One of the great things about an online retail business is that you can operate it in unique ways that cut down on your overhead. A good example is the option of storing your product in a self storage unit. If you decide to do this, the following tips will help you use your unit efficiently.

Determine how to store your inventory

If you think about the way your products will be stored before you start, it will make retrieving products easier in the future. If you attempt to store your products in cardboard boxes, but the items are heavy, you may find it exhausting to unstack and stack boxes to get to the item you have sold. Heavy items may be better suited for shelves. On the other hand, plastic totes may be a good choice for lighter items.

Calculate the space needed

Once you know how you plan on storing your inventory, you can then determine the size of the storage unit you will need. You should factor in needed space for moving around comfortably to pull the sold products from your storage. In addition, you should also factor in some extra space for expanding your inventory. You will find that in a short period of time you will begin to acquire more inventory, and you want to avoid leasing additional space, at least in the early stages of your business.

Organize your inventory

The must organize your inventory in a systematic way. You want to be able to pull your sold items quickly from your storage unit and avoid searching for an item. Not only does this waste time, but if you fail to locate the sold item, you may have to cancel the order and issue a refund. This hurts your reputation and eventually, your sales.

Use an inventory system

The best way to organize your inventory is with inventory numbers. Obviously, sequential numbers are a possibility, but they work best if you only sell a particular type of product that can be stored the same way. An example of this would be books that can be stored on shelves. I you have more than one type of product, you may want to store the different types separately. In this case, you can use an alphanumeric code with the beginning of the code using letters that represent the product followed by a sequential number for a particular item.

A self storage unit is a great way to store your inventory for your online business. By using the tips above, you will be able to use your storage unit efficiently. Contact a service like Diaz Super Storage to learn more.