Are you a small business owner or do you have a big one?
Either way, you must need storage for your stock. You might already store most of them in your business area, your house, or even your friend’s house.
This approach to storage might work for now, but as your business grows, you will need more space. So, it is better to consider some commercial storage options.
What options do I have? Keep scrolling and we’ll share everything we know about commercial storage and how they benefit you.
Commercial Storage Options
For businesses, storage is crucial. Now, many of you will be thinking about a warehouse. It seems like the wisest choice, isn’t it? You’re right, storing in a warehouse is beneficial.
However, do you know that there are different types of commercial warehouse storage?
1. Standard Warehouse Storage
This one is the standard warehouse storage where you can store your business stock with a storage company. You can choose to rent a pallet, a floor space, or the whole pallet rack.
With warehouse storage, you can store anything, including your office furniture and all your trade inventory. It is also affordable, only starting from $1.10 per day.
Warehouse storage includes two service options, which are;
- Pick-up and delivery 🡪 the company collects the stock store them, and redeliver them to you when you need them.
- Self-delivery and pick-up 🡪 you deliver your stock to the warehouse, store them and collect them yourself.
2. 3PL Warehousing
Similar to standard warehouse storage, 3PL warehousing also allows you to rent pallets, pallet racks, and floor spaces. The difference is, if you use 3PL warehousing, the company will handle the distribution of your products.
That way, if you have an online business, you don’t have to worry about shipping your product. This will definitely save you time and money from hiring a driver, buying a car, packing all of the stock yourself, etc.
3PL includes the same services as Warehouse Storage, with one addition;
- Store, Pick, Pack, and Dispatch 🡪 the company will collect the stock and store them. When there is an order, they will pick and pack the product and deliver them wherever you want.
3. Portable Storage
The third option and arguably the most flexible option is portable storage. It is 100% portable, meaning that the portable storage unit is delivered to you. So, there is no need to rent a truck and transport all your stock yourself.
Moreover, the portable storage unit can be stored indoors or outdoors. Therefore, if you want it in your backyard, it will protect your stock from the weather, dust, and vermin.
This option is suitable for those who want constant access to their stock because the unit can be put in your business area/premises. The other two options will require the company’s permission for access.
It is priced higher than the warehouse storage, but not that much higher. The price starts from $3.27 per day.
There are four main services for portable storage, which are;
- Portable serviced storage 🡪 The company delivers the storage unit to your house loads all the stock inside and stores the unit.
- For portable self-storage, 🡪 the company delivers the unit and you load the stock in. Then, they will pick up the unit and store it.
- Portable onsite storage 🡪 the company will deliver the unit, load the stock in, and store it on your premises.
- Shipping containers hire 🡪 the same service as mobile serviced storage, but with bigger containers for bigger products.
Whichever you choose from these three depends on your needs. Consider your budget, access needs, and the size of the products.
Commercial Storage Benefits
Commercial storage has many benefits, but the main ones would be saving your time and money.
1. How It Saves Your Time
- No need to rent a truck, drive it, and return it because there are options for the company to collect your stock.
- You won’t have to pack your stock yourself. The company has professional removalists who will do that for you.
- There is an option where the storage company stores your stock and also dispatches them to your customers when you need to.
- Every one of the commercial storage options has no fixed contract. So, you won’t have to renew them every time.
2. How It Saves Your Money
- The commercial storage start rate is really low, only $1.10 per day. Even the premium portable storage starts at $3.27 per day.
- Renting a truck and paying for fuel is expensive. With commercial storage, you have the option to let the company collect your stock, so you don’t have to pay for gas and a truck.
- You have different storage options with a range of sizes. Therefore, you just need to find one that fits all your stock, and no need to rent extra storage space.
From the list above, we can see how beneficial commercial storage is for both small and large businesses. It will save you so much hassle during the day-to-day business operation and helps you in the long run.
Key Takeaways
Commercial storage can be categorised into three, which are Warehouse Storage, 3PL Warehousing, and Portable Storage. These three have their own strengths and each has special features to cater to different needs.
Despite the slight difference between the three, all of them can help you save time and money. That way, you can focus on running your business efficiently with minimal stress.
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