Traditionally, most mini-storage units in an average location are used by individuals or families storing personal items such as books, furniture, hobby collections, clothes and other consumer items.  But considerations of cost and convenience are driving more and more small to medium-sized businesses and professional groups to lease space in these facilities.

Commercial users are realizing that wasting very expensive office space for storage of old records is a costly practice.  And while there are companies that specialize in records storage, most of them are oriented toward larger organizations.

The needs of business-space users differ greatly from the normal residential customers.  To cut mini-storage rents to the bare minimum, a commercial user should consider several points:

• The ceiling height of the space being leased makes a big difference. Storage leases are based on the number of square feet being rented.  A 10- by 12-foot space, for example, is 120 square feet.  But stored materials occupy cubic feet.  A 120-square-foot area with a 10-foot ceiling provides 1,200 cubic feet.  The same 10- by 12-foot unit with a 14-foot ceiling delivers 1,680 cubic feet of storage space.  That is almost 40 percent more space for the same rent.

• Time is part of the actual storage-cost equation. Time is spent traveling between the office and the storage site.  So it pays to store close to the office, even if it might cost a little more in rental fees.  Also, be sure the storage facility is open to tenants 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Not being able to access a record when it is needed can be costly.

• Keep records. Rummaging through files, shifting boxes to get to other boxes, and not having the stored records in some known order are a serious waste of time.  Extra minutes spent in clearly labeling each records box with a complete list of its contents and then numbering each carton will save hours when retrieving records.  It is also a good idea to keep a three-ring notebook with a page for each box, showing the box number and contents.  When a record is pulled from a file, a notation on the appropriate sheet will provide the name of the person taking the record and the date as well as the time it was removed.  A second entry can be made upon return of the document.

• Consider the facility’s services. Find out if the facility will send a monthly invoice to the company for the rent.  Some storage facilities charge extra for this service.  It should be free.  Speaking of free, several mini-storage operations offer free use of a truck or van to move items in and out of the facility.  Inquire about this, as it can be a big money saver.  For larger jobs, also ask about movers and any special rates the storage facility has arranged for tenants.

With today’s office rents, the use of off-site storage can deliver significant annual savings for many small businesses and professional organizations.