As a moving company grows in online presence and revenue, it needs to find new ways to expand its authority and profit. And so, you need to consider innovative solutions to take your moving business further in terms of quality and range of services it offers. In the past, we wrote about the profitability of offering storage services and how this industry is rapidly growing. In this article, we go deeper into this general topic, looking at the benefits of offering outdoor storage units and how it can boost your storage rental revenue.
Why offering outdoor storage units is a good idea
If you have a target audience with plenty of robust household & office items, vehicles, equipment, machinery, etc. – outdoor storage is a very convenient and profitable solution to have to offer. Whether someone is looking to remodel a residential or commercial space, relocate a warehouse, store away boats or RVs, declutter an old house – they can all turn to the idea of outdoor storage. In any of these scenarios, renting a single indoor storage unit or container won’t be enough, and renting multiple ones might prove to be too expensive.
The amount of success that a moving and/or storage business can gain from outdoor storage capacities largely depends on the external conditions such as:
- Geographical area
- Local market needs
- Storage loft expenses
You need to take into consideration all these factors before taking that leap and investing in outdoor storage services for your business. Make sure to conduct your moving services market research to determine just how much you can invest in order to achieve optimal ROI.
Five benefits of offering outdoor storage
To truly grasp the advantage of investing in outdoor storage, you need to grasp just how beneficial offering such a solution can be. By understanding the upsides of external storage spaces, you gain a unique perspective on how to promote that service and invest further into it.
Accessibility
A lot of people find it challenging to find accessible storage units, ones that they can drive up to. And all those customers would be more than willing to pay extra for the opportunity to do so. With outdoor storage spaces, you can offer that ease of access to customers, putting you ahead of other storage facilities. With the ability to drive up to a storage unit or loft, the chance of damaging belonging during the storage process is much smaller. Additionally, the overall dynamics of using such storage spaces will be much better.
Spaciousness
One of the common issues that customers find with storage units is the limited size of them. There are certain types of items that are too robust and large to fit into a regular indoor storage unit. Much like trying to find a size 13-14 pair of shoes – you need to search for custom solutions and usually pay extra for it.
One of the benefits of offering outdoor storage is that you can offer customers the comfort of not having to calculate whether or not their belongings can fit. The only thing you and your customers need to consider is how best to protect those belongings against the exposure to external conditions.
Cost-effectiveness
The fact is that outdoor storage units provide the best value per cubic foot of storage space for the service provider and the customer. Hence, the very cost of renting outdoor storage units speaks volumes in comparison to indoor storage units. If you want to find a cost-effective way to expand your storage solutions, outdoor storage is definitely a direction to consider, especially when talking about short-term storage needs for heavy equipment, vehicles, machinery, etc.
Convenience
Having the option to drive up to a storage unit and directly load & unload belongings reduces the chances of mishandling belongings as well as suffering potential injuries in the process. The overall convenience that large storage units offer is what makes them ideal for securing large and valuable items, luxury items, vehicles, recreational equipment, etc. For example, outdoor storage units are ideal for targeting collectors of vehicles, antiquities, sculptures, etc.
Low maintenance costs
Despite one might think, operating a successful storage business does not come easy or cheap. Starting a storage business, much like starting a moving business, requires a certain amount of capital. You need to:
- find the space for your storage facility;
- implement security measures;
- hire staff and secure salaries for them;
- pay the bills when it comes to electricity and maintenance, etc.
On the other hand, taking care of outdoor storage units comes at a much lower maintenance cost. So long as you ensure that they are clean and safe, you won’t need to worry about other costs. And this is something that directly influences the cost of renting outdoor storage units – something that customers will be able to appreciate.
How to market your storage business?
With the continuous flow of innovative and effective digital marketing solutions, there are more and more ways to advertise your business. Whether you are looking to focus on offering storage services or use them as a secondary service for your moving company, there are many ways to accomplish that. And with outdoor storage services, you can already offer them something that most of your competitors can’t. That alone puts you in a unique position to build your brand on the basis of that particular service. The only matter that you need to consider carefully is how best to target your audiences and what their issue is. So, consider using the following angles for targeting new customers:
Storing large items
As one of the fundamental benefits of offering outdoor storage, the ability to secure and safeguard larger items for customers is one of great value to them. Your first priority is to satisfy the needs of your potential customers. When you have storage companies trying to force multiple storage units on the customer in order to fit a single or couple of items, they do not perceive it as a good deal. Instead, most view the storage company as a business trying to scam them into renting more storage units due to its own lack of capacities and space.
On the other hand, when you offer customers the chance to safely store away large and robust items in a single storage unit at affordable rates, you indeed provide them with the optimal solution they search for. Therein lies one of the best benefits of offering outdoor storage – its ability to sell itself through its functionality and cost-effectiveness.
- To simplify our point here – promoting your outdoor storage capacities should focus on the need to store large, durable items that can withstand outdoor conditions and effects.
Vehicle storage
As people acquire vehicles (motorbikes, cars, boats, RVs, etc.), they find it more difficult to find the space for keeping all of them. And this is one of the primary selling points when it comes to outdoor storage units. Everybody wants to have a clutter-free home while having a safe and secure space for storing their vehicles. Outdoor storage services can offer just that – a budget-friendly solution to help guarantee the safety of vehicles within driving distance of your home or office.
A summary of the advantage of offering outdoor storage units
Although its benefits and sales points speak volumes, outdoor storage is still a single piece of a much larger puzzle. To grow your moving and storage company properly and develop a strong brand, you need to look at your market and target audience. Consider their needs and how best to match them while staying ahead of your competitors. The benefits of offering outdoor storage can make a strong impression, but you still need to offer more to establish a dominant role in your niche.
- For more information about how to position your moving and/or storage business online and generate more leads through each of your services, contact Movers Development and let our team provide you with a plan of action.
