Business Storage Archives | Spaces & Places

Despite living in such a digital era, it’s very unlikely to find a completely paperless business. In fact, many important documents and confidential files relating to a business are kept in paper form and with many businesses about to begin their Christmas shutdown, it’s important that these documents are stored in a safe and secure place. However if you are the owner of a small business, it may be difficult for you to find the room to store these documents and files.

Whilst you may think your workplace is secure, it isn’t monitored at all times with round the clock surveillance. You also don’t want your home flooded with these documents either, and potentially becoming lost or damaged. Therefore, the best solution for you, is a storage unit.

There are many different ways to making storing your documents in a storage unit simple, but here’s some of our top tips…

1. Keep your boxes light. If you fill your boxes too heavy, you will struggle to transport them between office and unit.

2. When packing and storing your documents, keep them as tidy and organised as you can. Having them in a different place to normal can throw you off when you need to find something in particular so having them all in an organised manner can help solve this problem. Use boxes to organise, and make sure you label these boxes too to make finding something easier.

3. Invest in some shelving units in your storage unit. Not only will this help with the above of keeping your documents tidy and neat, it will also help prevent them from becoming damaged on the floor. It will also help you search through the boxes easily at eye-level without having to keep bending down.

4. Don’t share your key with someone else. If a very private and confidential document is only found in paper form, there’s probably a reason. Just like how you wouldn’t choose to share the password to a private online document with someone, don’t willingly let somebody else enter your storage unit.

Not only are our storage units safe, dry and 24/7 accessible, they also have around the clock CCTV surveillance so you can relax knowing your private documents are in a secure place. Get in touch with us today to find out more about how our storage units could be beneficial to you.

The first day of spring has hit which means it’s traditionally the time of year when our homes have a thorough deep clean. However the spring clean shouldn’t just stop at your home, as your office also needs to be rid of clutter and clean and tidy in order for your productivity at work to remain high. Spring cleaning is an excellent opportunity to have a good sort out and get rid of all those unwanted items that have you’ve been hoarding over the years.

Obviously not all the items you sort when decluttering should be thrown away, some could be put in storage! Check out our reasons below as to how decluttering and investing in a self-storage unit can benefit you.

Your Physical Health is Improved

Injury is a big issue in the workplace and so not only will de-cluttering reduce the risk of this, it also means that your employees are more comfortable when moving around in their working environment. Did you know that the average keyboard contains up to 7,500 bacteria? Office furniture is a breeding ground for any germs and bacteria that are spreading through the office and so getting rid of any unused large furnishings and tackling down on the spring cleaning can help reduce that.

Your Mental Health is Improved

Not only is your physical health affected by clutter, but your mental health too. The common phrase ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ has never been more true as having lots of clutter amongst your office space can leave employees with a cluttered mind which will affect their productivity when in the workplace. No mess also means that you have a clear an organised space to work in which will alleviate stress and tension in the workplace.

Improved Efficiency

Having large amounts of clutter can slow down decision making, stopping people from being as efficient as usual which is something no business needs. It is incredibly easy to lose things amongst the mess surrounding you and this could begin to affect your workplace by costing time and money as you frantically search for a particular item.

Personal Image

First impressions count and what your visitors see when entering your business can reflect on you positively or negatively. Having a clean and tidy office will immediately give a good impression to a visitor that you are organised and care about your workplace.

If now is the time to make your office more organised, but you have too many belongings to keep, then get in touch with your nearest Spaces and Places to discuss investing in a self-storage unit.

Whatever the nature or size of your business, you’ll inevitably need to store things like equipment, supplies and files.

How and where you store the things you need to run your business can make a big difference to your overall efficiency. A crowded, disorganised work space can slow you down, demotivate you or even present a health and safety hazard.

Here’s how to organise and free up storage space for better business efficiency.

Storage tips for business premises

From new startups to SMEs, most businesses will face storage challenges at one time or another. If you’re starting to outgrow your premises, here’s what you can do to get organised and free up space:

– Walk around the premises and identify things which are in the way, such as boxes stacked up in corners or corridors and paperwork piled up on desks.
– Move everything to one place (e.g. a breakout area) so you can see at a glance what you need to store before you start trying to fit it all into cupboards or storerooms.
– Put the things you use regularly into your cupboards or storerooms (labelling items clearly and creating rows of boxes for easy access) and consider using self-storage for things you only need occasionally.

