June 17 2021
It’s no secret that, in a year filled with lockdowns, restrictions and being stuck at home, we’re all now a little bit bored of working from our spare rooms or kitchen tables. But, what about working from a storage unit?
Whether you’re a business owner looking to cut costs or a home office worker searching for a change of scenery, from the best businesses to run from a self storage facility to our top tips, we’ll help you answer the burning question – can you use a storage unit as an office?
- Can you use a storage unit as an office?
- What businesses can you run from a storage unit?
- What are the benefits of running a business from a storage unit?
- Choosing a self storage unit
Can you use a storage unit as an office?
Unfortunately, you cannot legally register a self storage unit as your business location nor can you invite employees to work from it with you as an official office space. This is because of insurance reasons, as well as the fact that storage facilities aren’t set up for occupants as most don’t have plug sockets, wifi or natural lighting.
You can, however, use a storage unit to run your business from, such as storing stock or tools or for packing orders. You can even use it as a quiet space to get some productive work done.
Just be mindful of any local lockdown restrictions in your area to make sure you’re following government guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19.
What businesses can you run from a storage unit?
- Online sellers: do you sell goods online but have outgrown your current space? For many e-commerce traders, there often comes a time where your garden shed, dining room table or spare room just won’t cut it anymore. Whether you run an independent store or sell your goods via third-parties like eBay or Etsy, a storage unit provides the perfect place for you to safely and securely store your stock without cluttering up your personal space. It also provides the perfect space for packing orders, too. Just remember to check what you can and can’t store in a storage unit before you get started to ensure you’re not storing any prohibited items.
Find out how Doncaster business TMA workwear uses our facilities for customer collections and storing their vast stock.
- Tradesmen and contractors: for many tradesmen such as electricians, tilers, joiners or plumbers, finding a safe and secure space to store expensive tools and equipment can be difficult, especially as it’s not a good idea to leave all the tools of your trade in your van overnight. Self storage is ideal if you’re a travelling tradesmen who might not need all your tools at once, or if you work in a number of different sectors and so have a wide range of equipment.
- Professional services: while a lot of information is now stored on databases or within the cloud, for those who work in the professional services sector, such as lawyers, accountants or financial advisers, there is still a number of documents that need to be kept in physical forms. Similarly, the sheer volume of paperwork and confidential information can be overwhelming, especially if you’re working from home. This is where a self storage unit comes in, offering a safe and secure space to keep sensitive information without forking out for expensive offices.
Find out more about storing documents at our self storage facilities.
- Events and sales: Working in travelling sales or events requires excellent organisational skills along with a lot of information, documentation and other essential equipment. A self storage facility, therefore, provides the perfect place to store marketing collateral and brochures, along with event stands, other promotional materials and any props or client information.
What are the benefits of running a business from a storage unit?
There are a number of benefits to utilising self storage facilities for your business, even if you can’t use it as an official office space.
- Cost effective: from service changes to utility bills, hiring out office or warehousing space comes with a whole load of hidden costs. Self storage facilities, on the other hand, can offer a cheaper alternative to a commercial space, and is a much more affordable option.
- Flexible: self storage offers the perfect opportunity to scale up or down your business as and when it suits you. For example, you might start off just wanting to store a few important documents, but then have a need to store a large range of office furniture. This is easily done with a self storage unit, as you’re able to simply scale up or down so you can expand, or downsize, your business when it suits you.
- Convenient: when it comes to running your business, there’s so much to do and remember that it can be easy to lose track of everyday tasks.
For handcrafted gin distillers, Sipsmith, a self storage unit helps to keep their gin flowing to a wider customer base. Find out how we’ve helped them create a flexible solution that grows alongside their business.
- Frees up space: for many business customers, a lack of space is the main reason for investing in storage space. After all, there’s nothing less productive than your personal space being invaded by your stock, or trying to work amidst stacks of paper and legal documents. A self storage facility, therefore, offers business owners the chance to reclaim their workspace which in turn can improve productivity and decrease stress.
Take a look at how online beauty retailer Sheer Glamour uses their Peterborough storage unit to keep their stock safe at all times.
- 24/7 security and access: while your home or office space might have a small level of security, self storage facilities provide 24/7 CCTV and high levels of security along with around the clock access to your unit, so you can find exactly what you need, even if you work unsociable hours.
Choosing a self storage unit
Why Ready Steady Store?
- COVID-secure facilities
- We are observing social distancing at all Ready Steady Store facilities across the country, and have installed signage and floor markings to ensure everyone on-site observes social distancing rules and remains 2 metres apart at all times.
- We take the safety of our staff and customers very seriously, and always follow the government guidelines in each area, introducing safety measures to reduce risks. These include compulsory face coverings in all of our stores, singular lift use and remote no-touch move-ins.
- We have closed our reception areas on-site and are instead offering remote, no touch move ins and check-ins to keep our customers safe.
Please note that, in line with government-guidelines in local areas, we are advising all of our customers to check their local restrictions before travelling to any of our locations.
- Security and peace of mind
No matter what you’re storing in your self storage unit, you can be sure your items will be safe when you use our facilities. All of our storage locations are monitored by 24/7 CCTV, while most have PIN operated entrance gates and building access. Our self storage facilities are also fitted with smoke and fire detection equipment for extra peace of mind, just get in touch with us now if you have any questions.
- Helpful extras
We offer on-site parking along with exclusive offers on van hire from Enterprise if you need a hand moving in or out of storage, along with self storage insurance cover, drive-up units and racking and shelving to keep your unit safe and organised. Take a look at our full range of extra services now.
- A range of convenient locations
Whether you’re based in Leeds or Worthing, Bournemouth or Nottingham, at Ready Steady Store, we offer our customers across the UK high quality, safe and secure self storage facilities. Find your local store today.
