Starting mini storage businesses is a big trend at the time. But while growing popularity does make it harder to succeed in the market, there are definitely some ways you can increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to stay in the game after launching your business. We have gathered some useful tips to help you achieve just that, so make sure you read to the end to be well prepared for your ventures. 

Why Start a Mini Storage Business?

Some people have a lot of stuff. They have a hard time figuring out what to do with all the clutter and junk that they have accumulated throughout their lives. Others, however, don’t have a lot of stuff, but just want to free up some space. These two groups resemble the greatest part of your target audience, and there could be good money in it once you get the ball rolling and establish yourself as a good local mini storage. 

Heading a mini storage can also be a quite fascinating venture that exposes you to all kinds of… stuff. You’d be amazed at all the things that people hoard over the years – and how eager they are to get rid of it when “things have gone too far,” according to themselves (or their wives, in case it’s men who come with stuff to store). 

Step-By-Step Procedure to Starting A Mini Storage Business

To get off the ground with your mini storage, it can help to have a general outline of the steps you need to take to get there:

#1: Research and identify your niche

Who will be your target audience: Rich or poor, men or women, young or old – or does it even matter; will you just provide simple storage rooms for everyone at a reasonable price? 

#2: Calculate the amount of money you need to start your venture

Things you need to considering when calculating the costs of your mini storage startup include the rent, containers, building each storage room (in case they’re not predetermined), keys and locks, staff, and more. 

#3: Decide on a location for your mini storage business

Can you find a cheap enough place to have your business in the city center, or might you have to move a bit further out? A general rule of thumb is you should try to stay as close to where most people are, so that it will be easy for them to drop things off at your storage.

#4: Start buying or renting lockers

Can you buy ready-made lockers, or even rent them (with a profit)? The easiest thing might be rental in the beginning, and as you move along, you can start buying or building them yourself. 

#5: Advertise your service online and through flyers

It doesn’t cost many bucks to set up your own website so you can start advertising your new mini storage. You can learn to do it all on your own, or you can order help with Website Design on Fiverr or other freelance sites (which is usually quite cheap). 

Some must-haves for your new startup mini storage 

Creating a startup mini storage is a challenging task. There are a lot of things to take care of during the process. We have listed the must-haves for your new startup mini storage that will be helpful when starting it.

The first call to good mini storages is to make them easy to use for your client. According to a successful mini storage firm in Norway, Flexistore AS, who operates minilager Oslo, it’s very important to have an app and digital key on the phone that clients can use to access their storage room. You can’t always be sure that you’ll remember to bring all keys with you everywhere, but we bet you can when it comes to your phone – hence why it’s an easier solution. 

A startup mini storage should have an excellent security and surveillance system in place. The security should be able to monitor the area at all times and detect any intruders in no time. It should also consist of an alarm system that sends alerts to the owner in case of an intruder or fire, so they can take appropriate measures for safety.

The storage unit should also have effective temperature control systems installed in order to avoid any damages from heat or cold, which would make it unsafe for storing goods.

The lighting system should be bright enough and provide visibility because it can otherwise be hard for your clients to find their stuff. Given people’s tendency to not be very tidy with their “stuff,” it helps to have good lighting to find it all a month or a year later.

Following the advice in this article will set you well on your way to succeeding with your own mini storage business!