How Small Businesses Can Efficiently Store Unused Supplies

[This article was written by Brooke Chaplan.]

Businesses tend to accumulate unused supplies quickly. This isn’t too much of a problem for businesses with a great deal of space, but it can cause issues for smaller businesses, Below are a few ways that small business owners can store their unused supplies efficiently.

Dedicated Spaces

The easiest way to store unused supplies is to find a dedicated space. If there’s an empty closet in the building, make use of it as a supply area. It might not be the ideal way to keep your unused supplies out of the way, but it is perhaps the most efficient. Make sure to mark off this space as supply storage so that other important items are intermingled with your supplies and so that you can find your stockpile when you start to run low.

Using Organizers

Organizers are any business’s friend when it comes to supply storage. Investing in some wire shelving units or hanging organizers is a great way to ensure that old supplies aren’t kept where employees can trip on them or where they can be picked up by customers. Placing these units in a backroom or in an office is a good way to maximize space while not interrupting the flow of work too badly.

Finding Spare Room

Sometimes creative storage is the best storage. If there’s an area in the business that isn’t being used, turn it into temporary storage. If there’s an area that has extra space, that space can be turned into supply storage. Sometimes even having access to an empty cupboard or a desk drawer in an unused desk is enough to allow the business to move unused supplies off of the work floor.

Outside Storage

Finally, there’s always the possibility of using outside storage. This is best for those small businesses that have their supplies purchased directly by the owner, as he or she can then store those extra unused supplies at home. It’s important that these supplies be regularly inventoried and that the supplies are brought back to work as needed, but storing them off-site shouldn’t be a problem if there is also an on-site equivalent present.

Try to be both logical and creative with your storage. If you find yourself having to go too far, though, you might be looking at a more pressing space issue. Keep your inventory down when you can and make sure that you store your excess supplies in a way that makes sense for your business when you cannot.

Author Bio:

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan