Whether you’re an individual looking for some personal storage space or a business owner who an area set aside for housing your inventory, there are plenty of great companies offering Warehouse storage services right now. Of course the real question is – can you trust the provider (in terms of security and overall reliability)? Well, here are a few things to consider if you’re looking for warehouse storage…
Will you need to find or pay for additional distribution services?
While a lot of the more well-known warehousing specialists tend to offer distribution in addition to storage, it’s still something that you’ll need to check up on if you’re a business owner. At the same time, you never know just how fast your company might expand or contract, so be sure that they are also able to scale up or down according to your needs.
Will you be able to easily rent more space if you need it?
Arguably, this is the most important thing that you should find out (aside from security concerns). As a business owner you have to assume that there will be times when demand increases dramatically and being able to quickly rent out some additional space at cost can be a life-saver. Moreover, you have to make sure that there won’t be any unforeseen costs leveraged if you need to extra space or that it will be set aside for someone else. Additionally, try to find a provider that won’t charge extra for added holiday storage (as a lot of businesses tend to move more products during Christmas, etc.)
What about start-up costs vs. long-term use rates?
It’s understandable that some warehousing specialists might want to charge special rates for new customers because they are taking a chance on them (and relocating and/or moving lots of material in the event that they can’t pay will affect their bottom line). However, if you are going to pay a slightly higher rate you need to find out exactly when it might drop, i.e. – benefits for long-term clients,etc.
What sort of management and staff do they employ?
If you’re running a business that depends on prompt deliveries and/or care of fragile goods you’re going to want to make sure that your warehousing choice is fully staffed and managed. Ideally you want a provider that employs dedicated individuals who take their duties very seriously with daily checks being made across a variety of fronts.
What about security and insurance?
Let’s face it, your materials and inventory is the life-blood of your business and if anything was to happen, like a theft for instance, it could drastically affect your annual profit margins. It is for these reasons that you should only took to a warehousing company that employs full-time and technically advanced security (especially if you have a lot of higher-end items in storage). Moreover, it’s also a good idea to purchase an insurance policy which covers your losses should any of your materials go missing.
