Monday, July 4th, 2011
The rise of the eBay auction site has been incredible. Set up in the 1980s, today eBay has over 100 million users, both buying and selling, and the opportunities to make money keep on growing. To become a successful eBay entrepreneur however takes coordination, planning and a lot of storage space. Platinum sellers can make sales of up to £15,000 per month – that’s a lot of material to turn around and store in your living room!
Maintain stock control – as a first time eBay seller, don’t feel overwhelmed if your product range gets out of control. Anyone can end up simply surrounded by ‘stuff’. After de-cluttering your own home and selling unwanted goods online, friends and family may start to offload their items to you as well. Personal storage can help if you are suddenly faced with wardrobes full of clothing, piles of books and CDs, together with the odd lamp or two. Decide which items you want to sell, and stick to them.
Develop a niche – used designer items, especially shoes and bags, are guaranteed sales on eBay. Selling quirky items such as decorative teaspoons, Victorian walking sticks, or even giant French chandeliers, can set you up as a specialist seller with a niche market. Visit car boot sales and charity shops to help source your products. Once you have developed your online ‘shop’, you can store bulky items in a self-storage room at Big Yellow, leaving your house or business free from clutter. Self-storage rooms are accessible seven days a week, so there will be no delay in sending items out to winning bidders.
Use trade sellers to maximize profits –the best source for your merchandise after exhausting your own unwanted items and charity shops will come from the wholesale market place. Here you can buy in bulk at a lower cost, sell for a bigger profit margin, and thus really boost your income. When dealing with large quantities however, storage will become a priority. Avoid overcrowding your home and visit bigyellow.co.uk/business for ways to help with this.
Divide and sort stock – once you have a range of items to sell, you will need to organise your stock so it can be stored safely and found easily when needed. Using different coloured or odd sized boxes could help distinguish where different items are kept. Visit bigyellow.co.uk/boxshop to see our full range of storage boxes. When you need to clear out your inventory and re assess your possessions, put sale items into dust and water-proof boxes or temporary storage for a few months before starting again.
Use good quality recycled boxes to store clothing – children’s clothes and vintage items are some of the best sellers on eBay. However, clothing can become very dusty and tends to absorb smells easily. Big Yellow self-storage rooms are guaranteed to be free from cigarette smoke, damp, and pet smells.
Storing stock at Big Yellow gives you the flexibility to store as little or as much as you need from as little as £6 per week. With staff that are happy to accept deliveries for you and no complicated long term contracts, Big Yellow Self Storage may be the ideal place to store your eBay items.
For more information about how Big Yellow can help your eBay business visit www.bigyellow.co.uk/business for a personal quotation.
Tags: at home, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, business storage, Charity, Did you know?, ebay, eBay top seller, profit, self storage blog, stock
Posted in Features | No Comments »
Monday, June 27th, 2011
There are lots of ways in which Big Yellow Self Storage could help your business, as you might need somewhere to store goods on a temporary or semi-permanent basis. All businesses go through periods of change and reorganization. The current state of the economy is not helping and it has been a hard couple of years for many companies. Take a look at these ideas about how self storage could help your business:-
Free up space for new equipment – When you need space for new furniture or equipment such as a photocopier or drinks machine, you may find yourself visiting Big Yellow. Businesses, like homes, inevitably accumulate an excess of clutter over time, from boxes of papers to redundant tools. For things that you simply cannot throw away, or that you have to keep for a period of time, self storage can help. By storing goods on a short or long term basis, your equipment and valuables are kept safe and your business kept clear.
De-clutter and improve working conditions – Maintaining a tidy and clutter free office is difficult, especially when space is tight. By improving the organisation of your office storage, you can reduce dust, improve working conditions and increase productivity. Having a minimalist office can also instill a sense of calm. Utilise every inch of a room, especially areas that are slightly out of the way. You can find a range of boxes and vacuum bags to store products online at https://www.bigyellow.co.uk/boxshop/.
Storage for decoration and renovation- If an office or business needs to be decorated, it needn’t cause a major upheaval. Short term self storage rooms are available at Big Yellow. Goods and furniture can be stored in rooms from 10 sq ft to 500 sq ft or more. The best part is that you only pay for what you need. Everything in the rooms is accessible seven days a week between 8am to 6pm. You can even extend access hours for a small fee.
Seasonal variations in requirements – For many companies, seasonal variations in goods can cause problems. Christmas and Easter are busy times for any business working in the gift or chocolate markets for example. For expanding cottage industries, keeping up with demand or maintaining stocks of gift boxes around the festival period may well cause issues with storage.
Self-storage rooms at Big Yellow could provide an ideal solution, have a look at the website and get a personalized quote direct at http://www.bigyellow.co.uk/business/
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, de-clutter, decoration and renovation, seasonal variation, self storage blog, space
Posted in Did you know?, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Kirsty from Big Yellow Self Storage together with Trina and Kirstie from our Armadillo Stores watched UK medal hopefuls in action during a tour of the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield.
