Carlos diaz vice president and general manager of value store it management inc.
Can you use a storage unit for a business.
Be that a photo studio or band etc etc.
The storage unit business is one where individuals due to personal reasons can rent or lease a storage unit to store their personal and or business belongings.
In fact self storage is the perfect solution for every type of business owner from retail to book publishers or photographers.
In theory working out of a storage unit seems like a grand idea for small business owners.
If storing large items drive up access makes it easy to load and unload with less stress and zero stairs.
But you can not run a business or work in one.
Why you shouldn t work out of a storage unit.
This is where a self storage unit can act as an office for your business.
There are many ways businesses use self storage to find relief from cramped working conditions.
Select facilities do accept deliveries.
The storage unit business is a sector under the real estate business and as such depends largely on the economy in order to thrive.
Storage units are designed for storage only and yes you could possibly use one for storing ebay items or business items.
Store records and files client files employee documents human resources related paperwork it all piles up fast.
Self storage is also a good place for your old documents.
When using a storage unit for business purposes it can be critical to access the unit frequently.
No you can t use a storage unit as a shop.
That doesn t mean that standard self storage is entirely useless for small business owners and larger companies.
Many storage operators discourage business users.
You can use these units to store inventory office supplies tools equipment or pretty much anything that s taking up too much space in your home or your car.
First and fore most storage only facilities don t have electric in units you can use.
For starters there is typically no electrical outlets or lights in a storage unit let alone wi fi or ethernet.
It can also consume a lot of your time.
But there is one area of real estate that is not capital intensive nor is it time consuming.
The rent is cheap and space is ample.
Storage units can be used to store commercial items but things like working on a vehicle or operating machinery aren t allowed.
Specialized business storage units aside there are many reasons why you shouldn t try setting up an office space in a traditional self storage unit meant to store household belongings.
However starting up a storage unit workshop or transforming your storage unit into an office is not allowed in most cases.
Do storage facilities accept deliveries.
If this is the case a drive up storage unit can be beneficial to your business saving valuable time.
That area is the rental storage unit industry.
Here are just a few examples of how to take advantage of a storage unit near your business.