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Streamlining seasonal factors in your business

With Christmas appearing menacingly over the horizon this is probably a good time to return to that old chestnut – seasonal products and services. If you are a business offering solely seasonal products or services, then you need to ensure that the turnover you hope to receive during your high seasons are going to keep you in profits throughout the whole year.

Know your highs and lows

The first factor to understand about seasonal swings is they may well go unnoticed. Throughout the financial year there are likely to be little nuances and highs and lows triggered by various time periods. If you are not careful you may mistake these times as a reflection that your company is thriving significantly better than average – when in reality you are selling more pumpkins because it is the end of October. Learn the cycles of demand within your industry and monitor them throughout the year.

A clear plan ahead through the dark times

Seasonal business management is going to call for insight and vision and a cool head. Practically you are going to need to be able to plan in the long term both in terms of logistics and your budget. You are going to need finances from the high months to see you through those slow months and facilitate systems whereby processes are not depleting the budget out of season.

Don’t waste your client base

The one great factor you have (hopefully) from the high season, is a robust client base. These are individuals and businesses you have presumably built up trust with already and can therefore approach again with other sales ideas. It may well be worth considering alternative income streams when work is low to take advantage of this precious commodity.

Cut costs with self-storage

During the slow months your costs need to be cut. You will therefore be considering employing at high seasons and increasing stocks only when you need to. However, there are some industries where there is a requirement to store stock out of season. This is when you may need to look to inexpensive self-storage outlets. If you are based in London it may be worth looking outside the city centre for reduced costs.

Keep in touch with your clients

Marketing for the up and coming high season should of course start early but that does not mean you should not keep in touch with your clients all round offering little tasters of what is to come, offers for if they get in early and news about those interesting side deals out of season. This way you strengthen your relationship with your client and increase the chances they will approach your brand for the product.

Looking for storage space in Faversham Canterbury or Herne Bay? To learn more about how Need A Space self-storage can help businesses in Kent and the London area click here

The top 7 accessories for making self-storage in Kent super easy

Self-storage is the cost effective way for safely maximising space, streamlining domestic and business processes and storing valuables and assets short-term and long-term. Nothing could be easier and more straight forward, but you can make it even simpler by making sure you have those extra accessories to ensure your visit to Need A Space in Kent go swimmingly:

A plan!

First and foremost, have a clear plan as to how much you will be storing and get an estimate as to how much space you will need (our website offers both a space estimator and quote estimator). Consider how you will transport your valuables, how long the trips will take and what type of storage you need.

Van hire

Organising how you will transport your valuables is often left to the last minute – this clearly puts your valuables at risk because transport may not be adequate or travelling can end up time-consuming and pricey because of excessive delivery trips. Hiring a large enough, and robust van is essential. At Need A Space self-storage, we offer free van hire if your store your valuables for 2 months!

Strong Containers

You need to make sure your valuables reach storage in one piece, so strong containers are a necessity. Be careful not to overfill, you do not want to break the container itself and you want to be able to pick up and move it with ease. Cardboard boxes may be cheap but they are also vulnerable so start wisely.

Stationary

Having separated your valuables into relevant containers you need to label them so you know where everything has been placed for future accessibility. Don’t forget a pen, labels and a master sheet to keep with you.

Sack truck and fork-lift trucks

Always be careful with manual lifting – keep to what you can lift safely and in the appropriate manner with self-storage. Tools to help you with lifting and moving are forklift trucks (available at Need A Space) or small sack trucks for your smaller stuff. The latter can save a great deal of time, and aches and pains.

Packaging

How well you pack your valuables is directly related to how well your self-storage will be. Vulnerable commodities need to be packed to avoid breakages and they need to be packed together safely too. At Need A Space we offer access to all the packaging materials you will need such as fixing tape, marker pens, bubble wrap and parcel tape.

A supportive pair of hands!

We want your visit to Need A Space in Canterbury Kent to be as enjoyable, safe, and cost-effective as possible – always try to offer as much support as we can. But to cover yourself, it is always a good idea to get the help of an extra pair of hands to make the move faster and cheaper.

The good news is we have most of the above available down at our huge premises based just outside Canterbury. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01227 751673.

