If you are planning on starting an e-commerce site or a store with a physical location, then eventually you will need somewhere to store inventory.  If you do not hold physical inventory, then it could mean that your customer’s orders are delayed (because you have to order them personally, and then ship them out).

Having a physical location to store inventory can be a very effective way of growing your business. With more you grow, the more profits you will earn. Growth should therefore be one of your main concerns.

Here are six storage ideas you can use to take on more stock (and grow your business):

Storage Unit

As a business owner, you will no doubt want somewhere that’s safe and secure to store your inventory. If you do want somewhere safe, then there’s nowhere better than a storage unit. A storage unit is a garage that you rent annually or monthly and use to store your things.

You can browse options for storage in Singapore, London, New York, or whatever city you are in, online. Bear in mind that there are many different types and sizes of storage units available. One of the best things about these units is that they are usually monitored and protected by security guards. The buildings that these units are in (or complexes) always have cameras and alarms, too.

Using Garage

If you cannot afford to rent a storage unit but have a garage attached to your house, then you can use that. When using your garage for inventory storage, you need to make sure that you thoroughly clean it out. Be sure to remove anything that could fall and damage your stock. You should also put a padlock on your garage door and add bars to any windows.

Garage break-ins are not unheard of. If you are storing valuable stock in your garage, then not taking steps to secure it could lead to you getting burgled. It might be a good idea to put a CCTV camera up, too. CCTV cameras can be great for deterring criminals.

Dropshipping

Do you actually need to hold onto a stock? One business model that’s becoming very popular on the internet is drop shipping, which involves ordering items and sending them to customers directly from the supplier.

In other words, you do not need to retain stock physically. Dropshipping is a fantastic business model for people who’re short on space and money. However, it can be problematic if customers ask for refunds, or want their things delivered quickly. Make sure that you find a reliable supplier to work with if you are going to try this model out.

Shared Warehousing

Shared warehousing is another option to consider. In most industrial estates, it is possible to find warehouses that look after objects for lots of different companies at the same time. One of the greatest things about shared warehousing is that the warehouse’s staff will pack and ship items for you.

However, shared warehousing is not cheap. It can cost significantly more than a storage unit, so it’s only worth considering if you are selling a lot of stock and need a very large place to store things. It is not a suitable option for new or fledgling businesses. If you can’t do shared warehousing, you can try renting your own warehouse. Renting a warehouse for business provides businesses with a cost-effective and flexible solution for storage and distribution needs, allowing them to scale their operations as needed. Additionally, renting a small warehouse for rent in Dublin, Ohio eliminates the need for businesses to invest in purchasing and maintaining their own warehouse space, freeing up capital for other business needs.

Buying Van

Another place you can store stock is inside a van. However, storing things inside a van can be dangerous. If the van is stolen or broken into, then you could lose everything. If you are going to store things inside a vehicle, it’s a good idea to keep that vehicle inside a garage. Storing it inside a garage adds an extra layer of security.

Make sure that the van is locked at all times, and that you don’t leave inventory where it can be seen through the window. You may want to black out your van’s back windows to stop people from being able to see inside.

Using Lock-up

Finally, one alternative to a storage unit is to rent a lock-up. A lock-up is just a garage, usually in a residential estate. Lockups tend to be around the same price as storage units but aren’t as safe or secure. When you rent a lock-up theft is always a risk. There will be no one there to deter, intervene, or prevent if a theft takes place.

Somebody could easily break into your lockup and you wouldn’t know until the next day when you arrive to check your inventory over. Only rent lockups if you live in close proximity to them, or if there is somewhere there to look after them.

If you want to grow your business, then you naturally need to start taking on and selling more stock. You can’t do this until you have somewhere to store it all, however. Consider the options outlined here for storing said stock.