Category: business storage
When you are planning to build an online business, understanding your marketplace can be key. There’s a number of things to consider to make the most of your e-commerce shop, with the main one being where you decide to sell your items.
Where should you be setting up shop?
There are plenty of online platforms for selling your products, but the best known have to be eBay or Amazon. Are these right for you though?
Both are huge, established marketplaces, which gives you the advantage of a large consumer base. Plus, your buyers already trust the platform and protection it gives them. However, you are competing against large numbers of established sellers, and both Amazon and eBay have higher seller fees than other platforms.
One of the main differences between the two is that you have a fixed price on Amazon, while you can choose to auction items on eBay, or sell them with a fixed Buy It Now price. Another is the way listings appear on each platform. On Amazon, if you have the same product as other sellers you are often listed on the same product description. The main way to stand out is to keep your prices low enough to be competitive, which could be a problem for small sellers.
On eBay, you have control over the pictures and wording you use to list your item, so spending time understanding how to make the best use of headlines and keywords can be beneficial. You can also compete more directly with large sellers, as buyers may have other priorities than just cost, such as timeframes – how soon the auction ends – distance and options to collect goods themselves.
Other options for online sellers
Etsy is a fabulous online marketplace for handcrafted and vintage goods. If your products fit into these areas, this could be the best option. Your goods will stand out more than on eBay or Amazon, and buyers come to Etsy specifically for something unique.
Another growing marketplace can be found on Facebook. However, it has limitations. Firstly, you need to understand the platform. There’s the Marketplace where you can list secondhand items, but you don’t actually sell them. If a buyer wants your goods, they contact you direct to arrange the details.
Then there’s your Facebook Shop. You need to set up a business page and then learn how to set up the selling element. Then there’s the marketing to bring buyers to your page. And that’s where Facebook can be hard work, as you need to build up engagement with your audience to be found. Starting your e-commerce business on Facebook can be a slow process, especially when you already have an established consumer audience on other platforms.
Building your own website
Another option for selling is to set up your own website and online shop. You have the immediate advantage of controlling everything yourself – prices, listings, descriptions and costs. You also won’t face immediate competition from other sellers, although you do have to consider that other people may be selling the same items, and today’s savvy buyers always shop about to compare prices.
To make the most of selling on your own site, you need to start with a great website. This doesn’t have to cost a fortune – in fact you can build your own online shop fairly easily. But you do need to understand things like SEO (search engine optimisation) and have an idea of how to market your shop to build up presence.
With your own shop you are also building up your brand, so if you also have a bricks and mortar shop, this is an obvious choice. Your customers will get to know you through your reliability and reviews, and you appeal to customers who don’t like the big platforms or prefer to support the local and smaller business.
A little bit of everything
When you are just starting your online shop, you might want to try everything. List some items on eBay and Amazon – or Etsy if your products fit – and build your own website as well. Then you can monitor and compare sales to see where you make the most profits.
Once your business takes off, you’ll need more space for your products. Keeping stock safe, organised and undamaged means you need a place for shelving, packing and a desk, with wifi to manage your orders. That’s where we come in. Call Cookes today to see how we help support online retailers to grow on 0121 250 5055.
Running a business from home has always been a bit stressful, but over the last month or two we’ve faced even more challenges. For the sake of peace and calm in your home, now might be a good time for a little home office revamp.
Designate a work space
If you haven’t got a separate room to use as an office, choose a corner of a room and designate it the official office space. This will allow you to separate work from home life, which is important for a number of reasons.
1 – A separate place for your important work papers will keep peace in the home. The family will know that it’s a no-play area, meaning you are less likely to have sticky fingerprints on your documents, or cereal spilt over your keyboard.
It also means that your papers stay in their designated spot, and the only person to blame when they are left lying about the coffee table or get mixed in with the school textbooks is yourself.
2 – Your working hours may not follow the traditional 9am-5pm – particularly at the moment. But when you do ‘leave work’, you’ve left. That’s it – business day is done and your evening can begin.
Separating your work from your home life is essential to allow your mind to rest and keep your stress levels down.
3 – Productivity improves when you are sat in your home office. You’ll find it far easier to concentre when you are sat at a desk in your workspace than lounging on a sofa or squeezed onto the kitchen table with domestic life going on around you.
