How to Maximise Storage When Running Your Business from Home

Running a business from home has certainly become the new norm in today’s world. So much so, that according to The Home Business Guide on the Gov.uk website, over 60% of new businesses now start from our own homes. That doesn’t even account for the number of employees who work remotely. You could say that our homes have become the new office space!

Yet, having your business and home life in the same place can become a bit of a balancing act. You need a workspace that doesn’t impact your home life but still lets you efficiently get on with the job at hand. Let’s be honest, mess equals stress and to keep everything running smoothly you need to get organised.

Here is our guide on how your choice of storage can make running your business from home a whole lot easier!

Your space

With a home business, space is often limited. It’s a fine line between the space you work in, the stock you need to store and getting everything to fit. Whether you have a designated office, you’re working from the spare bedroom, or you’ve taken over the garage, we can almost guarantee that it never feels like there is enough room.

To maximise what you’ve got, you need to plan your space carefully. Start by looking at the width, height and length of the area and work out how you can efficiently fill every last inch. Increase the storage capacity and it should help towards increasing efficiencies.

You should also define the purpose of your space. Are you only storing stock? Do you need workbenches that work with the storage to provide an area to make craft items or pack orders? Are you looking for secure areas to safely store expensive tools?

Know your stock

Create an inventory of all the items you need to store – knowing what you’ve got will really help when deciding on the best storage solution.

Start with the big items and then work your way down keeping a note of the different types of items you need to store. For example, if you’re storing boxes, then you’re probably looking at something like our Stockrax shelving. However, if you’re looking to also keep paperwork to hand, then you might decide to choose a versatile system such as our Euro or Stormor shelving. They offer a wide range of supporting accessories that tailor your storage into the perfect solution. Shelf dividers will keep product boxes in order while bin fronts create the perfect picking bins. Add in a pull-out shelf, drawer or suspension file for documents and you’ve got a multi-functional system.

Last, but not least, remember the importance of organisation. Knowing at a glance where everything is will save a lot of time in the long run. For example, our incredibly tough and versatile LinBins can be used to fill your entire shelf space but, with their handy labelling area, you immediately know what is in each one. Plus, with a large mouth opening they make retrieving items fuss-free. Essential when meeting deadlines to despatch orders or checking stock levels.

Choose your storage equipment

Now you know your requirements, you can decide on the right storage system. For this, you have the option of choosing either shelving or racking. Shelving units are smaller in size and don’t take up as much room as racking. They tend to be for storing items that are smaller and lighter in weight. Don’t let that hold you back too much, our heavy-duty Stockrax shelving can still hold up to an impressive 635kg in weight!

If you have large boxes and want to hold a heavier weight, you might want to consider our Link51 racking. The dimensions of the units are bigger, but you do get increased depth and weight on the shelves. Ideal for squeezing on lots more products. Plus, if you have more space, you can stack them to fill the full height of your building.

Our shelving and racking systems are also modular in design, and you can add additional units any time you like. No need to splash all your cash upfront. When your business is ready to take the plunge, get in touch and we can supply one of our extension kits which will seamlessly slot onto your existing system.

Let Storage Direct maximise your storage

Struggling to get sorted. Don’t forget that at Storage Direct we also offer a design service, taking all the stress away. Our experienced storage gurus can help you maximise your space and smoothly lead you through the entire planning process.

With over 70 years of experience, we can confidently design and configure the best storage solution to suit your working environment. There is no project too big, small, simple or unique that we can’t help with.