Hiring a self-storage unit is a great alternative to renting warehouse space or moving into larger premises; it’s less expensive (as you don’t have to pay for business rates and utilities) and completely flexible, as you can increase or decrease the space as your needs change.

Storage tips for home working

Whether you work at your kitchen table or in a spare room, it’s likely that your work space is confined to a small area of the house – so it’s important to make sure you have room to think instead of being crowded by files and supplies.

– Put up sturdy, wall-mounted shelves or use a tall drawer unit/bookcase to store items vertically rather than taking up valuable floor space.
– Digitise your files and use cloud storage to reduce the amount of paperwork you need to keep in filing boxes and cabinets.
– Put old but important paperwork into cardboard archive boxes to prevent fading/yellowing, and consider moving the boxes into self-storage to free up space.
– Putting items into self-storage can help to free up working space in your home, or even to create a dedicated work space – for example by clearing out a large cupboard or boxroom which can then be fitted with a desk and chair.

Find out about self-storage for businesses

Proper storage solutions can save you valuable space and time, leaving you free to focus on growing your business.

Our range of self-storage units are affordable and flexible; you can hire as much or little space as you need, even if it’s just for a short period of time (e.g. while relocating or decorating your current premises), and change your storage space according to your needs.

Why not contact us to find out more?

Whether you are a large or a small business, using self-storage can provide the perfect solution for additional storage space. Financially using self-storage makes good business sense – rather than moving to larger premises as the business expands it is more cost effective to use a storage unit to store old archived files, additional office supplies, excess and seasonal inventory, holiday decorations for the office and other seasonal items, and even office furniture.

Your office space is expensive and should be filled with the essentials for the daily running of your business- primarily your staff and any necessary equipment they require on a daily basis. Anything else should be off site in a self-storage unit not piled up in a corner gathering dust or in a cupboard taking up valuable office space.

At Spaces and Places we have low cost units of varying sizes, with a flexible option to hire as you require. Our units are clean, dry spaces with lighting and there is 24/7 access and CCTV security to ensure all items are safe and secure

We will help you determine the size of the unit to suit your business requirements but here are some tips to follow to keep accessing your items quick and easy:

Place large and bulky items at the back of the storage unit, or along one side wall.

Make sure all of your boxes are clearly labelled and numbered

Stack the boxes neatly keeping the larger ones on the bottom and smaller ones on top.

Items that you need to get to more frequently should be kept near the door and on top.

Keep a record of everything you place inside your storage unit.

Draw a plan of where the numbered boxes are placed in the unit

If you are looking to have a more organised and spacious business, get in touch with Spaces and Places –your local self-storage destination.

The UK is a nation of entrepreneurs; with 99.9 % of businesses classed as Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SME) and 76% single person businesses. For many SME’s the running costs of the business can be challenging, which is why more and more are utilising the benefits of self-storage in order for their business to grow.

The main benefits of using a self-storage unit are:-

Additional space for less cost
Flexibility
Safety and security

A self-storage unit offers businesses additional space for less cost, it allows these businesses the opportunity to buy, create, or store more stock. Low-cost storage space, also allows companies to save money as they are able to buy products in bulk. This is a great way to prevent stock shortages which can quickly damage the reputation of a small or medium sized business.

With storage spaces, businesses have the option to free up office space to accommodate a growing workforce without the hassle of upgrading offices.

The flexibility of a self-storage unit is particularly useful for seasonal businesses that can benefit greatly from a more flexible arrangement. A great benefit of self-storage is it can expand or downsize to fit your business, which is a vital factor for business owners of small or medium businesses. Self-storage units come in a variety of different sizes, meaning business owners are only paying for the space they need.

Self-storage offers businesses safety and security. Self-storage units have a wide range of great security features, to keep business stock safe and secure within the unit. This is also very beneficial for businesses who store important paperwork or documents.

If you have any questions about Business Storage, or you are ready to maximise the benefits of self-storage get in touch with your local Spaces and Places site today!

If you are a small growing business, increasing and maintaining high levels of productivity is essential to your development.

