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Originally Posted On: https://smartshed.net/ways-to-use-a-portable-shed-for-your-home-based-business/

Ways To Use a Portable Shed for Your Home-Based Business

Overview

Using a portable shed for an at-home business can make your daily routine and workflow a lot more efficient and organized. In this blog post, Smart Shed highlights the types of home-based businesses that can benefit from portable sheds, innovative ways to use them, and how security features, interior design, and proper layout planning can maximize their potential.

Highlights

• Businesses that benefit from portable sheds
• Customizing your shed
• Whether outdoor sheds are secure
• Optimizing a shed for storage
• Setting up a shed for packing and shipping
• Using a shed for display
• Combining a shed office and workspace

Introduction

At-home businesses function differently than ones in traditional workspaces. Setting up the right environment with a shed that suits your specific needs can keep you organized and productive.

When designing a shed that aligns with your workflow and goals, it’s important to consider factors like what your business does and how much space you’ll need.

Smart Shed will go over ways to use a portable shed for your home-based business and how to make the most out of using one.

What Types of Home-Based Businesses Benefit From Portable Sheds?

If you’re designing a portable shed for an at-home business, it’ll look and feel a lot different than one built for gardening or personal storage. The inclusion or exclusion of details like doors, windows, insulation, or shelving can all shape how well the shed serves your specific business needs.

For example, if you’re building a portable shed for an at-home bakery, you might include a refrigeration unit, shelving for products, and storage space for ingredients. With exterior plugs and a reliable source of electricity, you can run any essential appliances.

Here are a few other at-home businesses that can benefit:

• Photography studios: Set up a private, well-lit space for shoots and editing.
• Pet grooming businesses: Create a dedicated area with grooming tables and washing stations.
• Personalized gift creation businesses: Set up an organized space for custom engraving or crafting.
• Writing or content creation studios: Create a quiet, distraction-free zone for creativity.

Customizing a Portable Backyard Shed for Your Business

Choosing the right size is an important part of customizing a shed for any purpose.

A compact 8 by 10 foot shed might be perfect for a home-based jewelry making or e-commerce business, where storage and a small workspace are the primary needs. Conversely, a spacious 16 by 48 foot shed can accommodate larger operations, like a woodworking shop or a space for inventory and product assembly.

The addition of doors and windows can also impact how well your shed suits your business needs. For instance, a rollup door is ideal for businesses that frequently load and unload equipment for inventory, while double or single doors might better suit a more traditional workspace or home office.

Don’t overlook windows, either—you need them for natural light, and if you plan on spending most or all of your work day in your shed, you need to place them strategically. You might like transom windows, for example, which can provide natural light while maintaining a reasonable level of privacy.

What’s the Best Shed Style for an At-Home Business?

Even if you aren’t selling directly out of your shed, you need a style that’s both functional and thematically consistent. There are plenty of options—a side-lofted barn, for instance, with its overhead storage space, is perfect for businesses like crafting or inventory-heavy e-commerce.

A cabin-style shed, on the other hand, is an excellent choice for client-facing businesses like tutoring or consulting. It has a welcoming design, larger windows, and a front porch option, which can create a professional and comfortable environment that makes your clients feel at ease.

How Do You Choose a Suitable Shed Color?

You need to choose a shed color that complements your business’ purpose. Neutral siding with a contrasting trim, like beige with white accents, offers a professional and clean look, ideal if you’re meeting clients one-on-one for consultations, for example.

Consider roof color as well. A darker roof, like charcoal, can give a sleek and modern feel, while lighter colors, like tan, can make the shed blend into a garden setting. Adding a pop of color to the trim, like red or blue, might be ideal for a creative at-home business like an art studio.

How Do You Customize a Shed Interior for Specific Business Needs?

One way to customize your shed interior is to add insulation to make it a year-round workspace, which is important for businesses that require stable temperatures, such as candle-making or soap production businesses. It also helps keep the space comfortable, especially if you’re working long hours.

