Here in Gisborne, businesses of all types – from exciting startups to established trades – will frequently discover the challenge of securing adequate operational space.
Today, we’re going to delve a bit deeper into how a dedicated workspace can offer significant advantages, offering a great alternative to the often-restrictive nature of traditional commercial leases, or the limitations of operating solely from home.
Many small businesses find themselves at a crossroads, needing more than a home office but not yet ready for the substantial commitment of a full-scale commercial building. At our Gisborne branch, we recognise these evolving demands and in response, we’ve provided a bunch of purpose-built workshop units, each specifically designed to cater to a wide range of industry needs.
These workshop units are crafted to offer a flexible, secure, and cost-effective solution, allowing businesses to establish a professional presence, manage their inventory, conduct light manufacturing or perform specialised services, all without the overheads that are associated with larger spaces.
This approach allows a number of local businesses to grow and operate more efficiently within the Gisborne community – but what about your business? How might it benefit from a workshop unit like the ones we offer here in Gisborne?
Let’s find out together.
Gisborne’s Unique Workshop Offering
Our Gisborne facility has a range of storage solutions on offer, including 347 standard lock-up units suitable for personal and household items – from seasonal camping gear to belongings for those in transitional housing. Being the newest storage facility in the Gisborne region (having been established in 2021) our premises is both modern and well-maintained.
But a key feature of our Gisborne facility is our 17 purpose-built workshop units. They’re not merely storage spaces; they’re designed as functional spaces for business. These units are available in substantial sizes – such as 12×5 metres and 12×10 metres, providing ample room for various operations.
Each workshop unit is equipped with power and lighting, ensuring a functional environment for business activities. A significant advantage of the units is their 24-hour access – while standard lock-up units are accessible from 6:00 a.m to 10:00 p.m, workshop tenants can access their units at any time, day or night, offering unparalleled flexibility for operations.
Some workshop units include additional amenities such as a small kitchen, a toilet, and a handbasin, offering a more self-contained workspace. Other units provide a basic, powered open space.
The Benefits of a Workshop Unit for Businesses
These workshop units offer substantial benefits for small businesses. Here are some of the best examples:
Reduced Overhead Costs: Compared to traditional commercial leases, a workshop unit offers a professional space without the burden of high overheads such as rates, extensive utilities, or significant fit-out costs. This allows businesses to allocate more capital towards core operations and growth.
Operational Flexibility: Business needs can fluctuate. A workshop storage unit provides flexibility with our month-to-month leases, allowing businesses to scale up or down more easily than with a rigid long-term lease. This adaptability is crucial for managing changing demands.
Clear Separation of Work and Home: Operating a business from home can blur the lines between personal and professional life. A dedicated business workshop unit provides a distinct workspace, helping to maintain a professional image, separate business activities from home life, and reclaim personal space.
Enhanced Professional Presence: A dedicated workshop unit provides a professional address for receiving deliveries and organising equipment. This contributes to a more established and credible business image.
Support for Business Growth: Workshop units can serve as an ideal stepping stone for growing businesses. They provide a secure and functional base from which to operate and expand, without the immediate commitment of a larger commercial property.
Our Gisborne workshops are currently utilised by a diverse range of businesses. We have mechanics who use the space for vehicle repair and maintenance, and water filter specialists who use our units as a base for their services.
Other tenants include soil testers, who set up small laboratory spaces for analysis, and caterers who store trailers, large cooking equipment, and supplies. We also support product-based businesses that utilise workshop storage units for inventory storage and daily order fulfilment.
Beyond these existing uses, workshop units are suitable for a wide array of other applications.
Online retailers and e-commerce businesses can find a workshop unit ideal for inventory management, packaging, and dispatch operations. Artists and craftspeople can benefit from a dedicated studio space for creative work, allowing for messier processes away from home.
For small-scale manufacturing or assembly, these business workshop units provide a suitable environment for putting together products, from custom furniture to electronic components. As for repair businesses, whether for bicycles or electronic devices, the units establish a clean and secure location for your services.
Photographers and videographers might find them perfect as a compact studio for product photography or small-scale video shoots. Tradespeople, including electricians, plumbers, and builders, can use a workshop storage unit as a secure base for storing tools, materials, and potentially vehicles.
Support from Our On-Site Manager, Teresa
As someone who’s well aware of the significant step involved in acquiring a new workspace, our dedicated on-site manager, Teresa Torrie, keeps herself available from Monday to Friday to assist with business owners keen to make themselves at home on the facility grounds.
Teresa offers comprehensive orientations for any new customers who wish for it, guiding them through the facility, helping them locate their specific unit, explaining access points, and identifying on-site amenities like toilets and exits.
This personal approach ensures a smooth transition for all tenants, including those who have signed up remotely.
Our facility is designed for ease of use, which is why it features truck-friendly driveways in order to accommodate larger vehicles, as well as many units offering drive-up access for convenient loading and unloading.
Additionally, we also offer complimentary moving vans for customers with a full driver’s licence (subject to availability) to further assist with relocation.
We’ll maintain regular communication with our long-term customers, providing practical advice, such as housekeeping tips to ensure items remain clean and dry, especially during winter. Our commitment to customer peace of mind is reinforced by 24/7 security cameras and pin code access, ensuring the safety of all stored belongings.
Whether you’re starting a new business, expanding an existing one, or simply need a dedicated space that’s separate from your home, a workshop unit at Safeguard Storage Gisborne is a practical solution.
We encourage you to visit our Gisborne facility and meet Teresa. We’ll provide a comprehensive tour, answer your questions, and help you in finding the ideal workshop unit to support your daily operations.