How to Start a Warehouse Business

When you decide to open your warehouse business, the first step is to determine exactly what services you should offer. There is more to a warehouse business than shelving and equipment, you can cater to specific areas of expertise. You can offer storage services or distribution and shipping, or a combination of the two, just keep in mind what your targeted clientele will need. You will need a business plan for your warehouse, but that comes after you determine your niche and look into your competition.

NUTRI-GO offers a meal delivery service. Customers pick their weekly meals from the NUTRI-GO website, then the company cooks and delivers the meals. NUTRI-GO’s combination warehouse and fulfillment center was designed by General Steel and offers one central headquarters for the company to operate from in each country.

Catering to specific types of businesses that cannot use all-purpose warehouses is a good way to find a niche. For example, art dealers and food companies have specific requirements for their storage needs, and they need warehouses that meet those needs. When you are working on finding your niche, you will need to take into account what type of warehouse you need. While on the outside many warehouses look like a “one size fits all” type structure, they have quite a few differences.

The warehouse industry is all about having good relationships with your clients, but when you are first starting out, you need to build those clients. Attending trade shows and conferences about your industry will allow you to network and meet potential clients. Social media is another key way to help you connect with clients, as is having a website. Another way to help you gain clients is to join the International Warehouse Logistics Association, which provides many different resources for people in the warehouse industry.

A building kit from General Steel can be customized to fit whatever your warehouse will store. Our prefab warehouses offer open spaces for up to 300 feet, giving you plenty of open spaces for your goods. General Steel will research the location of your warehouse to determine what kit is best for you. When your building arrives, it can be put together easily, with significantly less time than a building constructed from traditional materials. Steel is also more durable than traditional construction materials, so it is more likely to stand up against bad weather events. You can save up to 50% in construction costs with a steel building kit.

Having a good idea of what size your building needs to be will help you find the perfect location. Make sure you find an area where you have room to grow as your business does. With a steel building you can easily expand your warehouse as it grows, so you do not have to get a huge warehouse before your business is ready for one.