Start-ups find smart use for storage space

SELF-storage provider The Store Room has seen a sharp increase in the number of local start-ups using its facilities as office space and workshops, according to the company.

The Bramhall-based company now houses more than 80 businesses at its Eccles base, up from 53 a year earlier, with a retention rate of 83%.

It puts this down to the number of new, small companies that are springing up across the region, as entrepreneurs seize the end of the recession as a business opportunity.

According to The Sore Room, start-ups are finding that by choosing large store rooms instead of a traditional office, they have a flexible space that can grow as they do, without restrictive rent agreements.

Carl Horsfield, regional manager at The Store Room, said: “There is a huge amount of entrepreneurial spirit in Manchester, and that’s fantastic news for the regional economy. 

“The trend we have experienced shows that businesses are thinking creatively, and the success we have seen among our clients makes me very optimistic for the future.

“We aren’t just somewhere to store your boxes – we can offer the sort of flexible space that can make a real difference to early-stage businesses.”

The Store Room also has storage locations in Preston, Leeds, Bradford, Rotherham and Leicester.