by Sharon Jones

You’ve got a business, and you want to take it just a bit further - expansion is one of the main goals when you’re in charge of a company, after all. You want to be able to increase your sales, and comfortable carry at least double the inventory you already keep in the back. And in order to do that, you’re going to need to get yourself a warehouse.

But that idea is a lot easier said than done, seeing as warehouses don’t pay for themselves, and nor do they prepare themselves for business purposes either. So with that in mind, let’s think about some of the main things you’re going to have to take into consideration for when you want to open up a warehouse to accompany your company.

(Image)

You’ll Need the Right Space

The warehouse you’re planning on opening up is going to need plenty of room to it, as well as a bit spare in the back for your offices and other business equipment that isn’t part of your sellable assets. So you need to be sure you’ve got the right building on hand, or that you’ve got the right amount of land on the books to build extensions onto the warehouse that’s already there.

At the same time, you’re going to want to get yourself a handy contract from the seller or renter. One that allows you to pull the plug if you’re not making enough income to finance holding onto a warehouse, to make sure you can minimize the damages that could arise from moving too fast too soon. So you’re going to need a good landlord, which will help to dictate how right the space is going to be for you.

People are Going to Work There

The warehouse you end up settling on is going to need human middlemen to run it, and that means your employees are going to dip in and out of it on a daily basis. They’ll be answering calls and ordering stock in the office, but also packing and shipping the products out of the door -  a lot of work will go on behind the scenes here away from your usual base of operations. And that means you’re going to need to create a proper working environment for them whilst they’re there.

This needs to be an environment that allows them to take care of themselves whilst on the premises, a.k.a., eating and drinking and using a toilet. You’re also going to need to keep the warehouse warm, to make sure no cold or freezing temperatures are ever hampering the ability of your workers. You could easily control this with a regular propane delivery, which is quite a cost effective solution for larger buildings.

So, ready to run a warehouse? Opening a warehouse means your business is on the up and up, but be careful about the size you go for, the contract you sign, and always remember what kind of conditions need to exist within it.