Okay, so here’s the thing.
I run a storage place. You know that. But before I ran a storage place, I was selling stuff on eBay. Old motorcycle parts mostly. Stuff I’d find at swap meets and garage sales.
My garage looked like a bomb went off in a Harley Davidson factory.
My wife hated it. Like really hated it. I’d come home with another box of carburetors and she’d just look at me. Didn’t even have to say anything. That look said enough.
So I get it. I really do.
Let Me Guess Where Your Stuff Is
You’re probably reading this because you sell something online. Maybe it’s your main thing. Maybe it’s a side hustle. Doesn’t matter. What matters is you’ve got stuff. And that stuff is probably in your house right now.
Am I right?
Living room. Spare bedroom. Garage. Basement. Maybe all of the above.
One Order Takes Forever
And here’s what happens. You get an order. Great. But then you have to go find the thing. And it’s under something else. So you move that thing. Then you find another thing in the way. Then you finally find the product but now you can’t find your packing tape because your kid used it to wrap a birthday present and put it back in the wrong drawer.
Twenty minutes later you’re finally sealing the box. Twenty minutes. For one order.
Now multiply that by however many orders you get in a week.
That’s your life right now. That’s the tax you’re paying for keeping inventory at home.
We All Start In The House
And look. I’m not saying you’re wrong for doing it. We all start that way. I did. My neighbor did. The lady who rents three units from me for her candle business? She started in her kitchen. Her husband almost divorced her over the wax situation. True story.
But at some point you gotta ask yourself. Is this working?
Not like “is it technically functioning” working. Like is it actually working for your life.
What Happens When You Keep Inventory At Home
Because here’s what I see when people keep inventory at home.
They’re always tired. Not from working too much. From working in a space that fights them every step of the way.
They lose stuff. Not because they’re careless. Because when you have boxes stacked three high and five deep you’re gonna lose stuff. It’s just math.
They mess up orders. Send the wrong size. Wrong color. Double sell something they ran out of last month. Then they have to email the customer and apologize and it’s this whole thing.
They stop enjoying their business. Which is the worst part honestly. You started this thing because you liked it. Because it was fun. Because you wanted to make some money doing something you enjoy.
Now it’s just stress. Boxes everywhere. Always behind. Always looking for something.
That’s not why you started.
What changes when you move out
So here’s what I tell people.
Get a storage unit. Not because I’m trying to sell you one. Because I’ve seen what happens when you do.
You move your stuff out of your house. All of it. The inventory. The shipping supplies. The extra packaging. Everything.
Suddenly your house is your house again. Your dining table is for eating. Your garage is for parking. Your spare bedroom is for guests or whatever. Not boxes.
Now when you get an order you don’t have to hunt for anything. You drive to your unit. Five minutes maybe. You walk in. Your stuff is on shelves. Labeled. Organized. You grab it. You pack it right there because you’ve got a little table and your tape gun is right there. You leave.
Fifteen minutes total. Maybe less.
That’s the difference.
Two Things People Don’t Think About
And here’s something people don’t think about.
When your inventory is at home you can’t write it off. It’s just your stuff in your house. But when you rent a storage unit for your business? That’s an expense. You can claim that on your taxes. Talk to your accountant but yeah. That’s a thing.
Also security. Look I’m not saying your neighborhood is dangerous. But your house gets mail delivery. Packages dropped off. People coming and going. Your storage unit? It’s in a facility with cameras. Gates. Locks. Nobody’s wandering through there looking for boxes to grab.
We’ve got people storing thousands of dollars worth of inventory in our units. Clothes. Electronics. Tools. Whatever. They sleep fine because they know it’s not sitting in their garage with the door cracked open.
What size actually works
So what size do you need?
Most people guess wrong. They think they need a huge unit. They don’t. Or they think a tiny closet will work and then they can’t move around.
If you’re just starting out and you’ve got maybe twenty or thirty boxes? 5×10 is plenty. That’s like a big closet. Shelves on one side. Room to stand and pack on the other.
If you’ve got a real business going? Hundred plus items? Different sizes and colors and SKUs? 10×10 or 10×15. Enough for good shelving. A packing station. Room to walk around without bumping into stuff.
If you’re filling your garage right now? Like actually can’t park in it? 10×20. That’s half a garage basically. You’d be surprised how much that holds when you put up proper shelves.
Climate Control Or Not
And climate control. You need it or you don’t. Here’s how to know.
If you sell clothes? Get climate control. Humidity ruins fabric. Musty smell doesn’t come out.
Paper goods? Books? Same thing. Moisture wrecks paper.
Electronics? Definitely.
Food? Coffee? Candles? Absolutely.
If you’re selling car parts or tools or stuff that doesn’t care about heat and cold? Regular unit is fine. Save your money.
Don’t Skip This Part
One thing I tell everyone. Get shelving. I cannot tell you how many people rent a unit and just throw boxes on the floor. Then a month later they’re digging through piles and complaining they can’t find anything. Yeah no kidding. You created a problem and then you’re mad at the problem. Get shelves. Plastic bins. Label them. Front and top. So you can see what’s what from any angle.
Costs a little upfront. Saves you hours every week. Worth it.
Also get a good lock. Not the little cheap one from the grocery store. Get a disc lock. Harder to cut. We sell them in the office. Or get one online. Just don’t cheap out on security.
What It Really Costs
Alright, so you’re probably wondering about cost.
I’m not gonna sit here and pretend storage is free. It’s not. You pay rent every month. Fair enough.
But what’s it costing you right now to keep stuff at home?
Time. Stress. Mistakes. The occasional ruined product. Your partner’s patience. Your own sanity.
Add that up. What’s it worth?
I had a guy tell me once he spent three hundred dollars on storage for a year. Three hundred bucks. And in that year he doubled his sales. Why? Because he wasn’t wasting time looking for stuff. He was packing orders faster. Shipping faster. Getting better reviews. Selling more.
He said the storage unit paid for itself in the first month.
I’m not saying that happens for everyone. But I’ve seen it happen enough to know it’s not a coincidence.
Come See For Yourself
Look. I run this place. Obviously I want you to rent from me. That’s how I pay my bills. But more than that I want you to think about your business and your house and whether the way you’re doing things right now is actually working.
If you’re tripping over boxes and losing stuff and your dining table hasn’t been cleared in six months? Something’s gotta change.
Maybe that’s a storage unit. Maybe it’s something else. I don’t know your situation.
But if you want to come by and see what we’ve got? Walk through a few units? Get a feel for the size? I’m here. Door’s open. No pressure.
Bring your phone. Take pictures. Think about your stuff and where it would go and how you’d set it up.
And if you decide to rent? Cool. We’ll get you set up. Month to month. Drive up access. Good lights. Clean.
If you decide not to? Also cool. No hard feelings.
But do something. Don’t just keep living with the chaos. That’s not helping your business. That’s not helping your house. That’s not helping you.
Your business should make your life better. Not harder.
Anyway. That’s my spiel. I gotta go. Got a guy coming in at 2 to look at a 10×15. Says he sells vintage t-shirts. Probably gonna need climate control.
Come by sometime. We’ll talk.
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