Founded in 1890, Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage the parent company of Portabox has successfully weathered many history-changing events including the Great Seattle Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 recession, and 9/11 among many other public crises. We are taking the current COVID-19 threat very seriously and will promptly adhere to any and all directives from local, state and federal government officials. Hansen Bros. and Portabox have been categorized as an essential industry business (moving & relocation) within the current mandate established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.

As essential services, we will maintain normal operations until such time as either company management determines we must close our offices or we are directed to do so by a governmental authority. We are taking extensive precautionary measures including the adoption of all CDC guidelines and the establishment of our own policies intended to minimize health risks for all customers, employees, contractors, vendors, and community stakeholders. We are proud to be able to support the needs of our customers during this crucial time but are prepared to quickly change course as required.

Stay safe together with Hansen Bros. and Portabox

The COVID-19 crisis is fluid and there are many uncertainties and factors outside of our control that may, with little or no advance notice, impact our delivery of moving & storage services. Please be aware the current crisis could potentially result in small inconveniences such as a delayed project start time or significant inconveniences such as the complete rescheduling of services.

Although there are many unknowns to be navigated, you can be certain that Hansen Bros. and Portabox will be timely and transparent in our communications regarding servicing your moving & storage needs, and our professional relocation consultants will work diligently to offer creative solutions in the event your project is impacted by the current health crisis.

Steps We're Taking:

  • Company-wide Implementation of all precautionary measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
  • Office staff and crews are being monitored daily for symptoms and/or known exposure by management and asked to go home, contact their healthcare provider, and self-quarantine as directed. Staff that experience symptoms and/or aware of exposure when not at work have been directed to stay home and notify their supervisor.
  • Office staff and crews are receiving daily briefings on precautionary measures and have been directed to follow them on and off the job.
  • Office staff and crews are being instructed to maintain appropriate “social distance” of 6 feet minimum between one another, customers, and all other people.
  • Office staff and crews are being provided with appropriate hand sanitizer and surface disinfecting supplies. They have been directed to disinfect truck cabs and moving equipment between each move to the best of their ability. These supplies will continue to be replenished as we are able, based on availability from retailers.
  • We are limiting visitation to our branch offices. If you wish to purchase moving boxes or supplies, please simply call in your order and we will happily deliver to your vehicle outside.

We are all in this together.  The team at Hansen Bros. and Portabox is proud to continue offering our services in accordance with the necessary precautions outlined above. We are here to make the process of storing belongings seamless & safe for you.

Reasons to Use Self Storage for Your e-Commerce Business

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E-commerce business models have skyrocketed in the past few years. Many people want to reap the benefits of owning their own business while mostly working from home, at least at the beginning. After all, all you really need to start is your starting capital and a laptop! However, as your business grows, you would develop a natural need for more space for your inventory. That’s when the need for storage space comes up. Luckily, finding reliable self storage Seattle has to offer isn’t as hard, as we at Portabox Storage can accommodate all of your needs. Let’s take a look at the most common reasons to use self storage for your e-commerce business.

Additional inventory space is the most common reason to use self storage for your e-commerce business

The most obvious reason is additional inventory space. If you start your e-commerce business at home and it starts to expand, your home can turn into one big, messy, improvised warehouse. You certainly don’t want that. Your inventory should be stored in a single location, where you can easily access your products and ship them to your customers as orders continue to come in.

Also, if you plan to create a large surplus of inventory, business storage Seattle services are your best choice. If your projections show that you’ll have a bigger amount of orders than usual, maybe because it’s the season when your products are being bought the most, definitely rent a good self-storage unit. The same goes if you decide to expand your portfolio and add new products to your catalog!

Person with a laptop searching for how to use self storage for your e-commerce business
It’s better to use self storage for your e-commerce business as you will declutter your home and create an optimal work-life balance

Creates a work-life separation and balance

You don’t want to burn yourself out while working! Burnouts can happen even if it’s your dream to own and operate your own e-commerce business. Without an adequate work-life balance, you will run out of energy. That way you risk running your business to the ground! You certainly don’t want that, so separate your work and home lives.

By keeping all of your inventory at home, you blur the line between your private and personal lives, and that’s when things can start falling apart. To avoid any of that happening, make sure you find the right storage solution. There are some excellent self storage West Seattle options for you to choose from. It’s better to spend some additional dollars on a good storage unit in order to save your business and your peace of mind!  

You will de-clutter your home

This directly ties into the previous point. Creating a separation of work and private life is a must, especially when you start your e-commerce business out of your own home. Your inventory, no matter how precious and crucial it is to your business, will still feel like clutter in your home. Once you transfer your products into a reliable and secure storage unit, you may also notice that some other areas of your home would benefit from it.

Warehouse but instead use self storage for your e-commerce business
Warehouses are not ideal for your e-commerce business as they can be much more expensive and you’d have a harder time getting to your products

You can start really paying attention to which items are essential to your home, and which aren’t. Once you make a non-essential items list, you can pack them and move them into another storage unit. You would free up additional space and feel even better than before inside your home!

You can save money that way

Saving money where you can, should be your priority when operating an e-commerce business. There are many places where you have to invest your money, and you have to do it the smart way. It’s not enough to simply stock up on products and open a social media page. You have to invest in those pages, digital ads, build a proper website for your online store, etc.

Going with self storage units is a good way to save up on your funds. It’s a cheaper option than renting a commercial warehouse! With self-storage, you pay a flat fee for the units you rent, no matter what goes inside and what you do with it. On top of that, you don’t pay additional business fees and council tax for self-storage units. All in all, storage units are the best option for your e-commerce business.

Person building a website for an e-commerce business
Save money by using self storage for your e-commerce business and invest it in a powerful website

Safety and security are why you should use self storage for your e-commerce business

Your inventory and products are the most precious thing in any successful business, not just e-commerce ones. That’s why you should rely on self-storage companies to handle them for you. Not only will they be in the hands of professionals, but they will also be in a safe and secure spot. You want your products to be located in a place with a high degree of security. Not everyone should be able to just walk inside! A good storage company has excellent safety measures in place. Alarms, cameras, high-quality locks, security guards, and so on. These things are how you know you can trust your chosen storage partner. Don’t leave things to chance and risk putting your e-commerce business in jeopardy.

Choose your storage solutions cleverly

It’s not enough to just google ‘on demand storage Seattle‘ and go for the first company that pops up. Instead, be diligent in your research when you want to use self storage for your e-commerce business. There are a few proven ways to select the right storage company for you and your needs. First of all, how long does that company exist? If they are in business for quite some time, then that’s a good sign you should pay attention to. For instance, our company was founded all the way back in 1993! That in itself shows how much experience we have. The second method for choosing the right company is looking at their online reviews. Customer experience is a key factor when running literally any type of business. If you see plenty of 5-star reviews and positive comments, that company is worth getting in touch with!

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Locations Served

LYNNWOOD PORTABOX

2902B Lincoln Way Lynnwood, WA, 98087

SEATTLE PORTABOX

10750 Aurora Ave N Suite B Seattle, WA 98133

NEWCASTLE PORTABOX

6868 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Newcastle, WA 98059

BOISE PORTABOX

103 N Curtis Road Boise, ID, 83706