Warehouse storage

Warehousing and commercial storage space for SMEs

The terms ‘warehousing’ and ‘commercial storage space’ probably conjure up images of huge spaces accessed by pallet trucks and forklifts, like the fulfilment centres used by companies such as Amazon. However, traditional large-scale warehousing and crate storage is ideally suited to large companies with specialist departments that run their commercial storage logistics and fulfilment services.  

If you’re running an SME, you probably don’t have enough stock to justify the cost of those extra services and need somewhere to keep your inventory until you can sell it to your customers.
 

Where do SMEs store their stock?

According to Direct Line, around two-thirds of SMEs have stock that needs to be stored, and around three-quarters use space in their own homes as storage. So the spare room, garage, shed - even the living room and main bedroom might be used to store your SME’s stock at present.
 
That’s not ideal. Aside from the clutter and being surrounded by reminders of work when you’re at home, storing your stock at home can leave that stock vulnerable to theft or damage. Direct Line estimates that more than a quarter of SMEs have experienced these types of loss, and of course, if theft is involved, it’s not just the stock that’s lost - it’s the sense of safety and security within your own home that’s compromised.
 
Other SMEs with physical shops use the back rooms and any available storage space in their commercial unit to store their stock. This can be limiting for customers, though; if you’re out of stock of an item, they may well shop elsewhere as fewer people seem willing to wait for what they want.
 
If you’ve reached the stage in your business where you have more stock than you can comfortably store in your shop or home and are looking for commercial storage space, self storage warehousing might be the solution. 
 

Is warehousing suitable for SMEs?

You might have dismissed the idea of a commercial storage unit because of the notion that they’re only suitable for much larger businesses. At Safestore, our warehouse spaces are ideal for commercial storage for SMEs. We offer secure, indoor units that are large enough for your commercial stock but without the added cost that services such as logistics, fulfilment services, crate storage and shipping would incur. 
 
It’s worth noting at this point that we also offer smaller units that are ideally suited to archive storage, so if it’s just paperwork that’s cluttering up your home or shop, you could use one of our smaller units or lockers. 
 

What is a self storage warehouse?

Self storage units are ideal for commercial storage if you need a large, secure space that you can access quickly and easily. There are no long commercial lease tie-in periods, no additional taxes, security costs or indemnity insurance costs to pay. For a single, weekly price, you can have as much space as you need in a secure indoor unit. 
 
We have shelving units available for purchase so that you can organise your stock in a way that lets you quickly access it to send to your customers. In addition, many of our stores have pallet trucks and forklift services available if you need help loading and unloading larger items (see below).
 
Our units are indoors. The warehouse-sized units are usually accessible via sizeable double-door entry; many have drive-up, covered access. Drive up, load or unload your stock and organise it however, best suits your supply chain.
 
Your weekly unit cost would cover 24-hour recorded CCTV, alarms, and fire and pest controls - we’d need you to arrange insurance to cover the cost of your warehouse unit’s contents in the unlikely case that the worst should happen.

 
Benefits of a self storage unit as commercial storage

What you get with a warehouse-sized self storage unit is affordable, flexible commercial storage. You won’t be paying for services you don’t need, such as fulfilment or logistics services, and if your stock level varies throughout the year, you can change the size of your unit, so you’re not paying for empty space.
 
Some of the main benefits of using self storage with Safestore for your commercial stock are:

• We have a nationwide network of stores: 
  • You could use a warehouse close to your business premises or shop, your chosen logistics provider (if you use one), your suppliers or your customers - wherever is most convenient for your business.
  • If your business is situated across multiple locations, you can rent self storage units across multiple stores for a single regular payment, all handled by a dedicated accounts manager so you can easily keep an eye on your costs.
• We have units in a wide range of sizes
  • We offer individual storage rooms of 10 sq ft and over to large-scale warehousing of 1000 sq ft and over.
• Accessing your unit is easy:
  • You can access your unit as often as you like during our regular trading hours.
  • Many of our stores offer a forklift service, trolleys and pallet trucks to make loading and unloading your warehouse easier.
  • Our indoor units can be accessed via loading bays through large, double doors.
  • Our stores are all located close to major road and rail networks.
• Secure indoor units with plenty of space:
  • Our stores are covered by 24-hour recorded CCTV.
  • Fire alarms, intruder alarms, and pest control cover all risks.
  • You will be the only person able to authorise entry to your unit.
• Deliveries to and from your unit are easy to manage:
  • Our helpful store team can accept deliveries on your behalf.
  • No need for you to wait in to sign for deliveries - our team can sign for them and keep them safe until you arrive, minimising disruption to your working day.
  • All our stores have DHL Service Points - you can package your stock and send orders to your customers directly from your chosen store without delay.
  • You can therefore have new stock sent directly to your warehouse and send orders directly to your customers from your unit. 
• Award-winning customer service:
  • Our stores all have staffed receptions during our extensive opening hours.
  • We’re always happy to help you, and you can chat with one of our friendly team of experienced advisors online, on the phone or in-store.
• No long-term commercial leases:
  • Stay for as long as you need (we offer discounts for more extended stays) or temporarily if your storage needs are seasonal.
  • No business rates, indemnity insurance or separate security costs:
  • Just a single weekly cost for your secure unit and the cost of contents insurance that you can arrange via us or with your own chosen insurance provider.

Ready to start using commercial storage units?

If your SME would benefit from some extra storage and would like to know more about how our warehouse spaces could work for you, please call us, fill in our contact form, chat with us online or call into your local store. 
 
Our experienced team members can help you to choose what size of unit would best suit your needs, provide you with a no-obligation quote and help you to make an informed decision with no pressure to decide there and then. 
 
If you decide to go ahead, we can help you reserve a unit without a deposit to pay.