The impressive lottery funded facility is big enough to cater for a wide variety of sports and features state of the art equipment. As well as being a tremendous asset for elite athletes, the Institute works on projects to bring sport into the community.
There were several presentations from the organizers of Team 2012, which gave an insight into the funding operation. The goal is to raise £25 million and £14 million has already been raised. The money raised will help fund equipment for over 1200 athletes across 47 sports.
Our Big Yellow and Armadillo staff were told about two key projects the Institute is promoting: table tennis and boxing. The Institute is funding a table tennis coach from world leaders China. Kirsty from Big Yellow got to see the coach in action and even play a game against medal hopeful Kelly Sibley.
Inside the boxing halls, they saw Natasha Jonas, reigning European champion, together with Luke Campbell and Anthony Ogogo practicing their style and technique. Boxing is a very well funded and popular sport. As part of the outreach project, mobile boxing rings are being used in communities with impressive results.
The day was a fantastic insight into the development of English sporting talent and a great way of seeing the Big Yellow sponsorship of Team 2012 in action. To find out more about our medal hopefuls and work at the Institute please visit their website.
Tags: armadillo self storage, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, Boxing, business storage, Charity, Olympics, Paralympics, self storage, self storage blog, Table Tennis, Team 2012, UK storage
Posted in Charities, News | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
It’s now that time of the year, when you begin to realise that those January Sale purchases were unnecessary and you need to decide what needs to go. Using self storage is a useful solution for those items you don’t want to throw away but you can’t find a home for. In order to help you decide what should stay and what should go, follow this simple rule – six months and you’re out!
This golden rule can be used when managing other areas of the home, whether you’re updating your wardrobe, clearing the garage, emptying the garden shed or even moving your office. However, getting rid of some objects may be harder than you imagined and thankfully for those things that really have to stay there are other options. Consider storing items in a secure environment away from the home or multi-functional furniture that may provide not only storage compartments for those precious items but also additional seating.
The majority of our unused items tend to get stored on the unreachable shelves or in the dark corners of the house we steer clear of, knowing what mess lies there. It is these areas that should be targeted first when de-cluttering your home and organising your life. Ask yourself, when was the last time you used the item? If it has been longer than six months then the chances are you won’t be needing it any time soon.
Tackle the clutter in a systematic way, working from one room to the next and keep high traffic areas of your home clear of clutter. This ensures that you will be able to monitor your progress and if a break is needed, you can come back to the same point. It is advised that in order to successfully complete the task of de-cluttering your home, a full day is taken but with busy lives getting busier and time getting shorter, this is not always an option.
To find out how you can benefit from self storage, visit our Quote and Reserve Online page to get started.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, business storage, byss, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, home, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, storage, storage solution
Posted in Features | No Comments »
Monday, June 13th, 2011
De-cluttering your home should not just be a one off occurance. Being able to welcome visitors into a tidy home fulfills a home-owners sense of pride and allows visitors, both planned and spontaneous to enter into a calm and social sanctuary.
Regularly completing simple tasks such as sorting through mail, wiping services and making your bed as well as hoovering and dusting on a weekly basis enables you to keep on top of the clutter eliminating the need for a one day a year hardcore clear out.
The most important area to tackle when preparing your home for spontaneous visitors is the bathroom. The next is the lounge, vacuuming will make a dramatic improvement on the appearance of your home.
Wipe your kitchen surfaces, discarding any crumbs you may have picked up into the sink and rinse. Don’t spoil your hard work by wiping them onto the floor. Finally, pile up any papers or magazines in one pile. Although they may not be in their rightful home, piling them up will make it look as though they’ve been there for years.
These simple ideas can be completed within half an hour’s notice but making time to do these few things before you leave the house in the morning will allow you to return home to a stress-free environment with whatever company you may chose.
Tags: at home, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, business storage, byss, clean, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, tips and tricks
Posted in Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Big Yellow Self Storage will be attending the Business Start Up Show, the UK’s largest exhibition for developing and expanding companies, at ExCeL London on 19th & 20th May 2011. We will be there to offer any advice and talk face-to-face with those that require storage for their business.
There will be over 200 exhibitors, 140 seminars, free workshops, one-to-one advice sessions and a range of live interactive features. If you’re thinking about starting your own business or you’ve recently launched one, there will be information, advice and services needed to run a successful business.
Come and speak to Big Yellow if you’re planning to start up your own business and want to find out more about self storage.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, Business Start Up Show, business storage, byss, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, storage solution, UK storage
Posted in News | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
If you’re working from a home office many things can cause a distraction such as paperwork that hasn’t been filed or a large amount of items around your desk. Here are some suggestions to make your home office a more productive place to work.
Simple things like changing your desktop picture to something calming and pleasing to look at will make spending a day in front of the screen less of a chore. It’s also a great way to compensate for an office that doesn’t necessarily boast a room with a view.
Place house plants around the room in order to not only look better but aid the circulation of oxygen through the office. Let there be light and take advantage of any outdoor space you may have.