Research has shown that a brighter, neater and more flexible office increases employee engagement and productivity.

Here are a few top tips for organising your office to encourage your team to go that ‘extra mile’

Space – an office with high ceilings creates a feeling of space, making it light and airy. Circulation of air is important to keep the team alert and focused. The presence of plants in the office also helps to keep oxygen levels in the room high as well as adding a calming atmosphere.

Design – choose furniture carefully and arrange it in a way that encourages collaboration. Rounded and curved furniture is more inviting rather than rectangular tables in rows.

Get creative – studies have shown that productivity increases when employees have ownership of their own work area. Encourage your staff to personalise their own area with posters, pictures or plants to make it a space that inspires them and that they want to spend time in.

Organisation – encourage everyone in the office to keep all documents and stationery in drawers or cupboards and have an ‘in tray’ on their desk to store documents they are currently working on. A clutter free space will help to keep everyone calm and focused on the task at hand.

As a business grows and develops it may require extra space for storing products or documents, but it may not be practical to allocate more space in the office.

A self-storage unit could be the perfect solution. At Spaces and Places, we offer affordable, flexible and practical solutions for any business. Keep your office organised and tidy by storing documents in self-storage. With 24/7 access and CCTV surveillance, you can have peace of mind that your documents are safe and secure.

So, if your business is looking for extra space, get in touch with Spaces and Places.

Whether you are a large or a small business sometimes your premises just don’t have enough space. However moving into larger premises may not be practical or cost-effective, but renting a self-storage unit can be very beneficial to a business.

The benefits of businesses using self-storage are:-

Flexibility – it is possible that a business only needs extra space for a short period of time e.g. while relocating, or decorating their current premises. Or to store seasonal products and furniture. Restaurants/bars may have furniture they use outside during the summer but do not require in the winter, shops may have extra stock ordered in the late summer months for the Christmas period that needs to be stored. Most self-storage companies offer short term contracts. At Spaces and Places, we make renting our units as simple and straightforward as possible.

Cost effective- for home-based businesses and those in small business premises, renting a self-storage unit is much cheaper than relocating to bigger premises.

Improved productivity – trying to work in cluttered surroundings is very demotivating and can be dangerous too.

Security –if your business involves having to archive and store confidential documents, self-storage units offer dry, clean secure storage. Many of the best storage facilities invest thousands of pounds in alarms, CCTV, boundary fencing and lighting, meaning that your stored items are often far safer in a self-storage unit. At Spaces and Places, we have 24 hour CCTV surveillance plus other high tech security systems in place.

When you need that extra space to store documents or products securely Spaces and Places has the perfect solution for long or short-term storage space.

We offer low cost, high-security self – storage units in 3 superb locations – Manchester, Winsford and Nuneaton. We have high security steel containers and traditional brick built premises that have easy-assess roller shutters, power and light, enabling them to be used for a wide variety of purposes.

Get in touch with Spaces and Places to discuss the best options of storage unit for your business.

More and more people are working from the comfort of their own home, whether it is to avoid the traffic during rush hour, working around other commitments or to cut business overheads, there are undoubtedly benefits to working from home.

Even though there are benefits, there are also a number of downsides as well to consider:

Lack of space
Constant distractions
Unable to separate your home life from your work life
Lack of discipline
Procrastinating

What if we told you there is a low-cost alternative?

Over the past few years, more and more people have noticed the benefits of running their business from a storage unit.

Having your own business space outside of your home without taking out a lease or setting your business back with more overhead costs are benefits which are hard to ignore.

Start-up businesses, seasonal businesses, commercial and eBay traders are just a few companies that are drawn to the strengths storage units possess, as they are not tied into long leases and if business is slow, all they have to do is give one week’s notice to vacate.

Along with the financial benefits, the extra space, flexibility and security are added bonuses.

Working from a self-storage unit

How you use your storage unit is completely up to you. With access 24/7, seven days a week, you can come and go as you please.

Whether your ultimate aim is to store business documents, merchandise or to separate your business from your life at home, the possibilities are endless at Spaces and Places.

Have a look through the different business storage options we offer, or if you are unsure of which sized unit would best suit you and your needs, get in touch with your local Spaces and Places who will gladly answer any questions you have.

Category: Business Storage