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How Self-Storage Can Help Small Businesses
Self-storage is not just for householders, but for small businesses too; recent figures show there are more than 5.7million SMEs across the UK, and they all need somewhere to operate.
Hamiltons Removals, who have two state-of-the-art self-storage facilities on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, keep a keen eye on the latest commercial trends. Here we look at five of the key advantages self-storage offers smaller companies.
Taking Stock
Self-storage facilities offer the chance to keep your stock somewhere with constant access to it. For example, if you sell a range of different clothing from season to season from a shop or website, you’ll need somewhere to store your scarves during the summer and your T-shirts during the winter.
This will help to free up more space in your shop or office and remove clutter, so you, your customers and other staff members can move around more easily.
Fringe Benefits
If you operate your business from home, using self-storage means you will not have to make as many space-related sacrifices; for example, using your spare room as a stock cupboard. This is especially handy if you have an expanding family and your stock is taking up precious space in the house. It’s not just stock you can use self-storage for, but also securely storing filing cabinets, records, invoices, personal details of staff and other files can all be kept securely.
You may need to check the terms of your lease, but a lot of people use their self-storage facilities for far more than just storage; furniture restorers carry out work on-site and photographers use them as their studio.
Better Profit Margins
With this extra space, you can buy and store products in bulk, so you will likely benefit financially from economies of scale. Bulk-buying also helps avoid stock shortages which can be damaging for a small company’s reputation.
Using self-storage avoids the cost of relocating to bigger or more expensive premises, as all your stock can be kept off-site. You also don’t have to worry about paying the business rates or utility bills you would do in a normal shop, office or warehouse.
A Flexible Approach
With Hamiltons’ Safe N Stored self-storage facilities, you only pay for the space you need, so you will never have to invest in larger office space, only to find it sits unused.
At our Aldeby site, we have a range of self-storage containers of different sizes, from 5 ft to 20 ft, payable per calendar month, so it is easy to upsize or downsize if your storage requirements ever change. Our Harleston site has a range of storage rooms from 15 ft² to 200 ft² to suit your individual storage requirements.
Greater Security
Self-storage units offer more security than many town-centre premises, which may be more vulnerable to crime and break-ins. Many self-storage facilities are in more remote locations and are therefore less vulnerable.
Hamiltons’ sites at Harleston and Aldeby have 24/7 CCTV and secure keypad entry; the Harleston site has a personalised key fob entry and an alarm which is linked directly to Norfolk Police.
If you need to hold stock, securely store personal items or simply de-clutter your house, our Safe N Stored sites are ideal for customers in Diss, Stradbroke, Dickleburgh and the surrounding area. If you would like to know more, get in touch today by checking out our self-storage page.
Midsummer Traditions Across the World
Midsummer is a movable feast among many cultures across the world; different countries celebrate it in different ways, and even on different days.
Hamiltons Removals are experts in organising removals to Europe and many worldwide destinations, including the USA and Australia. Here we look at Midsummer traditions in various European countries and overseas, so, if you are thinking of moving there, some of the more unusual customs and practices won’t come as a surprise.
What is Midsummer?
Midsummer is generally acknowledged as the official start of the summer season. However, weather forecasters and astronomers disagree on when exactly this is; meteorologists say it is June 1st, whereas stargazers say it is June 22nd, to mark the summer solstice, which is both the longest day of the year and the shortest night. Others say Midsummer is the feast day of St John the Baptist, an early Christian martyr, which the Church says is on June 24th.
Midsummer is reflected in different celebrations across the world, while some, particularly in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, do not mark it because for them, the longest day falls on December 22nd, which is so close to Christmas.
Sweden
Here it is known as Midsommarstang and is typically celebrated on the Friday which falls between June 19th and 26th. Swedes use it as a reason to eat, drink and be merry, often starting with a family picnic in a local park.
Dancing round the maypole is a centrepiece of the traditional festivities in Sweden and everyone joins in. Other classic games are also played by children. Later in the evening, a proper meal is served with a typical Swedish dish, including marinated salmon with dill and potatoes, or Skagen, a toast with prawns or shrimps. This meal will usually be followed by drinking a schnapps or two.
Younger children may collect seven flowers and leave them under their pillow; legend has it they then dream about the love of their life.
Austria
In Austria, Midsummer is celebrated in a variety of ways. A procession of traditional ships makes its way down the River Danube north of Vienna and fireworks are let off on the riverbanks.
Another fiery way of marking Midsummer is by lighting bonfires, particularly in the Tirol mountains. This is believed to be a medieval tradition and that the fires are a way of worshipping the earth. The actual day Midsummer is celebrated in Austria may vary so that it coincides with the weekend.
Portugal
There are many different festivities in Portugal, as the different cities mark them with different celebrations of a popular saints. For example, in Lisbon and Vila Real, they honour St Anthony’s Day on June 13th; on June 24th they mark St John’s Day in Porto, Braga, Almada and other cities; and on June 29th St Peter’s Day is commemorated in Seixal, Sintra and Barcelos.
Generally, these festivities are an excuse for fun and merriment. For example, on St John’s Day, people sometimes hit their neighbour over the head with a plastic hammer because the saint was reputed to have had a bad reputation in his youth.
In Lisbon on June 13th, there is a parade of folklore and costumes, while if you fancy someone, you can offer them a flower pot containing a sweet basil plant, as Anthony is thought to be a matchmaker saint.
USA
Midsummer in America varies from state to state, partly because of the immigrant population, which brought their own cultures with them. Generally, Midsummer takes the form of a summer solstice celebration on June 22nd.
In New York City, thousands of yoga enthusiasts gather in Times Square to mark the summer solstice by practising their hobby; equally, Battery Park in the Big Apple is turned Swedish for the day. Other places with a Swedish Midsummer celebration include Illinois, Chicago and Minneapolis.
Americans can and do celebrate in their own way, too; in Fairbanks, Alaska, they have been playing a Midnight Sun baseball game for more than a century! The first pitch is thrown at 10.30pm and the game continues into the following morning.
How Hamiltons Removals Can Help You
Hamiltons Removals offers competitively-priced professional removals to all parts of Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.
We provide you with either your own container for shipping or will provide a groupage service for customers who do not have enough items to fill a whole container. We can pack, load and export your items to the appropriate port and then forward it to your chosen destination. As well as European removals, Hamiltons can ship items to every corner of the globe, including USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
If you are planning a move abroad and need a removals service to Europe or further, speak to Hamiltons today on 01379 855203 or use our contact page.