9 Ways Your Business Can Use Shipping Containers

Written by Susan Nalevac | November 17, 2021

First and foremost, shipping containers serve the primary function of holding things. Whether you’ve recently moved your business into a smaller space or just taken on a large inventory order, having a shipping container on hand means keeping your items without monthly fees or the need to travel to a storage unit.

With the right shipping container, you gain the protection of an airtight seal that secures your products until you’re ready to bring them out on the retail floor.

2. New Compact Kitchen

If you’re a restaurateur or small business owner looking to add a coffee shop to your retail space, a shipping container may fit your needs. Much like food trucks, shipping containers are a trending option for walk-up service establishments like coffee shops and takeout food. Unlike a food truck, however, shipping containers don’t stack employees on top of each other.

New and used shipping containers alike can house plumbing, electricity, and other fabrication options that quickly convert an empty cube into a working kitchen.

3. Annexed Retail Space

Shipping containers are an impactful tool for businesses operating out of small buildings or that are suffocated by their number of products. Clothing retailers, secondhand shops, and art stores benefit greatly from a shipping container’s ability to become an instant annex.

This additional space creates a product hallway that divides customers and products between storefronts and gives everyone, customers and employees alike, a chance to breathe. This extra room is especially valuable during sales events and holiday seasons when you expect heavy foot traffic.

4. Moving Tool

Shipping containers are an increasingly go-to solution for moving a business somewhere else. When you need to scale up your business and move from one office to the next, a shipping container provides a controlled moving tool.

With various sizes to choose from, you have the potential to pack your entire office into one box and set it up again at your new location.

5. Private Break Room

Whether your business is in the middle of renovations or needs a spot for employees to get away, a storage container is a fantastic framework for a new break room.

With modifications like ventilation or an HVAC system, you can easily set a shipping container-turned-break room behind the business and offer employees a chance to relax away from the work stress.

6. On-Site Office

Not every business’s current location has an option for team meetings, focused accounting work, or brainstorming sessions. Much like the way retailers benefit from an annexed space as an additional retail floor, businesses can benefit from a designated, separate office.

This area gives team members a chance to make effective business plans away from the sales floor and discuss strategies in a more personal yet still comfortable environment.

7. Creative Workshop

Industries that rely on creative thinking need a place for team members to get into the flow and comfortably find the day’s creative energy. Designating a shipping container as your team’s creative workshop provides that exact environment.

Creativity-driven businesses have the opportunity to arrange the space alongside their team to create a space for self-expression that is in itself a piece of art. Providing this kind of room is a fantastic selling point for industries vying for the attention of new creators as well.

8. Designated Project Space

Projects that have the potential to interrupt office workflow are also great for moving into the workshop space. Here, you can easily contain any model making, 3D printing, or sizable creative work until it’s finished. This way, bits and pieces of projects aren’t lost over time because no one has to keep anything at their desk.

Shipping containers with air or watertight seals and secure locks also ensure the work outside of your office space stays protected and secure until it’s ready for implementation.

9. Private Classroom

Crafting businesses are finding increasing success as customers step away from tech to develop hands-on skills with practical and creative applications. From painting classes to sculpture and woodworking, there is money to make in teaching what you know.

However, not every retail space has a studio available for sharing the craft. Shipping containers are a perfect option for creating more individualized, intimate learning experiences away from the sales floor.

Marketing Opportunities

Lastly, no matter how you use the inside of your storage unit, the outside provides a unique marketing opportunity. Shipping containers are easy to spot near any business.

Painting the exterior with a mural or your business’s logo gives value to that eye-catching aspect. A mural also creates buzz and a way to increase customer engagement.

In cities, people love to take selfies next to art. Why not place a massive canvas beside your business and give it life with the help of a local muralist?

Customization Options

Our team of experts at Container Management, Inc. uses their combined decades of experience to help you discover all the ways your business can use shipping containers to expand. Our company offers containers and custom fabrication options that bring your ideas to life.

We understand that each industry has specialized needs and that for many, a shipping container is only the start of something greater. Furthermore, we’ll gladly work with you to plan and design the modifications you need before our state-of-the-art fabrication centers in Houston and Chicago make your dream container a reality. From concession stands to storage solutions, we’re happy to make it happen.

For business owners in central Indiana, Container Management, Inc. is proud to offer reliable service and storage and shipping solutions that fit your needs. Browse our available shipping containers for sale in Indianapolis and discover the solution your project has been looking for!

Once you have the size and grade picked out, reach out to our team and discover how to customize your shipping container into your new favorite business improvement.