Published: Thursday, 5th February, 2009 11:53am

We are beating the credit crunch

by Alan Bunce

Comments (0) | Print | Email

SMALL firms are tackling the credit crunch by running their businesses from storage units.

Storage King, which set up in Woodley in late 2007, has reported new small firms, mostly ebay traders, outgrowing their homes and turning their storage units into makeshift offices.

Storage King has equipped them with office services including phone lines, wireless broadband, postal collections and has even set up a deal with a local van rental business to offer transport.

But the real advantage is that the offices cost the small firms a fraction of what serviced offices would normally cost. Manager Marc Dryden said: "We had a couple of ebay suppliers which were too big for their homes and they moved their stock here, then they moved their businesses here. We put in a wireless network and they pretty much run their businesses from here."

Six firms are currently operating from Storage King in Headley Road East and when the firm opens its second building this summer there will be a mix of storage and purpose built offices to meet the new demand.

Mr Dryden said he expects to see that demand continue as firms realise how much they can save.

Typically, he said, a 150 sq ft space would cost around £240 a month with Storage King while normal serviced offices can charge up to £5 a square foot.

Boots n Shoes n Stuff is one firm which took up the storage/office solution. It was started by Kaarina Burnel and Lorraine Moore in 2005, selling footwear via their ebay shop all over the world from their homes in Woodley.

They moved to the Linpac building but with that due for demolition, had to find new premises. Kaarina went across Headley Road East to Storage King and the staff there were happy to take storage of the shoes plus Kaarina, Lorraine and their one member of staff who between them send out around 70 pairs of shoes a day.

Kaarina said: "We had outgrown the space we had at Linpac and asked if we could upsize but they did not have anything available so we had to look for somewhere new and Storage King was just opening.

"The units are very clean and tidy and very secure. Each unit has its own alarm system and we have 24/7 access."

Contact Storage King on 0118 969 0821. Contact Boots n Shoes n Stuff via the website at www.bootsnshoesnstuff.com

* PUBS are closing faster than ever but a calendar of fun events next week should draw in the punters.

As reported in last week's Chronicle at least 12 Reading pubs have closed recently, so the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) has organised Local Pubs Week to highlight their vital role in the community.

Six are joining in and putting on pub games, piano tunes, a pickled onion contest, a pub memorabilia raffle, folk songs, a quiz night, a sausage social and the launch of CAMRA's Ale Trail event.

The pubs involved are the Hop Leaf and Red Lion in Southampton Street, the Retreat in St John's Street, the Allied Arms in St Mary's Butts, the Foresters Arms in Brunswick Street, and the Bell at Waltham St Lawrence.

For an itinerary of events, visit www.readingcamra.org.uk/news/news/diary