How to Use Storage Units for Business Inventory

Storage Basics


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February 8th, 2022


Is your business’s inventory overtaking your office space or even your own home, creating a chaotic work environment and reducing your productivity? When the amount of supplies, paperwork, equipment, or retail inventory begins to take over your work or personal space, you may find it difficult to do the tasks you need in order to successfully run your business. Using storage units for business can be an excellent solution for your organizational needs. Not only can the extra space bring order to your work processes, it will allow you to purchase supplies in bulk quantities by providing a place to store the excess. The ability to order larger amounts of goods reduces the overall cost spent per item and eliminates the risk of running out of supplies. Running out of supplies is a real threat in today’s economic climate, which might mean not being able to produce your goods for an extended period of time. Choosing to use storage units for business inventory is an investment in your company’s efficiency and productivity.

Determine what should go into your storage units for business

When clutter or supplies accumulate around you, it can be difficult to find the items you need—not to mention, it’s mentally overwhelming. Removing some of the stuff from your work space will help you stay sane and keep your business running smoothly. While it may seem obvious, the first step you need to take when moving into storage units for business inventory is to determine what items can and should go. Think about:
  1. What do I use every day?
  2. What do I use once in a while?
  3. What do I almost never use but must keep?
Sorting through your things with these questions in mind is a good starting point to get the transition going toward having storage units for business inventory. As far as bulk inventory goes, you may find that it works well to keep a week’s worth of goods in your work space at a time, and leave the rest in the storage unit—restocking your daily space with immediate needs on a weekly basis (or whatever time cycle works best for you).

Determine what kind of unit you need

Once you know the items you need to transfer into storage units for business inventory, you will be able to decide on the best size and type of unit for your business. At Alamo Mini-Storage, we provide a variety of sizes, and most of our locations include climate-controlled options to protect your sensitive materials from temperature-related damage. We even offer an option for mini-office rental as well!
To determine the best size unit for your needs, we recommend using our simple size guide tool. All you need is a few minutes and an idea of what you are planning to store. Simply enter the items and amount of each item into the calculator and it will produce a suggested storage unit size to fit your needs. Of course, if you have any questions or want further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our storage experts.

Create an inventory management system

As you pack your supplies and other items, be sure to keep a list of inventory you are storing so that you can stay organized from afar. You will want an easy-to-access list of all that you are storing—and where it’s located within the storage unit—so that you are not left searching through both your work space and your storage unit when you need to find something.

Create a map for your business’s storage unit

As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to keep track of where things are within your unit. If possible, keep the items you use every day within arms reach in your current office space. Items or inventory you need to access less often should be stored, but you will want to make sure it’s easy to access when you need it, closer to the front of the storage unit or stacked on top of less often used materials. Items that you rarely access can be placed toward the back of the unit or under other containers. Mapping out the best place to store your supplies may take you a little time on the front end, but it will quickly pay off. Don’t be afraid to adjust your system as you discover tips and tricks that work best for your business.
Staying organized and fully stocked are two of the best ways to boost your business’s productivity and keep your company focused on the bigger goals you are striving toward. Storage units for business inventory is a great place to start!