Want tips for running your business without interruption during a large renovation?
Commercial renovations are thrilling. You’re finally bringing new life to your stale space and watching it transform into a beautiful revenue-producing area.
But there’s one issue most commercial renovations fail to plan for.
Lost income during downtime.
Did you know businesses can lose 20-30% of daily revenue if renovation projects are poorly planned? Downtime really adds up.
Fortunately, storage planning using self storage units is one of the best ways to reduce downtime.
What you’ll discover:
- Why Downtime Is The Enemy Of Profits
- Self Storage Prevents The Renovation Blues
- Your Step-By-Step Storage Plan For Renovations
- How To Choose The Perfect Storage Unit For Your Renovation
Why Downtime Is The Enemy Of Profits
Renovations are a major expense. The average renovation ranges from $50 to $250 per square foot. While the costs of construction and labor will vary based on your specific project, there’s one cost that many business owners tend to overlook…
Downtime.
When renovations take longer than expected (and they often do) you’re forced to deal with a variety of setbacks. Your labor costs go up. Material costs increase because of delays in the supply chain. But worst of all, you lose precious revenue while your business is unable to run at full capacity.
Downtime equals lost income.
The longer a renovation takes, the more money your business loses on labor, rental space, and lost income. But did you plan to lose money while renovating?
Businesses can take advantage of Arizona storage units to store furniture, equipment and inventory while renovations are happening. Everything is out of the way so contractors can do their job faster.
Self Storage Prevents The Renovation Blues
The self storage industry now surpasses 2.1 billion square feet of inventory throughout the United States. Despite a glut of available storage space, many businesses undergoing renovations don’t even consider utilizing self storage units.
Self storage spaces are like having a temporary warehouse on-hand when you’re renovating.
Here’s the thing: When renovations are taking place, you want contractors to have full access to the commercial space. That means moving furniture, inventory, equipment, signage and anything else that’s taking up space. If that stuff is still in your business while contractors are working, everything takes longer.
- Contractors have to move things out of the way.
- Your employees trip over boxes.
- Construction equipment bumps into inventory knocking things over.
- The list goes on…
Moving space-clearing items to self storage units before renovations begin allows your business to…
- Increase renovation speed — empty spaces allow contractors to work quickly and efficiently
- Prevent damage to inventory — no forklifts running into your merchandise
- Reduce employee headaches — your employees won’t get frustrated moving boxes every day
It’s really that simple.
Storage units come in every size imaginable. And they’re typically month-to-month rentals. This means you’ll only be paying for the unit while you’re renovating. Best of all, you can choose a storage facility that matches your budget.
Your Step-By-Step Storage Plan For Renovations
If you don’t have a game plan laid out before renovations start, you’ll be flying blind. Don’t make this mistake. Implement this storage method before day one.
Make An Inventory List
This step should be done as early as possible. You want to give yourself plenty of time to determine what you’re going to do with everything in your commercial space.
Make a list of every item then sort that list into 3 different categories…
- Keep. Items that will be needed during construction.
- Store. Furniture, equipment and inventory that can live in a storage unit until renovation is complete.
- Trash. Broken items, or items you simply don’t need and are taking up space.
Completing this step not only saves you time, it saves you money. Most businesses are buried in junk they don’t even know they have. Cleaning out before renovations is the perfect opportunity to de-clutter.
Selecting The Proper Sized Storage Unit
Pad your unit size. If you think you need a small storage unit, get medium. This rule will save you so much aggravation. Here’s why…
You never know how you’re going to fit everything into a storage unit until you start moving things. If you pack your unit too full you’ll have to unpack half of your stuff to fit the couch in… and then you have to repack it later.
By giving yourself extra space, you can easily fit items into the unit without boxing things in.
Timing The Move To Storage
Move as soon as you can. Ideally, you want everything out of your commercial space stored in self storage units one week before renovations start. That way on Day 1, contractors have an empty space to work with.
Weeks later, when renovations are complete and you’re ready to move stuff back… everything will be in storage. Moving will be quick and easy.
How To Choose The Perfect Storage Unit For Your Renovation
Just like there are different storage needs during a renovation, there are different types of storage units.
Climate Controlled – Climate controlled units are necessary for storing electronics, paperwork, leather furniture or anything else that can be damaged by extreme temperatures and humidity levels.
Standard units are great for storing general office furniture such as desks, chairs, tables, signage, etc.
Security Features – Don’t underestimate storage facility security features. You’ll want a facility that offers 24/7 video surveillance, gated access to the property and individual alarms on each storage unit. The last thing you need during a renovation is stolen property.
Access Hours – Finally, take note of a facility’s access hours. Some provide 24-hour access to their storage units. Others only allow access during business hours. Think about if you’ll need to grab something from storage outside of the typical 9-5 and choose a facility that matches your needs.
Wrapping It All Up
Commercial renovations shouldn’t bring your business to a halt. Using self storage units to prepare for renovations can help you…
- Limit downtime — give your contractors empty rooms to start with
- Keep assets safe — don’t risk furniture and equipment getting damaged on-site
- Stay open for business — clear spaces mean fewer headaches for you and your employees
Again, the key to success here is planning ahead of time. Make an inventory list. Rent the proper size storage unit. Move items out ahead of schedule and then move them back in once renovations are complete.
It really is that easy.
Any business that takes the time to strategize their storage plan before renovations begin will save money. Less downtime equals less lost revenue. The less money you lose while renovating, the faster your renovation will pay for itself.
Don’t wait until construction crews show up to start worrying about where everything is going. Have a plan in place with self storage units and you’ll never miss a beat.
