SteelStorage

We are more than happy to help you from the concept stage. This is a no obligation opportunity to evaluate your site - our simple feasibility study will give you a feel for the earning potential of your site.

Once you give the green light at this stage, we can lead you through the process - from design and planning approvals through to fitout and construction.

Do your research:

As with any new business it is important to do your research before investing in a self storage project. Use demographics/market research companies familiar with the industry to tell you who are the available customers in the area, the mean income, the daily traffic count past the area you are looking to develop, if an area is growing, and if so, how fast. Also important is information on existing facilities in the area (prices and occupancy). These facts will guide you in the initial choice of facility location and will give insight to the preparation of unit mix, facility size and how much rent you will be able to charge.  

Construct a business plan:

Following in-depth research of self storage, constructing a business plan is essential, in particular where finance is required. This plan will be used as the basis for all your strategy and decisions with regards to the self storage business.

Areas to cover when putting together a business plan:

• Executive summary including objectives, mission statement and keys to success
• Company summary
• Services
• Market Analysis Summary
• Strategy and Implementation Summary
• Management Summary
• Financial Plan

Choosing a good site

To coin an old phrase, the key to a successful self storage facility is location, location, location. Most users of self storage won't travel more than 5km. On top of this, the best advertising you can do is to present a visible and impressive facility.

A “good” self storage facility should be:

1. Located on or near a major traffic artery
2. Located between dense multi-family residential areas and retail locations
3. Constructed by Steel Storage

Permits and Planning permission

In many cases, permits and planning permission will be required before carrying out the fit out of your building. It is important to factor this into the timescale of your project as delays in your application can affect the entire schedule.

There are benefits to opening self storage that may assist in the processing of your application:

• Self storage is quiet
• It produces very little traffic
• It’s a community service

Design options

The unique requirements of storage projects, both in current building techniques and in conformity to codes, can be tricky. You want someone designing your facility that has experience and knowledge of the industry and can plan around any foreseeable obstacles. Trust the experts, Steel Storage.