We all have those moments when we see a cool product or service and think, “Man, I thought that was a good idea 10 years ago.” We then kick ourselves for not taking the initiative and making that latest gadget a reality before someone else eventually did.
I had the complete opposite reaction when watching Pack Rat unload a shipping container in my driveway. “Man, I sure wish I would have thought of that one!” We are talking about the concept of self-storage (an idea I have long loved as a business model) and making it more convenient to the customer. You don’t have to drive to the storage unit. You don’t have to rent a trailer to haul your crap. All you do it load the thing and they take it away when it is full. Then, they deliver it back to you when you want.
It is an idea that was sitting there for anyone to develop for decades. Think about shipping containers coming off freighters. They use a very similar system of loading and loading that keeps the containers level during the loading/unloading. The entire business took someone looking at two different but related industries and combining the best of both.
Sure, it is not a perfect solution to all self-storage needs… what about if you want something out of there tomorrow? The deliver charges are killer.
Nope, this is a solution for situations like we are facing right now. We are building a house and it will take six months to complete. We are renting while we wait and really don’t feel like moving all our heavy solid wood furniture twice in six months. Storing the big items in Pack Rat allows us to cut down on the workload (especially since the place we are renting is a 3rd floor apartment.)
Yes, it is expensive compared to traditional self-storage, but in the long run will be worth it.
Chris Doelle
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