Are you a seasoned seller on sites like eBay or etsy? Or have you just started out as a business for the New Year? No matter when you started – storage is an essential part of your stock lifecycle. For many, the home is also your work place as an online seller, so it is vital you can manage the organisation of your business stock alongside your home life.
We’ve put together some top tips to help you organise your home as an online seller.
Create a workspace
It is difficult to make a distinction between home and work life, when you live and operate your business from home. Try to create a physical space for your business, and if you can pack it away when the working day (or night!) is done, even better.
A spare room is perfect if you have one. Otherwise dinning rooms, kitchens or bedrooms will need to double up as the office. In that case, invest in multi-purpose furniture that is functional for your business, and comfy enough for relaxing. Folding tables, rollaway storage trolleys and underbed cupboards will help you make dual use of any space.
Shelving and hangers
Use shelves to maximise the storage potential of any room, and add hooks to the back of doors to make the most of every usable space.
Create ‘departments’ on your shelves – zoning areas for new inventory, stored stock, shipping and receiving.
Transparent boxes
Being able to quickly identify stock, packaging or equipment will speed up your process. That is why transparent boxes are the perfect partner for you! Stack them up and you can easily find the one you need with a quick glance.
We also recommend grouping items that are commonly used together in each box. Plus keep the most frequently used items in the areas that are easiest to access. This means you will always have what you need to hand as you work.
Use a spreadsheet
A master spreadsheet will also help you to keep on top of the stock you have, and minimises the risk of losing or forgetting about anything! A good grasp of your stock levels is critical to a successful business.
Itemise all of your stock and list it on your spreadsheet alongside a description, cost, sell price etc. This is the best way to keep an eye on what you have. You might also consider labelling your boxes with numbers or colours so that you can create the perfect storage system.
Use Storage nearby
No matter how efficient you are with storage at home, as a business grows it will be difficult to contain everything. If you find yourself lacking space, you may need to rent an off-site storage unit.
A professional storage facility will help you relieve the pressure on your home. Storage units come in all shapes and sizes so you can pick the right one to suit your business needs. You are also able to upsize or downsize as your stock requirements fluctuate. In addition, they are clean, dry and secure so your stock will be kept in tip-top condition.
If you need any advice, contact your local Shurgard team to discuss your requirements. You can also find all available units and prices on our Shurgard website.
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