Why Do eBay Traders Love Self Storage?

As you will have noticed if you have been following The Store Room's blog or social media updates over the last few weeks, our Leicester storage site has just completed the first phase of a £300,000 expansion program, with the aim of providing more safe and secure self storage rooms for business and household use. The work that has been happening was also featured in the local press and in leading self storage industry news websites and blogs. We also have expansion underway at our Leeds and Bradford locations.

All great news from our point of view!

But the question we've been getting asked most frequently since the news of our growth came out is, "What is driving the demand for more rooms?".

There are many answers to that question, both on the domestic and commercial side, but in this post we wanted to focus on one group of small business customers - namely the online and eBay traders that use us.

So what leads to these types of businesses using self storage?

• The biggest reason is (quite obviously) that they need more space! Many online businesses start as a hobby or pastime at home for someone; they start to sell more product, get more feedback, and therefore start getting more stock in to sell on again.
• The self contained, cottage-industry-style, appeal is certainly fine up to a certain point - people can make use of spare rooms, garages, lofts or even garden sheds for holding their stock.
• There comes a point however where boxes of stock, order sheets and packing materials start taking over the home environment - leading to the sense that you 'can't get away from it' and that you are 'having to work around everything' all the time. This is not good - either for your family or your work life - as they have essentially converged and become one in the same!

This is the point at which many internet traders come and see us at The Store Room (quite often with their long-suffering partners in tow!).

What can The Store Room offer them?

Firstly, when these people come to see us we will sit them down and listen to what their business is about and what their individual needs are. There are a huge variety of online businesses that use our facilities in Leicester and elsewhere - and all providing different types of products. From clothing, to phone accessories, to craft supplies, to canvas wall art, to nutritional supplements, to IT equipment, to beds and furniture. The list could go on and on.

Once we find out what their business is about and what amount of space they will need we show them various sizes and options and explain how running a business using one of our self storage rooms actually works. What we attempt to convey is that we provide a safe and secure working 'stock room' that they have free and unlimited access to - exactly the same way that it would work if they had their own premises - but without the additional headaches!

So what are the benefits of a storage unit with The Store Room for online businesses?

There are many! So here goes...

• We have a huge range of sizes when it comes to storage rooms - so we will always have a size that is right for what a particular businesses needs.
• Customers can upgrade and downgrade the space they have as their business trends fluctuate throughout the year. This is great for seasonal businesses that many need to hold more stock at one time of year versus another.
• You only have one bill that accounts for everything - including business rates. Half the battle of securing your own premises (other than the great cost) is the paperwork and bills that you need to deal with coming from landlords, solicitors, utility companies and local authorities. The Store Room takes that hassle away so you can focus on your business.
• We have friendly and helpful storage specialists on site at all times who are always available to help with any questions you may have.
• You have free use of trolleys, pallet trucks and there is even a forklift service available if you need it for pallet deliveries.
• WiFi and hot desks are available for staying in touch and in control of your business while you are out and about.
• We offer a delivery acceptance service where we sign for your deliveries and place them in a secure holding room for you until you can come down and put them into your room. Also, you can leave parcels and orders with us for collection by your couriers. These services save you from the need to wait around for deliveries or pick-ups when there are other more productive things you could be doing.
• Finally, because of the number of businesses that use our facilities, you never know who you will come across who could be a potential future customer or supplier - so there are some great networking opportunities.

Many of the business owners that have started storing with us over the years, who previously worked from home, have said that getting a self storage room is one of the best things they ever did. It meant that they could once again keep their home life and their work life separate (at least a lot more so than before). It also meant that they could become more organised, more efficient and more productive - all to the benefit of their businesses and on a personal level also.

Nothing gives us greater pleasure than to see a small business that grew from having a small phone-box sized room to a unit that could be described as a double garage because their businesses are doing well. Long may it continue!

If you would like to learn more about business storage options at our Leicester facility (or at one of our 5 other storage locations), please give us a call today for a no-obligation chat. You are of course also welcome to visit our site to simply have a look at what we can do for you.