Storage is a crucial part of any business. The truth is that your equipment will be rendered useless without adequate storage space.
Fortunately, plenty of storage companies can help you find the right solution for your business needs. Before you start shopping, there are a few mistakes that you should avoid. These mistakes can help ensure you get the right storage solution for your business and save time and money. Here are five common mistakes when hiring a storage and shelving company for your business.
Not Doing Your Research
It is important because you want to ensure that your chosen company is reputable and trustworthy. The easiest way to find out if they are trustworthy is by checking their reviews online.
You can also check their website for information on their services and ask them for references from past clients to know what type of service they provide before hiring them.
Once you have found a few candidates that seem like good fits, consider factors such as how long they’ve been in business or how many years of experience they have with local businesses like yours.
Not Considering the Future
The best way to avoid this mistake is to have a plan for your future. Think about how much space you’ll need in the next few years, and consider what storage and shelving facility will work best for you in that time frame.
Also, consider what kind of access you need. See whether you need to be able to get into the storage unit quickly and easily when necessary or if it’s okay if everyone has an appointment with the manager before accessing their stored items.
Not Thinking About Safety
You want to ensure that your employees and customers are safe, so it’s important to consider safety early on when hiring a storage company.
Here are some things you should consider:
- What kind of security measures should be in place? Do you want a fence or gate around the facility, or do you need cameras installed inside and out?
- Are there any environmental hazards, such as flooding from nearby rivers or storms, that could cause damage in the area where your business operates?
- Is the building up-to-date with its seismic retrofit requirement? It might not apply if it’s an older building being renovated for use as storage space.
Not Asking About Eco-Friendly Practices
The environment, employees, and customers – all benefit from eco-friendly practices. For example, many storage companies use treated lumber for their buildings.
Another way to avoid harmful chemicals is by asking about the pest control methods used by your chosen facility.
Pesticides are often used at self-storage facilities because pests like mice, cockroaches, and bed bugs can carry diseases like salmonella. Eco-friendly pest control methods include using traps baited with pheromones (a chemical produced by animals) instead of pesticides sprayed throughout an entire building space.
Not Asking About Technology and Security
Security should be a top priority for any company storing large amounts of data. Since data is the lifeblood of most businesses, it’s important to keep it safe.
However, when hiring a storage company to help with your business needs, you must also ensure that they have adequate technology.
Some types of technology that can help with security include:
- Biometric access: Biometric access control systems allow only specific people approved by the facility manager to enter or exit the premises at certain times and dates.
- Motion sensors – When motion sensors detect movement in an area where they should not be present (for example, outside), they send out alerts immediately so that guards can investigate immediately.
Final Word:
Hiring a storage company is a big decision, and it’s not one that you should take lightly. There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right one for your business. That said, you can also do things to make sure the decision goes smoothly—hopefully, this article has helped you with some of those.
