Stock Storage Tips for Small Businesses

Stock is at the heart of your business, but it is easy for storage rooms to become messy and disorganised. It’s understandable since they undoubtedly house hundreds of items, and new stock is constantly coming in. However, if you don’t optimise your stock storage, you’re probably making your job harder than it needs to be. With that in mind, here are some tips for stock storage.

When it Gets Crowded, Expand

If your stockroom is getting a little too full, it is likely a good sign that your business is operating well and expanding. However, if your storage room begins to get too crowded, it can start to hamper your operations and lead to disruptions when fulfilling orders.

To avoid this, it is worth taking steps to expand your storage space. Jennings Containers & Storage offer shipping containers in Thame, which you can purchase or rent to accommodate more stock. This can help your company to handle increased demand and ensure the smooth running of the organisation.

Maximise Vertical Space

If you are thinking of a complete stockroom overhaul, the best place to start is shelving. Bringing in tall shelves will help you utilise the vertical space to maximise your storage capacity and keep the floor clear. Investing in robust, heavy-duty shelving will help your stockroom and business as a whole to cope with increases in demand as you grow.

Shelves are also essential for keeping your stockroom safe. If the floor space is cluttered, it introduces hazards to the workplace. People are more likely to trip, and emergency exits can become obstructed without proper storage solutions. As such, shelving is an excellent investment for any business seeking to improve its stockroom.

Labels Take Away the Guesswork

This might seem like a straightforward solution to solve your stockroom troubles, and that’s because it is. Sometimes, the simplest methods are the most effective, which is undoubtedly true when labelling items in the stockroom.

It is an excellent idea to label every individual storage box to help you and your team efficiently find stock without opening every container. You can then go one step further and label the shelves themselves to organise and categorise the boxes. This solution will speed up fulfilment, ultimately improving customer satisfaction levels.

Develop a System

Creating a system for your stockroom will help you and your employees to save time. Your design should be clear and easy to understand so even people that are not familiar with it can easily find items. Decide on a categorisation system and use this to sort the containers on the shelves. This will help to prevent fruitlessly searching the entire room for a specific item at a crucial time.

There are various classification systems you can use. For example, you could alphabetise the items in the stockroom or assign warehouse sections to types of stock. Regardless of what you choose, you just have to be consistent for it to be successful.

In Summary

On the whole, as your business grows, effective stock storage becomes essential to prevent delays and downtime. Therefore, consider implementing the tips outlined above to ensure your operations run smoothly as they evolve and develop.