When deciding to embark on a home business, typically one would think about capital, product ideation, sales and marketing. I would say that this is the fun part. As our business grew and more creative juices flowed, we ended up increasing our purchase of supplies and raw materials. Then the reality of a home business hit me, “Where am I going to put all of these materials?!”
Home is our sanctuary and space from the outside world - a place where you can just be yourself, for your loved ones and guests. Hence, a messy house is a no-no for us because it is not conducive to feel clean, cosy and relaxed. So when I realised that storage space could potentially be a problem, I had to start looking at possible storage spaces in the house.
First stop: The Kitchen
This is one of the first places where hoarding starts. I spent several hours clearing my cupboards and auditing things that I can give away or dispose to make way for business materials. Finally I managed to find a place just below the sink to store my candle-making materials.
Second stop: The Storage Room
Always start with taking stock of what you own (personal or otherwise). We started this process by assigning three boxes - a box to keep, a box to giveaway and a box to dispose. After our ‘stocktake’, we ended up discarding items that are equivalent to two medium-sized carton boxes! We also ended up with three boxes of things to give away, mostly the kids’ shoes. And then voila - hello storage spaces! My storage room is now used to house our raw supplies.
Third stop: Helper’s Room
Our helper was happy to make space for our things in her room, so we removed an old dressing table (which I owned for more than a decade!) and replaced it with a drawer from IKEA that complemented her space perfectly. This drawer is used to store our candle jars.
And yet with all these pit stops, the storage drama doesn’t end there. I needed to figure out where to keep finished products. By this time, I was already running out of space. So I got creative and bought a shelving unit for our dining area that was both decorative and functional. The beautiful shelving blended in with the dining area so well and we took the opportunity to turn it into a display corner for finished candles.
I will share more about home business agonies in a follow-up post, so keep your eyes peeled for it!
Cheers,
Nur
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