In the ever-changing landscape of modern trading, small businesses need innovative solutions to survive and thrive. They need to optimise their operations, reduce overhead costs, and enhance their overall efficiency. 

One simple solution has gained remarkable traction with fantastic results — self storage. No longer just a personal convenience, self storage has become a vital resource for many small businesses. 

Today, budding startups and growing companies are turning to self storage to simplify operations, manage inventory, and expand without the strain of physical space limitations. Below, we discuss the benefits of these convenient storage spaces and how they are changing the game for small businesses. 

What Problems Do Small Businesses Face With Space?

A small business owner struggling with limited space in their offices
  • Limited Storage Capacity: Small businesses may need more storage space to house their inventory, supplies, equipment, and products. A lack of space can mean disorganisation, clutter, and difficulty locating critical items when they’re needed.
  • Workspace Congestion: Low workspace can hinder your employees’ productivity and collaboration. When employees are crammed into tight quarters, it can lead to distractions, reduced efficiency, and a less productive environment where creative thinking tends to bottle-neck and dry up.
  • Inventory Management Issues: Limited storage can make managing your inventory a logistical nightmare. Businesses might struggle to keep track of stock levels, leading to supply issues or overstocking, both of which can result in lost sales and poor customer satisfaction.
  • Expensive Commercial Space: Renting or purchasing commercial space in ideal locations can be costly for small businesses. High rental costs can eat into your budget, leaving less funds available for other critical business needs.
  • Lack of Flexibility: Traditional commercial leases often come with long-term commitments and limited flexibility that leave little wiggle room for adjusting to business needs. Small businesses might find themselves stuck with spaces that no longer meet their requirements due to growth, downsizing, or sudden changes in operations.
  • Compliance and Safety: Certain businesses have specific requirements for their workspace to meet safety, regulatory, and compliance standards. Space limitations can make it challenging for you as an owner to implement these necessary measures, possibly leading to legal issues.
  • Less Creative and Collaborative Spaces: Some businesses — especially those in creative industries — require spaces that can encourage creativity. A lack of collaborative spaces can hinder your much-needed brainstorming sessions, idea generation, and the development of new products or services.

How Can Self Storage Help Small Businesses?

A small business owner happily packing away their stock in a self storage unit for businesses.

Cost-Effectiveness 

For small businesses, handling operational costs is a headache-inducing challenge. Traditional commercial spaces often come with overhead expenses, such as rent, utilities, and maintenance. Self storage offers a cost-effective alternative by allowing your business to store its items in a secure and accessible space without dealing with too many financial worries. This budget-friendly choice will help you allocate resources more efficiently.

Flexibility & Scalability 

The ebb and flow of business demand can be unpredictable, making it essential for small enterprises to go with flexible choices. Self storage facilities allow businesses to adjust their storage needs to any seasonal fluctuations, market trends, or sudden emergencies. 

Self storage units provide the scalability that small businesses need to survive dynamic marketplace changes, whether it’s a short term storage during peak seasons or a long-term solution for excess inventory.

Inventory Management 

Efficient inventory management lies at the heart of every successful business. Storing inventory can quickly become a challenge, especially for small businesses  working in limited spaces. Self storage facilities provide extra space for storing inventory, preventing clutter in the workspace and helping with organisation. 

Security & Accessibility 

Every small business will have security worries, especially when it comes to storing valuable assets. Modern self storage facilities will offer features such as surveillance cameras, access control systems, and on-site personnel to give you peace of mind and maximum protection for your goods. 

Reducing Clutter 

A cluttered workspace can stop your productivity in its tracks and put a real damper on the creative process. Self storage units provide an off-site solution for storing non-essential items in order to free up valuable workspace for other business activities. 

Transitioning to E-Commerce 

E-commerce offers fantastic growth opportunities (something we all learned during the pandemic). With this transformation, many small businesses have had to rethink their operational strategies. A self storage unit can serve as a distribution point for businesses that mainly operate online. It provides a hub for storing inventory, packing materials, and fulfilling orders. 

How To Book a Business Self Storage Unit

Outside shot of a Wigwam self storage facility

Here’s how to reserve a Wigwam business storage unit:

  1. Choose your location
  2. Select a storage unit size using our practical space calculator
  3. After receiving your quote, complete the booking process online, via email or in store 
  4. Move in 

By embracing modern solutions, entrepreneurs can succeed in an ever-evolving marketplace. Wigwam’s secure business self storage facilities are conveniently located in Chipping Norton and Bromsgrove, with a variety of unit sizes for storing merchandise, palletised goods, office furniture and more. Get a price today, or reach out to our friendly team to learn more.

Simon Fothergill
Written by

Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage.He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space.With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.

Customer Reviews

Wigwam Self Storage place picture
4.9
Maxine Message profile picture
Maxine Message
4 days ago
Excellent service. Fast response to email, followed by telephone calls to discuss requirements and finalise paperwork. Prices are competitive, storage spaces are varied in size. The forecourt and the facilities are spotless. Can recommend highly.
Great experience with sorting storage unit to store items thanks
Linda Curtis profile picture
Linda Curtis
6 days ago
Lovely staff (especially Lenny), whole process dealt with efficiently and quickly. Would highly recommend.
Andrew Terry profile picture
Andrew Terry
1 week ago
Easy peasy. Nice people to deal with; all my (probably, very silly) questions were answered quickly and clearly, and the follow up to check that my move went smoothly was a nice finishing touch.
Sandra Mackenzie profile picture
Sandra Mackenzie
3 weeks ago
Best storage unit we’ve ever had. The easy way to get in and out, trolleys to use to load unload, toilet on site, really clean and modern.
Sue Laker profile picture
Sue Laker
3 weeks ago
Very helpful and keep in contact to ensure everything is ok. Will use again if required.
Anthony Jennings profile picture
Anthony Jennings
4 weeks ago
Really seamless experience from start to finish. App was incredibly easy to use and convenient 24/7 access allowed me to move all my house stuff over in less than a week. The unit I booked was the perfect size to fit all my furniture in from a large 2 bed house. Would definitley recommend anybody looking for storage to use Wigwam
Brad Axe profile picture
Brad Axe
4 weeks ago
Absolutely incredible service. At a very stressful time for my family and I, Lenny made organising storage an easy simple process! A warm welcome when we arrived, a lovely clean storage facility and endless effort from the team! I would highly recommend anyone to use these dudes!
The paperwork was quick and efficient and the customer service was top notch. The security is very thorough as well and the opening times are very user friendly. Highly recommended!
Ryley B profile picture
Ryley B
4 weeks ago
Just easy and simple really
Mandy Stow profile picture
Mandy Stow
4 weeks ago
Very good. I was a bit worried because it is app based but even for a technophob like me it was very easy.
Joseph Rooke profile picture
Joseph Rooke
1 month ago
Team were outstanding and super helpful I highly recommend