Stay hydrated and ditch the sugar to avoid the sugar crash and boost your energy. Dehydration is a common cause for fatigue and weakness.
Working in a calming space will create a productive environment and will make your work much more productive and to a higher standard. It will only make going to work easier!
If you want to find out how you can use self storage to create a home office, visit www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal to find out more.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, business storage, byss, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, home, Home Office, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, storage, storage solution, UK storage
Posted in Features | No Comments »
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Deciding how to store items in your home is a very important part of de-cluttering and getting organised. The following tips will help you make quick and valuable decisions which will help you organise all areas of your home.
Hallway – Sort through your collection of scarves, hats, coats and other items of clothing that take up space. You can keep the items that are used daily or weekly as any of the excess items can be moved into a nearby cupboard, donated to charity or put in a self storage room.
Living Room – Old books, DVDs and CDs are the usual culprits so lose the bits and pieces and only display your most prized possessions.
Kitchen – The main source of frustration in a kitchen is overstuffed cabinets and drawers filled with duplicate kitchenware, dishes that are used only on special occasions, mismatched containers and appliances that you no longer use. If you can’t bear to part with an item consider relocating it or putting the items in storage.
Closets – It’s time to be strong and clear out those items that haven’t been worn in the last year, no longer fit or are out of style.
Bathrooms – Throw away any items that have expired or those that are no longer in use. Items such as toothbrushes can be kept in holders to save space and keep them clean.
Office – Any paperwork that can be found on a website or email should be recycled. Filing systems can help you minimise the inflow of paperwork and help reduce your existing paperwork piles.
Kids Room – Teaching children the concept of ‘one in, one out’ can stop toys from becoming jumbled and cluttered on the floor.
Garage –When you clear space in your house, boxes of old clothing, sports equipment and extra furnishings usually end up in the garage and will never return inside your home. To create a vast amount of free space you can donate the items or keep them in self storage.
To find out how you can benefit from self storage, visit our Quote and reserve online page to get started.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, clutter, collectibles, de-clutter, declutter, fine wine storage, furniture storage, music storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, storage, storage solution, student storage, UK storage, wine storage
Posted in Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Over the next 25 days until Christmas we will be giving you the chance to win prizes everyday on our Advent Calendar! We will be giving away over 356 prizes exclusively to members of our Facebook page with a grand prize of an XBox 360 console and Kinect, which allows your own body to become the controller. The 360 Kinect camera tracks your movement, recognises your voice, scans objects into games, and works with every Xbox 360.
We will also be giving away gift vouchers for iTunes, IKEA, Homebase, Amazon and offering a 25% discount at Big Yellow Self Storage so you’ll be sure to find something to treat yourself! You can even increase your chances of winning by inviting your friends to take part.
To be in with a chance of winning any of these fantastic prizes visit the Advent Calendar tab on the Big Yellow Self Storage Facebook page.
Tags: advent calendar, amazon, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, business storage, byss, christmas, christmas gifts, clutter, collectibles, Competition, de-clutter, declutter, fine wine storage, furniture storage, gift, homebase, ideas, ikea, iTunes, self storage, self storage blog, Self Stroage, storage room, storage solution, storage units, student storage, UK storage, vouchers, win, wine storage, Xbox
Posted in Features | No Comments »
Friday, October 29th, 2010
Forgetting what you have in your wine cellar could be a thing of the past thanks to the Cellar and Open Cellar applications available for your iPod and the Open Cellar software for your home computer.
Cellar is an iPhone, iPod or iPad application, which is designed to help you organise your wine collection wherever and whenever you like. The application acts as a swipeable showcase of your wine rack. You can categorise your wine bottles, edit what is in your cellar and browse through your collection.
Any bottles you have removed to drink or sell can be discarded to the ‘Garage’. This feature recognises that the particular bottles are no longer a part of your collection, but saves them in the Garage for future reference.
Don’t have an iPhone? Not a problem!
Open Cellar is an equally useful programme, which you can download for free onto your Mac or PC. You can also purchase the ‘Open Cellar’ app for your iDevice, which can be used alone or can be synchronised with the computer software.
The application allows you to organise your wines and provides information on where each bottle is produced, who it’s produced by, specific attributes and value. You can rate every bottle and add purchasing and taste notes for personal reference.
There is an option to build multiple racks and the application can show you the exact location of each bottle in your cellar, allowing you to find your wines quickly and easily. Touching a specific bottle on the screen displays a summary of the wine and highlights where matching bottles are positioned in your cellar. There is also an online database where you can back up your wine catalogue information, so you will never lose your records.
At Big Yellow Self Storage we know the importance of storing wine properly. At our flagship store in Fulham we offer specialist, climate controlled wine storage rooms which you can access 7 days a week. To find out more information about how you could benefit from wine storage visit The Wine Cellars section of our website.
Tags: armadillo self storage, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, business storage, fine wine storage, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Stroage, storage solution, wine storage
Posted in Wine Blog | No Comments »
