Pick the Right Storage Solution for Your Business Needs With These Tips

Running a business where I have to deal with large amounts of inventory and merchandise, I realized the significance of storage solutions a few months ago when I found myself surrounded by chaos and mountains of inventory with no idea of what to do or how to manage all that. 

That is when I decided to opt for a storage solution. Studies show that well-organized inventory storage can boost warehouse productivity by 30%. (Deskera: Inventory Management stats)

After trying it for myself, I can confidently say that this claim is no wild guess, storage solutions can enormously facilitate business operations. But you need to choose a solution that suits your business.

To help you out with that, I have listed down all the considerations that helped me choose the perfect storage solution for my business.   

Assess Your Storage Needs

There are a variety of storage options from small storage units to large warehouses available for different kinds of business needs. That is why I started by assessing my storage needs. 

The first thing I considered was the volume of inventory that I usually have at any given time. I own a small business, but it is growing enough that I cannot keep inventory at my house anymore. So, I chose a small storage unit close to my home where I can go whenever I need to fulfill orders. 

For businesses that run larger operations, I would suggest you look into storage solutions like warehouses or big garages. 

Evaluating how much stuff I needed to store for my business, allowed me to narrow down the options likely to work best for me. 

Consider Growth

My business has grown significantly since the time I rented the storage unit, this resulted in the growth of my storage needs as well. I had expected and was already prepared for this change, the solution I chose easily adapted to scalability from the beginning, preventing me from having to move all of my inventory from one place to another. 

If you are looking for a solution offering storage units in all different sizes, then Stafford storage options are the ones for you. They allowed me to scale up my storage units based on the changes in my business. I was able to easily move my inventory within the same facility. This saved my time and prevented any disruptions to daily operations as my business adjusted to growth.

FUN FACT 
Amazon’s warehouses are so efficient that they can process up to 1,000 orders per minute during peak times. 

Evaluate a Facility’s Security Systems

Every business relies heavily on the quality of its inventory, so I did not want to compromise on the security systems. Before finalizing the unit, I made sure that the security and safety of inventory were high on the list of priorities. 

To be confident about my choice, I asked a lot of questions about security, looked for security cameras on the premises, and invested in extra locks, when scoping out storage facilities. A bonus that my storage facility offered was the temperature-controlled storage units. 

You should definitely look for this facility if your inventory needs to be stored at a consistent temperature in order to maintain its high quality.

To avoid even the slightest risk, I got insurance on all of my business-related materials so that if something bad happens, I will not lose my business.  

Decide on Cloud, Physical, or Hybrid Storage Options

Well, it is no news that in today’s digital age, businesses require both digital and physical storage. Since I required both data storage as well as a physical place to leave paperwork and inventory, I found a hybrid storage solution to be the best option for me. 

With cloud storage, I am able to access all of my files as long as I have an internet connection, and I also have the option to pay for more storage as needed as with the growth of my business. 

Similarly, with a storage unit for physical storage, I started with small and gradually moved to bigger units as required. This choice has me covered for both digital and physical storage, and I do not need to worry about flexibility and scaling up options when needed. 

Well, with more advancements in technology and innovations, more data storage trends are emerging, as you can observe from the figure below. 

Budget Wisely

In the initial stages, I only invested in a small storage facility, based on the amount of my stocks. I would advise you to do the same and pay for just the storage you need at the moment and adjust your storage budget as your business grows. This will help you budget wisely and save you from unnecessary expenses. 

Prioritize Backup and Recovery Options

If I talk about digital storage, trust me, it is worth investing in backup and recovery options so that your business never has to deal with data loss. 

I set up my cloud storage system with automatic backups so that any time new data is inputted into the system, it automatically gets stored safely in my records. I also made sure that the storage solution I was using had a speedy data recovery system in place in case of accidental data loss.  

Read Reviews and Testimonials

I understand that it can be quite confusing to choose between different storage facilities or cloud storage solutions. Personally, to get more clarity on what I was getting into, I researched a lot and even asked other business owners about which ones they trusted to get reliable opinions. 

For this, you can also read reviews on different websites to see what people are saying about these places.

If you are also looking for the right storage solution for your business, these tips ad considerations will help you find the perfect storage unit for your business, that will not only complement your business at present but also support your operations as your business scales. 

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