And, if you can reach an agreement with your family that office time is also ‘do not disturb’ time, you’ll get more done faster, so you can finish up and have plenty more time to relax and play.
What do you need for your home office space
It depends on the type of business you are in, but you will probably find you need very little in the way of furniture to get set up.
The right type of desk
If your home office is going to be a permanent space, put some thought into your desk. An antique roll top might look glamourous, but have they got enough room for your monitors and keyboard? Meanwhile, a standard basic desk from a national chain may be cheap and practical, but will it wear well or look scruffy quickly.
If you like to spread out, a large table might be better, but it does need to be the right height to allow you a comfortable seating position.
A comfy seat
Talking of seating positions, your chair is, possibly, one of the most important purchases if you will be spending a lot of time at your desk. Long hours sat down will be hard on your back, and poor posture can have long term consequences. Selecting a comfortable, ergonomic chair that fits nicely under your desk and is supportive on your back is essential.
A clutter-free zone
Although many of us keep digital files, very few offices are completely paper-free. If you do have lots of paperwork, samples, stationery or other business necessities to keep, having adequate storage will keep it out of sight and tidy.
If your business requires a lot of stock, you may not have the cupboard space for it. A small self-storage unit can be the extra cupboard that you need – neatly stacked with shelving so that your stock boxes are tidy and undamaged, and more importantly, not blocking up corridors and taking up space when, especially now, you all need a little more room at home to manoeuvre.
A pleasant working environment
One final thing that is important is that your home office is a nice place to work. No one feels motivated surrounded by mess, or in a drab, dark space. You might, out of necessity, be slotted into a corner of the living room, but you can still make it feel like a pleasant work environment.
Bring plants in to add greenery and to lift your mood– and they’ll also add oxygen to the air which helps you concentrate more. Add some pictures that cheer you up; how about one of your favourite holiday spots as an added incentive to work towards that holiday goal? Include a standing lamp or desk light so that you have a brightly lit space – reducing eye strain and headaches.
Of course, if you do have a separate room you can bring lots more to your décor in terms of colour, style and shelving, making your home office completely your own.
If you would like to talk about self-storage options as a way of expanding your business, or keeping peace in your home, call us today on 0121 250 5055.
If you are an SME, you might not think self-storage will help your business. You might be renting office space in the centre of Birmingham, running your own shop in Sutton Coldfield, or working directly from your home office. No matter the size of your business, we’re certain we have a storage solution for you.
Self-storage benefits for Birmingham businesses
When you are already paying inner-city rates for your office space in Birmingham, you probably value every square inch. You need enough room for offices for your team, somewhere for them to relax on a break and a spacious meeting room for clients and conference calls.
What you don’t want to do is pay premium rates to turn a room into a store cupboard, or fill with unused furniture. After all, that room could be just what you need for another member of the team.
Self-storage units are a good place to store all your spare office furniture. Even better, they make the perfect solution if you need to archive files and files of paperwork. Here’s why.
At Cookes Storage in Sutton Coldfield we have archiving solutions ready for every business. We can provide racking and strong boxes. We’ll even provide a free collection service to come and collect those full boxes for you, and put them in your unit.
In addition, our units come in various sizes so you don’t pay for more space than you need, they are completely secure and indoors, so there is no risk of damp. What’s more, being outside of Birmingham city centre, our prices are highly competitive so you’ll save money on your floor space.
Self-storage benefits for retailers and shop owners
A big issue for retailers and shop owners in Sutton Coldfield is space. You need as much room as possible to display your products so that customers can see them easily – which means you don’t want to be using any more than necessary for storing stock.
Of course, there are ways you can maximise your own back rooms – stacking your boxes high, using corridors as extra storage – but that has its own problems. Piles of boxes blocking your corridors is a health and safety hazard waiting to happen – not a great way of caring for yourself or your employees. Stacking boxes also means you’ll struggle to find stock fast, and you are more likely to take losses due to damages.
At Cookes Storage we offer flexible contracts, designed to support businesses. That means you can rent a small unit for your slow-selling stock, keeping it safe, dry and undamaged until you need it.
Then, when you need more room for seasonal items or high turnover items, you can just increase the size of your unit short-term. The great thing is that we are easily accessible, so we’re not far away when you need to just pop in for a quick shelf refill.
