In the ever-changing landscape of modern trading, small businesses need innovative solutions to survive and thrive. They need to optimise their operations, reduce overhead costs, and enhance their overall efficiency. 

One simple solution has gained remarkable traction with fantastic results — self storage. No longer just a personal convenience, self storage has become a vital resource for many small businesses. 

Today, budding startups and growing companies are turning to self storage to simplify operations, manage inventory, and expand without the strain of physical space limitations. Below, we discuss the benefits of these convenient storage spaces and how they are changing the game for small businesses. 

What Problems Do Small Businesses Face With Space?

A small business owner struggling with limited space in their offices
  • Limited Storage Capacity: Small businesses may need more storage space to house their inventory, supplies, equipment, and products. A lack of space can mean disorganisation, clutter, and difficulty locating critical items when they’re needed.
  • Workspace Congestion: Low workspace can hinder your employees’ productivity and collaboration. When employees are crammed into tight quarters, it can lead to distractions, reduced efficiency, and a less productive environment where creative thinking tends to bottle-neck and dry up.
  • Inventory Management Issues: Limited storage can make managing your inventory a logistical nightmare. Businesses might struggle to keep track of stock levels, leading to supply issues or overstocking, both of which can result in lost sales and poor customer satisfaction.
  • Expensive Commercial Space: Renting or purchasing commercial space in ideal locations can be costly for small businesses. High rental costs can eat into your budget, leaving less funds available for other critical business needs.
  • Lack of Flexibility: Traditional commercial leases often come with long-term commitments and limited flexibility that leave little wiggle room for adjusting to business needs. Small businesses might find themselves stuck with spaces that no longer meet their requirements due to growth, downsizing, or sudden changes in operations.
  • Compliance and Safety: Certain businesses have specific requirements for their workspace to meet safety, regulatory, and compliance standards. Space limitations can make it challenging for you as an owner to implement these necessary measures, possibly leading to legal issues.
  • Less Creative and Collaborative Spaces: Some businesses — especially those in creative industries — require spaces that can encourage creativity. A lack of collaborative spaces can hinder your much-needed brainstorming sessions, idea generation, and the development of new products or services.

How Can Self Storage Help Small Businesses?

A small business owner happily packing away their stock in a self storage unit for businesses.

Cost-Effectiveness 

For small businesses, handling operational costs is a headache-inducing challenge. Traditional commercial spaces often come with overhead expenses, such as rent, utilities, and maintenance. Self storage offers a cost-effective alternative by allowing your business to store its items in a secure and accessible space without dealing with too many financial worries. This budget-friendly choice will help you allocate resources more efficiently.

Flexibility & Scalability 

The ebb and flow of business demand can be unpredictable, making it essential for small enterprises to go with flexible choices. Self storage facilities allow businesses to adjust their storage needs to any seasonal fluctuations, market trends, or sudden emergencies. 

Self storage units provide the scalability that small businesses need to survive dynamic marketplace changes, whether it’s a short term storage during peak seasons or a long-term solution for excess inventory.

Inventory Management 

Efficient inventory management lies at the heart of every successful business. Storing inventory can quickly become a challenge, especially for small businesses  working in limited spaces. Self storage facilities provide extra space for storing inventory, preventing clutter in the workspace and helping with organisation. 

Security & Accessibility 

Every small business will have security worries, especially when it comes to storing valuable assets. Modern self storage facilities will offer features such as surveillance cameras, access control systems, and on-site personnel to give you peace of mind and maximum protection for your goods. 

Reducing Clutter 

A cluttered workspace can stop your productivity in its tracks and put a real damper on the creative process. Self storage units provide an off-site solution for storing non-essential items in order to free up valuable workspace for other business activities. 

Transitioning to E-Commerce 

E-commerce offers fantastic growth opportunities (something we all learned during the pandemic). With this transformation, many small businesses have had to rethink their operational strategies. A self storage unit can serve as a distribution point for businesses that mainly operate online. It provides a hub for storing inventory, packing materials, and fulfilling orders. 