Consider including a workbench and shelves to maximize functionality if you run a business like a bicycle repair or a home-based tech repair shop. A study workbench provides a dedicated space for assembly and repairs, while shelves help organize your tools, parts, and inventory.

Is an Outdoor Shed Secure Enough for a Business?

If you plan on storing your inventory or other business assets in your shed, security is a valid concern. Portable sheds are inherently quite secure and will keep your items safe. You can add additional features if needed to further enhance security.

Here’s what makes outdoor sheds secure enough for your business:

• Lockable doors: Locks added to single, double, or roll-up doors keep your items secure.
• Secure windows: Windows with locks or transom-style designs control access and enhance protection.
• Strong frame construction: Quality framing resists impact and keeps the structure stable.
• Weather resistance: Materials designed to withstand harsh conditions prevent damage and reduce vulnerabilities.
• Proper anchoring: A securely anchored shed resists movement, ensuring both safety and stability.

It’s important to also consider the role that location plays for security. Placing your shed in a well-lit, visible area near your home is often better than positioning it in a secluded or hard-to-access spot. You can also add porch lights to further enhance security and make the shed more functional during evening hours.

Optimizing a Custom Shed for Inventory Storage

A custom shed can be an excellent solution for organizing and protecting your inventory. By strategically configuring the available space, you can keep your items well-organized and easy to access.

First, decide where you want your shelving. Perhaps you need shelves near the entrance for frequently used items or along the walls to maximize open floor space. The flexibility of shed design lets you create a setup that works best for your inventory management needs.

You should also consider the number of shelving units you’ll need. This largely depends on how much product you have or project to have. It’s important to find a balance. Too few shelves could lead to clutter, while too many might limit your workspace or make it harder to efficiently navigate the shed.

Setting up a Packing and Shipping Station in Your Portable Garden Shed

Portable garden sheds easily serve multiple purposes. One good use of it is using it as a shipping and packing station. This allows you to keep all your supplies together and organized, including boxes, tape, and labels, to ensure orders are efficiently prepared.

For example, if your at-home business sells handmade candles, you could use your shed to store inventory, pack orders, and print shipping details. By keeping these tasks separate from your living space, you create a workflow that reduces clutter in your home and encourages productivity.

Here are a few specific ways to make this happen:

• Dedicate one section of the shed exclusively for packing and shipping tasks to keep it organized.
• Use a sturdy, flat surface for assembling packages and processing orders.
• Store supplies like tape, labels, and shipping materials in clearly labeled bins for easy access.
• Mount hooks, shelves, or pegboards to keep tools and supplies off the floor and within reach.
• Set up a small space for printing shipping labels and organizing paperwork.

Can You Use a Portable Shed as a Display Space?

A portable shed, should you customize and organize yours accordingly, can serve as a functional display space for your at-home business. With shelving units and any additional furniture and decorations you choose to include, you can showcase art pieces, crafts, seasonal goods, or other products.

You can also take this a step further and use the space to photograph your products for social media or online listings. For example, if you’re selling handmade jewelry, you can arrange pieces in decorative strands or trays with the shed’s interior as a backdrop.

Combining a Shed Office and Workspace

Depending on your business, it might be ideal to divide your shed office into two distinct zones. One area can be dedicated to administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping and client communication, while the other can be set up as a functional workspace for crafting and assembling.

You’ll need:

• A desk for computer work or bookkeeping
• A workbench for assembling or crafting products
• Shelves for organizing tools or supplies
• Seating for client consultations or brainstorming sessions

Build a Shed for Your At-Home Business Today

Your at-home business serves to benefit from a dedicated space that keeps you organized and enhances productivity. Whether you need room for inventory, a functional workspace, or a professional setting to meet clients, Smart Shed has a solution within reach.

Contact us today at (706) 405-4637 and start building your shed now.