Thinking Of Launching A Storage Business? Check These Ideas

Almost everything needs to be stored, from personal belongings to business inventory to data. The options for somebody planning to start a storage business are practically limitless.

However, the intensity of the competition may make it challenging to beat rivals and gain a fair market share. That’s why this article will explore ten business ideas and some helpful tips to succeed in your venture.

1. Launch a self-storage facility

A self-storage facility allows its customers to store their personal or business belongings and free up space in their homes or offices.

It offers safe and climate-controlled storage units that can be rented on a weekly, monthly, or long-term basis.

Their popularity has increased considerably over time as more and more people look for flexible and quick ways to store their items without committing to a permanent storage solution.

Location is key when launching a self-storage business. Make sure you pick an area where the demand for self-storage services is high, and the competition is not too intense.

Choosing a building that meets safety standards at the federal, state, and local level is also crucial.

Another crucial factor to consider when running a self-storage business is security. Your customers want to be sure that their belongings are in safe hands and that their unit is adequately monitored and cannot be accessed by unauthorized personnel.

This means you’ll have to implement the right access control solutions, add CCTV cameras in strategic locations, and install an effective alarm that can instantly alert security staff and the authorities when suspicious activity is detected.

Tips:

Perform in-depth research of the local market;
Offer unit sizes that are in line with the demand from prospective customers;
implement cloud-based, commercial access control system;
Develop a comprehensive video security strategy;
Stay a step ahead of the curve by monitoring new developments in technology that are related to storage services (e.g., mobile apps and automation).

2. Start a self-storage brokerage business

A fairly recent business model, known as self-storage brokerage, consists of running a company that helps customers find a self-storage provider that meets their specific needs.

Imagine a real estate agency, but for self-storage units rather than houses and apartments. These businesses earn a commission on the rent or selling price that the customer pays for the self-storage unit.

A self-storage brokerage business can also offer its services entirely through its website and other online platforms. You don’t necessarily need physical offices to run this type of business.

This means that you can contain the costs while maximizing the profits. It’s the right business idea for those who are particularly averse to risk.

In order to succeed in this type of venture, you need to develop solid relationships with self-storage unit providers, which in turn allows you to offer a wide range of rental and purchase options to your potential clients.

Sales and marketing skills are also crucial. You need to gain a deep understanding of customers’ needs and be able to match them with the available self-storage options.

A fast, user-friendly, and attractive website is also a crucial prerequisite to succeed in this business, as the internet is the primary source prospective customers consult when looking for self-storage units.

Tips:

Work on developing solid relationships with self-storage service providers;
Make it easy for potential customers to compare different self-storage options based on multiple criteria such as price and size;
Develop a fast and easy-to-use website and implement digital marketing strategies to improve traffic;
Offer helpful and responsive customer service to help those clients that are undecided about which storage unit to rent.

3. Provide storage for online stores

E-commerce is gradually becoming the predominant way through which people buy products. Why drive several miles to the store when you can just browse through the different options and have your favorite products delivered to your door?

However, not only businesses selling their products online have enough resources to invest in their permanent warehouse. That’s when flexible providers may come in handy.

Your business may focus entirely on providing services to small and medium-sized online stores that need space to store and manage their products. Depending on the business scale that you have in mind, your company may offer either small units or larger areas.

In order to better target your specific clientele, you may also offer additional services, such as order fulfillment and delivery, a business model that is often referred to as 3PL (third-party logistics).

Small and medium-sized online stores usually look for ways to minimize costs without sacrificing efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with their final clients.

Ways in which you could make your storage services more affordable include running your operations from areas where commercial real estate costs are lower and offering discounts for larger orders.

Tips:

Identify the specific needs of small and medium-sized online stores;
Market your services as a way for online stores to increase the volume of their operations without having to increase high additional costs;
Buy or rent storage spaces in areas that are well connected with main transportation routes but where property prices are lower.

4. Become a dropshipping wholesaler

Dropshipping is a business model that has grown in popularity over the course of the last few years. It allows entrepreneurs to launch an online business without having to invest in their inventory.

For example, an individual interested in selling kitchen utensils may open an online store where customers can buy different types of forks, spoons, and knives.

When a customer places an order, the store owner buys the desired product from the dropshipping wholesaler, who then ships it directly to the final customer on behalf of the online store.

As the number of businesses that rely on this business increase, so do the opportunities for those interested in becoming dropshipping wholesaler.

To be successful in this type of venture, you need to gain a good understanding of the latest trends in online shopping and be able to provide online stores with products that are in high demand.

You will also need to invest in easily scalable storage solutions that can adapt to the increase in demand, as well as rapid logistical services that ensure your clients’ products reach the final customer in time.

Tips:

Carefully select the type of products you want to supply to online stores;
Establish solid relationships with manufacturers of these products;
Invest in scalable storage solutions that can easily adjust to changes in demand;
Use digital marketing to reach potential clients;

5. Start a wine storage business

Wine storage businesses can sell their services to various clients, including individual wine collectors, restaurants, and wine retailers.

They provide these prospective customers with solutions to store their wines in secure and temperature-controlled spaces. This ensures that the product will be protected against thefts or damages and remain in optimal condition for many years.

If you decide to start a wine storage business, you’ll have to consider numerous factors. First, you’ll have to decide the type and size of the facility you want to offer. If you can only invest a limited initial sum in your business, you may start by offering small cellars.

However, if you can afford a more substantial investment, you can consider offering larger warehouses.

As wines are valuable goods, you’ll also have to invest in access control solutions, video security cameras, motion sensors, and effective alarm systems to make sure an unauthorized individual can enter the storage spaces and steal or tamper with the wines.

You’ll also need to install systems to maintain wine in its best possible condition. These include temperature control systems and humidity monitoring equipment.

