You can’t deny that warehouses give business owners much more securer ways of storing their inventory. Unless you have access to one you’re likely keeping unsold products at home or in your car. While storing small amounts of products at home or in your car is safe as your business grows you’ll need somewhere professional to store them.
If your business is growing and you think that it’s time to lease a warehouse then this post has you covered. Here is everything you need to know about finding a warehouse:
Quality Equipment
If you are planning on renting a warehouse then you’ll want to find one that comes with the equipment. Forklifts and pallet changers are not cheap. However, forklifts and pallet changers increase warehouse efficiency which makes them essential additions or investments. If you are renting a warehouse then you should have no trouble finding one that comes with the equipment. If you are buying a warehouse then you probably won’t be able to get one that comes with the equipment. You will have to buy the equipment yourself if you plan on owning your company’s warehouse.
Something else you need to know is that if you are going to be using another company’s warehouse equipment, you need to make sure that you take care of it. While wear and tear are expected if you accidentally damage or break any of the equipment that’s leased to you you will have to pay for repairs or replacements. Because of this, you need to make sure that your staff are properly trained and know how to handle and use the equipment you give them. If they do not know how to use it then do not let them anywhere near it as this could cost you a lot of money.
Lots of Space
Warehouses come in all shapes and sizes. Most people’s minds conjure up images of huge spaces when they think of warehouses but some are very small. If your business is growing then it’s a good idea to invest in as large a warehouse space as you can possibly afford. By renting a large warehouse you will be able to grow into it. It’s better to have one that is too large than too small as if your business begins growing and you do not have enough space you’ll have to rent another warehouse.
Not everybody rents entire warehouses, however. Some people rent sections of warehouses, i.e., one shelf in a huge warehouse. If you are planning on doing this then you need to ensure again you have enough room to grow. Make sure that you go down and visit the warehouse you are planning on renting space from so that you can ensure there is enough room in it for your products. If there is not enough room then do not rent it. Make sure you take precise measurements so you know how much space you are going to need.
Co-warehousing is also an option. For instance, if you are looking for a small warehouse for rent bay area, using a co-warehousing option will give you access to the great transportation options while saving your business money and offering great benefits like security and shared resources.
Dedicated Staff
If you are buying or renting an entire warehouse then you’ll obviously need to supply your own staff. Hiring people to work in your warehouse is something that should be done with care. Don’t make the mistake of blindly hiring inexperienced workers. A lot of companies do this because they are trying to save themselves time. Ensure that you work with a professional hiring agency so they can source qualified and experienced staff. Hiring agencies are available all over the internet and can get you professional staff who know what they are doing in under a week.
If you are going to be renting space in an existing warehouse that’s used by many other businesses then you do not need to worry about hiring your own staff. In such warehouses staff (i.e., pickers and forklift drivers) are included in the cost of your monthly payments. You may have to arrange for your own couriers to come and collect products from your warehouse though. You will be pleased to know though that the vast majority of warehouses will happily post your parcels for you as long as you pay them for their time. It’s often cheaper to do this than to arrange couriers privately.
Affordable Rates
Throughout this post, partial warehouse rentals have been mentioned. If you are planning on renting a little bit of space in a large warehouse then you need to find a warehouse with affordable monthly rates. Obviously renting a warehouse isn’t going to be cheap especially when you consider all of the things that are included in the cost of your monthly payments. If you are going to do this then shop around and try and get the best deal you can. A warehousing company’s website should tell you everything you need to know about their rates.
In addition to using their website to find out what their rates are, you should spend some time reading their reviews. A company’s review call tells you everything you need to know about them and helps you to determine whether or not working with them is even a good idea. Some companies should be avoided. A company with bad reviews should be given the benefit of the doubt, however. Make sure that you speak to the business’s representative and ask them to explain why they have received so many bad reviews so you can hear their side of the story.
Internal Scalability
Finally, if you are renting space in a warehouse then make sure you get a package that allows you to scale up. As mentioned already you should get a warehouse that gives you room to grow; the bigger your business gets the more space you’ll need. When you begin selling a larger volume of products you’ll need to take on more inventory which means you are going to need more space in your warehouse. Most warehousing companies offer internal scalability so it is not something that you should have trouble arranging or sorting out.
Finding a warehouse to store your company’s stock in isn’t easy; you need to find one that has received good reviews (if you’re just renting space) and if you are renting an entire warehouse or buying one you need to think about staff, equipment costs, and space.
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