Get Organized

A plague that has taken over a good portion of the United States is consumerism. The byproduct of which, is a mass of stuff. Much of which is now unused, and in storage. This is why we see the flourishing industry of public storage popping up everywhere. So we spent huge amounts of money purchasing these goods, and now are spending huge amounts of money to store them. Mainly because we just can't justify getting rid of things we spent so much money on, and if we used credit cards for the initial purchase, we are probably still paying on.

So what is the solution?

You need someone to come in and organize your spaces, sell or donate unused items, and toss out the trash. This helps in many ways. First it can substantially reduce you cost of storage. Second, it can allow you to use existing spaces for other needs. Third, other people can get use out of what you don't. Fourth it will help with your sanity. Clutter is not good for our state of mind. These points can be applied to personal or business equally.

Lets just look at some basics here. A garden shed used to store the gardening tools and supplies. A shed can be an excellent space to do some of the maintenance tasks needed on the property. However, if it is unorganized and full of junk, this will not only be impossible, but can dissuade you from attempting maintenance at all. The above photos were just that. Homeowner great at gardening and maintenance but not too good at organization. This shed was stuffed full. Just to get something out was a big task. So we came in and, using supplies already on the property, made this well organized and functional work space. Now you feel motivated to get out and do something. The only hurdle now is training the homeowner that putting things back in their rightful places is in her best interest.

We have applied this philosophy to many projects over the past 30 odd years. From garages to warehouses, even manufacturing facilities. It is critical to use the above ideology in warehousing. Especially where the stock types change over time or season. You have to stay on top of things from the start. Often workers and management are lazy with housekeeping. Looking at the labor time and cost, then using that argument to defer organization. That always ends up costing time and money in the long run from slow access and damage. This can also put staff health and safety in jeopardy. It is a big problem, and the old saying "can't see the forest for the trees" is very true. You often need an outsider to come in, and at very least design out a plan of action. Manufacturing is guilty of bad organization also, especially one which is rapidly growing. One particular well known athletic equipment manufacturer in UK fell victim to this. We were asked to evaluate their manufacturing and warehousing. It was found that the manufacturing floor was laid out with no direct flow. Which was a total nightmare to move jobs through from cut to finish. And nowhere to hold jobs in production apart from the isles, which was a major safety concern. This substantially slowed the whole process, causing errors and damage, thus costing a great deal of money. The new layout addressed all the problems, and could have been completed in about a week. As there was a large quantity of 3 phase wiring to reroute and heavy machines to move. However the short sighted (and overpaid) managers decided that this was not where they wanted to spend their money. The long time business spiraled down to Bankruptcy within a couple years after our rejected proposal. The saddening thing being, those workers, some whom had given 20 years to the company, lost their jobs, walking away with nothing.

In regards to storage cost. Let us be clear here. It matters not whether you rent a separate storage space or you are using space on your property. They both have a cost per square meter that you are paying monthly for. Look at this scenario: A friend had a storage unit he was paying $200 US per month for. (not a very nice or clean one either) He was storing old furniture consisting of: twin bed and mattress, queen mattress, coffee table, two chairs, recliner, and about 5 boxes of personal affects. The personal affects could have been reduced by at least 50% and stored in his mothers attic or unused garage. The furniture I told him that within a couple years or so of storage he can replace the furniture new with what he is going to spend on storage. The furniture had no sentimental value and were not quality products. Also the storage space was damp and had no climate control. At the time we were discussing it he had had the unit for over three years, spending over $7,000. I know he did not listen and kept the unit several more years until we lost touch with him. At very least the maximum "New" value of the items stored was $5,000. And if you actually value their current market value, probably more likely $1,000.

Let's be sensible here. Yes there is a need for storage, but it should either be short term, or for valuable pieces. Generally, with a reorganization of you current space, and removal of items that have very little purpose in your current situation, you will save money and be able to utilize your space better. Making you more happy with your life. And we all want that.