Tag: entrepreneur

Storage units are not just for junk! Many people are now utilising self-storage as an effective way to help run their businesses.

Reasons Why Self Storage Works For Business

Flexibility

From time to time many businesses can find themselves in need of temporary storage. For example when a business relocates or carries out decorating and/or refurbishment. As most self-storage facilities offer short, medium or long term storage options which are rented on a monthly basis; it is easy for businesses to rent a storage unit temporarily. Also sometimes a business may need more or less storage and the flexibility offered by most self-storage facilities allows a business to downsize or upsize as required.

Security

If you need security for stock or sensitive documents, then your office or your home (if you are a home based business), may not be the best place. 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. Storage units are a great place to archive documents your business is legally required to keep but take up valuable space in an office.

Affordability

Home based businesses and businesses in small offices benefit from self-storage units as it is a very cost effective way to allow the business to grow and develop without having to relocate. Many self-storage facilities also offer a variety of sized units to accommodate your business as it continues to grow.

Are you looking for a high security, low cost business space? If the answer is yes, then Spaces and Places has everything to meet your needs, and are found in 3 superb locations Manchester, Nuneaton and Winsford.

A whole variety of businesses appreciate Spaces and Places range of high security steel containers and more traditional brick built premises. Both offer high security, but the brick built business units also provide easy-access roller shutters, with ground locks, plus power and lighting, 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.

Starting a business in the UK is something people dream of doing, but in 2016 we saw people acting on these dreams and can at last call themselves an Entrepreneur.

More people were inspired to start a new business in the North West than London last year.  R3 – The UK’s leading organisation for insolvency, restructuring and turnaround, revealed that the number of active businesses increased by 32,774 since December 2015.

This new data showed that the number of companies in London grew by 6 per cent compared to the North West where there was a 10 per cent company growth.

In light of the UK having its highest level of active businesses, now over 347,200, it is easy to see that there is a strong start-up culture growing in the UK.

These figures prove that there has been a significant growth in entrepreneurial spirit and a strong drive to run a business.

The most popular business growth sectors

Transport – 46 per cent increase

Restaurants – 25 per cent increase

Technology and IT – 14 per cent increase

Professional Services – 11 per cent increase

Transport had the largest growth, with over 6,500 businesses and even though food and drink are a popular business opportunity for start-ups, there has also been a drop in these businesses succeeding due to the economy.

The growth in transport businesses is most likely due to online shopping, which in turn creates an increased demand for couriers. Also, Richard Wolff, the North West chair of R3 stated that Uber and Deliveroo have made it easier for individuals to set up and become involved in the transport business.

After seeing the growth, success and new business opportunities through 2016, it is natural for many people to see the potential and positives revolving around running your own business.

If you are inspired and wish to challenge yourself in 2017, read our Spaces and Places blog on how to Start a New Business This New Year.

When starting a business, you need to find a space where you will not become distracted.

It is easy to get up and make a snack if you work in the kitchen and the temptation of a nap in your bedroom can be hard to resist; this is why you need a room where you will not get lose focus and can fully concentrate on running a successful business.

Once you have decided on which room you are going to convert into an office, it is time to remodel. Cleaning, clearing and decorating are the first steps you need to undertake.

If your business is purely online such as eBay, how you decorate depends on your personal preference. If you will be conducting face to face business, decorating your room should revolve around your company colours and vision.

If you own a business, you will understand how easy it is for your working space to become cluttered with important paperwork, merchandise and products. With studies showing that the average person spends around 4.3 hours every week searching for paperwork; being organised is key to business success.

If you do not have space in your home to create an office, or you simply prefer to detach your work life from your home life; turn to self storage. You can turn the space into something special and create a platform to sell products. Have a look at how this eBayer transformed a storage unit at Spaces and Places.

Also, self-storage becomes a necessity for businesses that have gathered paperwork over the years. You will have file cabinets filled with important documents that you can not afford to throw away. These documents naturally take up space and removing them from your office will give you extra room.

Whether you need to store documents or rent a business unit, Spaces and Places are here to answer any questions you may have. With top of the range security and access to your unit 24/7, there is no better time to get in touch and start growing your business today.

If you felt last year went by within the blink of an eye and have decided that this year you will pursue your ambition of becoming an entrepreneur; then there is no time quite like the present.

Once you have an idea of what type of business you wish to run, it becomes time to turn your dream into reality.

The first obstacle which prevents many from following their passion is money. Start-up costs, business rates and long-term leases are just a few of the financial situations many find themselves in, which is why entrepreneurs turn to self-storage.

Self-storage facilities are not only used for storing items, they have become a financial blessing for businesses.

Here’s why…

Your own space

Instead of transforming a room in your home into an office or renting work space for a significant amount of money, you can turn to self-storage. You are not tied to long leases, renting is considerably cheaper and the best part, you still can enjoy the peace and quiet of having an office.

Flexibility

If business is booming, you have the option to rent more units and if business is slow, you can cut down on the number of units. All you have to do is give one week’s notice with Spaces and Places. This flexibility will ensure you are gaining the most profit out of your business as possible. Also, at Spaces and Places you have access to your unit 24/7 which means you can arrive and leave at any time.

Security

CCTV cameras, secure fencing and lockboxes are just a few of the security features that ensure your unit is extremely secure. This means you can fully relax and know that all your items are safe.

Money

When starting a business, profits are hard to see in the early stages. However, storage units allow you to avoid high rent prices, council tax and business rates. You are also able to reclaim back any VAT, if you are VAT registered.

Get in touch with Spaces and Places and begin your business journey today.

Storage units are not purely for storing items and documents, their inexpensive pricing and easy access have appealed to all types of business owners.

