Why Storage Units Are the New Side Hustle ‘Secret Weapon’

What was once just a place to store old furniture has become the side hustle secret weapon. From organizing inventory to shooting product content to running a full-service workspace, storage units have become an unlikely headquarters.

According to a new survey from the self-storage marketplace SpareFootmore than a quarter of Americans who rent storage units do so to support a side hustle—generating an average of $646 in extra income per month, or nearly $8,000 over the course of a year.

The Rise of the Storage Unit Startup

Kathryn Kennedy, a general manager at SpareFoot’s parent company, told Moneywise that the extra profit is attributed to renters who “kickstart or scale their businesses without making costly investments in warehouse space or actual at-home expansions.”

Most self-storage facilities offer month-to-month rentals and a range of unit sizes, making it straightforward to scale up or down as your side hustle grows. Additionally, many also accept deliveries directly to your unit, so inventory can go straight there without an extra stop.

Jeff Ley, a sales manager at STORExpress, told Storage.com that his company offers units “for startups and small businesses” that include furnishings, carpeting, and even small office spaces.”

For those who typically work out of their home, using a storage unit is a practical upgrade that frees up living space by moving inventory or bulky equipment to a unit.

Kennedy noted that while storage units were initially adopted for inventory purposes, their use has since expanded well beyond that. “Folks are using powered storage units to light their units,” she said, “offering them workshop space to paint, rehab and flip furniture, or do product photography for online listings.”