Self-storage business plan

7 reasons why shipping containers are the SECRET to a successful self storage business plan.

If you’re putting together your first self storage business plan or just want to find ways to improve your existing one, then this article is for you.

Starting any new business can be risky but many self-storage site entrepreneurs are discovering that shipping containers can limit the necessary start-up expenditure, as well as adding value to their businesses.

Curious to know more?

Coming up are 7 reasons why shipping containers should be part of your self storage business plan.

1) Lower your costs when starting or expanding a self-storage site.

One thing’s for sure, people are often pleasantly surprised by the low cost to purchase shipping containers – especially newly built boxes.

Aside from the comparatively small investment needed there’s also longer term financial advantages too.

Containers are made from Corten steel and designed to endure harsh conditions at sea for many years, so they’re built to last.

There’s also a very healthy buyers’ market for used containers too. This means that if and when you want to sell any of your containers you’re likely to get a fair price.

When you consider the long life span and potential re-sale value, versus the initial low cost of buying containers it quickly becomes clear why they’re often the preferred choice for self-storage business owners who want to optimise their budget, and profitability.

2) Maximise your income and space by stacking containers.

Getting the most out of your land is of course a top priority for you as a self-store business owner.

Fortunately shipping containers are engineered to be stacked several units high so taking advantage of this feature allows you to get more from your storage site.

By adding stairs and walkways your customers can easily get access to their containers whilst you enjoy the extra rental income.

3) Easily scale your business up (or down) when you need to.

When you start writing your self-storage business plan it can be hard to estimate the amount of customer demand.

So buying a building with thousands of sq. ft. only to discover you don’t need all that space is naturally something you’d want to avoid if possible.

With containers you can just add storage unit space as and when you need it, keeping your capital expenditure down.

Of course if you need to downsize at any time the containers have a re-sale value too.

Using shipping containers as store units mean you can easily scale the amount of storage space available, exactly when you need to.

4) Modifications mean almost anything is possible.

You know what you customers want when it comes to self-storage, such as adjustable shelving for example.

With a shipping container you can have it modified to meet this need and many others including partition walls for smaller store units, personnel door access and lighting.

5) Security for you and your customers.

One of the main priorities for any customer choosing a self-store site is likely to be security.

Containers have a reputation as being secure for storage because of their sturdy construction and lockbox feature.

As well as being made from high strength corten steel our new build containers come ready fitted with a lockbox, which helps prevent anyone from tampering with the padlock.

6) Durability helps your investment go further

As you’ve already seen, the long life span of containers makes them very attractive to buyers especially when you consider the relatively small outlay.

As well as being built from high strength corten steel containers are also coated with marine grade paint which helps fight off corrosion.

Of course using containers for site storage rather than shipping means their lifespan is likely to be even longer too.

7) Remain agile with the freedom to easily move your containers.

If you want maximum flexibility on your land then the ease at which shipping containers can be moved is a real advantage.

It might be as simple as you just wanting to move containers from one part of your site to another, but you also have the option to easily relocate the boxes off site should the need arise.

This mobility keeps your options wide open.

Could including shipping containers in your self-storage business plan help you be more PROFITABLE?

The self-storage industry within the UK and rest of the world is expanding.

As the sector grows it will be more and more important for entrepreneurs working in the space to find ways of staying ahead of the competition and remain profitable.

Shipping containers give you flexibility and help keep your costs down, but they also give you what your customers want in terms of secure storage.

As we’ve seen, these 7 advantages of using shipping containers as store units make them ideal for any self-storage business plan.

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