Five Rewarding Benefits of Co-warehousing for Small Businesses

Co-warehousing offers significant benefits for small businesses. There are over 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S., each with important missions, exciting products, and the capacity to grow. However, they all run into a similar problem – lack of space. Co-warehousing may be the solution to that overcrowding.

Many small business owners start their business out of their home. You begin working out of your garage, attic, or the back shed, but as the business grows, the amount of space diminishes.

It’s likely that every time you walk into your garage — you step over piled boxes, disorganized shipping parcels, or cluttered papers in your workspace. Plus, you can’t seem to forget about the dishes you left in the sink.

Your small business began out of your home, where your love and passion for your company was born. However, now that your small business has grown, the lines between your personal and professional life have blurred.

Congratulations, it’s time for an upgrade! It’s time to find a flexible space that works with your business and returns your garage back to storing holiday decorations.  Co-warehousing can offer your small business the space and room to grow.

What is a co-warehousing space?

A co-warehouse is a workspace designed with entrepreneurs in mind. It’s a warehouse space where small business owners can create, store, and ship goods under a flexible agreement.

Co-warehousing provides you with the warehouse space your business needs without the headache of logistics and overhead costs. The warehouse stores your inventory, provides a workspace to create, and you can even coordinate pick-ups and shipments from the site. This space is a practical, flexible solution to the storage issues that many small business owners face.

A co-warehouse is shared by multiple small businesses that shoulder the costs of traditional office space, storage, warehouse equipment, and communal areas. With a co-warehouse, you won’t have to deal with the professional logistics of operating a warehouse on your own, freeing up space in your mind to focus solely on your business.

Benefits of co-warehousing for small business owners

A co-warehousing space is the perfect solution for your growing small business. There are many benefits, from reducing costs to flexible arrangements, to enjoying a community of fellow entrepreneurs.

Co-warehousing space is more cost-effective

While running a small business, you don’t have time or money to waste. Do you really need 10,000 square footage of warehouse space? Probably not. Co-warehousing space provides small business owners with the flexibility to choose custom space and rental agreements that align with their business.

In a co-warehouse, you choose a specifically-sized space for your business and you can typically change spaces based on your needs. Plus, you’re not locked into an expensive commitment where there’s no room for growth. A co-warehousing space expands your pricing options since you only need to rent a portion of the shared space, saving small business owners capital and resources.

Flexible space whenever you need it

No one understands the fluctuations in your business better than you do. Every business experiences a busy season and a slow season, especially those with seasonal inventory.

Co-warehousing space provides you with the flexibility for your business to grow on your terms. When the time comes, you can move into a larger warehouse space in the same building. You have the opportunity to move into any size space when you need it and take advantage of custom terms that are comfortable for your business.

Access to warehouse equipment and office perks

Gone are the dreaded days of filling your car with parcels and driving to USPS. Co-warehousing provides access to vital warehouse equipment, like loading docks and freight equipment. Shift also coordinates daily pickup and delivery with all major carriers.  So, you’ll never need to call your friends for help again, and instead, you can arrange for pick-ups directly from the warehouse space.

Plus, co-warehouses have conference rooms, common spaces, break rooms with refreshments, and everything a small business needs that you can’t find at home. Co-warehouses also have 24/7 video surveillance and full-time staff and security monitoring to ensure your property is always safe.

Co-warehousing allows multiple businesses to share the costs of a traditional warehouse space, easing the burden on a single small business.

Co-warehousing is a community of businesses

Many small business owners struggle with feelings of isolation. Maybe, you’re a team of one or a few, where the weight of your business falls squarely on your shoulders.

However, a co-warehousing space has a collection of ambitious entrepreneurs who understand the plights of running a small business. It’s a built-in networking opportunity where you can collaborate and learn from your peers. Need advice on a new marketing idea? Go ask your neighbor! A co-warehousing space provides functional community spaces, cultivating a sense of comradery.

Established professionalism in your business

A co-warehousing space gives small businesses the chance to engage in elevated professionalism. If you invite potential clients or investors to walk through the co-warehouse, they’ll see a professional workspace that’s organized and well-run. If you’re operating out of your garage or the attic, then your hard-earned work may not have the same professional effect.

A co-warehouse gives you the space to establish professionalism. You can effectively organize your workspace and create new methods of efficiency. If you’re operating out of your living room, then your product is likely mixed up among the family photos. A co-warehouse has all the necessary infrastructure to treat your product with the respect it deserves. Plus, it’s a great background to create marketing content for your work and inventory.

Final benefits of co-warehousing for small businesses

Finding a home for your small business should be easy, and it doesn’t have to be in your home. Every entrepreneur deserves to have the room to grow, create, and feel efficient in their workspace.

A co-warehouse is a unique solution for small businesses to grow at their own pace. It provides flexibility to upgrade when you need it without getting locked into expensive, long-term commitments.

A co-warehouse space shoulders the costs with small business owners like you. Each business benefits from essential warehouse equipment, community, and, most importantly, space!

You may even get the chance to make new friends or meet potential business partners. It’s the perfect example of how a community can lift one another up and how we can all mutually benefit from working together.

Most importantly, freeing up space for inventory frees up space in your mind. That way, you can return to doing what you do best.

Co-warehousing for small business owners can solve their lack of space, introduce community, and provide better efficiency. Shift can help small business owners upgrade and elevate their workspace, so you can focus and grow on your terms.

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