This can be a juggling act, because of limited cash flow, limited space, and limited inventory. Spending your small business dollars wisely plays a key role in reaching success.
If you own a small business, chances are good that you started it from home. This is a great way to control costs. But it has repercussions. Let’s say you are doing well, and you need room to continue to grow. Who, or what, can be displaced to give you that room –and for how long? Even if you’ve leased a store front to begin your company, what happens when your office supplies, inventory, or product samples outgrow your space? Or let’s say you can get a far better deal on products or components for your product if you can order in bulk, but have nowhere to stock them?
The ideal solution, of course, is an offsite storage unit! Think about it: a safe, clean, secure space at a far reduced cost per square foot price than office or retail space, and a place that won’t crowd you or your family out of your home. Better yet, this will be a space that can readily grow along with you, without the need to completely break down your existing business and start all over again in a different space. This avoids the physical moving costs, printing new business cards and stationery, setting up new phone and computer systems. That can kill a budget fast!
Management and Practicality
Lots of business owners use their storage units as mini-showrooms, as well. The message to your customer can be terrific: here’s a business owner who is innovative, and knows how to keep costs (and therefore, customer prices) down! It’s a win/win.
It goes without saying that good organization is essential. This is especially true if more than one person will be accessing your storage. Of course, this is true no matter where your goods are stored! Clearly labeling and grouping items will be beneficial. Many owners create “maps” of their storage space, and post them prominently so that anyone coming inside can quickly find the area they need to access. A good system of this kind avoids clutter, which is essential if your clients or customers will be visiting the space.
A last benefit of taking the commercial storage unit approach is perhaps one you’d not think of right away, but is very real: Most new business owners work nearly non-stop. That’s what it takes to launch a successful operation. But when the day is finally done, it is far more restful and relaxing to come home to a place that’s not bursting at the seams with more work “stuff” as opposed to being surrounded by and unable to escape it. Seems like a bargain all around!
