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Last year I wrote that 2020 had become a record year for the self-storage industry in many ways. In the first two months of 2021, this trend continued in the field of acquisitions. Investors are still looking for a safe haven because the book values of their other properties, such as offices and shops, have fallen sharply. This safe haven is clearly located in ‘our’ successful self storage industry.

We at Universal Storage Containers normally visit all self-storage fairs. We are of course very sorry that this has not been possible for a long time due to COVID-19. Some organizers choose to organize an online variant. FEDESSA, the European trade association of self-storage companies, previously did this successfully in 2020.

Delivering our storage containers is one thing, but monitors are sometimes even more important. We were suddenly treated to an unadultered winter week with scenes that would not look out of place in a painting by famous Dutch painer Hendrick Avercamp. Something that hadn’t happened in our country in recent years. Could our containers pass this test?

Suppose you are going to (re)build and therefore you do not have enough storage space during this period. Or, you have a customer who needs temporary storage in the short term. Don’t worry, you can tackle these kinds of challenges quickly when you start short-leasing our Z-Boxes.

The price of our beautiful Z-Box is different than for an average shipping container. Still, it’s often well worth the investment. There are four main reasons why you can often recoup your investment faster than you think and achieve a higher return.

As a self-storage operator you naturally want to be successful. That’s only possible if you have a good profitable company. That can be quite difficult when you operate in a market with a lot of competition. However, if you pay sufficient attention to the things below, you might profit from it.

If there was a self storage podium, we would jump on it and exclaim, “If you want to enter the self storage market or think about expansion; start with a feasibility study!” Market research is more important than ever, especially now that so many new square meters of self storage rental are coming on to the market. After all, you want to invest heavily. Then of course it pays to make a good estimate in advance whether this investment is profitable.

Last year we were able to install a number of Z-Boxes at Opslagbox Zutphen. That was satisfying for both parties. After a trial period, StorageBox Zutphen has therefore decided to have a full Storage Park realized by us.

We would like to draw your attention to an interesting video on cnbc’s website. ‘How self storage companies make billions’. Within ten minutes you will be aware of the latest developments in the American self storage market, which are often clues to future developments in Europe. See our summary below or watch the video for yourself.

One of our most recent renditions took place in Baarn. I.H.P. Beheer B.V. is taking advantage of our smart short-lease construction and is now offering storage space in Baarn. This is done in collaboration with Storage Share.

Sometime last week I received another rebuke late in the afternoon from Peter, our copywriter, that I should hurry up with my contribution to the last Storage World of this year. The severe lockdown hung in the air and Storage World, of course, must ship on time.

This year showed us once again how difficult it can be to make predictions or goals come true. Customers who “just stayed loyal” to you this turbulent year or signed up new despite everything are crucial to the success of your business and therefore certainly deserve a token of appreciation. So that they remain customers in 2021….

Are you thinking of offering (extra) outdoor storage? It is often difficult to visualize in advance what that would look like. To get a good impression of the placement possibilities, we can create a 2D map and 3D impression of the potential location for you. I would like to tell you how this process works in a number of steps.

The Z-box allows you to offer storage space that puts regular shipping container storage far in the shade. You can check it on our website and our storage park. But did you already know that the Z-Box can be transformed into a very attractive storage unit for 4 motorcycles by means of smart compartmentalization? Niels Fokkema of ikwilopslagruimtehuren.nl (I want to rent storage.nl) can talk about it.

Following Warren Buffett, Bill Gates is also stepping into the storage world. The world’s richest man invests in the eighth largest self-storage company StorageMart. “The self-storage sector is evolving rapidly and companies that can leverage technology, improved operations and an unforgettable customer experience will do better,” said Cris Burnam, CEO of StorageMart.