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Is It Too Soon to Return to the Office? Use Self-Storage Instead!

When the coronavirus first hit the United States, many corporations moved to work-from-home environments. In the latest surge, even with the country surpassing 120,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in just one day, some employers brought back their employees to continue working in-office.Many offices are implementing temporary guidelines for employees to return safely. However, it’s important to recognize the risks associated with returning to in-person work. Keep reading to find out how self-storage can act as an alternative to working in an office. Is It Safe to Work in an Office Right Now? Despite cases rising, many employees across the country are back to working in an office environment. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released guidelines for companies. Here are just a few of their requirements for companies to resume in-person operations: Increase circulation of outdoor air Ensure ventilation systems work properly Modify or adjust seats to accommodate physical distancing Consider conducting daily health checks, including temperature screenings Stagger shifts, start and end times, and breaks While there is still an inherent risk of contracting COVID-19 in large gatherings, many offices are taking the right precautions to avoid their employees becoming sick. The Risks of Working in an Office During COVID-19 While working in an office may be less distracting than at home, do the risks of catching the virus outweigh these benefits? Shared spaces and highly trafficked areas and surfaces are among the most common ways of catching the virus, which can quickly spread from person to person.Despite living in a time of social distancing, which prevents coworkers, acquaintances, and strangers from touching, safety precautions can easily be forgotten. If conducting business in person, it’s important to remember that social norms like handshaking should be avoided. Other Alternatives to Working in an Office If working from home just isn’t working for you anymore, but you’re still wary of returning to an office setting, consider renting a storage unit for your office needs. Using a storage unit as office space will provide fewer distractions and allow you to return to ...

TI Storage
December 5th, 2020

Should You Downsize Your Office Space During the Pandemic?

Covid-19

With the economic shock of COVID-19, many businesses are being affected and are looking for cost-cutting options. Since March, most businesses have had employees work from home in what quickly became the new normal. It leads to the question of whether these employees will ever return to the office. If not, should businesses significantly reduce their office space? How Businesses Are Being Affected by the Pandemic It’s no surprise that the coronavirus has put a large financial burden on many businesses and companies around the globe. Even prior to the pandemic, most organizations were looking for ways to operate more efficiently and reduce costs.Many companies were forced to quickly pivot their operations to work from home environments. In some instances, this required companies having to shell out big bucks for computers, laptops, cell phones, and other necessities for their employees. That’s on top of the rent being paid for an office no one’s working in. How Can I Downsize My Office Space? There are many different ways you can reduce your office space. However, they vary depending on whether you rent or own the space and how long you want the changes to be in effect. If you rent space, one solution may be to return space back to the landlord or bring in another company to split the rent with.However, if you own the building, you may be in a position where you can not only save money but also earn more. Subletting office space or even floors to other companies is a great source of income. Benefits of Reducing Office Space In a COVID-19 world, a communal office space is seen as a potential area where infections could spread easily through employees. Companies that still have a small team of employees who come into the office now have to rework space to properly spread them apart. However, do you really need an entire floor of office space for 10 employees?Saving or earning money is not the only benefit to downsizing office space, though. Large, ...

TI Storage
November 24th, 2020

How Self-Storage Can Help While Working Remotely During COVID-19

Covid-19

Working from home is a dream for many, and by now you’ve probably been working from home for a few months. While you may have adjusted to this new way of remote work, there are still ways you can be more productive without even knowing it. If you live by yourself or with others who are working from home, you may have already worked out a system. However, if you have people living with you, renting a storage unit may be the best way to go while working from home.There are many reasons to move your home office into a storage unit. Here are a few things to consider when making the decision. How to Use a Self Storage Unit as an Office Working from home is great. Except when your corner makeshift office slowly spreads to the entire house, much to the dismay of your roommates or family members. This is where storage units come in. Renting a unit easily allows you to once again separate your work and home and lives by having a quiet, dedicated workspace.Before you rent a unit, it might be wise to plan out your space. What will you need in the office to be successful? Maybe a desk, chair, and bookshelf will do. But, you may want to consider getting a unit that is slightly larger than you think you’ll need. With the added space you’ll have the freedom to add a larger desk, more filing cabinets, maybe some plants to brighten up the place, or whatever else you may need to be efficient. Benefits to Using Self-Storage While Working From Home The reality is that if you’re working from home you need a dedicated, quiet workspace to be productive, and there’s a wide range of benefits from working “at home” in a storage unit. Here are just a few ways you can benefit from it. Flexible Monthly Payments Most storage units are rented monthly, which is perfect for those working remotely only temporarily. Once the pandemic’s threat fades ...

TI Storage
November 17th, 2020

Key Questions to Ask Before Renting Self-Storage During COVID-19

Covid-19

All industries are quickly adapting to new ways of conducting business according to CDC guidelines. It’s important to be prepared before making a decision on a self-storage facility. You should be able to know you’re doing business with a company who takes these guidelines seriously. While self-storage seems like a low-touch in-person transaction, there are still companies that are having difficulty transitioning to a new way of contactless business or safer cleaning measures. Here are some questions you should ask yourself and your self-storage owner to ensure these fears are eliminated while going through the stressful time of moving or storing your valuables. Is Your Rental Agreement and Payment Process Online? In a world where digital technology is at the forefront of many industries, there are still many companies that haven’t moved all their customer transactions to an online platform. It should be your top priority to get as many documents, credit checks, and rental payments paid online as possible. Moving, in general, can be tiring and stressful. With an online process, you mitigate the stress of going into an office where you might come into unsafe contact with other people. The greater benefit is an ongoing relationship with your storage owner to handle back-and-forth communication regarding your documents online. It offers a one-stop source to view your payment history, notifications about changes in process provided by the CDC, and other updates to ensure your safety matters to them. How Do You Handle Social Distancing? This is another important question to ask if you plan to visit your storage facility often, if you’re coming at peak hours, or if you need to come into the office. To avoid a large group of people, having a live chat or call feature to schedule your appointment or check the daily calendar should be available and easy to use so you can feel secure and safe upon your visit. Treasure Island Storage has both a live chat feature and call option on our website to have quick conversations about ...