Tips:

Choose the size and scope of your wine storage business based on the sum you can invest;
Develop a marketing strategy that is tailored to the need of wine lovers, as well as stores and the hospitality industry;
Take all the necessary security measures to ensure the wines are protected from unauthorized intruders
Install systems that can preserve the quality of the wine over long periods of time.

6. Launch a bicycle storage company

A bicycle storage business offers its clients convenient ways to store their bikes when they are not in use. Its services are aimed at those customers that don’t own sufficient space to store their bikes when they don’t need them on a regular basis.

These types of customers will search for affordable, secure, and easily accessible spaces where they can keep their bikes and take them for a ride only when they need them.

Many of these customers only use their bikes during certain seasons or when on holiday. Others may be amateur mountain bikers who only need their bikes for excursions.

Bike owners typically prefer small and private cellars to large warehouses. They also tend to look for spaces that simultaneously are very easy to access and have strong security measures in place.

It’s also essential to effectively market your services to this specific clientele. In addition to developing a solid internet and social media presence, you should consider participating in or even sponsoring events that bicycle owners and enthusiasts attend.

These are typically the perfect environment to inform potential customers of your services and how to use them.

Tips:

Offer small and easily accessible cellars where owners can store their bicycles;
Invest in effective measures that can protect bikes from theft or damage;
Actively promote your business on social media, as well as blogs and magazines for bicycle lovers.
Attend and consider sponsoring events dedicated to bicycle enthusiasts.

7. Get into the business of food preservation

This type of business is aimed at customers that, for various reasons, need to temporarily store food in safe and temperature-controlled environments. The possible clients of such a business include restaurant owners, organic food stores, and supermarkets.

Your business needs to comply with all the legal requirements to operate in this industry. Make sure you obtain all the necessary permits and licenses from the authorities. You must also follow safety protocols to the letter at all times.

Different food products may require different storage solutions. You should decide from the start what varieties of food your business can store for its clients. Based on this choice, you will determine the necessary investments.

For example, frozen food requires you to invest in industrial freezers and cooling systems, whereas canned food may only need drier and better ventilation.

Tips:

Make sure you comply with all the necessary legal requirements and obtain all the relevant permits;
Strictly follow all safety protocols;
Decide from the start what type of food you intend to store and invest in the appropriate storage technologies;
Consider investing in tracking systems to monitor the condition of stored food better.
Work on building partnerships with restaurant owners, organic stores, and supermarkets that may need to store food temporarily;

8. Start a boat storage business

A boat storage business provides its customers with safe and practical solutions to store their boats. They may offer both outdoor and indoor storage solutions, as well as a range of additional services, such as maintenance, cleaning, and repair.

Location is crucial when launching this type of business. Ideally, your business should be located close to large bodies of water and marinas to make it easier for your customers and marinas.

However, it should also be located where stored boats are less likely to be affected by floods and other disasters that can happen near large masses of water.

When planning your boat storage business, you should design it in a way that leaves enough space for maneuvering boats in and out of the premises.

You must also invest in all the necessary equipment to ensure boats are properly secured and protected from theft, dust, or moisture.

You should also clearly outline what type of boat storage services you will provide. Such services include indoor dry storage, outdoor dry storage, floating docks, and in-water slips.

You may also offer multiple storage services but keep in mind that each will require different investment types.

Boats are very valuable properties, and thieves may try to steal some of their parts, such as engines and navigation systems. Adequate security systems are paramount to reassure your client that their boats will be safe and secure.

Tips:

Find an attractive location near large bodies of water;
Design the facility in a way that makes it easy to move boats in and out of it;
Clearly outline the types of boat storing services you intend to sell and make the appropriate investments;
Invest in the necessary maintenance equipment;
Install effective security systems to defend the boats and their parts from stealing attempts.

9. Launch a storage auction business

The idea behind storage auction businesses is buying abandoned storage spaces in order to resell their contents for a profit.

Storage unit facilities typically auction these storage units off when a renter fails to make payments over a long period of time and leaves the storage unit with its content in it.

First, you should look for storage facilities that hold public auctions. It’s difficult to win all the auctions you participate in too, but if you attend many, you may win enough bids to build a decent inventory of abandoned items that you can resell online or through a physical store.

This business model doesn’t require a significant investment but offers very attractive potential returns in the long run. However, it requires a significant effort in terms of research and multiple auction attendances to be profitable.

Tips:

Carefully research enough storage companies that hold public auctions;
Attends as many auctions as you can to increase your chances of winning bids;
Investigate the contents of each storage unit prior to bidding;
Make an effort to estimate the value of each abandoned item and make a realistic bid;
Set up effective online and physical channels to resell the items.

10. Sell cloud storage services

Storage doesn’t refer only to physical objects but also to data, including data in digital format. By using cloud storage services, customers can store their data securely on external servers and access them at any time from any device with an internet connection,

These solutions provide numerous benefits to private and business customers, including higher scalability and affordability, accessibility, and security.

Running a cloud storage business requires a significant investment in modern technologies and skilled personnel. For your business to effectively serve its customers, you must invest in high-end servers that provide redundancy and backups for the data.

Implementing up-to-date cybersecurity solutions to protect your clients’ data from attempted cyber attacks, such as ransomware, is also important.

The cloud storage market has been experiencing strong growth recently as more and more individuals and businesses realize the advantages of these solutions.

However, the competition is also increasing, and a few major players currently dominate the market. One way to overcome this obstacle is to specialize in a specific type of cloud storage solution, such as offering services to businesses operating in a specific industry.

Tips:

Invest in high-end servers;
Implement the most up-to-date cybersecurity solutions to protect customers’ data effectively;
Specialize in a specific type of cloud storage solution to target a niche market and stand out from the competition.