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The 2020 pandemic significantly changed the retail landscape. It triggered a massive increase in ecommerce sales. More retail sales required businesses to increase their storage space, which resulted in a shortage of warehouse space. Some companies began to hoard any available space they could get – even if it was 50% larger than what they needed – according to a February 2022 The New York Times article. One answer to the space shortage is shared warehousing. This solution works well for a variety of business sizes and is ideal for small businesses looking to increase their storage or workspace. Should your small business consider moving into a shared warehouse space for rent? It might be the solution you need to get the right amount of space for your business.
What Is Shared Warehousing?
Shared warehouse spaces allow multiple businesses to share the cost and amenities of an entire warehouse. Since renters spread the total cost among those using the warehouse, the rental rates are more affordable for small businesses. These facilities also might be called public warehouses or co-warehouses.
Small shared warehouse spaces present a solution for small businesses looking to expand their product offerings without incurring the cost of renting a dedicated warehouse facility. For a full list of amenities offered with shared warehousing, visit WareSpace’s amenities page.
What Is a Dedicated Warehouse?
A dedicated warehouse space differs from a shared facility in the number of businesses that use it. Only one company operates from a dedicated warehouse and that business covers all of the costs of using the facility. Large companies use dedicated warehouses because they need the additional space and have the means to pay for it.
Space
One of the biggest benefits of small shared warehouse space is the ability to pick how much or little space your business needs. When a business purchases a dedicated warehouse they have to pay for the entire space even if it goes unused. Companies like WareSpace work with you to determine how much space you need.
The biggest reason for businesses to choose a dedicated warehouse is for the extra space. For businesses that have high inventory volumes, this extra space allows them to store additional goods to fulfill more sales. To get the most from a dedicated warehouse, the business renting it must make use of every inch of space available. Small businesses typically don’t have as large of sales volume, so they end up renting storage space that goes to waste.
Cost
Cost is frequently a prohibiting factor for most small businesses to want warehouse space. These smaller entities don’t have the extra capital to afford the operating costs that come with large warehouses.
Dedicated warehouses have higher rental rates due to their large size. The company leasing the warehouse must also pay for utilities, on-site managers, security, and other personnel to run the facility. Shared warehouse spaces distribute these operating costs among all the businesses that use the facility and bundle the costs into the rental terms.
Rental Time
Rental agreements for dedicated warehouses don’t allow the business to quickly make changes. Rather than monthly agreements, dedicated warehouses may lock the business into a lease that lasts for years.
Which Is Best for My Business?
For small businesses, the best option may be to find a shared small warehouse space to rent. These facilities offer several benefits over dedicated warehouses aside from cost savings.
Sizing for Your Business
Bigger is not always better when it comes to warehouse space. Unused space equals wasted money in rental payments. Finding a warehouse that fits the needs of your business is much easier with shared warehouse providers given they offer various unit sizes.
A business looking to upgrade from home storage and operations will find that choosing a small shared warehouse space for rent is the best option to meet its growing needs.
Sizing is also important in the rental terms. With shared warehouse spaces, the price of a space correlates with its size. Therefore, a business that only needs a small warehouse space pays less than a growing company that requires a larger space for its increasing storage needs.
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Flexibility for the Future
As the pandemic taught everyone, the business world can change quickly. Ecommerce businesses saw a 50.9% increase in sales between 2019 and 2021. This rapid change correlated with small businesses’ rising need for more storage space.
To accommodate these growing businesses, shared warehouses make a variety of space sizes available from small to large. With short-term leases, shared warehouse spaces provide small businesses the flexibility to easily scale up or downsize their space in a dynamic economy.
Amenities for Business Success
A dedicated warehouse requires the business to add in and provide all amenities. It must pay for security, warehouse managers, material handling equipment, racks, shipping, and order fulfillment workers. A shared warehouse offers these amenities as part of the rental cost.
Some of the best amenities in shared warehouse spaces include:
- Conference rooms
- Kitchens
- Secure, high-speed Wi-Fi
- Electricity
- Loading docks
- Industrial-grade racking
- On-site security
- Warehouse equipment
- Package receiving
- Pallet disposal
- Various warehouse space sizes
Not all shared warehouse providers have the above amenities. Find a small shared warehouse to rent that includes the amenities your business needs to thrive. When you do have a functional work and storage space, you’ll have the tools you need to focus on operating and expanding your business.
How to Take Advantage of Shared Warehouse for Rent for Small Business
To ensure that you get a return on your investment in a small warehouse space, you need to know how to make the most of the space and its amenities. Taking advantage of the available perks of a shared warehouse will give you the most significant return on your rental investment.
Loading Docks
Make the most of having a loading dock at your business’s disposal. These areas allow you to work with larger carriers that require loading areas for making deliveries.
Loading docks also facilitate shipping for deliveries ranging from a filled pallet to a truckload. Sending and receiving goods in bulk can help your business to save money and allow you to easily expand your product offerings.
Small Warehouse Spaces Around the Country
A study from McKinsey of multichannel shoppers showed that 50% of consumers chose to shop elsewhere when delivery times were too long. You don’t want to lose business due to the extended time required to send from a single warehouse space. One solution involves using small warehouse spaces around the country to provide closer locations to consumers from which you ship your products.
By cutting your shipping time, you can retain more customers, avoid cart abandonment due to shipping times, and improve customer satisfaction. Small warehouse spaces make having distributed delivery systems possible.
Shared Office Benefits
Another unseen advantage of choosing small shared warehouse space for rent is the chance to collaborate with other business owners in a workplace setting. In facilities that offer shared office amenities, such as conference rooms, lounges, and kitchens, you have space to conduct your business outside of your home or a coffee shop. You also can connect with other small business owners who also use the shared warehouse and build your professional network.
Is Small Shared Warehouse Space Right for Your Business?
Does your small business need the advantages of a warehouse without the extra cost? Finding a shared warehouse space for rent may be the solution you need. At WareSpace, we provide small warehouse spaces for businesses that need flexibility and convenience commonly seen in shared offices.
Our amenities include essential tools that help your warehouse and business productivity, such as secure access, loading docks, industrial racking, Wi-Fi, warehouse equipment, conference rooms, kitchens, and more. Are you ready to move your business into a shared warehouse space where you have room to grow?