TI Storage
July 22nd, 2020

How COVID-19 is Creating a New Reality for Self-Storage

Covid-19

Prior to the shelter-in-place regulations and national economic shutdowns, self-storage was an in-person, high-touch business. Rental agreements were signed by hand, people could come and go as they pleased, and health efforts were not always top of mind.Part of the industry’s commitment to keeping its renters safe is making changes in the way we do business. With rapidly changing updates to the virus, self-storage owners are looking at what they need to do to update business transactions, onboard new occupants, and keep up with consistent sanitization methods on property. There is a new reality happening with self-storage owners, and it may be for the best. Limited Staff and Office Hours If you’ve ever helped a friend move into a storage unit or passed by a property on the streets, you’ll notice right away that it’s not generally a high-traffic location. In fact, the beauty of a self-storage unit is you can access it at most times of the day, even 24/7 in some areas. The change is happening with limited office hours and flexible services with limited staff. Self-storage properties can provide specific hours to see someone in-person. Some customer service issues can also be handled over the phone or an online chat system. The idea is to reduce the amount of unnecessary exposure so storage owners can provide a clean, safe environment while still supporting their renters. Moving to Contactless and Online Storage Rental Agreements Moving to contactless or online agreements is probably the biggest shift in doing business these days. Pre-coronavirus, a renter would call about availability or a special offer in the first month, and when they were ready to move in, they would go into the rental office and sign the agreement. With existing digital signature tools and platforms that already deal with contracts, the move to an online system will be easy to deploy and manage from the owner’s side. This positive change for the industry will also allow managers to organize online payments and other services in the future that ...

TI Storage
July 20th, 2020

As COVID-19 Impacts NYC, New Yorkers Learn to Make Major Lifestyle Adjustments

Covid-19

It can seem strange to watch daily news coverage of New York City’s virtually deserted streets, of popular avenues that were teeming with activity and pedestrians just a few months ago. But there’s no question that New Yorkers are heeding the call by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to obey a Stay-At-Home order to help slow down the spread of the deadly coronavirus.New Yorkers have always been a strong and hearty bunch, and they’ve needed to be in the past weeks as New York City became the hardest-hit urban area in the nation. The state has reported more than 130,689 confirmed coronavirus cases, and there have been 4,758 deaths so far. That’s why this most bustling of American cities is now deserted, as stay-at-home keeps millions from being out in public where the virus could continue to spread. Signs indicate that New Yorkers are prepared for a tough fight. How Are NYC Residents Coping With Stay At Home Orders? According to a new poll released on Monday, April 6 by Siena College Research Institute, 95% of New York residents surveyed said they’re either quarantining themselves or maintaining social distancing practices. Only 4% say they’re going about life as they normally would.On the same day, there was another sign, one that even Gov. Cuomo called “hopeful,” when it was reported that the spread of coronavirus may be slowing and could even be hitting a plateau. New York health officials reported that the level of new deaths has remained relatively flat for two days in a row. This was the first time in weeks that the death toll’s rising trajectory had dipped, and it was also reported that the number of new hospitalizations and intubations had also decreased for two days in a row.Another poll by WIVB-TV/Emerson College showed that New Yorkers are rallying together to fight this health crisis, with 71% approving of the way Gov. Cuomo is tackling the state’s COVID-19 response, including his strict Stay At Home order.NYC residents will get through this because ...

TI Storage
April 6th, 2020

COVID-19 UPDATE

Covid-19

Treasure Island Storage is monitoring the situation with COVID-19. We will post our latest updates here. Please read on for a message from our President. Dear Valued Customers: As we are all grappling with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its implications, I hope you and your families are remaining healthy and safe. I am reaching out on behalf of our entire organization, to let you know that the safety and well-being of our employees and customers continues to be Treasure Island Storage’s top priority. We are fortunate that self-storage is not anticipated to be highly impacted by COVID-19. Self-service storage has been recognized as a low touch / low contact business where we are able to focus on serving one guest at a time, unlike traditionally higher-traffic areas like retail spaces and restaurants. This lowers our risks. By following CDC guidelines and taking extra cleaning precautions, the health and safety of our employees and customers can be protected while we continue to provide the peace of mind that you deserve. Currently, our position is to continue operating all of our storage facilities where possible and in accordance with local and state regulations. Please be advised that some facilities may be operating with modified access hours. We encourage all customers to call ahead before visiting your storage facility. For the health & safety of our employees and guests we are taking several precautionary measures: 1. Our facilities are being provided with additional hand sanitizer and disinfectant supplies. Additional handwashing and sanitization of offices has been in place for the past weeks and will continue. 2. We have asked employees to still offer friendly greetings to customers without shaking hands or coming in physical contact. 3. We are encouraging all customers to use the various channels for interacting with us. All customers have access to their accounts through the “My Account” tab on our website, tistorage.com, where they can review and manage their account and make online payments. In addition, customers can call Customer Service at (347) 454-7455, where our team would be happy to ...

TI Storage
March 23rd, 2020