Open Up: How to Select the Right Doors for You

There’s a lot to consider when building and operating a farm shop. The first thing you’ll need to do when designing is define your needs for the finished building. This will include what type of equipment you’ll need to store and regularly access, as well as what products or supplies will need to be saved.

You will also need to determine the amount of space and storage needed, for you to complete your work. While it isn’t impossible to add on later, or make improvements after the fact, the most cost-effective approach is to ensure the building is something you can grow into as your business does. Building your brand in your new space, top-potential priorities include security, storage with air regulation controls, workspace for employees, and the ability to move your equipment throughout the space quickly and easily.

All businesses are different, but surveys show the average modern farm shop building is 80 feet wide, and 165 feet long. With this size building, standard building height practices typically have 18-foot commercial doors, to make room for larger equipment coming and going from the space. This will likely accommodate your typical farm equipment, but it is still essential to make sure your space fits your specific needs. It may be a cost up-front, but ordering custom-sized doors after you’ve moved in will almost certainly end up costing you more.

Explaining the costs: Doors over 18 feet are usually customized, and require professional installation. What’s more, steel commercial doors are, to put it lightly, heavy, and generally require an automated operating system. Additionally, the door not opening or closing correctly can literally shutter your business, forcing you to wait until they can be serviced to operate normally. Saving you time and money, as well as potentially avoidable maintenance delays in the future, a professional and experienced commercial door company can work with you to get the exact measurements to match your individual needs through installation, and ongoing servicing as, or if, needed.

Expensive or not, another consideration for spending more to customize your business space beyond direct contacts for repair and consultation is how they need to provide a high level of security. The peace of mind that you have high-quality doors to protect your investment of equipment and products inside is invaluable. The doors also need to be practical, so it is important to have a professional look at the design for your building first, and review your plans to ensure you’ve planned for everything.

For instance, let’s say you’re processing food at your farm shop: Perhaps the most important thing you’ll need are walk-in coolers. Similar to the overhead door, it may be very important to have the coolers installed and maintained professionally, to ensure they are working correctly and functioning properly. A hot cooler can be dangerous, like if meat or other perishables are not stored at a safe temperature. Furthermore, if you are storing meat or dairy products, you will be subject to inspections, which will include investigating whether temperatures are maintained at their proper level.

In addition to temperature, like your doors, you need to make sure your coolers are large enough to accommodate the amount of product needed to store, at any one time. Be sure to double check they can be locked to secure your products, too.

Starting or expanding a business can feel overwhelming, but the most successful entrepreneurs will tell you, if you write out your five-year plan, do the research, and utilize professionals for their expertise, you can create a thriving business without a tremendous amount of stress or frustration. Not to mention, having a solid plan and functional space with estimates, and an explanation of how you intend to build revenue, will make it easier for you to get the financing you need for your business.

Keeping your cool and having the right door can open so many more for your business. Good luck in your new space!