6 Benefits of Storage Units for Online Auction Sellers
Selling items online on websites like eBay or Mercari is an ideal way to make money, but to keep the flow of money coming in, you need to have a constant collection of inventory. One way to organize and keep track of your inventory is through a storage unit. A storage unit comes with many benefits for online sellers.
Learn about the benefits and how to effectively use storage units for the long haul.
1. Easy Organization
If you have a large inventory of items for an online website, you want to keep those items organized. The extra space inside a storage unit allows you to separate items and put them in an easy-to-find location. You can break down the unit by category. One area may have a collection of toys while another area has clothing items.
The open areas of a storage unit give you options for organizers. A rolling garment rack can hold shirts, coats, pants, and Halloween costumes you have for sale. A bookshelf allows you to organize smaller items like books, magazines, and collectibles.
When an item sells, you can easily locate the product and ship it to customers. After your initial setup, you can create an organized system where you bring new items in and maintain your organization for extended periods of time.
2. Security
When you sell a lot online, you essentially run a business and want to protect your items from theft or damage. A storage unit comes with extra layers of security to ensure your items are safe. Entry to the whole business itself is only allowed for active renters. A gate code is usually needed to get inside the unit.
Once inside, a steel door blocks off a unit, and you can add another layer of security with a door lock. The security is essential for some of your more valuable items, like highly sought-after collectibles or jewelry. Many storage unit locations also include security cameras for added protection and surveillance.
3. Mailing Station
One of the biggest parts of selling online is preparing your shipments. Thanks to advanced options from the USPS and other postal services, you can prepare everything for packages without the need to stop at a post office or retail shipping location. A storage unit gives you the space and ability to have your own mailing station.
You can set up a simple fold out table inside the storage unit. On the table, you can include a postal scale, shipping labels, and package materials. Once an order comes in, you can easily pack items and stay organized. When you keep the mailing station inside your storage unit, you can eliminate extra steps in the process, which saves you time and money.
4. Photography Areas
A big part of hosting online auctions is providing pictures of your items for sale. A storage unit gives you a clean location to take pictures and have clear visuals of the items you sell. If you use an outdoor storage unit and fully open the door, you have a lot of natural sunlight to eliminate shadows and make products easy to see.
You can keep a fold-up poster board inside the storage unit and pull it out to use for a plain background every time you need to take new pictures for listings. If needed, you can keep a portable light inside the unit so you can provide additional lighting for the products.
5. Tax Deductions
When you sell products online, you essentially own your own business, and the money is considered self-employed income on your taxes. Fortunately, you have many ways to make deductions on your taxes when the time rolls around. The storage unit fees can count toward your business expenses and help reduce the amount you owe in federal taxes.
Tax deductions vary by year, but you can use professional tax services to help figure out all of your deductions and use the savings to help fund your storage unit rental fees.
6. Storage Unit Opportunities
Being a part of the storage unit community comes with many opportunities. Some other unit renters may have free boxes or items they no longer need. You can gather extra supplies and save a little money on shipping costs. Some storage unit companies will sell off the contents of units that customers have not paid for.
The process is known as a lien sale. You can find out about sales at your unit and take advantage of the items for sale. Once you purchase the contents of a storage unit, you can flip the items and sell them all through auction website stores. The sales are an ideal way to boost inventory and find some potential discounts with the purchase.
Use all the benefits to your advantage, and make a storage unit an effective part of your business flow. For more information on our storage units, contact us at North Star Mini Storage. We have multiple sizes available and can help you find a unit to fit your needs.