Storing seasonal items – ask us!

One of the biggest trials in business – especially retail – is storing assets which you are only likely to use at a certain time of the year. If you are a shop front, ecommerce or even a salesperson on the road, you need to be able to keep your valuables somewhere where they will remain in quality condition. Somewhere you know they will be safe and easily accessible when you need them.

Taking these kind of assets out of the working arena (even if you are working a small ecommerce business from home) can be beneficial in many ways: you are working with just the essential tools and primary sales products around you; organisation will be given a great big boost; that extra space could be used to streamline current processes; with a clear idea of how much space you really have, you can consider how to grow your business and benefit from profits.

So some tips for putting Xmas as far away as possible and Easter back in the land of that big white rabbit:

Store away in areas normally labelled for long term storage (i.e. cellar, loft, that side room, self-storage units etc.) You don’t want to be thinking in a year’s time “I know I put it in a place I could not possibly forget…”
The place where it is stored needs to be easily accessible as these are commodities you are going to need every so often. If the area or unit is full of other storage, make sure the seasonal stuff is clearly labelled so you can easily find each part when you need it. Store them together, and again, make sure they are easily accessible within the area itself.
There is a danger that seasonal stuff does not really get renewed and is just stored each year until the time it is needed. Make an effort to audit what you have each year so it is fresh and current.
Before you put the stuff back for another season remember about access. What will be the next seasonal stuff you will need? It may mean that you alternate so the next season on the calander is just as easy to access. In other words, the point about storing seasonal goods is it is like a relay race. Always think ahead as to what is happening next when storing.

There is no escaping from it – Christmas really is going to come back however far you pack it away into the back of the garage. Store it right this year and – who knows – next year you may be looking forward to it – and making higher profits due to a streamlined storage system.

Looking for storage space in Faversham Canterbury or Herne Bay? To learn more about how Need A Space self-storage can help businesses in Kent and the London area click here

Being creative with space can save money for your business

We can all get too familiar with the environment we work in every day. At best, it makes it cosy and safe and it allows us to work at least without having to deal with the stresses of navigating new office boundaries or searching out exactly where they keep the paper-clips now! But the downside is, especially for management, there is a failure to consistently make the most of the space available to employees. In order for there to be a healthy work place, company growth and the most made of a restricted budget, there is a need for constant monitoring of how daily processes take place.

In the 21^st century, how and where we work is constantly changing. Technology and instant communications is freeing us from the restrictions of the office and more people are working from home. According to statistics released by the Office for National Statistics, between 1998 and 2014, the number of people working from home has doubled. Some employees (mostly self-employed professionals) work totally from home, but there has been a real rise in employees sharing work time between the office and from home.

Streamlining work processes

This has streamlined office processes in a great many ways, but most of all it has effectively reduced overall company costs. At the same time, as making processes more effective, it is also making the office environment more acceptable. With more space available, offices are calmer, more relaxed, and meet health and safety standards easily.

It also means company management can consider how that space is freed up further. Is there in fact, a need for an office at all? The “digital cloud” has become a part of everyday processes in businesses just like the fax machine was in the eighties. Now, along with the fact that employees have the necessary technology in their own homes, documents which would normally be kept as hard copy can actually be filed away seamlessly in hyperspace. The need for huge office space is reducing and with this, the cost of rent and associated costs can be removed.

Time to get out?

However, there is still a need for documents which need archiving. There is still a need to store assets which will be sold in the future, there is a need to store seasonal assets or assets which are used on an infrequent basis. At this point company owners take a deep sigh and decide the rent for that huge building just isn’t going to go away.

But think again. Another new service which is now highly popular for businesses is self-storage. Now you can store the smaller assets and assets you wish to archive in a lock up unit that could cost a tenth of renting a building and force you to re-visit overall business costs.

Do yourself a favour – be honest with yourself – how much money is being wasted on a daily basis at your office?

Looking for storage space in Faversham Canterbury or Herne Bay? To learn more about how Need A Space self-storage can help businesses in Kent and the London area click here

Keeping your valuable business documents safe

It’s a sad fact that even in the modern age of cloud storage, online communications, and e-documents, our desks still get cluttered up with paperwork that we will probably never really get a chance to look at. Whereas a lot of the mess can easily be ordered with an efficient secretary, an in-out box or a large litter bin, there is always going to be a need to keep some legal and contractual documents archived in hard copy.

