Are you looking for ways to optimize your small warehouse rental space? Look no further than warehouse pallet racks. At WareSpace, we understand the importance of maximizing your warehouse rental space, which is why all of our warehouse rental options come with industrial-grade pallet racking as an amenity.
Why Use Pallet Racks in Your Small Warehouse Rental Space?
Pallet racking is a low-cost solution to quickly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your small warehouse rental space. Here’s how pallet racks can improve your small warehouse rental space:
Increase Warehouse Space
Don’t limit yourself to two-dimensional thinking when it comes to your warehouse rental space. Utilize the vertical overhead space by using pallet racks to store entire pallets of goods on multiple levels. This allows for higher inventory volume stored within your current space, which is a great way to scale without having to move into a larger warehouse space before your business is ready.
Improve Warehouse Storage Organization
If you have upgraded your business from your home to a small warehouse space, your organization methods will also need improvements.
Pallet racks are also great for keeping your inventory organized. Instead of putting products in piles on the floor, use pallet racks to efficiently store and track each pallet. This can help you create a map for faster order-picking and maximize efficiency when coupled with a warehouse management system (WMS).
How Can You Use Pallet Racks in Your Small Warehouse Rental Space
To make the most out of your small warehouse rental space, consider the following tips for using pallet racks:
Plan Your Small Warehouse Layout
When planning your warehouse layout, be mindful of the space you have and the amount of inventory you want to store. Make sure to keep aisle spacing and flow areas in mind to ensure that you or your shipping team can move safely and efficiently throughout the space.
Balance Aisle Spacing
Consider the width of your aisles when spacing out your pallet racks. Wider aisles allow for safe equipment use, while narrower aisles provide more space. Strike a balance to find the best aisle spacing for your business.
Segment Your Space into High and Low Flow Areas
Segmenting your space based on product volume is another organization tactic. Group high-demand products together in high-flow areas, and low-demand products in low-flow areas. High-flow areas should contain high-volume goods that stay in your warehouse for the shortest amount of time, while low-flow areas are great for storing specialty goods or seasonal products.
High-flow areas
High-flow areas should contain high-volume goods that stay in your warehouse for the shortest amount of time. Place these products into the middle rack of a three-tier system. The ideal storage location for high-flow products are locations that do not require workers to reach overhead or bend at the waist.
You can also turn low racks into high-flow zones by inserting empty pallets on the base of the rack and the products on these pallets. The empty pallets raise the inventory to waist height, placing it into the ideal picking space. Alternatively, use a palletizer under the load. These tools sink to the ground when fully loaded. As you pull products from the pallets, the palletizer raises the load to keep the items at waist level.
These ergonomic storage arrangements minimize strain because workers can pull products faster by using fewer motions.
Low-flow areas
Designated low-flow areas are great places to store specialty goods or seasonal products that don’t sell quickly throughout the year. You can keep them in low-flow areas until needed. Once you enter a period where the items are in high demand, move them over to your high-flow area.
The locations for high and low flow zones also matter. Place high-flow areas closer to the shipping portion of your warehouse. This minimizes the distance required for workers to fulfill the majority of orders. Place low-flow areas farther from the shipping preparation area to increase your small warehouse space’s storage capacity.
Upgrade Your Small Business’s Efficiency with Storage Bins and Pallet Racks
Make the most out of every inch of your small warehouse rental space by effectively using pallet racking. At WareSpace, we offer a variety of smaller warehouse rental spaces near you, with industrial-grade pallet racking as one of our many amenities. For more information, give us a call at 301-781-6964, or book a tour today.
Businesses of all sizes now recognize the flexibility and growth potential they have by using small warehouse spaces. Consequently, demand for these smaller storage spaces has skyrocketed to rates almost double that of larger facilities. This increase in small warehouse demand stems from the benefits these compact spots bring to both large and small businesses. Large companies use several of these small facilities to create local fulfillment centers. Small businesses that currently operate out of homes gain extra room needed for growth by moving to small warehouse spaces.
Does your small business need space to pivot into future growth? Embracing the small warehouse model may be the solution you need.
Embracing the Small Warehouse Model
Bigger is not always better when it comes to storage facilities. Both large and small companies recognize the business benefits of small warehouses. These perks, however, depend on how the business makes use of the space.
Small Businesses and Small Warehouse Spaces
Your small business can enjoy several advantages by moving into a small warehouse space. When starting a business from your home, you can only store as much inventory as will fit into any space you have available. After some time, you will inevitably run out of room for your products, restricting any growth.
A small warehouse facility offers a solution for growth stagnation concerns that stem from a lack of space. By using the space exclusively for your business, you free your home from work activities and stock. Your family does not have to sacrifice your personal space any longer to hold your business’s inventory.
Additionally, your small business will have more room for product storage in a warehouse. With industrial-grade racking in your warehouse, you keep your stock properly organized and safely stored, allowing for fast order fulfillment.
