Stockpiling Supplies With Limited Storage: Options For Your Business

Businesses often buy supplies in bulk. Now that bulk product and club stores give preferential treatment to business customers and offer business lines of credit, it just makes sense to buy a lot of supplies when you find a good price. However, not every business has built-in storage, and finding space to put all of those supplies just clutters up the office. Because it is all business product, you cannot store it in your home or garage either. There are some options for buying in bulk and storing your supplies until your business needs them.

Company Warehouse

If your business already has a company warehouse, it may be possible to store your bulk supplies there. Your warehouse employees will have to section off a few storage bays just for supplies and clearly mark them so that the supplies are not accidentally shipped out to customers. Storing supplies at the company warehouse also provides a good excuse to do a drop-in inspection on your warehouse crew.

Business Self Storage

Some self storage companies cater to businesses only. The storage units vary in size, just like personal self storage units, allowing you to store as little or as much copy paper, pens, chairs and computing equipment as you want or need. Some are the size of a gardening shed, about seven feet by twelve feet, while the largest size is about as big as a triple-stall garage. These self storage companies also allow multiple unit rentals, in case you run out of room for your bulk supplies.

Renting Part or All of an Airplane Hangar

This is an extremely expensive and not very convenient option. Because the hangars are owned and kept by the airport, there is no guarantee that your items will not be stolen or damaged and your monthly rent can go up at any time. Even if you pay to rent the entire hangar and not just a single stall, the airport can give anyone permission to search it because it belongs to them. Despite storing innocent office supplies and locking the hangar with your own lock and key, it is on federal ground and subject to federal laws.

Finding Business Self Storage and Temperature-Controlled Units

Looking for business self-storage is not difficult. You may have more trouble finding a temperature-controlled business storage unit. Such units help keep ink, toner, adhesives and leather chairs in excellent working condition, but these units are not as common as the basic, business self storage units. If you absolutely need a temperature-controlled unit, it will be easier to locate and rent a personal unit rather than a business unit.

If you're looking for local self-storage facilities, visit Thomson Properties.