4 E-Commerce Business You Can Run From A Storage Unit
Storage Corner
June 16th, 2022
Setting up your own business is a daunting task, and transitioning from casual employee to business owner is a very big step.
Change from one to the other is often necessary as a business grows to the point where it needs more space, but sometimes this dramatic step is too expensive for a fledgling business with instability in its finances.
Luckily, there is middle ground! you can run your business from a storage unit. In fact, self-storage units come in whatever size you need, you are not subject to business rates/taxes (the storage company pays, at lower "warehouse" rates), and the rent is a fraction of the cost of renting a shop front. A Storage unit from Storage Corner is a great place to start an ecommerce business.
Here we share 4 great examples for you to get inspired!
1. Collectables (Comics, Books or others)
Collectables are a very broad field indeed, with almost anything being appealing to a collector. Many people hold on to items that will be worth more in the future, hoping to sell them at a later date.
A collection can, however, quickly become bulky and a space hog. The security of a storage unit, as well as the controlled conditions, will benefit comic book collections, coins, memorabilia or anything else that can benefit from fluctuating prices over time.
No matter if they are household items or collectables that are worth a lot of money, storage units are usually dry, well ventilated, and have ideal conditions for preserving products in good shape.
2. Crafts or jewelry
In today's world of cheap, mass-market goods, homemade items are on the rise: unique items, made by hand and with ingenuity. Craft items have become more accessible and trendy thanks to websites such as Etsy. If you are a handy knitter, jeweler, woodcarver or similar, you can make your items at home and store them in a storage unit until ready to sell.
For both storage space and packaging services, storage units typically have excellent security including cameras monitoring everyone entering and leaving, and users needing a pass or key to get into their section, so valuable and small items, such as jewelry, are kept as safe as possible.
3. Smartphone or gadget repair pieces
A storage unit is an ideal location to keep all your gadgets, accessories, and other items clean, separated and organized properly, without taking any space from your home.
Keeping phones and gadgets in a storage unit is a great way to protect their value. This, as opposed to keeping them at home or your garage at the mercy of anyone looking to make a quick buck, is definitely the better choice.
4. Vintage Garments
Almost anyone with a good sense of style can get involved in the clothing resale business. Every year, three or four years, many people clear out their entire wardrobe, and these massive clearouts often include clothes that are still in very good condition.
Occasionally hardly worn and even unworn, with original tags. A business owner with a storage facility can gather as many of these unwanted garments as they can, either for free or at a nominal rate, and sort them at their leisure.
If you decide to sell clothing online on your own, along with the cost of postage and your storage unit, you will soon make back the costs, leaving you with a nice amount to reinvest in new stock and earn a paycheck.
These are just four examples of online businesses that are successfully run from a storage unit. Business models like those described above can be applied to other products and services that require a physical address but do not require formal facilities like offices or a shopfront.
It is a good way to allow a business to grow at its own pace, without having to raise overheads and expenses beyond what is comfortable for the company.
Remember that you can count on us to back you up with our storage solutions and contactless rentals and payments.
Feel free to call your nearest location, we are happy to assist you for any questions or pricing details in Utah and Idaho.
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