Entrepreneurial Uses of Shipping Containers

Here at Flintham Cabins, we have experienced all different types of people purchasing our steel containers for various uses. Of course, many are used in traditional ways, such as to transport cargo on ships or as storage containers. However, this isn’t the case for every steel container purchased.

In recent years, steel shipping containers have become popular in the business world and have been upcycled, renovated, and transformed into a long list of entrepreneurial projects. So today, we thought we’d look into some of the things shipping containers have been turned into over the years and, specifically, how you can turn a steel container into a home for your business.

Why Use a Shipping Container for Entrepreneurial Reasons?

Shipping containers offer several benefits for entrepreneurial uses:

1. Affordability. Compared to traditional building materials, shipping containers are relatively inexpensive and offer a cost-effective solution for entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their businesses.
2. Durability. When well-maintained, shipping containers are weather-proof and made of sturdy steel, designed to withstand harsh conditions, making them ideal for use in harsh environments or as storage units.
3. Modularity. Containers can be easily stacked, combined, and reconfigured, making them a versatile solution for a range of uses.
4. Sustainability. Repurposing shipping containers is an eco-friendly option as it reduces waste and conserves resources.
5. Unique design. Shipping containers offer a unique and attractive aesthetic, making them ideal for retail spaces, offices, or community spaces that want to stand out.

In summary, shipping containers offer an affordable, durable, and sustainable solution for a range of entrepreneurial uses, from retail spaces to offices, workshops, and emergency shelters.

Businesses You Can Run From a Shipping Container

There are plenty of different business types that can be run from a shipping container; let’s take a look at some of the examples.

Retail Spaces

Shipping containers make great retail spaces and pop-up shops. They can be transformed into anything inside and out, meaning businesses can use the blank canvas they offer to their advantage. Need somewhere to house a travelling bookstore? The outside can be painted like a library; on the inside, shelves and bookcases can be installed from floor to ceiling to offer the most out of the unusual space. What about somewhere to sell merchandise such as t-shirts and hoodies? Section off some of the inside for changing rooms and use clothes rails that can be moved around to transform the look of your retail space quickly and easily.

Offices

Steel storage units and shipping containers offer a unique place for office-based businesses to work from. They can be used for portable offices for businesses that rely on working outside in any weather. Additionally, construction site managers or music festival admin workers will need somewhere clean and dry to work despite their location frequently changing, for example. In addition, with the rise of working from home, more and more people are looking to unblur the lines between work and home. With a storage container office situated in your back garden, you can work from home without needing to take up space in the house.

Industrial-Style Cafes and Restaurants

In recent years, we have seen a boom in entrepreneurs using shipping containers as bars, restaurants, and cafes. This comes off the back of the pandemic when the hospitality industry was forced to change old habits and switch up their businesses to comply with the ever-changing guidelines. When we were eating and drinking outdoors and social distancing in the queues to get our beers, business owners used this to their advantage and transformed shipping containers into industrial-style eating and drinking establishments. This meant they could sell their food and drink and do what they could to earn a living while sticking to the guidelines and ensuring their business stayed relevant and trendy at the same time.

Workshops and Artistic Studios

Shipping containers are ideal workshops due to their durability, making them ideal for storing bulky or expensive equipment no matter the weather. They can withstand incredibly harsh conditions if well-maintained, as they are built for life at sea.

In addition, they are a blank canvas for artists. This means they offer an ideal space for hosting an exhibition or acting as an art studio. They can be easily painted, stripped, and re-designed, making it a fun project for artists to get creative with and show off their skills in more ways than one.

Warehousing and Rented Storage Space

As mentioned, steel units are most commonly used as storage containers when shipping cargo. Many entrepreneurs have used this to their advantage and have purchased used shipping containers to rent out to the public or family and friends. They offer a clean, dry, and secure space for storing goods, and when you own the unit, you can choose how much to rent the space out for, making it a great entrepreneurial venture.

Flintham Cabins have many different types of shipping containers to buy for those looking to transform them into a home for their business or more traditional uses, such as storage. Whatever you need and however you intend to use your unit, we can help.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, and a member of our team will be more than happy to assist. Additionally, keep up-to-date with our blog, where we post more advice on how to use and maintain a shipping container.