When the UK recession seemed to end, the independent released an article showing how businesses adapted to the loss of business by turning to storage units to help their business begin to thrive again.

Oddbins, Woolworths and HMV were just some of the large retail stores that were hit hard by the recession and to this day, they have either disappeared or are still struggling to make profits like they once did. With one in five shops having to close its doors, many businesses had to make a change before they lost every penny they had. What did they do? Turned to self-storage.

In order to minimise risks, self storage became the obvious answer due to the reasonable costs, flexibility and convenient locations. For start up businesses and businesses that had to cut back in order to survive the recession, self-storage allowed them to start to grow their business again.

Businesses are able to rent as many units as they wish, which means when business is thriving, they are able to expand, but when business becomes slow, they can scale back. At Spaces and Places, we ask for only a week’s notice.

Every entrepreneur had a unique idea and decided to jump in the deep end and create their own business. When a business first starts up, money is tight, which is why it makes perfect sense to work from a storage facility until the business takes off. If you decide to rent in the city centre, any money you make will go on rent and for many businesses, it will take a while to see any profit in their accounts.

Not having the stress of high rent prices, council tax, business rates and being able to claim back any VAT if you are VAT registered, assist in helping profits come quick.

If you are curious to know more about Spaces and Places business storage options, don’t hesitate to get in touch, you may just create your very own success story.

Running a business from a storage unit is not unheard of, in fact, it has become increasingly popular throughout the years which is why we thought we would bring you a success story from a family law attorney.

Pablo Quiban has worked in family law as a divorce attorney for 20+ years and decided to move his office from the town centre in Honolulu, to a storage unit.

Finding affordable office space for a small business was a large set back for Quiban, which is why he decided to try running his business from a storage unit. This was only meant to be for a month.

After a month, the pro’s weighed out the con’s and he decided to continue conducting business out of the storage unit.

One thing which you all must be thinking is ‘what do his clients think of his setup?!’ Quiban states that his clients have been receptive to his stripped down business office. The free parking is a large bonus as clients can avoid paying city centre parking prices and not worry about finding a parking spot!

The price is the largest incentive for Quiban, and as long as the rent is the right price, and clients keep coming in, then he hopes to stay for 10 more years until he is ready to retire.

Anybody that is a business owner will understand where Quiban is coming from. The stress of driving into the city centre and searching for an affordable car park with a space available is not an enjoyable way to start the day. Similarly, paying high rent prices can have a large effect on the company’s profits, and if you are able to dramatically increase profits by switching business space, then what’s stopping you?

If you are curious to know why you should run your business from a storage unit then click the link to learn about the benefits associated with renting a storage unit to conduct business.

Spaces and Places welcome phone calls to discuss any questions you may have, so do not hesitate to get in touch!

Every business started because a person had an idea and a passion to create something that hadn’t been done before. That person could be you. Working from a self-storage unit is not only cost-effective, but it is also convenient and a financially safe option. Read on to learn which ideas have been successful in creating profitable businesses from a storage unit.

Seasonal

Many businesses are in higher demand during certain times of the year due to the product they are selling. During the summer months, you may decide to rent out paddling pools, bouncy castles and even barbecues; the options are endless. During the winter months, you may rent out Christmas decorations, design personal gifts or supply extra dining room items. These business ideas are simple to start up and will allow you to gain extra cash during the season.

Professional eBayer

When you create a business through the internet, visual effects are extremely important. In order to sell items, you need to make sure the background brings the full potential out of the product.

Start-Up

Whether you decide on starting up an editorial business or an importing and exporting business, a storage unit is the best place to start. Over time, as your business increases in demand, you are able to expand and rent more units.

Sole Proprietorship

When you become an entrepreneur, you will notice over time how your home becomes your work zone. Your papers, files and documents will take up the majority of space, and being organised become near impossible. By renting a storage unit, you can separate your work life from your home life as well as keeping your work in order.

Fixer

If you have knowledge of repairing bicycles, computers or mechanical items; a storage unit allows you to fix these items and store them in a safe environment without cluttering your home or garage.

The beauty of using a storage unit to run a business is that you can rent out more storage units when in high demand and just as easily, decrease the number of storage units if the business is slow. Call Spaces and Places to learn more about renting our business storage units.

Self-storage has become, and continues to be a popular option for many people; it is not just a place where you keep items safe, it is a place where businesses grow.

New to Business

You have decided being an entrepreneur is the path you wish to take; brilliant! However, one key reason why only 20% of businesses survive in the first 18 months of starting a business is cost. You will have created a business plan and expect to see profit fairly soon, but if all your money is spent on rent and other costs, you will barely break even. If you rent a storage unit, you can reclaim your VAT if you are VAT registered and you will not have to pay any council tax and business rates.

Also, you are not restricted to long-term lease contracts, so if your business takes a turn for the worse, you only have to give a week’s notice. However, if your business is succeeding, you can rent more storage units easily, and continue to grow.

Seasonal job

Your business may be providing bouncy castles, large paddling pools or Christmas themed goods to customers; these businesses are in high demand during certain months. Instead of cluttering your house, or leasing a building for a year, you can work out of a storage unit. Have a look at an article by the BBC where small firms ran from storage units during the winter months to keep up with demand.

Internet Business

If your business solely relies on the internet, then you understand how you need a perfect background to entice customers to buy your products. If your internet business sells furniture or large items, a storage unit would be a sensible option as your house will not become cluttered, and you have a professional business space to work from. Spaces and Places actually have a customer that sells pre-loved furniture on eBay, have a look at how she designed the space in the storage unit to encourage buyers to purchase her products in our blog.

Call Spaces and Places to talk through which unit would be most beneficial for your business today.