The coworking industry has come a long way since its inception in the mid-2000s, and it’s no wonder – coworking provides affordable and flexible services for freelancers, startups and even established companies. More importantly, coworking creates a vibrant, stimulating environment and also encourages networking.
Accommodating Storage Needs
Coworking spaces come equipped with desks and shared common resources – Wi-Fi, printers, copiers and hopefully good coffee, too. That’s ideal for certain categories of users, such as writers, coders or tech startups that only need computers and an internet connection to do their work. Other coworking members – like artists, fashion creators, architects and so on – use all sorts of supplies, materials and equipment for their work, which means they also need storage space.
Renting a storage unit might be just the right solution for professionals like these, and internet listings services like STORAGECafé can be a real help. Those who are interested – whether they’re coworking members or operators searching for alternate solutions to their members’ storage problems – can partner with these websites to identify the right fit for their storage needs.
Listings services like these provide useful tools for coworking members and owners, and allow them to:
- Find storage facilities in their area based on city, zip code, neighborhood or map.
- Enable price and amenities comparisons.
- Offer the option to contact facility operators.
Coworking & Self Storage
Self storage complements and mirrors coworking by further expanding the degree of affordability and flexibility that is important to freelancers and startups.
Coworking tenants might need to store a batch of products for a couple of months, but once the goods are shipped to customers, it might be another couple of months until they need storage again. Self storage facilities allow month-by-month rentals, which means entrepreneurs can use the service only when the need arises and for however long that need lasts.
In terms of affordability, the average metro rent for a 10’x10’ self storage unit is $116 per month, according to Yardi Matrix. On the other hand, Yardi Kube puts the average monthly coworking membership at $274. Thus, at the national level, a monthly budget of around $400 provides entrepreneurs with not only a desk, Wi-Fi and access to office equipment, but also covers their additional storage needs.
Self Storage Industry Expanding Services
To accommodate as many types of customers as possible, self storage facilities are expanding the range of services they provide. Climate-controlled units and 24-hour access are already standard offerings for many facilities; surveillance cameras, employed by the vast majority of the facility operators, add an extra layer of security for renters.
Some facilities even provide premier services suited for business-oriented customers, such as: delivery and pick-up, on-site concierge services, document shredding, shelving and outlets inside the unit. A new, emerging trend is the creation of combined facilities that include both office space and a storage unit.
Top 3 Businesses That Could Use Extra Storage
Coworking is a great match for a huge variety of professions and businesses. Due to the nature of their activity, some of those businesses require more storage space than others. Self storage is a fitting solution in those situations, and these businesses could benefit the most from the coworking plus self storage combo:
Fashion Designers
Coworking is ideal for a budding fashion designer: rent is convenient, the location is usually centrally located and the environment is stimulating. There’s just one small issue: what do you do with all of the fabrics, tools and accessories used daily? Putting them near a wall or on some chairs is neither safe nor fair to the rest of the coworking members.
A conveniently located self storage unit is the right solution for the conundrum. It’s easy to drop by daily to get the materials you need, and all your work will be kept safe.
Architects
Architecture has changed dramatically in the last few decades. A lot of the work that was previously done by hand – on the drawing board – is now done on a computer with the help of sophisticated software. That being said, architects still need their drawing boards. They also use project models to help customers better understand their ideas, and those models take up a lot of space. Add up all their documents and paperwork and that’s why architects in coworking spaces should consider renting self storage units.
Lawyers
With an abundance of books, documents and client files, extra storage is definitely something that lawyers can use. Additionally, lawyers process files containing confidential information that simply can’t be left lying around. Self storage facilities provide not only extra space, but also essential privacy.
Coworking and self storage are two sides of a coin providing easy access to a professional business environment for entrepreneurs. Business professionals gain access to office space and storage space without being tied up by long-term, expensive commercial leases. Coworking operators can add value to their business by sharing information about storage facilities in their area with their members.