Whether you’re running a business out of your own home, or you’ve moved into dedicated premises, there is always going to be the question of where everything goes. Some things are always going to need to be in the heart of the action – your desk and computer, at least one phone, and a few other business-specific things. For the rest of it, you have to consider the question of storage – and, as we’ll see below, there is a sound argument to be made that, whether it’s a home business or based in an office, that storage should be off-site.
Economy
Square footage is always going to be fundamental to the cost of a business premises, and the more space you’re taking up the more you have to pay for. If there’s a corner of the office taken up by filing cabinets, then that’s space you’re paying for – and in every case, office space costs more than simple storage space. You are best advised to rent a smaller office, and put all your archive storage and non-essential equipment off-site where it will be cheaper. This makes a great deal of economic sense.
Security
We all like to have the important stuff where we can see it, as it makes us feel secure. But let’s be honest, you can’t be standing over document storage 24/7, and there is a risk of getting too relaxed because you think things have been made secure. If you hire a unit from the likes of Container Self Store and keep filing cabinets in that unit, then it’s under lock and key where only you will have access to it. This removes the risk of information being leaked or misappropriated when you’re not looking by anyone else who has access to your office.
Safety
Even if you feel that there are some things that must be stored where you can see and access them, there is still something to be said for doubling up on storage. Imagine for one moment your office or your home was gutted by fire or hit by flooding. While the most important thing is ensuring that everyone is safe, you would also like to feel that you haven’t lost everything in one fell swoop. Having backup storage offsite means you’ll have an easier time rebuilding the business after dealing with the aftermath of a disaster.
Efficiency
If all archives are kept in one place, you may think that makes access easier. But there are different levels of priority to take into account when you’re considering business storage. If you’re looking for a hard copy of a document, it helps if you don’t need to go through all of the records you have. Keeping recent, vital documents in a secure space on-site means you can access them in moments, while deeper archives from two or more years ago can be stored elsewhere.
Off-site storage makes a lot of sense for a business that hopes to run efficiently. In very little time, it will pay for itself, and you won’t regret having the option to run a leaner office.
