With more and more individuals starting up their own e-commerce businesses, the question of which storage solution to choose eventually surfaces. Can you handle everything on your own premises or do you need to expand to a self storage facility or even a warehousing facility? With so much to consider, making these decisions can often feel slightly daunting. To make things a little easier, here is a brief breakdown of the advantages of each solution.
On-Site
Keeping everything at home is recommended for those just starting out as you do not want to make any significant investments until you learn more about the demand for your business.
No Fees: If you are fortunate enough to own a property that has the required space you could save a lot of money simply storing everything on-site, rather than paying to rent the additional space you need from a third-party company.
Easy Access: If you need to be able to collect your goods regularly you will save a lot of time that would otherwise be spent travelling to a third-party storage facility. This also gives you the advantage of flexibility as you are able to access your goods on any national holidays.
Self-Storage
The self-storage revolution is among us and it offers the ideal middle-ground for those who do not have the space to hold all of their goods anymore, and have regular customers to satisfy.
Security: Many storage facilities offer 24-hour CCTV surveillance to ensure your items are stored away safely. Business owners also benefit from round the clock access to their self storage units.
Complete Package: Due to rising real estate costs in urban environments, it is now possible to operate entirely from the facility on a business contract. Modern technological necessities like Wi-Fi have become standard to help accommodate these users.
Warehousing
A warehousing solution is crucial for those dealing with large amounts of stock on a day-to-day basis. This is recommended for those who want to expand into a larger scale of production.
Flexible: Facilities such as Howard Tenens offer the option to scale your square footage as and when you need it. This flexible approach is ideal for seasonal businesses that see the majority of sales occurring during a particular part of the year. You will be able to upgrade your storage space if and when you need it, rather than paying for more space than you need throughout the rest of the year.
Contracting Options: You may also be able to take advantage of various contracting options such as supply chain management, order processes, facility design and even certain aspects of customer service. By using a singleprovider rather than several, you can ensure a consistent service and eliminate the chance of a breakdown in communication ever causing any downtime.
Each option is better suited for different companies based on their scale, consumer demand, and financial restrictions. Analyse your needs and find the solution that fits your current workflow the best.