Self-storage in Kent

Keeping documents that can be archived in the office where you work can only lead to chaos and could also lead to inefficient business processes. If there is insufficient storage within your organisation you may want to consider self-storage facilities in your area. Here at Need A Space in Canterbury Kent we offer storage space for both business and domestic needs. But what is the best way to store those infuriating but precious pieces of paper?

Top tips for archiving your documents

Store for easy access: Some documents will need simply for legislative reasons (I.e. for tax purposes you need to hold on to business account information for 5 years) but there will be some documents that you may need to find for current activities. Load these boxes last so they are stored at the front and easy for access.
Protect against long term damage: Mould can grow quickly and cause damage. Keeping things dry from the start is the best way to avoid damage so whichever self-storage provider you use, ensure the unit will be dry.
Security: Check with your self-storage provider to find out what security provisions are in place. Many business documents and records are confidential and need to be private. Need A Space offer CCTV, a perimeter fence, high-security infra-red beams and state of the art alarm systems.
Label boxes.As well as easy access you need to know where each and every document is. So however short of time you may be, have a clear labelling system.
Office filing system: It is often useful to use an office filing system twinned with the labelling system you use at the self – storage outlet. For instance, labelling a box by a number and then put the relevant details on an excel sheet which is easily accessible in the office.
Be cost effective: Always find a self-storage unit close to your office for obvious reasons, but in some cases (especially with documents which need to be archived for long periods and do not necessarily need frequent access) consider storing outside of your location. For instance, London prices are high, but by storing down here in Kent you could make quite a saving.

Based in the heart of Kent, and situated on the outskirts of Faversham and Canterbury, Need A Space is conveniently located for both local county and South London clients. Looking for storage space in Faversham Canterbury or Herne Bay? To learn more about how Need A Space self-storage can help businesses in Kent and the London area click here

Make sure you are safe when moving and storing

At Need A Space self-storage we try to make everything as simple as possible when you want to move and store your precious domestic and business valuables. We provide all the equipment and assets such as forklift truck use, van hire, unloading areas and parking to make the project go as swiftly and easily as possible. Our staff also offer as much support on site as possible.

However, as much as we will ensure that your valuables are safe (we use CCTV, high security infrared beams, state of the art alarm systems, and perimeter fencing) we want to make sure you stay physically safe when you may be doing a lot of heavy lifting when moving and storing. So here is our guidance for moving some of that heavy stuff:

Before you consider lifting

Check the route

You need to have an idea as to how far you will be taking the heavy object. Is this something you can manage? Check out the route you will be taking and if there are any obstacles in the way. You do not want to be continuously picking up and putting the object down so wedge doors open where you can. Make sure you are aware of sudden slopes and steps. Especially the small ones.

The easiest hold

Check the item to see if it has easy to hold handles. Even cardboard boxes are sometimes equipped with side handles to make them easier to pick up.

Will you be able to see?

When you pick up the item will it restrict your view? Consider the height of the object and whether you will be able to see in front of you when in hold. If you cannot see clearly in front of you do not attempt to move the object – you will need another method.

Can you cope with the weight?

Is the weight acceptable? If you feel strained on lifting – don’t do it. You either need to move the item with someone else or use a piece of equipment to move it.

Ready your muscles

If moving extra heavy objects, or a lot of objects, it may be a good idea to do some warm up exercises beforehand to avoid cramp.

Lifting safely

Position your feet evenly either side of the object at about shoulder width apart. Squat to the floor by bending the knees. Never bend your back and raise. Take hold of the object and spread the weight evenly – ensure you feel balanced. While keeping the object close to the body straighten your legs to stand up. This way you are not putting strain on any other parts of your body – only your legs. When placing the object down do the process in reverse. Bend at the legs to place the object on the ground.

Be safe! See you soon!

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Tel: 01227 751673 Mobile: 07841 260 500 Adrress: 1-5, Thunderhill Business Park, Hickmans Green, Boughton-under-Blean, Faversham ME13 9NT

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