Effective use of these spaces provides small businesses with extra space necessary for growing inventory offerings or improving the organization of existing stock: the possibilities are endless. Most small warehouses, such as WareSpace, offer more vital amenities besides an increase in storage and organization. Visit our amenities page to see exactly how WareSpace can help you.
How Large Businesses Leverage Small Warehouse Spaces for Shorter Deliveries
The driving factor behind large companies embracing small warehouse benefits is the need to cut delivery times from days to hours. Among shoppers, 80% want same-day delivery and 61% want even shorter two-hour shipping times. To meet these consumer demands, larger companies have needed to rethink using only large distribution centers.
By investing in small warehouse facilities to serve as local fulfillment centers across the country, large companies can shorten the time consumers wait for their orders. In fact, by 2028, 40% of retail companies expect they will offer two-hour delivery to customers. The best way to achieve this goal is through using a system similar to DoorDash for products ordered online. This crowdsourced delivery method would couple with local small fulfillment centers to reduce delivery times to only hours after placing an order.
By shrinking delivery times, large businesses that use small warehouse spaces as local fulfillment centers gain an advantage over the competition in deliveries.
What Does the Future Hold for Small Business Warehousing?
As you work toward building your small business today, you should also look at how you can attain growth tomorrow. Small warehousing growth is already a trend today that will likely continue in the future.
With consumer prices dropping at the end of 2022 for the first time in two and a half years, inflation appears to finally start letting up. With light at the end of the proverbial tunnel in view, you may feel confident enough to invest in the future of your business. Finding a small warehouse space for rent could help you gain adequate space to allow for the growth your small business deserves.
Another reason to transition from your home into a warehouse in 2023 is the future of industrial construction. During 2023, construction groundbreaking has an anticipated decrease of up to 50% following the record-setting building of industrial facilities in 2022. By 2024, this slower building pace will result in fewer available new industrial spaces, which could trigger higher rental prices, depending on demand. So if you want to find a small warehouse space for rent for a reasonable price, now is the time to do it.
Digital Tools for Warehouse Spaces
Within the storage facilities themselves, changes will also occur. Both large and small businesses will need to use more digital tools within their warehouse spaces to remain competitive. By 2028, warehouse management systems (WMS) will likely become more commonly used with 97% use, which reflects a massive increase from the 44% application today. Devices like tablets, handheld computers with barcode readers, and portable barcode scanners will likely reach similarly high levels of use in warehouses by 2028.
These digital tools help businesses use their small warehouse spaces more effectively. With WMS software, you no longer have to manually reorder inventory items that sell out; the system can do it automatically. WMS systems can also keep inventory numbers updated when combined with scanning tools. Barcode scanners or tablets can improve accuracy by ensuring that only the correct items leave the shelves when putting together orders.
With an increasing number of large and small businesses recognizing the benefits of smaller storage solutions, the availability of smaller storage spaces may become more limited. Now may be the best time to upgrade your business to a small warehouse space to better prepare for your business needs in your future expansion.
Who Can Benefit the Most from Renting Small Warehouse Space?
While large companies can gain an edge with shorter delivery time, small businesses that move into warehouse space see the most significant returns. Your small business gains access to professional storage and shipping options with a small warehouse space. You can use a loading dock for sending or receiving even larger deliveries than you could by working from home. Plus, you have more storage space for keeping a larger stock. Growth through increased sales becomes possible with well-used small warehouse space.
Retail and ecommerce businesses are not the only types of small operations that can enjoy small warehouse benefits. All types of companies from ecommerce to nonprofits to light manufacturing can use the extra room in a small warehouse space to their advantage.
For instance, service companies have access to storage space for their tools and products. In fact, moving into a small warehouse space could allow for the sale and installation of larger items. A plumbing service company could begin selling water heaters to homeowners and stocking them in the warehouse. Having these products readily available reduces installation time and grows your satisfied customer base.
Any type of small business can tap into growth potential by accessing the extra space and amenities of a small warehouse for rent.
Is Your Small Business Ready for Big Growth Potential?
Does your small business feel constrained by your current location? Give your company room to grow by upgrading to a small warehouse space. With WareSpace, you have the perks of both a shared office and warehouse space, which can include access to a conference room, loading dock, and kitchen. Make your move now to open your business to future growth. Check us out at WareSpace to find the perfect small warehouse space for rent.
There are different types of warehouses, which include dedicated and shared options. These options allow large and small companies to find the storage space to match the size of their inventories. In 2022, 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S. opted for small shared warehouse space to avoid the overhead cost of dedicated warehousing. Is a small warehouse space for rent the best solution for your business? Let’s weigh the pros and cons of this storage option to decide.
What Is Shared Warehousing?
Shared warehousing presents small businesses with a solution for inventory storage with minimal overhead. These facilities offer varying sizes of space with prices that often directly align to how much of the warehouse space is used. Businesses renting space spread the operating costs of the warehouse among themselves.
