Industrial storage or self-storage is a business where organizations or individuals can rent storage space for their cargo or personal belongings. Several industrial storage facilities and storage management software offer storage facilities for machinery and equipment of any size. Some of them also handle loading/unloading and transportation of the goods. There can be several factors involved in choosing the right storage unit, so make sure to weigh all your options properly before deciding.

Factors to consider
There are some variables that you need to consider if you are planning to rent an industrial storage cabin for yourself or your business.

• Longevity
  Depending on your needs, you will have to plan out whether you need a space just temporarily or for an extended period of time. Based on this, you can consider which is the right option for you.
• Cost
  This is another deciding factor when choosing an industrial storage facility. Does the pricing suit your needs? If you have long-term needs, find a better deal elsewhere, or get a warehouse of your own. Of course, that requires the right kind of permits and licensing.
• Size
  Do you need a big space or a small space will be fine? Storage facilities also consider area when calculating price, so make sure you aren’t paying too much for extra space you will never need.
• Perishability of products
  If you’re dealing with certain products that need a specific room temperature or any other variables, it is best to rent a space where these options are available at a cost that works for you.
• Value of items
  Depending on the value of items, there could be other requirements like an installation of a camera, any keyhole access, or other specific requirements.

Popular industrial storage facilities
There are some popular options available regarding storage facility needs, and here are some which can be explored for any current or future needs.

• MEI Rigging and Crating
  They have a network of 30 warehouses spread across the country, and they have both indoor and outdoor storage facilities available. Depending on where you are located, you can choose the closest warehouse for your storage needs. Also, depending on your items or belongings, you can choose an indoor or outdoor facility.
• Extra space storage
  This facility rents not just storage units but also specialized storage units: climate-controlled units, drive-up units, RV storage, boat storage, and business storage.
• CubeSmart
  This facility has over 1250 properties across 39 states in the country. It is an expansive facility that caters to several customers across the country. According to some reports, they added 59 more properties to their storage plans.
• LifeStorage
  Ranked as the 4th largest self-storage provider by Commercial Real Estate, they have close to 74 million rentable square feet that they own and manage. These properties are spread across 35 states in the country, so if you need to rent any storage space, look out for the ones closest to you.

Popular storage management software
If you are in the self-storage renting business, then there are several software available in the market today to help with storage facility services. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Easy Storage Solutions
This software helps the tenants book their storage facility unit or cabin online. The software is built in a way to automatically charge the tenants a monthly bill using their debit or credit cards or ACH. Thanks to the detailed accounting feature, you can also track your income, deposits, any past-due tenants, and a lot more with the software.

Storage Commander Cloud
Some of their unique features in the software include unit inventories, do not rent lists, work orders, and more. These are on top of the regular features like online payments, rentals, and more. They also have a mobile-friendly design, a simplified user interface, comprehensive support options, centralized tasks and to-do lists, contactless payments using EMV, easy rate changes and adjustments, helpful automation tools, and online rentals with e-signatures.

Stora
Another popular software, Stora offers many features like facility management, business insights, online sales, roadmap, facility maps, integrations, and website design. The software helps the business go through vital checks and balances, which help to keep the business running smoothly.

Innago
Since Innago is free software, you will notice several features remain available to the customer, like recurring bill generation, lead management, and customer management. However, while this may require some manual work, the payment method is fairly easy to use.