If you are preparing for an upcoming relocation, business development, or office de-cluttering project, come visit us here at Kokusai Express Japan to find the perfect unit for your enterprise. We have dedicated our own business to upholding high levels of cleanliness, security, and maintenance. Plus, you can find business storage at pretty low prices, as long as you know where to look. And what to look for exactly! That is why we are here, after all. Let us help you organize and keep your belongings safe. Read below for the 5 basic facts you should keep in mind when renting commercial storage.

1. Self-storage concept has been around for a while

Did you know that the first modern-day storage facility has appeared in 1958 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida? However, the concept of needing extra room for your household goods and business supplies has been around for centuries. These first professional storage units were full of items our ancestors couldn’t store at home. Moreover, anthropologists have revealed ancient Chinese storage units that date from as far as 6,000 years ago.

Among the discovered historical items, scientists have found extra pairs of flip flops! Isn’t it funny what happens when an ancient Chinese resident doesn’t have enough room at home? Additionally, they found things like family heirlooms, obviously, and even collectibles. Nowadays, though, people moving to Japan opt for using storage units to conserve a few surplus boxes of clothing, cumbersome furniture, and seasonal items. Who wouldn’t try to keep living and office spaces, garages, and attics clean and organized?

2. Calculating your potential monthly budget is easy

Sometimes people are afraid to commit to renting storage units because they are tense about the increased costs. No wonder, considering that the costs of renting storage units are ordinarily interconnected with pricy life transitions like expanding a business or paying for project cargo and moving to a new place. Therefore, most people get anxious about adding this cost to their monthly invoices.

But there’s nothing to worry about because you can learn all the costs in advance since industry averages are available online. For example, if you want to put 10’x10′ worth of office supplies in your business storage, that unit will cost a little more than $100 a month.

Apart from estimating the amount of storage space you need, you can also stack furniture and boxes to capitalize on vertical space. Ask your commercial storage personnel about the height of their standard units. Then you will have to make a floor plan for the unit and see which items you can nest, stack, and hang to conserve space.

3. Why should you rent your business storage long-term

• You will see that a business storage unit can be so practical that you, like most people, might end up renting it longer than you have initially planned for. Furthermore, according to the Self Storage Association, 54% of people keep their unit longer than a year. Also, only 11% of participants they asked reported they kept their rent shorter than 3 months.
• As a result, you should do your research and only rent a storage unit you could use comfortably. What that means is, although you might want to rent a smaller space to save some money, going for a larger 10’x20′ unit should be your preference. A unit with enough space to walk in and rearrange things means you won’t have to be tripping over items and having to unstack boxes to find certain objects. If you are transitioning to a bigger office, it is also very useful for preventing damage to your equipment.
• Finally, there is always an option of transferring to a smaller commercial unit if you realize you don’t need the extra space at any point.

4. The competition for business storage units can be fierce

In 2020, so many people put their trust in self-storage to support their enterprises and keep their commercial premises organized, and as a result, the industry has expanded tremendously. Nowadays, customers have more options than ever before. Moreover, with more than 50,000 companies in operation in the moving industry, this fierce competition allows storage facilities that are cleaner and more secure to emerge as winners.

As you can see, the rivalry for storage customers can be ferocious in some parts of the nation. Therefore, as a commercial storage customer, you have the option of choosing. And you shouldn’t stop shopping until you find a reliable facility that meets your needs. When you start researching companies, make sure you will have security features like 24-hour video surveillance and keypad entry gates.

5. Using business storage for storing inventory while moving

Since you are utilizing your existing office space for entrepreneurial activities, manufacturing products or marketing strategies, or various other tasks, a warehouse can act as an extension of your professional business premises. Renting a storage space is extremely practical when it comes to keeping surplus inventory or supplies away. Sometimes business owners don’t have enough space for their products in their office or facility. You should also think about climate-controlled storage if your products require extra care. Sometimes the temperature and humidity oscillations can ruin your inventory if you are not careful.

If you rent a small unit, you can put that in great use for temporary needs, such as renovating your offices or optimizing your warehouse. You may want to improve the style and upgrade equipment of your office. Storage can help you with productivity levels of your employees, because clean, uncluttered offices look and feel zen, thus inspiring workers to connect with what they’re doing. Contact us, because now you know that self-storage can help ensure continuity of operations for your enterprise. It is a cost-effective way to optimize and maintain your business productivity. Finally, you will still have convenient access to all your inventory.