When is the perfect time to open a storage facility

When it comes to opening a storage facility there are numerous things you have to look into. You need to have an idea of who your local clients are and which storage type will serve them best. And, you need to figure out how to present and offer your storage services so that you can compete with any local storage facilities. But, the one thing that can make or break you is picking the right time to open your facility. Remember, you can only open your storage facility once. So, let us take a closer look at figure out when is the perfect time to open a storage facility.

How to pick the perfect time to open a storage facility

Every season has its pros and cons when it comes to opening up a storage facility. Some seasons are better suited for people that want to declutter their homes, while others are more suited for students moving to college. So, to find the perfect time to open a storage facility you first be aware of these differences. Then you need to factor in your local clients and their needs. Remember, your goal is to find as many local customers as you can. So, if you happen to live in an area that has a lot of college students, don't try to focus your storage facility on commercial storage.

Spring

Statistically, spring is the business period for storage facilities. A large number of people that are dealing with spring cleaning are suddenly in need of a decent storage unit for their items. This is why storage facilities get filled up pretty fast during the spring.

The problem with this is that it is no secret. Every storage facility manager worth their salt will offer bargains and discounts during this period. So, if you do choose to open your storage facilities during this period, we suggest that you focus on finding clients instead of trying to make a lot of money. Remember, everyone wants to save money when renting a storage unit. So, ideally, you want to start with a lower renting price and then proceed to amp it up as the demand grows. That way you will make the most amount of money while growing your client base.

Summer

Opening a storage facility during summer may be a good idea. Especially if you live in a neighborhood where there are a lot of college students. During that time they are most likely to look for storage units as they will have to plan their living situation for the next school year.

So, if you offer a decent storage service with a discount for students, you will get a large influx of customers. Our advice is to offer month-to-month leasing terms and to offer shared storage benefits to draw them in. The potentially bad thing about opening up a storage facility during summer is that a lot of people will be looking for climate-controlled storage units. If you offer them, great. But, if you don't, you will have a hard time finding clients.

Fall

Fall tends to be the riskiest time of the year to open a storage facility. This is usually the slowest period, as most people don't have much need for storage during fall. Plus, whatever renters you do get, they will probably stay until the following summer. This means that if you choose to offer low rates to fill up your storage, you will get stuck with them for the next six months.

One redeeming quality of opening a storage facility during the fall is the people who own summer houses. People who spend an active summer away from their homes are usually in need of storage units once it ends. This is particularly true for people that own boats or RVs, as those vehicles are almost entirely seasonal. So, if you are situated in an area where there are a lot of people that own summer homes, you're in luck. Fall will be the perfect time to open a storage facility. But, if you are not, there is not much reason for doing so.

Winter

Winter can be the perfect time to open a storage facility. But, only if you deal with storage marketing properly. A lot of people are looking for a safe place to store their items during winter, or to prepare for Christmas. Therefore, you need to figure out how to work that into your storage facility opening.

Remember, during winter, people tend to be quite willing to spend money. So, you should not have a problem with upping your storage rates. Especially if you offer climate-controlled storage units. The only problem you'll have to tackle is taking away clients from the competition. A lot of companies choose to amp up their marketing during this period, so it might be difficult to get your message heard.

Final tip

All of the aforementioned seasons are related to regular storage. If, on the other hand, you are considering providing commercial storage, seasons won't play such a big role. Companies, big or small, usually need storage services year-round. This is why, in this case, you shouldn't stress over when is the perfect time to open a storage facility. Instead, try to focus on studying your potential clients. You can even visit then and talk to them to figure out what they need and how much they are willing to pay. That way you can make your storage facility suited for them as much as possible. Add to that legacy pricing, and you are bound to both find and keep commercial clients for a long time.