How to Use a Storage Unit as an Event Planner

The professional movers at All My Sons Moving & Storage weigh in on how event planners can effectively use a storage unit to help run their business.

Event planners play a crucial role in helping people celebrate milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and business successes. From quinceañeras to office Christmas parties, people count on event planners to organize vendors, turn up the music, and make their event special. As an event planner you might accumulate a number of unique decorations and equipment, not to mention all the documents you need to run your business. Whether you’re planning events as a side business or run a full-time year-round event planning enterprise, you need cost-effective solutions for managing your inventory.

You can keep everything you need to get the party going by renting storage space.

Not all storage solutions are created equal, but a great storage facility will help create a customized plan that works for you and your busy events schedule. Looking for a space to stash your seasonal decorations year-round or need to reclaim your garage from the legion of different themed tablecloths you’ve accumulated? There’s a storage space that will meet your needs, and budget, so you can make that next big conference happen.

Here are some of the options you should think about to help store your precious event planning inventory.

• 24-Hour Access: With events happening around the clock and sometimes late into the night, one of the questions you should consider when renting a storage space is whether or not your storage facility provides 24-hour access. Some facilities will only allow access during certain hours, and some facilities may have an extra charge for 24 hour access. To avoid getting locked out of your unit during a crucial setup or teardown time, make sure you always have access to your most important inventory items. 

• Drive-Up Units: Ease of access make drive-up units an excellent choice for event planners who need to get into their storage unit often. These units are conveniently located on the ground floor with plenty of space for you to pull up in your event planning van or truck. You will be able to quickly get into your unit, grab what you need, and drive away to your next event. The downsides to drive-up units is that they are typically not temperature-controlled, so they would not be an ideal choice for your more temperature-sensitive items. Items that could be safely stored in a drive-up unit include backdrops, banners, and furniture.

• Climate Controlled Units: Items that are sensitive to extreme temperature changes or excess moisture in the air are best stored in climate-controlled storage units. These units are designed to regulate the internal environment, protecting your items from temperature shifts and humidity. Some items that might require climate-controlled storage include dried florals, audio and visual equipment, candles, centerpieces, and glassware.

• Full-Service Storage: If you’d like someone to do all the major packing and handling for you, then full-service storage might be your ideal solution. For many full-service storage facilities, movers come pick up your items, store them, and then retrieve them again when you request them. This solution might work best for your seasonal and holiday decorations that you don’t need to access very often.

Once you have reviewed the options available, you can make a better informed decision about what will work for your business. 

Now that you have a unit in mind that meets your needs, it’s time to set up your unit in a way that keeps you successful. Taking the extra time to organize your unit when you’re first packing it and when you swing by to grab your event inventory items will save you from lost or damaged items in the future.

Here are a few things you should do to keep your unit working with you as you set up parties and events.

• Label Boxes and Bins: Even if you have clear bins for storage of your centerpieces, napkins, and glassware, you should label all your boxes and bins so that you can tell what contents are inside. If you have the extra budget for packing supplies, you might even consider color-coding your boxes and bins based on what theme or event type the contents belong to. For instance, you could store all your fall wedding decorations inside bins with orange tape and all your valentine’s day decorations inside bins with pink tape. This way you’ll be able to tell at a glance where to find specific decorations that you’re looking for.

• Map the Unit by Ease of Access: You should not put your most requested décor items in the back of the unit behind a wall of less-requested pieces. Constantly digging into the back of your storage unit is exhausting. You should keep the back of the unit reserved for large items that you don’t need to access that often, and put the items you want easy access to more toward the front.

• Use Shelves:  Since you run a business out of your storage unit, a good idea might be to invest in shelving to help keep your storage unit organized. Orient your containers on the shelves so that their labels face outward. With shelves, you’ll be able to select the bins that you need to access in a quick pinch. 

• Leave Aisles for Navigation: If you are in and out of your storage unit often, you should set it up with aisles for navigation. This helps leave an access point for all of your bins and boxes. Combine your navigation aisles with shelves for the perfect storage unit setup to run your event planning business.

Now that your unit is organized, you’ll have a much easier time finding everything you’re looking for. You also reduce the likelihood that some of your supplies or decorations will go missing or get damaged while in storage.

Even if your event management business is small, you should start to keep an inventory list when you move your items into storage. An inventory list can help you keep track of the location and condition of your decorations and supplies. This inventory list might come in handy if you need to make any insurance claims if a disaster happens at one of your events or at your storage unit.

Your inventory should show the following on all your items.

• Picture: Take a picture of the item either by itself or in action at an event.

• Rental Price: Notate how much you charge your event planning customers to use the item, if you charge by item.

• Purchase Value: Keep a record of how much it cost to buy the item or how much it would potentially cost to replace if lost or damaged.

• Condition: Notate any existing damage on an item when they are checked out for events.

• Location in Storage Unit: Write down the exact location of your item, including the number of the bin and the shelf where it is housed in your storage unit.

You can create your own inventory list by using a simple spreadsheet software, or you can use an online inventory management system to help you keep track of all your items.

With an organized storage unit, you can keep your event planning business running smoothly for years to come. Enjoy creating beautiful memories for your clients at your next celebrations.

When you need assistance relocating or storing your event planner company inventory, call All My Sons Moving & Storage. Our company has been helping businesses and families make their move for over 30 years, and we’d be delighted to care for all the decorations and supplies you use for your events.