Plenty of small businesses run into the same problems of running out of space to operate. Storage.com is here to help provide solutions for growing businesses, whether through unique tips or additional space.
The number of handmade and one-of-a-kind products you can find within Etsy shops today is endless, and the trend of selling your trade on these online marketplaces is only increasing due to the demand of individuals wanting to buy high-quality, personalized items from the comforts of their own home.
With increasing popularity and growing inventory, many Etsy shop owners running online businesses have turned to secure self-storage facilities to manage their shop’s materials, inventory management, and overall growth.
Storage.com visited with three Etsy shop owners to learn how to help provide business solutions for growing businesses with evolving storage needs and how self storage has played a role in the continued growth and success of their stores.
Grow Your Etsy Shop By Using Self-Storage
When you are selling high-quality products and have thousands of comments from satisfied customers to support your business’s mission statement, it doesn’t take long before your Etsy shop gains popularity. However, with gaining popularity comes the demand for more products at a quicker turnover rate, and the materials that make up the products can take up precious space. This is especially true if what you are selling is furniture and other large household decor.
Amanda and Karla Eksteen, owners of Vintage Hip Decor, said they knew about six months into starting their Etsy store that they were going to need to explore self-storage facilities in their area. “We started our business in the den of our home, which served as both our office space and workshop, and within a few months we were tired of having all kinds of furniture take up every spare bit of space in our home. We had no room to move. We are constantly finding furniture that we want to refinish and need some place to put it. It accumulates fast!”
Due to the continued growth of their Etsy shop, Amanda and Karla have recently upgraded to a larger warehouse-style space that provides them with 1,000 extra square feet where they can have their wood shop and storage unit all under one roof. Before upgrading, the Eksteens evaluated various unit sizes and were renting a 10×40 storage unit that provides approximately 400 square feet of space and is roughly the size of a small garage, where they organized their inventory using shelving units to maximize space. “It makes keeping our inventory under eye easy so that we can stay inspired to get pieces refinished as soon as possible,” they said.
The Eksteens said that having this storage space has not only been a solution for their initial space issue, but it is also a great way to show potential clients who live in the area what they have in stock. “It is great to have furniture on hand to offer clients who are looking to pick a paint color for it themselves,” they said.
Keep Your Etsy Shop Inventory Organized In A Storage Unit
If you have been selling your one-of-a-kind products through an Etsy shop for a while, chances are the products you sell in your store evolve and grow. When it comes to managing a growing inventory, Shannon Harris, owner of Elegant Holidays Inc., knows firsthand how self storage can help.
Harris says that she knew during her second year of business that a self-storage unit was going to become necessary in order to manage the inventory for her business. For the last three years, she has rented a 120 square foot storage unit to house her off-season materials.
“I sell four seasons of wreaths and materials, rotating my seasonal stock throughout the year,” says Harris. “I move material back and forth from my work space because I don’t have enough space to carry all of the materials. I keep the current season in my home but store off-season material. [The storage unit] keeps me organized in my work space and more productive in selling the current product. The unit also houses my packaging materials and shipping supplies, keeping everything organized in one location.”
Expand Your Space And Creativity With A Storage Unit
Are you on the fence about whether or not a self storage unit would benefit your Etsy shop? Tonya Bice, who runs her online business, TwoInspireYou, through Etsy, says she knew a year into starting her business that a self storage unit would benefit her business plan greatly and is preparing to reserve her first unit. She says she is planning to reserve either a 10×20 or 10×30 storage unit for her materials, packing materials, samples, and finished products.
“I’m currently considering what unit size will meet my current needs and allow TwoInspireYou to grow,” says Bice. “Utilizing self storage will allow me the space to grow my handmade wreath business significantly without the storage constraints I previously faced when running the business out of my home. The space will especially allow me to rotate my seasonal materials and work more efficiently with the current season supplies that are needed.”
Not only will a storage unit help Bice with storing seasonal inventory and free up space in her home, it will also allow her the opportunity to buy materials in bulk when it is most convenient for her. “I can purchase bulk wholesale inventory months in advance and know that I’ll have it on hand when I need it!” says Bice.
Bice also mentions that a climate-controlled storage unit would be a necessary feature for her business. “Hot and muggy temperatures might damage my materials and make some products stick together. Cold weather can also cause items to shatter at times,” says Bice.
Bice strongly believes that having a storage unit as part of her business plan will also lead to increased sales within her Etsy shop. “The extra space will allow me to expand my creativity, potentially even setting up a dedicated photo studio area for product photography, and purchase new materials which can be utilized to create unique TwoInspireYou wreaths. Offering new and differentiated items will drive new business while allowing returning customers more opportunities to purchase, leading to increased sales.”
Whether you’re managing seasonal stock, need space for shipping supplies, or are considering your business’s future storage needs, storage facilities offer flexible business solutions for Etsy sellers. Many small business owners find that the right storage facility becomes an essential part of their operations, complementing their home workspace or office space.
