Running an online business from home has loads of benefits in terms of overheads, and it allows for flexibility in terms of working hours. However, as the business grows, more space will be required for it to operate efficaciously. You may find yourself dealing with more inventory and a proper order fulfilment process that sometimes becomes cumbersome from home. That is when e-commerce storage solutions come into the equation. Taking your business to business storage can free your home, help you be more productive, and have a better inventory management system.

1. Assess Your Storage Requirements

• Inventory Size
  How much stock do you currently possess? And how regularly do these levels of stock change?

• Product Types
  Are you selling perishable goods, fragile products, or bulkier items that require more space and possibly climate control?

• Growth Expectations
  How fast do you think your business will grow, and therefore do you think you may outgrow a storage space?

2. Choosing the Right E-commerce Storage Unit in Birmingham

• Size
  A large space is one of the factors to consider. Your storage space must be large enough to facilitate the current amount of stock you have. However, do not forget to leave extra space that can help in case your inventory grows. Also, a size that will help you to arrange the stock you have while having enough room for a packing and shipping station if necessary.

• Location
  Select a business storage unit that is close to your business operations or customer base for effective logistics. If you require storage facilities in Birmingham, then find such units that could help in local deliveries and ensure easy access to transport hubs if you want to ship throughout the country or even abroad.

• Accessibility
  Ensure that your business warehouse provides flexible hours of access so you can access the stock if it needs to be shipped or picked up within the day. This is particularly important for e-commerce businesses with generally fluctuating demand and, therefore, seasonal peaks. This ensures devising solutions matching traffic of all kinds.

• Security
  Ensure the facility has good safety features, such as 24/7 CCTV surveillance and alarm systems, and the introduction of controlled access. It is safe to store your inventory if the products you sell represent a significant portion of your business's value.

3. Efficient Organisation of Your Inventory

• Use Shelving and Vertical Storage
  Make the most use of your storage area by including shelving units, which will maximise your space. You can store more quantities without overflowing the floor, gain easier access, and maintain an order in your products. Vertical storage also helps keep products separated according to type, category, and season.

• Label Everything
  Clearly mark the boxes and shelves to easily identify the product without having to dive through the storeroom. Use bold, easy-to-read labels and include as many details in the labels as possible such as product details, SKU numbers, or inventory codes.

• Define Zones
  You should first define certain areas for stock storage, packing, and shipping within your business storage unit. Different zones in your business storage unit will keep your workflow smooth and clutter-free. For example, you could have a tiny space all packed with your packing materials and a table for preparing orders, while the remaining part of the space is for your inventory.

• Design Stock Control System
  You can avoid overstocking and understocking through an inventory management system. Many e-commerce shops avail their inventory tracking feature, which allows you to monitor what is in stock, needs restocking, or is fast sellers. Mixing digitalised inventory management with your proper physical setup will ensure that your business runs efficiently and smoothly from the e-commerce storage unit in Birmingham.

4. Monitor And Process Your Orders 

• Create a Packing Station
  Create a space in your storage unit to house your online business for packing and shipping products. Stock this area with packing materials such as boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and labels. This will save you so much time and allow you to pack orders much faster.

• Plan to Visit Regularly
  Make regular visits to your storage unit based on the volume of orders, to collect products, pack the orders, and prepare to ship them out. Depending on your business, you will need to come there daily or weekly, one or two times.

• Make use of Courier Services
  Most storage facilities in Birmingham such as Spacebox Self Storage have ties with local couriers or are located at prime areas that are conveniently close to shipping hubs. Work with courier services to coordinate and liaise on the regular pickup from your e-commerce storage unit so that it promptly reaches the customers.

5. Scale Your Operations with Flexibility