29 Oct 5 Mistakes Kamloops Businesses Make When Packing for Commercial Storage
Before you gather boxes and start packing for commercial storage, a little planning and know-how go a long way to an organized move, and an organized self storage unit.
When your business becomes cluttered, it’s time to start researching Kamloops commercial storage options. Valleyview Mini Storage offers 45 different storage unit sizes, so that most Kamloops businesses, small or large, will find the right fit.
The following is a list of top mistakes businesses make when packing for commercial storage:
1) Failure to Research Kamloops Commercial Storage Companies
There are many Kamloops storage companies that provide residential and commercial storage. If you’re thinking “Storage is storage, so I can choose any self storage company”, by doing so, you may be costing yourself money, time, and frustration.
What to do
We recommend that commercial storage customers visit storage company websites and find out if the company has:
- Flexible storage hours
- Key card-only access
- Video monitoring of every storage unit
- Climate controls
- A variety of storage unit sizes
- Convenient location and ample parking
Valleyview Mini Storage ticks all of the boxes above. Our Kamloops storage facility is accessible by customers from 7 am to 7 pm, seven days per week. We employ the latest in security, including key card-only access and video monitoring. Our state-of-the-art climate controls keep temperature and humidity at ideal levels, so your business’s belongings aren’t affected by extremes in temperature or moisture.
2) Moving Everything to Commercial Storage
It’s very tempting to pack everything that’s not being used, but by doing so you’ll likely be packing and moving things you don’t really need to keep. These items will take up space, you’ll be paying for commercial storage square footage you don’t need and/or taking up space in your storage unit that could be used for higher priority items.
What to do
First, take a rough inventory of things you’d like to move to storage. Recycle, sell, donate, or give away items that are no longer needed.
3) Unsafe or Poor Packing
Cramming items into a box without much thought might get packing done more quickly, but you’ll regret it if you drop on overfilled box, hurt your back, or items become damaged. Haphazard packing also makes items harder to find when needed.
What to do
- Use new or sturdy boxes with lids
- Do not overfill boxes. Use more boxes instead!
- Use ample packing paper or bubble wrap
- Use ample tape to secure the box lid
- Group similar items in a box (for instances, pack electronics, cables, keyboards together in one or several boxes).
4) Unhelpful Box Labels
While most people will label a box, many use labels that aren’t particularly helpful. For example, “Office” may tell you the room the box contents came from, but it’s too general.
What to do
Be as specific as you can when labelling boxes. You may even list some important items that are in the box to jog your memory. For example, your label might be “Back Office Electronics” and the list below the label (in sharpie or another label) might list “computer cables, keyboards, optical mouse, hard drive”.
5) Poorly Organized Commercial Storage Unit
For some business owners, finally packing and moving items to storage is “mission accomplished” and organizing the storage unit is not a high priority. Storing things “wherever” in your storage unit may be fine if you don’t need to retrieve items later, but it can also cause a lot of frustration and valuable time later.
What to do
- Store larger items against storage walls
- Disassemble office furnishings when you can
- Store documents in file cabinets or bankers’ boxes
- Bring utility shelving into your storage unit to further organize
- Store items that you’re more likely to retrieve later toward the front of the storage unit
- When you bring an item into storage and place it, make a note of its location on paper or in a spreadsheet
For more tips on packing for storage, read “How to Pack Your Kamloops Storage Unit Efficiently and Safely”.
Questions About Our Kamloops Commercial Storage Facility?
If your business needs commercial storage, consider Valleyview Mini Storage – the most trusted name in Kamloops storage. If you need help choosing the right size storage unit, or have questions about packing and organizing storage, contact us. Our storage facility staff is always happy to help!