Self-storage benefits for sole traders and small businesses
Working from home sounds great. You can get up in the morning and be at work without spending hours in traffic jams. You can take a break in the day to walk the dog, and carry on later. You can be home for deliveries and repairmen.
The problem with working from home is that you can never quite switch off, and as your business grows it takes over more and more of your family space.
A self-storage unit can be the equivalent of a spare cupboard – giving you just enough space to store files, samples and stock, keeping it out of family life. A larger unit – the size of your garden shed – can give you space for stock and your event equipment.
If you are a stallholder and visit plenty of outdoor markets or local events, then you’ll need somewhere to keep your gazebo, tables, banners, baskets, displays and products. At Cookes Storage we support local small businesses in the community. We’re on hand to help you find the best solution for you to grow.
No matter the size of your business, we’re here to support you. Call today on 0121 250 5055
A fresh new year stretches ahead, full of possibility. Are you looking at the next 12 months with excitement – or are you still in recovery from a very festive end to 2019?
We love the start of a new year. It’s the time for fresh starts, setting goals and making plans. But first, we do have to get through the frosty cold winds of January. So what can you do to make the winter whistle by?
One of the best ways to lift your mood in the winter is to make the space around you as inviting as possible. There’s nothing more depressing than spending your working day in a dirty, cluttered space. So, here are some top tips for making more of your work environment.
Growing your business
Now is the time for many business owners to start thinking about their business plans for the next quarter at least – and most likely that will involve some sort of expansion. Are you taking on new staff, planning to open a second office or looking at a new approach to marketing?
One thing all businesses need is a bit of space. If you had a bit more room in your office, what could you do with it? Add a few more desks for another desk, or create a vibrant meeting space to wow your clients? It’s time for a bit of a clear out, and to consider whether you are really making the best use of your floor space.
Declutter your mind, and your space
A tidy work environment can help your creativity. Over time we collect plenty of excess clutter – on our desks and around the edges of the office. Have you still got promotional material lying about from last year’s offers, or old and broken computers piled up in the corner, waiting for someone to do something with them.
A nice clean workspace is not only inviting, but it can lift our mood. Clear out the debris from last year and be ruthless with the paperwork piling up. If you really need to keep old files, but don’t need them to hand, then consider archiving storage solutions. Our own units come prepared with racking and collection options, so all you need to do is fill your boxes.
Redecorate and revitalise your mind
If you want to go all the way, how about a completely fresh look in your office. There is a lot said about the way colour affects mood. Blue colours promote concentration, while yellow will create positivity and happiness. Green is a calming, balanced colour, great for an office where you work long hours, while red is an exciting colour to use in a busy, more physical workplace.
The easiest way to get your new look is to move all the furniture out of the way and into a temporary self-storage unit. Then the decorators can get in quickly, and give the whole space a fresh lick of paint.
When you bring the desks back into the space, consider rearranging things so that you have a nice view out of the window, or make the most of the natural light. Bring in some greenery in with lovely plants; not only do they brighten the room, they add oxygen to the air, helping to keep your teams alert.
Create a fun space
All work and no rest makes all your staff a little grumpy. A great way to boost morale in your office is to show them how much you value them. A new coffee machine may be a good start, but how about creating a cheerful and relaxing corner where they can take a break, have a gossip and bond a little. Not every office has space for a pool table – but some comfy sofas make a great start.
If you want some help in revitalising your work place, we are on hand to share our space with you. From short-term storage for your redecoration to secure storage for your business archiving, we have plenty of ways to help. Call today on 0121 250 5055 to see how much space you need.
It may have started in America, but as with many things, self-storage is rapidly becoming more popular in the UK. More and more storage providers are opening for business and, according to the SSAUK, approximately 13% of households have used self-storage at some point.
With increasing numbers of homeowners and commercial businesses turning to self-storage as a simple and cost-effective solution to their storage needs, here’s a look at some of the more common reasons they do.
More bedrooms in the home
If you are expecting a new baby, you’ll need to turn your home office into a safe haven for tiny fingers. But you won’t want to get rid of the existing furniture – before long your baby will be moving back into big sized beds and wanting desks of their own.
Home office to work office
Talking of your home office, as your business expands you don’t want to keep boxes of stock in your house and taking over your hallways. The downside of working from home is that you can never quite escape it – but having a small office set up in your own storage unit keeps costs down, and your home life separate.
