Not Just Another Self Storage Company

Self storage company Storing.com has an unusual and successful business model that developed from their existing logistics experience.

Back in the late 1990s the founders of Storing.com had been running their logistics company Teamsters for over a decade and doing dedicated timed deliveries to Regional Distribution Centres (RDC) in London for a number of major retailers. Then, as now, they used dedicated vehicles to make the early morning deliveries which would return to their Bedfordshire base empty. The focus of their logistics business was on several major accounts, but this made them potentially vulnerable if they were to lose a major customer. So they were looking at ways to expand the business by building on their logistics experience.

Unique selling point

Prior to setting up Teamsters, they had been involved in removals and storage, so it was not surprising that they came up with the idea of self storage – this would draw on their existing strengths and past experience.

But this wasn’t just another self storage business: with empty vehicles returning to Bedfordshire from London every day, they realised that they could offer a unique selling point to London-based customers of free collection of their goods combined with less expensive out-of-town storage rates.

But they also wanted to cut through the confusion surrounding self storage rates and offer a simple and clear pricing structure with no hidden catches.

So Storing.com was born, and the honest and upfront approach of its founders has helped it go from strength to strength since that first ad in Yellow Pages back in 1999 – yes, that was how it was done in those days.

They now have a slick website and well-established storage sites in Bedfordshire, but it’s still the same guys running the company with the same clear, honest philosophy. As Guy Burridge, one of the original founders of Storing.com, commented,

“We were concerned that our customer base was dominated by just a few major corporations and we were looking to spread the risk of losing a customer more widely over a much larger customer base. Since we first set up Storing.com to be an alternative to the major self storage companies we have been able to use our independent status to offer genuinely good deals to our customers. One of the main highlights of my time with Storing.com has been the amount of great feedback we’ve had about our service. We have a no nonsense approach to our business, it’s quite simple and clear, and we intend to stick with this successful model. In fact we have been so successful that there was a time when we almost ran out of storage containers and were literally refilling units on the same day they became empty.”

Weird and wonderful

Although small businesses and general household storage make up a substantial percentage of their business, they also store a variety of weird and wonderful things: they have had Queen (the band not the monarch) storing lighting equipment, have stored protected antiquities and even performance cars – at one time having two Aston Martin’s in store, models that were, sadly, not adapted for use by 007.

Storing.com pride themselves on being an independent company offering good service and value for money. You can find out more about them on their self storage website or by calling 08000 641 642.

2 Responses to “Not Just Another Self Storage Company”

1. jasminjosaf says:

   June 17, 2012 at 12:26 pm

   Self storage units are mostly considered due to it’s integrity, space, and safety. The most of the storage units are providing best for their own as the one you have mentioned in the post and in my state the safest rockford storage is providing cost effective ways to store belongings.

2. Anna P says:

   May 23, 2014 at 9:57 am

   I’ve used this self storage company and it’s true that their rates are very clear – no rock bottom initial rates that then go up after the first month so it is much easier to see what you will be paying over a longer period and to budget properly.
   Also very friendly and helpful.