Are you thinking of opening a startup? Thanks to digitization, starting a business has become effortless. With an impeccable social media presence and PR, you can reach out to millions of customers. However, the service industry is still lagging. People wanting to open an art gallery or nail salon still have to raise a million-dollar capital. After all, the cost of construction, rentals, and property has spiked in the past few years. But as they say, when there is a will, there is a way!
In 2022, many entrepreneurs are opening their startups in shipping containers. You heard that right. Besides being affordable, shipping containers provide customizable spaces for every business. Whether you want to open a coffee cafe or gym, you can find a container of every size. In addition, shipping containers are sustainable and resourceful. They have a sturdy steel exterior that can withstand harsh weather conditions. Also, they are space-efficient due to their large dimensions.
Hence, it might be an incredible idea to launch your startup in a shipping container. Once your business starts hustling, you can quickly move it to another location. If you are ready to kickstart a business economically, let us show you the ropes. Here are nine excellent shipping container ideas that you can try out in 2022.
1. Coffee Shop
As most people grab a coffee on the go in Australia, opening a coffee shop in a container can be a great idea. Depending on your region, check out locations where you can set up a container. If you reside in Queensland, you can find many shipping containers for sale in Brisbane at affordable prices. The tiny footprint of the store won’t be a problem because you can set the seating outdoors.
Otherwise, you can create a bar-like counter area beside the reception. It would be ideal for the customers who want to sit and sip. For aesthetics, you can get a cement-board floor and sheetrock walls. It will make the container look cozy, more like a perfect coffee spot.
2. Yoga Studio
Undoubtedly, yoga studios are small businesses, so space in a shipping container seems like enough room for teachers, a few mats, and students. You can get marble floors or carpets to make the place look comfy. Likewise, decorate the walls with inspirational quotes to make it look like a studio. Besides this, you can either create an open space or add windows to the container if your students prefer privacy. It may seem odd initially, but people would get used to the idea of yoga studios in no time.
3. Art Gallery
Artists need a lot of space to showcase their talent but unfortunately, opening an art gallery costs an arm. However, you can always open one in a shipping container with different aesthetics. All you need is a 40-foot container, joined with a panel to let the natural light inside. You have to ensure the design is pleasing yet practical so that people can move around freely. Also, if you need a workspace for your art, you can add another container on the top with a staircase.
4. Nail Salon
Most nail salons require a small nail station where the manicurist and customer sit and store all the nail paints. Hence, the space in a container would be enough to run a salon successfully. An Australian company – beauty in a box, is already turning shipping containers into salons. Before the competition starts to accelerate, get your hands on a container and start your little nail venture from a container.
5. Book Store
Every community has readers eyeing bookstores, and you can quickly build one in a shipping container. You have to stock a few books, newspapers, textbooks, newspapers, and writing pads. Likewise, you need a few shelves and desks to arrange everything inside the container. If you buy a 40-foot-long container, consider adding a small reading corner. You can place a few tables and chairs so that people can come and enjoy themselves a little. Before calling the shots, consider doing a feasibility study to ensure there’s a good market for your bookstore.
6. Jewelry Shop
For all those passionate about making jewelry, starting a jewelry shop could be an implausible idea. However, you have to find shipping containers with heavy-duty locks. They make a perfect place for storing valuable jewelry, offering optimum security. You can also decorate the container with fancy accessories but make sure it matches your statement jewelry pieces. Attractive interiors catch every person’s eye who is passing by, increasing traffic to your shop.
7. Bike Shop
Opening a bike shop inside a container will give you a lot of room to play around. You can rent a huge container or combine two small ones to create an aesthetic showroom. Replace the container walls with glass to attract pedestrians. Likewise, you can hang the parts of bikes all around the container to make it look like a bike shop. Lastly, add a third container on the top if you need space for inventory storage.
8. Bar
Do you want to set up a bar on the beach? It sounds like a plan, but coming up with a store can be budget-busting. Since the bar doesn’t need much space, setting it up in a shipping container can be an incredible idea. The actual bar can go on end, whereas you can use the other end as a workstation. The rest of the area can be for customers to stand, sit, or dance. Preferably, you can start with a small container that only serves the bar, allowing customers to get drinks and leave. Once your venture starts growing, you can move to a food truck.
9. Dog Grooming Shop
Recently, an architectural firm has built a giantdog grooming service from shipping containers. So, we’d suggest you take some inspiration from this impressive venture. Your shop doesn’t have to be of that size but economical and resourceful. You can get your hands on a medium-sized container and introduce a few services. Perhaps, you can offer bathing, brushing, nail trimming, eye cleaning, and more. Even though the container will require little space, it will be suitable for this pet-friendly business.
Final Thoughts
Believe it or not, the shipping container retail revolution is around the corner. All sorts of shops, restaurants, bars and salons are built on these containers. After all, they are affordable, spacious, accessible, and hip for small businesses. If you haven’t yet thought about it, you can start searching online and find a viable business idea to kickstart your venture on a container.