The shared model of space use allows businesses to access full-featured warehouses without the costs and management concerns of dedicated warehouses.
Pros and Cons of Renting a Shared Warehouse Space
Renting a shared small warehouse space is an investment. As with all business decisions, choosing whether to use a small shared warehouse space should start with weighing the pros and cons.
Pricing
Cost is always crucial when making decisions for small businesses. Small shared warehouse spaces have lower costs to rent as compared to buying or renting a dedicated warehouse or large space.
Rental prices for these spaces relate to the amount of space used. Businesses that opt for a small warehouse space for rent instead of a large space pay the least while still taking advantage of all the amenities in the facility.
Facility Amenities
Shared warehouse spaces have amenities often seen in shared offices and larger warehouses. However, because all tenants share the costs of these features and the facility’s operations, the price is affordable. Amenities vary depending on the shared warehouse space company. Small businesses should look for loading docks, racking, warehouse equipment, conference spaces, on-site security, limited access to storage areas, and package receiving.
Flexible Space Use
Small businesses need the flexibility to meet their changing needs as they grow or have seasonal ebbs and flows in sales. Shared warehouse spaces adapt easily to these needs. With easy rental terms in as little as six months, businesses have the flexibility to choose storage spaces based on their needs.
A seasonal surge may require temporary storage of more goods. In this instance, the business can upgrade to a larger warehouse space for a short time. A business that doubles its inventory and sales during the holiday season may temporarily need a larger facility. When inventory levels decrease, they can return to a smaller storage facility to save on costs. Shared warehouse spaces allow this type of flexibility.
Lack of Control Over the Facility
While choosing a small shared warehouse space for rent has numerous perks, it does have a downside. A lack of control over the facility’s operations means going through the site manager for all decisions. For small businesses, not having full control over the facility is ideal because the business owners can focus more on running their businesses instead of operating a warehouse.
Space Competition
Another concern with shared warehouse facilities is the competition for storage space. These sites have a finite amount of space that can only serve a limited number of businesses. Once the facility has reached capacity, those needing small warehouse space will need to go elsewhere.
Space competition is not only an issue with shared warehouses. Even large, dedicated warehouses face supply issues. At the end of 2022, despite record-setting industrial space construction, vacancies remain very low. The national vacancy as of November 2022 was 3.8% with even lower rates in specific markets, such as Nashville with a 1.2% vacancy.
How Does a Small Shared Warehouse Space Compare to a Dedicated Warehouse?
While businesses can choose to rent either shared warehouse space or a dedicated facility, the two options have distinct differences. A dedicated warehouse only serves a single business; whereas, a shared facility has lower costs and less commitment but serves multiple businesses under one roof.
Costs of Dedicated Warehouses
Some businesses purchase their dedicated warehouses. Buying this property gives the company total control over the use of the warehouse and its operations. The owner must pay all utilities and management costs. The purchaser also gets equity from the property against which the business can obtain loans. Rising property values increase the chances of making a profit on the warehouse after selling it, too.
Buying a dedicated warehouse is not the only option for companies. Some will rent the space. However, renting turns over operations to the landlord. Due to the large size of dedicated warehouses, the rental cost tends to be much higher than with shared warehouse spaces. Businesses that cannot use all the space in a dedicated warehouse will waste money withexcessive rental costs.
Costs of Shared Warehouses
Shared warehouses don’t come with the costs of purchasing a large property. Instead, renting a shared warehouse has rates related to the space used.
A small warehouse space has the most affordable rental rate. This option is best for small businesses getting their first warehouse spaces. Larger warehouse spaces are suitable for future growth or seasonal inventory surges.
Rents for small warehouse spaces also include all the utilities, management costs, and equipment use bundled into a single price. Buyers of dedicated warehouses must pay for each of these separately.
Small business owners have more to concern themselves with than operating every aspect of their warehouse. The bundled rental rates of shared warehouse spaces make using professional storage easy and accessible for businesses of all sizes.
Commitment Required for Using Dedicated Warehouses
Commitment is another difference between a shared small warehouse space and a dedicated warehouse. Those purchasing or renting dedicated warehouses tend to have very long leases. These terms often require the business to commit to the space for years.
Commitment Needed for Renting Shared Warehouse Spaces
Shared warehouse spaces have flexible commitments with rental terms lasting as little as a few months. This flexibility allows businesses to switch to a larger or smaller space based on their sales.
For small businesses that require flexible terms and short commitments, shared warehouse space for rent is the best option.
Are You Ready to Find a Small Shared Warehouse Space for Rent?
Does your business need the benefits of a small warehouse space? Do those perks outweigh the downsides of renting a shared warehouse?
Ensure that you find a shared small warehouse space for rent that has all the features your business needs. Check out WareSpace to learn about our warehouse space offerings and the amenities that come with all rentals.
Partner with us at WareSpace to get the facilities your company needs to grow and thrive in today’s bustling economy based on small business success.