How To Book a Business Self Storage Unit

Outside shot of a Wigwam self storage facility

Here’s how to reserve a Wigwam business storage unit:

  1. Choose your location
  2. Select a storage unit size using our practical space calculator
  3. After receiving your quote, complete the booking process online, via email or in store 
  4. Move in 

By embracing modern solutions, entrepreneurs can succeed in an ever-evolving marketplace. Wigwam’s secure business self storage facilities are conveniently located in Chipping Norton and Bromsgrove, with a variety of unit sizes for storing merchandise, palletised goods, office furniture and more. Get a price today, or reach out to our friendly team to learn more.

Simon Fothergill
Written by

Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage. He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space. With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.

Customer Reviews

Wigwam Self Storage place picture
4.9
Excellent service from Wigwam Self Storage Lincoln. The staff were friendly, helpful and professional from start to finish. The storage unit was clean, secure and easy to access. Everything was explained clearly, and the whole process was quick and straightforward.

I would definitely recommend Wigwam Self Storage to anyone looking for a safe and reliable place to store their belongings. Great service!
Paul Adams profile picture
Paul Adams
7 days ago
Very clean space, app works really well. Plenty of trolleys available.
Stephen Grey profile picture
Stephen Grey
1 week ago
I have dealt with both Selina and Sascha, in person and via email. The service each of them has provided has been excellent and makes me feel that I have made the right decision to use Wigwam's services.
Colin C Harman profile picture
Colin C Harman
1 week ago
I have used the storage at Cheltenham for nearly two years now and have always been glad I made the change from a large facility in Kingsditch. I recall leaving a glowing review of Casey and his team when I first took on the unit. Just yesterday I left a less than complimentary review but have discovered my frustration at the time was due to misleading info I obtained over the Internet and nothing to do with Wigwam. So that review is withdrawn and I continue to recommend Wigwam as a convenient town centre facility, well run and utilising a high tech, easy to use entry system.
Dom Hall profile picture
Dom Hall
1 week ago
I can no longer recommend this storage facility after being a customer here for a few weeks. The lift to the second floor has been broken for some time, and this is a serious problem - the stairs are too narrow to get anything remotely large up to your unit, which makes storing bigger items essentially impossible. For me, that defeated the main purpose of renting a locker here.

On top of that, the dolly trolleys are meant to be returned to a designated point after use, but in practice no one does this, so you end up hunting for one. Most of the time they’re left in a separate building I don’t have access to, meaning I have to walk around 50m through corridors and up stairs carrying my belongings just to reach my unit. I reported this to reception and was told they’d return the trolleys to the proper point, but nothing has changed.

Parking is another issue - the boxing gym attached to the building also uses the car park, so it often feels crowded.

Only use this facility if you’re desperate. Otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.
Steve Rooney profile picture
Steve Rooney
2 weeks ago
Good experience so far ! Staff Helpful and available if any issues ! Appreciate the discounted offered for 8 weeks, so took advantage of that ! wish it was longer !!!
Easy to navigate the site with easy access and facilities !
Tony Watson profile picture
Tony Watson
2 weeks ago
Fantastic idea to use an app to gain entry. Once set up it's so easy to use and saves faffing around with keys and security fobs. My first visit was a revelation and is a definite encouragement to keep going back.
Well done Wigwam!!
Benjamin Currie profile picture
Benjamin Currie
3 weeks ago
Got a small lock up for short term use - getting set up was quick and easy. Introductory offer is also great.
All the team we've dealt with at Wigwam have provided fantastic customer service with some lovely personal touches. Our storage unit and the surrounding site is clean, well maintained and good value for money. I would definitely recommend.
Brian Stacey profile picture
Brian Stacey
3 weeks ago
Really friendly team, very helpful and good facilities. Would happily use Wigwam for short term storage again. Cheers!
Laura Smith profile picture
Laura Smith
3 weeks ago
Great storage facility, would highly recommend. The process of booking and accessing the unit was really straightforward and customer service has been excellent.
Chris Sabin profile picture
Chris Sabin
4 weeks ago
Lovely helpful friendly staff
Transparent pricing
Very happy with the service.