Small Business Storage: Why Tyndall and Yankton Business Owners Use Self-Storage

Running a small business in southeast South Dakota means making every dollar count. When you need more space but a commercial lease doesn’t make sense, self-storage fills the gap. Here’s how local business owners are using it — and why it works.

The Space Problem Every Small Business Hits

You start a business and everything fits in a spare room. Then you get busy. Inventory stacks up. Supplies multiply. Documents fill filing cabinets. Equipment accumulates. Seasonal merchandise arrives months before you need it.

Suddenly, your workspace is a warehouse, your office is a stockroom, and your customers are navigating an obstacle course to reach the counter.

This is the reality for small business owners across Yankton, Tyndall, Springfield, Freeman, and the surrounding area. You’ve outgrown your current space but you’re not ready — or able — to sign a commercial lease for a bigger location. Business storage in Yankton, SD and the surrounding area bridges that gap without breaking your budget.

How Small Businesses Actually Use Self-Storage

This isn’t theoretical. Here are the real use cases we see from business owners at Lock N’ Leave It Storage:

Inventory Overflow

Retail shops, online sellers, and product-based businesses all deal with inventory fluctuations. You buy in bulk to get better pricing. A seasonal shipment arrives early. A supplier offers a deal you can’t pass up. Suddenly you need 200 more square feet — just for stuff.

A storage unit handles this without the commitment of a larger retail space. Keep your selling floor clean and customer-friendly, and rotate inventory from storage as needed.

What works: A 10x10 or 10x15 unit handles overflow inventory for most small retail operations. Set up simple shelving — wire racks or metal utility shelves — and organize by product type or season. Label everything.

Seasonal Merchandise and Equipment

Seasonal businesses in South Dakota deal with this constantly: - Landscaping companies: Mowers, trimmers, snow blowers, salt, and fertilizer — each season has different equipment - Holiday retailers and craft sellers: Christmas inventory doesn’t need to take up space in June - Outdoor recreation outfitters: Kayaks, camping gear, and fishing equipment cycle in and out - Agricultural suppliers: Seasonal products rotate throughout the year

Instead of cramming off-season inventory into every corner of your shop, store it properly and bring it out when the time is right.

Document and Record Storage

South Dakota businesses are required to keep certain records for years — tax returns, financial statements, employee records, contracts, and correspondence. The IRS generally wants you to keep tax records for at least three years (seven years for some situations). Legal and insurance documents may need to be retained even longer.

Filing cabinets multiply. Boxes of paper accumulate. And digital backups don’t replace the originals for everything.

A climate-controlled storage unit (or even a standard unit with proper packing — sealed plastic bins, moisture absorbers) keeps your records organized and accessible without consuming premium office space. Check our guide on climate-controlled vs. standard storage to decide which is right for your documents.

Equipment Storage

Contractors, tradespeople, and service businesses accumulate tools and equipment: - Extra power tools and hand tools - Ladders, scaffolding, and safety equipment - Spare parts and materials - Trade show displays and booth equipment - Backup equipment and retired-but-still-functional machines

A 10x10 or 10x15 unit with proper shelving becomes a well-organized tool crib. Better than piling everything in a truck bed or cramming it into a garage.

E-Commerce and Side Businesses

The explosion of online selling (Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace) means more people in small-town South Dakota are running product businesses from home. Your spare bedroom becomes a packaging station. Your garage becomes a warehouse.

Self-storage separates your business from your personal life. Store inventory and shipping supplies in a unit, pick and pack when needed, and reclaim your home.

Self-Storage vs. Commercial Lease: The Math

Let’s compare the actual costs for a small business in the Yankton/Tyndall area:

Commercial Warehouse or Retail Space

• Cost: $5-$12 per square foot annually in the Yankton area (varies widely)
• A 500 sq ft space: $2,500-$6,000 per year, or roughly $200-$500/month
• Lease terms: Usually 1-3 year commitment minimum
• Additional costs: Utilities, insurance, maintenance, property improvements, possible CAM (common area maintenance) charges
• Reality: You’re locked in. If business slows down or your needs change, you’re still paying

Self-Storage Unit

• Cost: $75-$200/month for a 10x10 to 10x20 unit
• Lease terms: Month-to-month
• Additional costs: Your own lock. That’s about it.
• Reality: Scale up or down instantly. Need more space? Rent a second unit. Need less? Downsize next month.

For many small businesses, the math is obvious. A $100/month storage unit costs $1,200 per year. A modest commercial space costs $3,000-$6,000. That’s $1,800-$4,800 back in your pocket — money that can go toward inventory, marketing, or just keeping the lights on.

The storage unit won’t work as a customer-facing location or a workspace you spend eight hours in. But if you just need a place to keep stuff — inventory, equipment, records, seasonal merchandise — it’s dramatically cheaper than commercial space.

Making a Storage Unit Work for Your Business

A few adjustments turn a basic storage unit into effective business storage:

Shelving Is Non-Negotiable

Don’t just stack boxes on the floor. Invest in basic metal shelving — $50-$100 per rack at any hardware store. You’ll fit more into the unit, find things faster, and keep inventory off the ground where it’s vulnerable to moisture.

Create an Inventory System

Even a simple spreadsheet listing what’s in the unit, where it’s located (which shelf, which section), and quantity beats trying to remember. Update it every time you add or remove items.

Access Frequency Matters

Put items you access weekly near the door. Items you touch monthly go in the middle. Seasonal or archival items go in the back. This sounds obvious, but the temptation to just toss things in randomly is strong — and you’ll regret it the first time you need something buried in the back corner.

Consider Access Hours

If your business needs access to stored items at odd hours (early morning, weekends), make sure the storage facility allows 24/7 or extended-hour access. Some facilities restrict access to business hours.

At Lock N’ Leave It Storage, our facilities offer convenient access hours for business customers who need flexibility.

Keep a Packing Supplies Station

If you’re running an e-commerce operation, keep a station near the door with boxes, tape, labels, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts. It saves trips to the store and keeps your process efficient.

Tax Considerations

Good news: storage unit rent for business purposes is generally a deductible business expense. Keep your rental receipts and make sure the unit is used exclusively (or primarily) for business. As always, check with your accountant — this isn’t tax advice — but most small businesses can write off their storage costs.

What Size Unit Does Your Business Need?

Here’s a practical starting guide:

5x5 or 5x10: Document storage, small inventory overflow, a few boxes of supplies. Good for solo operators and side businesses.

10x10: The sweet spot for most small businesses. Holds substantial inventory, several filing cabinets, equipment, and seasonal merchandise with room to organize.

10x15: Growing businesses with significant inventory, multiple types of equipment, or seasonal operations that need to store large volumes at certain times of year.

10x20 or larger: Contractor equipment, large-volume inventory, or businesses with vehicles, trailers, or heavy equipment to store.

For a detailed breakdown of what fits in each size, check our storage unit size guide.

Local Storage for Local Businesses

Small business storage in South Dakota doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. It needs to be reliable, accessible, and flexible enough to grow with your business.

Lock N’ Leave It Storage serves business owners throughout southeast South Dakota from our Tyndall, Springfield, and Freeman locations. Month-to-month rentals, no long-term commitments, and a range of unit sizes mean you get exactly the space you need — and nothing you don’t.

Contact us to discuss your business storage needs, or browse available units and reserve online. Your business deserves more than a cluttered back room.