Inside Store First - Wireless Republic, Blackburn

Wireless Republic has a small unit at our Blackburn self-storage centre which makes a big difference to the business. We spoke to Mark Sutton to find out more about how self-storage benefits the company.

What does your business do?

The main part of our business is providing consultation to telecomms companies, and we also supply electronic equipment.

How did you first hear about Store First?

Driving past! I often drove from Preston to Blackburn and Burnley on the M65 so I'd spotted this huge bright and yellow building and always been curious about exactly what it was. When I needed somewhere to keep equipment safe, it was the first place I thought of.

Why did you decide to take out a storage unit there?

Mostly because of [centre manager] Michael and the team. They made things really clear and the costs were great as far as building that into the cost of keeping equipment. It was flexible too, as we do expect to increase our storage space in size. I'm expecting us to increase our storage by three or four times in the next few years, so with Store First there's enough growth potential there for a concertina effect over the next few years.

From a business perspective, you don't want to keep revisiting the same issue, so that decision [to take storage with Store First] can see us through various stages of growth without much upheaval.

How long have you been using Store First?

We took a 35 sq ft unit around 18 months ago.

What do you use your business storage unit for?

It's used to store equipment. Working with electronics, you don't need a huge amount of space as the parts are so small - you can put a lot in a box!

Do you use any other facilities at Store First?

I often email documents to the staff and ask them to print them off, which they are happy to do.

What are the benefits of using a storage unit for business purposes?

Logistically, it means we can give couriers that address and the guys at the storage centre take care of it. They send me a text and put deliveries in storage for me when I'm not there.

I used to have a warehouse and a forklift guy and the costs that go along with that, but doing it this way saves us a lot of money and offers us more flexibility.

I don't think I'd ever go back to a warehouse after trying self-storage - I will just continue to take more units as the business grows.

Would you recommend Store First to other businesses?

I already have! I recommended Store First to someone who runs a business in Manchester, who has since taken out storage at the Trafford storage centre.

View our Blackburn storage centre and business facilities

We have business storage units to let at our Blackburn storage centre, along with a host of additional facilities for business customers. Get a price here or call the centre on 01254 846846.