For many businesses, the biggest part of hunkering down for the winter means shifting inventory and operations. Clothing stores need to break out the coats and wool suits from on site storage containers. Department stores put away the patio furniture and start advertising comforters and blankets. Construction companies begin the dance of scheduling tasks based on the expected temperatures.
If this sounds like your routine, you are likely deciding the best tools for seasonal inventory and equipment management. Not to worry, bringing in mobile or portable storage -- think shipping containers, but nicer -- is not difficult and it's cost effective.
Portable Storage Rental Fees are Reasonable
For those who have not conducted research, mobile storage units can seem unaffordable. The truth is, most businesses can get all the storage they need for only a few hundred dollars a month. Obviously, the amount of space you actually need will determine the specific costs.
Business owners know that success is often about understanding opportunity costs. It would be possible to find storage made with cheaper materials like those seen in a typical backyard storage shed, but would you really want to trust your inventory to something rodents can chew through?
Be Prepared For Opportunities
Opportunities can be brief. You may only have a few days to take advantage of a chance occurrence. The good thing about opportunity is you can sometimes learn the patterns. An experienced business person can often interpret signals and past trends to guess what might come next.
One of the most powerful things about a secure, weatherproof portable storage container is flexibility. If you don't know what kind of winter to expect, why not use storage to prepare for anything?
A Convenient Location Already Exists
One of the other great things about using a portable storage container is proximity. What good is inventory if it is too far away? You can't sell inventory that you can't access.
Portable storage containers allow you to designate an area on your property as a temporary warehouse. Companies working construction can likewise find an area on the job site to place a secure shipping container.
If you are already paying for space, why not put that extra space to work with storage?
Clutter Causes Stress - use Mobile Storage
This is one of those things people underestimate until they make a change. Employees who are constantly bumping into items in a packed warehouse can get a bit irritable. Customers can get irked if it takes employees too long to find items in the storeroom.
People who specialize in organizing have long preached the benefits of order and open space. You can afford portable storage because the extra space can potentially improve both the customer and employee experiences.
Portable Storage is Secure
One of the good things about high-quality portable storage is the included feeling of security. You may wonder how much it costs to rent a portable storage container or even how much it costs to buy one.
After your research, you will find many options. If you opt for a steel shipping container, available from some companies selling portable storage, you can rest easy. You will know that it is very difficult for thieves to break into metal containers without a lot of noise and time.
Four Reasons You Can't Afford Alternatives
Sometimes it feels like anyone with space thinks they can offer storage. While technically that is true, using lower caliber storage has its disadvantages.
1. Difficult Access Points
Many storage facilities only have one way in, and one way out. You can't afford to empty a storage space every time you want an item from the back. You can't afford to have to lift heavy equipment because the pipes in the unit can only be stored on the ground.
Finding portable units with hanging racks and dual entrances means better access to your inventory.
Another problem with stationary units is limited access. Let's say you are organizing for a holiday-themed sale over the weekend. The last thing you want to hear is that your storage facility is closing early for the holiday. Some facility-type storage may have hours that limit your access - a cost you probably can't afford.
2. Trashing Usable Inventory
Sure, sometimes it can be useful to discard huge amounts of inventory and take a tax write-off. But you are probably not in the business of tax write-offs. It's better to sell inventory or use equipment to generate revenue.
Running out of space can create a problem that can seem most solvable by prioritized elimination. Can you really afford to lose potential revenue due to space issues? The better option may be to purchase a portable storage unit for inventory overflow. That way you can hang on to the chance of sale a little longer.
3. Building New Storage can be Expensive
If you need more space and you have money to burn, why not just build a new warehouse? Well, because most of us don't live in a world where money isn't a factor in making decisions.
Mobile storage provides all the space we need, for less money. Portable storage containers can be rented for seasonal or short term storage. Long term storage can be accomplished through outright purchase or rent-to-own storage agreements. Either way, you don't have to commit to adding additional square feet to your facility.
4. Transporting Inventory is neither convenient nor cheap!
The biggest cost with portable storage is usually transporting it to your location. However, the reality is, portable storage companies operate have distribution hubs. So, even if it's costly to deliver it, it would probably cost more to have your inventory/equipment transported to a storage location and then transferred back to you when the time comes to use it.
If you are considering the benefits of portable storage units to your operation, now is the time to contact reputable storage professionals.
