Expenses Each Portable Self Storage Business Owner Needs to Know

July 30, 2019

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4 min

You might be a little overwhelmed about some of the aspects you need to decide before delving into the portable self storage business.

With every decision at your fingertips, it is easy to jumble numbers and feel helpless to make a profit with so many expenses to get started.

It’s important to focus on a sector within your portable business and learn how to optimize it and make an informed decision.

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This article will focus on the delivering of portable storage containers and costs associated with it.

 

Delivery Systems and Benefits

Before deciding on what to charge customers for delivery, you might want to figure out the type of delivery system you want for your business.

Choosing the right delivery system can mean the difference between an uncomplicated delivery and complex one.

You should decide what can easily pick up, transport, and deliver portable storage containers as efficiently and securely as possible.

No future customers will want to use your services if you don’t have a reliable delivery system in place that will effectively keep their possessions secured. It’s a luxury that customers don’t even think about until it is the cause of something going wrong.

Using a delivery system like the Horizontal Lift system, a mule lift, for your business will allow you to unload the container to the ground level and drop them off at the designated location.

A benefit of portable storage is the idea that containers can be placed in most locations and then filled accordingly. This lift system helps to put these containers wherever and then pick them up in the same configuration they were packed in.

This ability provides peace of mind to the customer who decided portable storage was the best option and having a lift system that bares in mind the way a container was packed and organized keeps the whole process moving along.

Therefore, you can earn your current and future customer’s trust by guaranteeing the dependability of your new business.

 

What to Charge for Delivery

Creating a reasonable and competitive rate is the name of the game — factoring expenses but not selling your service short.

For portable storage, transportation, delivery, and handling will be fees to calculate which may be more dependent on a case by case basis.

Handling might be determined by how many staffers are needed to maintain, move, clean, prepare a container as it travels to the rental destination.

The driver’s pay rate might determine transportation costs and pricing, and the distance traveled by either the specific mileage or the time it took to cross that distance will be a factor in pricing.

Whereas, the varying sizes of portable containers will be more consistent pricing to be advertised over the phone and online.

By selecting a purposeful delivery method, a cost that can be minimized is the expense of labor.

If a delivery system is saving time and can be operated by a driver, exclusively, then there will be less of a need to have a staff of trained laborers to move containers to maintain scheduled rentals.

 

How Far to Deliver

Have you decided on how far you want your drivers delivering?

This distance is really up to you!

By offering portable storage, your range of operation is immediately increased up to 30 miles. Consumers in the area will feel comfortable and confident using a company that operates around them within that radius.

Customers will also understand that with the added convenience of traveling storage, there will be fees in delivering and retrieving the containers.

Because there is such a variety of ways to do business, you can add further benefit by customizing or lengthening the distance your business is willing to travel to supply portable storage though.

You could make an accessible map with clear and defined boundaries that signifies to customers that if they live within this area, then your services will be available to them.

This strategy could even be used to make a more flat rate from the predetermined distance traveled. You can customize the area of operation for where you’ve decided is viable for profits.

Otherwise, you could offer extended distance and delivery based on a percentage that communicates to potential customers that your services will accommodate their specific needs but for every mile over a base amount will be subject to additional charges to cover longer drive times, gas, and time outside of rental period.

This strategy would only be possible if you employed trusted, skilled, and willing drivers and laborers to establish a policy of more extended travel.

 

Other Costs and Expenses

Have you thought about the possible extra costs that a portable storage business might incur?

Every little penny counts whether you think about them now or get in a hole in the future. Preparation always comes first.

 

budgetting-for-self-storage-owners

 

Here are a few expenses that might not be obvious for portable self storage:

 

- Cleaning and maintenance of the containers

- Hiring laborers or consultants

- Buying or renting a warehouse to store containers

- Portable storage containers: different sizes and styles for customers

 

 

Conclusion

It would help to decide what’s best for your business every step of the way, which means you can always implement changes that can increase the number of loyal customers as well as your annual revenue.

Don’t be afraid to take some risks, but be cautious enough by making thoughtful choices every step of the way to maintain and help grow your business.

 

 

For more self storage articles, take a look at:

 

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