Startup tips for your business warehouse

January 7, 2022 26

If your business is going pretty well then chances are you’re probably thinking of getting your very own warehouse. A warehouse can be extremely important for a number of things. This may include storing all of your products, having organizational tools, and also using computer systems to manage your inventory electronically. It goes without saying that growing businesses will need a warehouse at some point if they want to deliver their products to more customers and also have more stock to work with.

But starting a warehouse can be challenging, especially if you’re unsure where to even begin. So in this post, we’re going to offer a bit of advice to help you run your very first business warehouse.

Will you need staff to manage your warehouse?

A small garage room is small enough that you can handle it yourself. Everything from accepting products to sorting them and carrying them to your store is fairly easy to manage. However, if you’re looking to rent or purchase a much larger space, then you’ll need to look at hiring managing staff.

This is going to include maintenance work as well. If you need machinery such as forklifts in your warehouse, then you’ll have to worry about training your staff to drive them, and also purchasing spare parts like a steering cylinder to fix the vehicles, and this may involve hiring a mechanic team to help ensure that everything in your warehouse is under control and well-maintained. The more advanced, the more likely you’ll have to increase your budget to account for these costs.

What size do you need for your warehouse?

If you’re currently operating a growing business then it can be hard to gauge just how large your warehouse needs to be. As a general rule of thumb, you should consider just how large you can scale your operation. It’s unrealistic to go from a small home business to have a huge warehouse that could rival that of Amazon. Many will lease only a portion of the space they offer, meaning you’ll likely be sharing your inventory space with other companies.

However, there are still options to help you get your own small business premises that you can turn into a warehouse. For example, renting out a garage space that can be used for business purposes could be a good option. While it’s not as large as a traditional warehouse (and doesn’t function exactly the same) you could definitely make use of the space as a solution before you scale up to a bigger warehouse.

In short, look at what’s available for your budget. Compare each option by looking at the amount of floor space you get for the cost to find out the most valuable property. After all, space is arguably the most important feature but there are some warehousing opportunities that can give you access to logistics services as well. If you’re looking for an all-in-one package, then this can be a really good choice.

Handling dwell time efficiently

Handling dwell time effectively in your warehouse and logistics operations is essential to maintain efficiency and reduce costs. To address dwell time, start by optimizing your layout and processes to minimize unnecessary movement and congestion. You could also implement a robust inventory management system to track stock levels accurately and prevent overstocking or stockouts.