When the internet came along, so did online shopping and an array of 'online flea markets'. Today, many people shop at online auction sites for finding the best deals on the products they may not be able to afford new out of a brick and mortar store. If you are operating an online store, you may find you have some of the same needs for storage and organization as stores running out of a physical location. Check out these tips for how to organize and efficiently store the inventory for your online store.
Assessing Your Needs For Additional Storage Space
Before deciding to rent a storage unit for your inventory, thinking about how much space you need helps you avoid cutting into your profits too deeply and needlessly. While the boxes you have stacked up in your living room floor or garage may seem like a lot, they may not require a unit as large as your garage. After all, the only thing you should be storing in your unit is the items you sell at your online store. Avoid using your unit for additional items like old furniture, your kid's toys or holiday decorations, because the whole point is maintaining organization in your business. Knowing what you have to sell is easier when you can visit your unit and find it easily without digging through a lot of other personal property items.
Labeling Boxes And Posting An Inventory Sheet Helps Organization
You may think that you will remember the contents of every box you store in your unit, but as time passes, even the best memory forgets. For example, if you sell vintage kitchen items at your online store, you may have several boxes with canisters or plates in them, making it hard to find a certain piece when someone places an order for it. Saving time is the same as saving money when it comes to business, so take the time to label your entire inventory as you store it. Stack boxes on pallets and arrange so you walk through it like a store aisle for having the easiest and fastest access. Also, as your inventory grows, making an inventory diagram sheet with all your items listed for hanging at the entrance of your unit is a good way to jog your memory about their placement in the unit.
Remember To Properly Store For Climate Changes
If you sell items like electronics or old paintings, the way you store them is extremely important to remember. While most self-storage units do offer climate control, there are some parts of the weather no one can control, especially in concrete block storage units. In addition to stacking your items on pallets for keeping them off the floor, making sure you wrap them in plastic bubble wrap is important to help protect them from temperature changes.
Making the most of out of your storage unit is important, especially if you are doing so for your business. Earning the most profits means keeping down overhead costs, so be sure to select the storage unit you can afford, and never choose one that is too small or too big for the amount of inventory you have for your business.
Contact a service like Carolina Self Storage to learn more.
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