Many people run businesses from their homes today. If you run an ecommerce business from home, one of the questions that inevitably comes up is “Where will I store my products?”
When first starting out, you may prefer to store them at home. Once your business grows, you may wish to commit to a warehouse lease and can afford expenses like rates, levies, forklift rentals, and utility bills. In the meantime, here are some ideas for creating a mini warehouse at your home.
Home Security Is Essential
If you operate your ecommerce business from home, it makes sense to store your products on-site at first. This means you can keep a close eye on your stock, receive new inventory at your front door, and easily pack and ship your orders.
If you plan to store merchandise at your home, your home security is extremely important. You need to protect your valuable assets, or you could go out of business very quickly. Alamo Smart Home is the premier home security company in Texas. It offers everything from simple security system updates to comprehensive ground-up designs.
The Organization Is a Must
Organization is crucial if you need to store and ship merchandise from your home. You need to be able to track where products are located when they arrive and the quantity you have on hand at any given moment. The more time you must spend searching through piles of boxes, the less profitable your ecommerce business will be.
Using clearly labeled storage bins means you use a different one for each type of product. This makes it easier to find and manage your inventory. Keeping products organized by product type, size, or color makes packing orders simple and fast.
Try to Create an Assembly Line for Your Ecommerce Business
Part of organizing the products you sell online is planning how to ship them. In a warehouse, there is usually an assembly line. You can put the same idea into practice in your basement or garage. Therefore, you need tables, boxes, shipping labels etc., all positioned and ready to use.
The Storage Environment Matters
If your products are perishable, the storage space must be climate-controlled, so they do not spoil. Cold winters and hot summers matter if your products are at all heat or cold-sensitive. Make sure there is enough ventilation to keep your storage space cool and dry. Think about using a spare bedroom rather than a basement if your basement tends to be damp and smelly.
Additionally, make sure there are no leaks in your storage space. If moisture gets in, wood items could warp, and metal items could rust.
Make Sure Storage Space Is Easily Accessible
It should not be a headache for you every time you have to get products out of home storage when running your ecommerce business. High shelves are not a good option for products you need on a regular basis. However, they may be necessary if you have delicate items you don’t want to damage when adding more items to storage. Items should always be stored in a way that makes packing orders hassle-free. As a rule of thumb, keep items off the ground when storing them.
Use Mobile Storage Units
Mobile storage units are an option for products you do not currently need. For example, if you sell seasonal merchandise, storing these products elsewhere when you don’t need them frees up some space at your home. Also, you can rent mobile storage units that are dropped off and once they are filled, they relocate to a secure storage facility.
