Starting a new business requires resourcefulness. Your husband might double as your CFO. You’ll probably work nights and weekends. And your “office” is wherever you happen to be working.
This might mean you’re working from places like coffee shops, cafés, or restaurants when you’re tired of working from your house. Not only are you spending money, but all this moving around doesn’t give you one, solid place to run your business.
If you don’t have your own office space yet, there’s always self storage. This then begs the question of whether or not a self storage unit is the best place for your office.
The answer to that question is both yes and no.
While self storage units are convenient and affordable, they cannot legally function as true office space. That’s because they have not been approved for occupancy, so you can’t exactly set up your desk or meet clients there.
They can, however, be extremely useful in other ways for your business!
How to Use a Self Storage Unit as an Office
Working from your house or from a coffee shop is fine when you’re communicating with clients and working on your laptop. But where do you put all your inventory or important documents?
This is where a self storage unit can act as an office for your business. In fact, self storage is the perfect solution for every type of business owner, from retail to book publishers or photographers. 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!
Self storage is also a good place for your old documents. Obviously, there are certain files you’ll want handy as you work, but you don’t want so many files and documents lying around that you get disorganized. Prevent losing your outdated documents and files and keep them safe by storing them in a secure storage unit.
If your business keeps going well, you might be able to invest in actual office space one day—and hire a real CFO! But, until then, self storage allows you to stay lean, agile, and ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Can You Run an Online Business Out of a Storage Unit?
Short answer: yes. As mentioned previously, you can’t set up a desk and meet with clients in person at your unit. But a storage unit is a perfect place for online businesses to house all their products, branding, documents, and extra supplies.
For example, if someone is running a drop shipping business or something similar where they are purchasing large amounts of products and rebranding them to resell online, a self storage unit is perfect for storing all the product. In addition, they could easily set up a station with a shipping label printer, branding supplies, and boxes inside the unit to ship out.
Small Business Storage Units for Rent
Self storage can play an important role in the growth of your small business. StorageMart offers clean and well lit self storage units, including climate-controlled units that are available to rent on a month-to-month basis.
For small business owners and contractors, the commitment-free extra space is often just what’s needed to get more organized and efficient. Interested in learning more? Check out our Self Storage Calculator or rent a unit online today.