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Store and Maintain your Business Tools and Equipment with Self

Article:

For the small business owner, particularly for businesses which

require access to tools and heavy equipment, self storage can be

a real boon.

If you're a landscaper, carpenter, plumber, or electrician, you

need easy access to the tools of your trade. You've probably

sacrificed to scrape together the money to buy all the equipment

you need to start your own business. But once you buy it, where

are you going to put it? Maybe you live in a tiny apartment with

no storage space. Or you may rent a house with inadequate space,

or with a landlord who doesn't really want you storing all your

equipment on the premises.

Self storage, close to your home or your primary work area, is a

great solution. It will allow you to keep your home for your

personal life (a fact your spouse or significant other will

certainly appreciate) while providing an organized space for

your professional tools and equipment.

First, you need to estimate how much rental space you'll need.

Figure out how much space each piece of equipment takes up and

then sketch out a possible organizational arrangement, using it

to estimate floor space. If you have the room, actually lay out

your tools and equipment in the front yard, and measure how much

area it covers. (Be sure to leave room to move around in between

the various pieces of equipment.)

Call around to the various self storage facilities in the area,

and find out what the square footage is of their storage units

and, particularly if you've got equipment that takes up a lot of

vertical space, its height. Check the cost per month, and ask if

there's a required minimum rental period. Do you have to pay a

security deposit of some kind? first and last months' rent? Does

the storage facility insure the contents of your unit, or do you

need to buy insurance yourself? Maybe the facility offers

insurance for a fee; ask.

If you have equipment or supplies that need a certain

environment, ask the storage facility staff what the conditions

are. Is it dry? Is it heated? Is there lighting provided in the

unit, or do you need to bring a flashlight when you visit it?

Is there an electrical outlet available? Is there room, either

in the unit or in front of the unit, for you to perform basic

maintenance or preparation tasks on your equipment as needed,

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and is that sort of thing allowed? (Obviously you do not want to

operate a piece of equipment with an internal combustion engine

inside the storage unit.)

Once you've rented your self storage unit, put a lot of thought

into how you want to organize it. Make a floor plan which allows

you ease of movement; set up storage shelves if appropriate; see

if you can attach pegboard to the walls if you need to store

small tools where they're visible. If you plan to store old

business records, don't just shove them into a cardboard box and

bury them in a corner; store them in filing cabinets or sturdy

file boxes, clearly labeled and organized. If you use boxes,

store them on shelving that allows easy access. Do your

research, plan well, and ask plenty of questions as you decide

on a self storage unit. With the proper preparation, for a

relatively small outlay of cash, you can provide a well

organized, functional storage and work space which will give

your fledgling company a real boost.

About the author:

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern

New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and

Topics. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.