Entrepreneurs Leverage Self-Storage Units in the UK for Business Growth and Flexibility

As both private and commercial rental prices soar, a wave of entrepreneurialism is sweeping across Britain, where plucky businesspeople are seizing the opportunities presented by the convenience, affordability and accessibility of self-storage units – and transforming them into lucrative ventures.

Among these trailblazers are Andrew Higgins, Jasper Taylor and Adrian Greenfield, who are each making good use of Vanguard Self Storage units to boost their earnings. Their experiences offer valuable insights into the potential of strategic storage solutions.

Andrew Higgins: From Bedroom to Business

Andrew Higgins started selling on eBay from his bedroom. He didn’t need a cash injection from Dragon’s Den. In fact, he didn’t even need to leave the house: he just sought out valuable items on eBay that were being poorly presented.

“I started buying anything on eBay which had bad photos and bad descriptions,” says Higgins. “I’d take good photos and sell them for more.”

Expanding with Storage Solutions

Before long, his bedroom was jam-packed with goods, particularly Danish furniture, which sparked a significant interest in him due to his enduring passion for design. Now it was time to expand.

A Vanguard self-storage unit was the perfect step-up for his new furniture resale company, Modernistiks. Hiring a self-storage unit was way less expensive than a warehouse: “We could claim the VAT back on the rent [which a lot of private landlords don’t offer] and obviously there are no rates and bills.”

Scaling for Efficiency and Profit

Higgins started selling hundreds of items per month out of his storage space, but as he developed an eye for the most in-demand pieces of Scandinavian décor, he could bring that down to a few dozen choice pieces to earn the same high income.

These days, “I’m only working in the region of 15 hours per week. I have no complaints whatsoever.” And all along, his choice of Vanguard unit size could expand, or contract as needed. This clever use of storage means he can even drop everything occasionally to travel to Europe and explore mid-century design.

Jasper Taylor: A Self-Made Maven

Then there’s Jasper Taylor. He makes starting a profitable side hustle look as easy as opening your phone.

He explains that his business is “…as simple as finding free items on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle, and selling those items on. Really, it’s that simple. And, it’s a 100% profit margin. If you have the time and the patience and a little YouTubing about how eBay works, you could easily set up your own buying and selling business – very, very easily. It’s how you scale it up, which is the important part.”

Dreaming Big and Growing

Ever since he was a child, Taylor was inspired by the be-your-own-boss dream. Every job he took in his twenties, he considered a training ground for his future entrepreneurial projects.

So, by the time he stumbled on Freecycle and had his lightbulb moment, Taylor was already dreaming bigger. He was like a sponge, absorbing knowledge of shipping, logistics, sales and customer service from all his previous gigs. And he knew he could leverage storage units to scale his business idea – named ‘Renewal Project’ – into a movement!

Adrian Greenfield: Innovating Hygiene Solutions

But it’s not all just sole traders who are profiting from self-storage. Even corporation-size businesses are starting to think this way.

Introducing Adrian Greenfield who works for Ecolab, a global washroom solutions company. During Covid, he was the guy with a backpack full of disinfectant spraying down London venues each night, so they were fresh and virus-free for us all in the morning.

Flexibility and Productivity

Ecolab might be a global behemoth, but they don’t bother with a massive HQ in every city. Their small, dynamic teams each have a patch of postcodes they cover in every major UK town.

“We’re out in the field. We all work on foot and use public transport. We don’t have a central office. We don’t use vans,” says Greenfield.

Instead, all Ecolab’s gear and chemicals are stored in Vanguard’s London storage units dotted around the city, “so the guys aren’t travelling far, which makes them more productive during their day,” he concludes.

Innovative Workspace Solutions

Nimble teams traverse the city like army rangers, supporting famous brands across London with all their hygiene needs. Adrian even has team briefings at the storage units. “It’s quiet. It’s lockable. It has power. It has a desk. And it holds up to 12 people around the tables, which saves us a lot of money. Trying to get meeting rooms in central London is astronomical.” Indeed, a meeting room in central London can reach in the hundreds, even for half a day!

Adapting to Change

So how has Ecolab stayed number one as a global player? Greenfield puts it down to their light-footed, start-up attitude, where costs are saved and small, local teams are given trust to “be their own bosses to a degree,” and adapt their flexible Vanguard workspaces to the changing needs on the ground.

“Ecolab really cares about their people and making their work-life balance easier and that’s why we’re flexible,” says Greenfield.

Innovating During Difficult Times

In a Britain where living costs are still high enough to make you wince in the supermarket, it’s heartening to know there’s an entrepreneurial spirit that is driving people to find workarounds. Workarounds that leave a little more cash in their pockets and time on their schedules to live the lives they desire.