Do you have a commercial business that relies on logistics and are thinking about renting a commercial unit to store products before they are shipped out? As more and more people set up ‘side hustles’ to add a bit of extra money each month or indeed set up a business to run as their main income, the internet especially has opened the doors to businesses looking to get products from one party to a customer. Increasing numbers of businesses are being set up, helping to take away the complicated paperwork or hassle of sourcing products from customers, and organising a smooth transition between a customer and the manufacturer.
Whilst, for some very small businesses, this can sometimes be carried out from home, for most businesses, it is a better idea to rent some storage space within a commercial unit. This could be a self-storage facility, or perhaps some space within a warehouse or workshop.
Here at Boxpod, we believe that for logistics businesses – from small to large – it is a great idea to rent an amount of storage space within a commercial unit for several reasons. In this article, we are going to explore these reasons, showing how this can make a massive difference to your business, providing better services and boosting profits – regardless of whether you are shipping goods around the country or further afield.
Stock
The main benefit to having a storage space for your products is that you have the ability to hold some in stock, meaning that you have more flexibility, whilst being able to guarantee delivery to your customers in a shorter time frame. Security stocking is key to keeping your customers happy, ensuring products are ready to go as soon as the order is made, and giving quicker delivery to your customers.
With a small amount of stock held back, you are also going to be more able to deal with larger orders, having a fall-back amount in storage. This also helps you monitor demand and inventory, giving you a better idea of buying patterns to help you grow your business more effectively.
Storage
It can be very beneficial to take stock storage away from your home or office space, keeping your home and business lives separate, especially as your business grows. This can give you the space to keep your stock well-organised, reducing the risk of items getting lost, broken, or running out without you noticing.
With extra storage space, it means that products would be able to be bought in larger numbers (hopefully at discounted prices!), making more business sense, and improving profit margins.
Some products are best kept in climate-controlled environments, and therefore, by renting a warehouse with climate controls, you can ensure that your products are kept in the best condition possible, ensuring that they last as long as possible, helping to cut down on waste.
For businesses that sell seasonal products, having the extra storage space also means that you could have the option of keeping them safely until there is high demand again for them the following year.
Having a warehouse or self-storage space means that you can have a great deal more control over your stock, helping with purchasing decisions, reducing waste, and, ultimately, giving your business a better deal.
Location, Location, Location
When it comes to property, we all know that location is paramount – whether it is for residential or commercial units. For logistics businesses, however, the location of a storage facility such as a warehouse unit or self-storage space is essential. It can have an impact on how quickly and easily you can get stock in and then out to your customers, which is a major factor in the success of a business.
The best location for a logistics business would be one that has easy access to the place where your products will be coming from (ports, airports, or manufacturers, for example), and indeed, where has easy access for your products to get out – close to ports, airports, motorways, etc., and in areas closest to your customers.
Expansion
As your business grows, of course, more space is needed, but there are other benefits to being in a warehouse space. Clearly, the opportunity to expand the amount of stock that you have is important, but the extra control that you have over your stock levels (even just by having the space to spread it out to give you a clearer visual idea of what you have) means that you can plan the purchasing of stock as well as get products out quickly to your customers much more easily.
As your business grows, there are also other opportunities such as the implementation of automation and robots to help you, as well as cutting costs.
Final Thoughts
Any business that involves sending products out to customers would benefit greatly from having a self-storage or warehouse space for the storage of their goods. As the world of e-commerce expands, more and more people are seeing the benefits in these kinds of businesses – both from a business point of view but also for customers who are getting the products they need, as quickly as possible.
Here at Boxpod, we have a wide range of warehouses and self-storage facilities all around the UK, of differing shapes and sizes. If you are a landlord looking for new tenants or are a business looking to store its products in a safe and convenient location, we can put you in touch here! So why not take a look at our website to see how we can help you today?