Even before last year's pandemic hit the retail industry, the rise of internet stores, such as Shopify, had made online shopping the most popular form of consumer engagement. Even without the budget for a brick-and-mortar store, new entrepreneurs were able to bring their passions for unique shopping experiences to the world using only a home office, comprehensive website, and secure service for online sales and fulfillment.

With that in mind, as an online store expands, it may be a benefit for business owners to invest in an off-site storage unit for a number of reasons. Here, we will look at just four of the most important reasons why renting a storage unit is a good idea for eCommerce business owners.

1. Surplus product needs proper storage

The first and most obvious reason for an eCommerce business to rent a storage unit can apply to any retail shop, regardless of the size and customer-base: the surplus product requires a safe, protected area of its own. If your online company is dependent upon product inventory, odds are, you also using your residence as a home office, leaving little room for proper inventory management without compromising daily workflow. By renting a storage facility, either by the month or at an annual rate, your goods are always attainable for order fulfillment without the unnecessary clutter at home. By coupling this convenience with reliable order management software, you'll be able to stay organized while also having peace of mind that your products are safe and sound.

2. Storage is useful for equipment during expansion.

In the best-case scenario that your eCommerce business is successful, it's only a matter of time before you decide to expand your customer reach. Be it with new product offerings or a larger location for workflow outside your home, having a rented storage unit at your disposal is ideal for keeping both your new, growing selection inventory items, as well as the office equipment and furniture during the moving process itself. 

In this way, a storage facility can function as a safe location for any small business' proper warehouse management, without having to shell out a large real estate budget for the unneeded square-footage of an actual warehouse. Many such facilities are popular for using car storage for the winter, especially collectible classic cars for future use on the auction block. For this same reason, rented storage units are also popular with wholesalers, product vendors, and suppliers for both their winter storage or for an even more extended period of time. There are many sizes of storage units, and you can get creative in keeping your shop's goods safe from theft and damage.

3. Storage keeps your home office minimal and organized

To say that a rented storage facility helps with order management and overall customer satisfaction is an understatement. In the proper supply chain and order process, your first priority is always customer service and engagement. This requires an organized workspace with which to run your eCommerce brand and keep your business operating. From your home workspace, you run the website and social media, the order management system, and process the inventory purchase orders and invoices for eventual fulfillment. With that in mind, organization and an order management solution are incredibly important.

This means allowing your workspace, be it your home office or small business location, to be a separate area from your manufacturing, production, or inventory storage. If manufacturing is part of your online business, then automation equipment and shipment materials should be kept offsite, both for pragmatic organization and for the functionality and workflow of your base of operations. For this, seamless integration of one or more storage facilities are ideal for any seller who needs to focus on their marketplace research, customer service, and hands-on customer orders.

4. Having a "miscellaneous" area for damaged products creates clutter

Although the aim of any eCommerce business is complete customer satisfaction, there will be scenarios in which items are returned due to breakage, moisture damage, corrosion, or shipment problems. In the instance, that customer expectations weren't met and you've had to issue a refund (especially if those numbers go up during the winter months following the holidays), then you may need additional storage for damaged products for return shipment to a vendor or distributor. While you may make it your personal goal to meet those customer expectations are much as possible for the longevity and reputation of your company, keeping a unit of long-term storage is a good order management solution for any logistics troubleshooting that you may encounter on your road to eCommerce success.