Month: June 2017
We are a nation of entrepreneurs – over 99% of businesses in the UK are classed as an SME (Small to Medium Enterprise). Around 76% of these are single person businesses – and that number grows almost every year.
Here at Cookes we know all about being a small business – after all, our sister business, Cookes Furniture, started in 1946 with one man, and remains a family run business today. That’s partly why we love to help small businesses grow. The spirit of cooperation and supporting Buy Local campaigns keeps the West Midlands thriving.
Most small businesses start from home. There are no rental fees, which means you can put every penny into building your customer base.
But, as boxes start to take over your hallways and pile up in your bedroom, what do you do when you need more space? Taking on a formal business premises can be a daunting thought – long contracts, high rates and the added pressure to bring in high enough sales every month.
The benefits of self storage for small businesses
Flexible storage space.
Cookes self storage has a variety of different sized units, so you only pay for the space you need. And as you expand, your storage unit can expand with you.
Secure and safe.
Storage units have more security than most business premises. At Cookes we have 24 hour CCTV surveillance and PIN access control with limits access to staff and authorised customers.
No lengthy contracts.
Whether your business is growing, or you just need seasonal space, self storage contracts can be as short term as you need. Flexibility is key for small businesses.
No overheads.
No electricity, gas, water rates, council tax . . . Just one rental fee to cover, so that you can keep your hard earned cash where it should be – in your growing business.
Your health and wellbeing
Of course, removing all the stock and clutter from your home has other benefits – keeping the family happy and giving them room to move being one of them. The other is helping you to separate work and home lives, achieving a very necessary balance for your health and wellbeing.
We love to support small businesses – it’s how we started, after all. So, if you are just thinking of expanding, or one of the thousands of online sellers looking for a place to keep stock – or just fed up of seeing your work life taking over you home, call us now to see how we can help you.
Call Cookes on 0121 285 5197 or email info@cookesstorage.co.uk.
Have you ever wondered how secure your home is? With rising concerns over burglaries, homeowners need to be a little more savvy in taking care these days. The police say that homes with no security measures are five times more likely to be targeted than those with some simple security in place security.
At Cookes we take security very seriously – each locker is individually alarmed, with PIN code entry on the entrance and 24 hour CCTV. However, we know that keeping your home secure without feeling you are under lock and key, can be a little more involved.
The point, it seems, is not to make your home a Fortress of Impenetrability, but to make of a Domicile of Difficulty – that is to say, make it look like so much hard work to get in, that the thieves go for an easier target.
Home Security From the outside
Go outside, and look at your home compared to others on the street.
- Have you got ladders lying in the grass or tools in view? Valuable tools can attract a thief to your house, while leaving hammers, ladders and other items around may be providing easy access to an opportunist thief.
- While you are out, even in the garden, have you left doors and windows open? Or, is the shed or garage visible and open from the road – particularly of note if your garage has a connecting (hopefully locked) door into your home?
- Do you have a visible alarm box? Even a dummy box can act as a deterrent, so consider placing one high up on your home.
- Install security lighting and movement sensors on the outside of the house.
- Have you got secure fencing and a locked gate? Everything that slows a thief down in getting into and away from your home will encourage them to move elsewhere.
Home Security From the inside
An unoccupied home is more appealing than one where confrontation could happen. So, make your home look occupied, even when you are out.
- Put some lamps and a radio on timers inside. That way, even while you are out the lights and noise are on at home.
- Close your curtains. Nothing says empty house more than open curtains throughout the night.
- Check your doors and windows. Are they all locked securely?
- Thieves have been known to access homes using the door key, by hooking it through a letterbox. Make sure you don’t leave keys in the door or within easy reach.
- Better yet, keep all keys out of sight. Thieves may not be after the contents of your home – not if you have an expensive car sitting on the driveway. Most homeowners place keys in a drawer or on a hook nearest the door – so make it harder for thieves by moving things about.
While you are in, and when you go out
Sadly, you can’t always prevent a very determined thief. However, you can do more to ensure that there is nothing inviting them to your home. We also recommend that you keep valuables locked away in a hidden home safe.
Please don’t advertise that you are away on social media. Telling everyone you are away for a week not only makes your home vulnerable, it could invalidate your home insurance.
However, do tell your neighbours. They can watch over your home, and collect any parcels left out on the doorstep, making it clear that the house is under a watchful eye.
If you plan to leave your home unattended for any length of time, such as going abroad, you might want to consider putting anything valuable into storage. Cookes Storage Service can provide secure storage.