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Written by McCarthy's Team on October 19, 2015

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Making Space for Business

If you think about self storage units, what do you imagine to be inside the majority of them? Bits and pieces from someone’s garage? The contents of a house move or downsize? Furniture waiting to find a new home?

You’re probably right in many cases.

But people are often surprised to learn that actually many of our customers are businesses, rather than individuals.

When we first started out, and up until maybe five years ago, there was probably only one business customer to every four individuals. Today that shifted so that here at McCarthy’s, about 45% of our units are now let to organisations and professionals.

The Self Storage Association’s annual survey this year also showed the same pattern, with a national average split of 59% consumer to 41% business.

So why has there been this increase in businesses using self storage? Partly it’s because there’s been a huge growth in the number of internet and online businesses. These companies often need somewhere to store stock, but don’t need a full office. Yet they don’t really want to keep it all in their spare room at home either!

Self storage can also be very useful for businesses which have peak seasons – ones which ramp up for Christmas, or which run events or weddings. Units can be scaled up or down according to need on a month by month basis, without being tied into a long and expensive lease that might not always be needed.

At McCarthy’s we also have a business centre attached to our storage facilities with 25 offices. These are often used in tandem with storage units, when businesses start growing away from the kitchen table and need a bit more space. It can also offer services such as a reception, meeting rooms and ensuring parcels are received and signed for.

So if you’re fed up of your home being a store room, or you fancy getting away from working with your lap top on your knee, give us a call. 2016 could be the year you take your business to the next level!