Moving house
When you are moving home a temporary bit of storage can come in useful. Declutter your current home and stage it for a quick sale, or store all your excess stuff until you are settled in to your new home and you’re ready to unpack at leisure.
A secure place for your tools
If your business depends on your equipment, it’s vital that you keep it safe and secure. Keeping tools in your van is risky, when one burglary later and you have not only lost expensive gear, you may well lose a few days work as well. Keeping tools in self-storage gives you a well-protected lock up and a place to repair, clean and maintain your tools as well.
Merging homes
You may be moving in with your partner, or your elderly relatives may be moving in with you. Either way, that’s two houses full of furniture, beds, kitchen utensils, plates, books, and bedding that need sorting through and thinning out. Using self-storage to keep things in means you don’t have to get rid of anything you love but have no space for, and you can take your time in dealing with the rest to get the best deals.
Seasonal storage
There are certain times of the year when you need to boost your stock – Christmas being the obvious one. Making sure you are ready for seasonal sales means ordering in additional products. With more room you can get more than you need, so you don’t have to turn down sales. Short term storage contracts make the perfect solution – your home or shop remains uncluttered, and your boxes don’t get crushed and damaged in small spaces.
Renovating your home or office
From simple redecorating to knocking down walls and remodelling rooms, renovating always creates a lot more mess than you expect. Move all your furniture or important office equipment out of the way for the duration, and you’ll avoid paint on your sofa or damage to your printer.
At Cookes Storage our units are available in a variety of sizes and with short and long term flexible contracts, so that you only pay for the space you need, for as long as you need it. With CCTV, PIN code entry and indoor units, you have all the security and protection you need to keep your stuff dry, safe and secure.
If you haven’t considered self-storage until now, let’s talk. We have all the space you need.
Christmas is coming – in fact, as a business owner you are already thinking ahead and preparing for it. If you sell products, you’re probably already waist high in boxes of stock. But why are you cramming it into your shop already, when we have another solution?
There are a number of benefits of using self-storage for your seasonal stock – both for your own peace of mind, and to help you maximise your profits this festive season.
More space means more Christmas stock
Christmas may be your busiest time of year, and you really want to maximise on profit. How frustrating is it to run out of your top-selling products and see your competitors taking your sales?
With a self-storage unit you can order in plenty of extra stock so that you know you have enough to make every customer happy. With a range of unit sizes, we have all the space you need – your very own warehouse, making your online shop as large as any major retailer.
The season of peace and goodwill for online sellers
Christmas is a time of peace and goodwill – when our homes fill up with extra family coming to stay, overexcited children home from school and furniture squashed to one side to make way for a twinkling tree.
If you are an online retailer working from home, the last thing you need at Christmas is to fill the spare room and hallway with giant boxes. Keep the peace and goodwill at home by moving your stock out.
Health and Safety at work
It’s not necessarily the first thing you think of when you’re ordering in your stock, but it has to go somewhere. If you have a high street shop, with customers browsing your shelves out front and staff filling orders in the back, you don’t want to risk hurting anyone from an overbalanced avalanche of boxes.
Keep your passageways clear and your fires doors accessible, your staff room clear and your shop spacious, with a second storeroom.
Avoid negative reviews and fill more orders
With so much extra stock to shift it’s not surprising things get misplaced. The competition for online retailers is fierce, with negative reviews doing a lot of damage to your sales. Customers want to know their purchases will be posted quickly, and that you have everything in stock as they buy it.
With extra space in your self-storage unit, you can place boxes of stock on racking – which we can supply – so that your products are easy to find, organised, and less likely to be damaged or crushed by the boxes on top.
You’ll be able to keep track of your stock, find and ship it quickly and keep your positive reviews coming in.
A cost-effective expansion for your business
There are plenty of benefits to self-storage contracts with Cookes. Our contracts are flexible and we offer great rates for short-term contracts – so you get seasonal space without long-term tie-ins.
Our CCTV and PIN coded access give you the extra security you need to be sure your additional seasonal stock won’t attract the wrong attention.
Our storage units are indoors – dry, clean and ready-prepared with racking if you need it.
We’ll even come and get your stock for you, saving you transport from your shop to your storage unit. And once you are set up, you can have new orders delivered directly to your unit.
Once in your unit, all you need to do is bring along the orders to create your own packing and distribution warehouse – just until the festive frenzy is over and you’re ready for the January sales.