Where the Money's At: 5 Tricks to Efficient Business Storage

As you're organizing your new business, you might think that the method of storage has no real role in the success of the company. This thought is one that can lead to trouble in your business. For example, if items are improperly stored, it could take longer to deliver them to clients, which, in turn, could create dissatisfaction and discourage repeat customers.

Have Enough Space

Some businesses struggle with storage because they don't have enough space for all of the inventory. Carving out a particular area dedicated solely to storage is important, but you also want to ensure that it is large enough. When you don't have enough room in your current space, you may need to seek out a storage facility. As you consider long-term goals, think about moving to a larger place.

Purchase Containers

You might think that you'll just stack your items up in the storage space, but that could lead to damage. Purchasing inventory storage containers allows you to safely keep your items inside of them. Consider ones that safely stack on top of one another. Buying containers of a variety of different sizes allows you to keep many of your products in good condition and ready for sale. Work with someone like Quantum Storage or a similar company to give yourself the widest variety of options possible.

Use Labels

Even if you have containers, you might get confused if you don't put labels on them. In other words, you may have to open up all of the containers to remember what is inside of them. Make sure that each container is clearly labeled with the contents. Use a permanent marker so that the writing does not rub off in a few short days or weeks. You can also use labels to develop sections within the storage area. By doing so, employees don't have to walk around the whole room to find particular products. 

Create Protocols

If you don't teach employees how to handle the products, you can't expect them to know. For example, you may need to label certain items as fragile and teach employees how to carry them without creating damage. Making a review of the protocols part of the training process helps to ensure that this information infiltrates the business.

Control the Climate

Certain items in your storage area might be sensitive to specific weather conditions or temperatures. In the event that you have food and beverages in the storage area, you must ensure that the space stays at the right temperature. Other products can become damaged or hazardous if they aren't in the right climate. Know your products and what they need to stay safe and usable. 

Developing a storage area might seem like a fast process. However, you really must take the time to ensure that it is proper for your products.