Getting a space for your business can be tiring and quite expensive, especially with the recurring rent costs. The need to move your business as it grows or to reach your customer base often arises, which means you need to find a permanent solution to all the issues arising with such business needs. Shipping containers have proven to be the solution for all your office space problems. Architects and designers have made it possible to transform shipping containers into efficient business spaces.

Traditionally, shipping containers were only used for cargo transportation. Their use was limited to transport and storage purposes. However, shipping containers are now being upcycled to serve several purposes, such as homes, clinics, office spaces, among other uses. You can choose to buy or rent a shipping container based on your business needs. Buying gives you permanent ownership of the container, while when renting, you only have leasing rights. Shipping containers can be acquired as new or secondhand, and come in various qualities and sizes to suit your business needs. Shipping containers are readily available for purchase in different states. If you’re in Australia, click here to find out more about the shipping containers available around you for your business space needs.

Here are the benefits accrued when you use a shipping container as your business space:

Reduced Costs

Traditional office spaces require you to pay monthly or periodic rent and make deposits such as goodwill. These small overhead costs strain your business’s financial resources since they aren’t a one-time thing. They’re recurrent for as long as you’re in business. Such costs reduce the profit margins of your business, slowing down its growth.

Shipping containers reduce costs since you only pay at the beginning as you purchase the container. With buying a shipping container, you’ll probably spend money as you modify the space to suit your needs. However, all these costs can’t add up to the money you’d have spent renting an office space for several years. Acquiring a shipping container for your business is a one-time investment.

Increased Customization

Customizing a rented office space in a building can be difficult, if not impossible. A lot of permissions are needed to make adjustments, such as adding shelves. With the difficulty of customizing your rented office space, you have to move from office to office, searching for one that suits your business needs. The search consumes a lot of time and is tiring.

Acquiring a shipping container for your business allows you to modify it to your preference. You can add doors and windows based on the size of your container and the number of your employees working. Even though a shipping container has a hollow space inside, add walls to create rooms within the container. With a shipping container, you’re spoilt for choice. You can add insulation, an air conditioning system, storage shelves, work stations, among others.

Increased Office Space

A rented office space limits the amount of space you can work with to what you’ve rented. If the number of your employee’s increases and you need extra space, you have to rent another office space at an additional cost. This isn’t very convenient as you aim for your business to be efficient.

Shipping containers come in various sizes that you can choose from depending on the amount of space you need for your business. Even if you factor in work stations, storage spaces, a break room, and other spaces, there are containers to suit all these needs. Suppose you don’t prefer an open-plan office setting. In that case, you can add a shipping container on top of the existing one to represent the hierarchy for your business. 

Increased Office Mobility

The need for mobility of your business arises if your business needs to relocate to another area. With rented office spaces, it’s difficult to relocate to another location. You have to remove all your equipment and machinery to the new location, requiring you to rent another office space. A rented office space doesn’t allow you to move to where the majority of your customers are. The customers have to come to where you are, which can be bad for business.

An office in a shipping container eases its movement to the desired geographical location. If you have to move your office to a new location, you don’t have to remove all your equipment to allow the movement. Place the container in a container-carrying truck, with all the contents intact, and it will be transported to your desired location. A shipping container business space allows you to go to where your customers are, and you don’t have to rent out an office space.

Reduced Maintenance

Traditional office spaces require a lot of maintenance to keep them running. They are also subject to damage by harsh weather conditions such as hurricanes and elements such as excess water.

A shipping container requires little to no maintenance due to its durable steel material. Since shipping containers were originally built to transport heavy goods, they’re made of high-quality steel, which increases their durability. These containers are water-resistant and can withstand harsh weather conditions. With these characteristics, you don’t have to worry about your equipment being damaged by water, among other elements. This also means you spend less money to maintain your container business space. Your occasional maintenance could be reduced to only painting the exterior of the shipping container for aesthetic purposes.

Increased Time-efficiency

It takes time to get a rented office space that suits your business needs. The time could accrue to weeks, if not months, which delays the operations of your business. Constructing a permanent office space consumes time and money as well.

With a shipping container, it’s easy to set up, and it can be up and running in a day or two. This allows for the convenient start of your business operations. There’s no need to rent a space as you construct a permanent office, as is seen with a rented office space.

Enhanced Security

Regular office space in a building is prone to damages by nature or theft. These insecurities make your business susceptible to losses that can lead your business to bankruptcy.

Shipping containers are built to protect cargo from theft. This means they are made with security in mind. Therefore, don’t worry about your office’s equipment and machinery being stolen through break-ins. All you have to do is have an advanced locking system for your office container.

Easy Business Expansion

With traditional rented office space, business growth and expansion require you to acquire extra office space or relocate to a bigger office space. Renting an additional office or relocating to a bigger office space means you have to pay more rent, which could turn into an expensive liability for your business.

On the other hand, all you have to do with a business shipping container is to acquire another shipping container and place it next to or on top of the existing one. While acquiring another shipping container will need you to use the financial resources of your business, it will be a one-time payment. This is unlike renting, where you pay rent recurrently.

Conclusion

Shipping containers have proven to be versatile in their use, which could benefit your business, as discussed in the article. It’s time you considered acquiring a shipping container for your business space and enjoyed the benefits.