The world of work is changing faster than some of us can keep up. While old-school offices cram workers into their tiny cubicles under flickering fluorescent lights, a growing army of freelancers and remote employees are riding the wave that is the flexible workspace.
Whether it’s a sandy beach in Thailand or a bustling café in Brooklyn, digital nomads have escaped the confines of the corporate safety net in favour of freedom and self-direction. But with great freedom comes great responsibility. When your office is everywhere (and nowhere), finding places to stash all your stuff can be a challenge.
Luckily, self storage offers the perfect solution for the space-starved remote worker. Self storage lets footloose freelancers shed the ball and chain of clutter. Read on for tips to make self storage work for your work-from-anywhere lifestyle!
Problems With Remote Working
Cut loose from traditional offices, you’ll find most remote workers and freelancers facing their own unique storage struggles. Without a proper workspace, your homes can morph into makeshift offices overflowing with the tools of your trade. Files, electronics, extra furniture, supplies — all the trappings of work life can creep and clutter from room to room, invading your living spaces.
Two main problems seem to constantly bubble up from the remote work lifestyle:
Lack of Space
Those of us living in tiny apartments or temporary housing face even tougher trials. Try explaining to your Airbnb host why you need extra time to pack up your mobile office, and good luck focusing on your workflow when tripping over your printer to get to the fridge for a much-needed kombucha!
Work/Life Balance
For freelancers and remote workers, the lack of separation between your work and personal life can take its toll. It pays to keep business and living expenses strictly divided. But between your client’s confidentiality and asset security, that’s easier said than done in a 45-square-foot office apartment.
Coworking spaces can help, but they have their limitations too. You’re still lugging your stuff to and fro, plus you sacrifice the ability to crank tunes or work odd hours. If only there were an affordable, secure, always-accessible place to store our work materials out of sight…
Benefits of Self Storage for Remote Workers & Freelancers
Self storage provides the perfect workaround for your remote worker storage problems. With features and amenities that are perfect for off-site workflows, self storage lets you leave behind the work-life clutter you’re trying to fight off by:
Decluttering
Storage units give you room to focus without your stuff taking over your living spaces. We simply pack our bulky office belongings into storage between working sessions. Is your project finished? Then swap out those files and supplies for the next job’s materials. Storage units become repositories for all your business needs — no more tripping over printers or arguing with family over taking over the dining room!
Offering Safety & Security
Storage facilities keep confidential records and expensive equipment safe and secure in between work. Your sensitive client files don’t run the risk of being found by prying eyes. Self storage areas stay locked down tight as a drum when you’re not around.
Protecting from Environmental Factors
You can also protect delicate gear from those fluctuating temperature swings in storage. No more dust buildup on electronics or worries about humidity wrinkling important paperwork.
Some storage facilities even cater to hyper-specific needs, like wine storage! For remote workers who double as consultants in specialised fields, that means safely storing one-of-a-kind samples used for client presentations.
Allowing for Easy Accessibility
The 24/7 access offered by most self storage spots provides the flexibility needed for those hectic remote work demands. Long day? Swing by after typical work hours to grab vital supplies for an early client call. You can work odd hours without disturbing housemates.
Tips for Optimising Your Self Storage Unit for Remote Work
From freelancers to distributed remote teams, self storage offers solutions for off-site workers of all stripes. Follow these tips to make self storage work for YOUR anywhere-office lifestyle:
Choose Convenient Locations
Look for storage near your favourite coworking haunts or coffee shops you frequent. Units along your regular commuting routes also minimise travel time. Optimising proximity lets you quickly dip in and out of storage as needed.
Come Prepared
Know exactly what you need to store before visiting facilities. This helps match unit sizes to your belongings for ideal space efficiency. It also speeds up packing and unpacking so you maximise working time. Ask for trolleys or forklifts to move the more heavy office equipment.
Organise Well
Use boxes, shelves, and storage containers to neatly arrange items and create zones in your unit. Categorise by project, tax year, client, etc., based on what you’ll likely access most. Place frequently used items near the door for grab-and-go ease.
Store Smart
Store equipment properly to prevent damage, especially delicate electronics. Use moisture-absorbing products to guard your stuff against humidity and off-gas electronics like printers to prevent the buildup of volatile compounds. Make sure you have a clear path to get to the items you’ll need to access most often.
Get Insurance
Though facilities focus heavily on security, units still carry a small risk of burglary/damage from natural disasters. Get renters insurance to cover your stored equipment for an extra bit of shielding.
Know the Rules
Storage rental agreements will carry restrictions on what you can store to prevent hazards: like no perishables, gasoline, weapons, etc. Familiarise yourself with these policies so you avoid risks or fines.
What To Look Out for in a Self Storage Facility
With the freedom and flexibility that self-storage provides, you’ll come to find there’s also the responsibility of picking the right facility. The perfect self storage spot boils down to a few key factors:
- Security Level: Look for security like perimeter fencing, CCTV cameras, and on-site personnel.
- Insurance Options: Even Fort Knox gets successfully burgled now and then, so ask about getting extra insurance through the facility to protect prized gear.
- Amenities: What extra conveniences come with their spaces that support DIY mobile offices? Packaging supplies? Moving equipment?
- Accessibility: Is it located somewhere you can easily get to in your day? Is it near a highway or public transport hub?
- Flexibility of Leases: Can you decide easily how long you’ll stay? Are you iron-clad to stay with this facility even if you no longer need the self storage unit? What are the minimum terms to stay? Can you upsize/downsize easily?
Transitioning to remote work brings enough challenges without struggling for space for all our professional possessions. Leveraging self storage helps you thrive by securing your stuff and making space for productivity.
Whether you’re a solo freelancer or a fleet of remote workers, Pink Hippo has the specialised storage amenities and staff expertise to keep your stuff safe while you get back to business. Ditch the workspace distractions and let us handle storage.
The freedom of the open road awaits — and your perfect workspace will be waiting at the next stop with us. All that’s left is to shift that storage unit into drive and get back to your career in high gear!
Get a quote for storage in Leatherhead or Reading today.