From vision to viability – creating a self-storage business

Developing a self-storage business requires considerable time and energy. In the first of three articles, Christopher Betts charts the establishment of MoorSpace Storage.

People often assume self-storage businesses start with detailed market research, consultants and large investment plans. In reality, my journey began in a small yard at the back of an industrial estate in Huddersfield in 2017.

That yard belonged to my late Uncle David. At the time, I was working with him in property while also doing building work, learning hands-on rather than through textbooks. I had not grown up expecting to be in this industry, but I had started to see opportunity in space, especially the kind of space most people overlook. The chance to try my own idea only existed because my uncle believed in me and trusted me with that yard. Without his support, George Street Self Storage simply would not have happened.

Life was also changing personally. My partner had become pregnant with our first child and that sharpens your focus very quickly. I wanted to create something that could provide consistent income and long-term stability, not just another short-term project or trade job.

The start

The idea for George Street was simple: affordable, accessible storage that removed the unnecessary complications people often associate with the industry. Secure units, clear pricing, online payments, 24-hour access and a professional website from day one. No faff, just straightforward storage done properly.

Alongside the practical decisions and site work, there was also constant support at home. My partner and now fiancée, Amy, has been there from the very beginning. When the ideas were still sketches and late-night conversations, she believed in them long before there was anything tangible to point at. Starting a business while raising a young family is not straightforward, and the stability behind the scenes is often what allows progress to happen in front of it.

We began with 20 containers. There was no grand launch or expensive advertising campaign, just belief in the formula and a commitment to doing the basics well. The response exceeded expectations. The containers were effectively full before we had even taken delivery of them. Even more rewarding is that some of those very first customers are still with us today. That early loyalty shaped the ethos of the business. Reliability, simplicity and trust matter more than flashy branding ever will.

Expansion

In 2018 another opportunity emerged that would take the concept further. My uncle and my dad acquired an industrial estate in Crosland Moor, Huddersfield. At the rear of the site sat a large yard that had become completely overgrown and was more wasteland than workspace. Clearing it was a huge task in itself, but once the ground was visible again the potential was obvious.

We added eighteen containers initially and within a week every single one was fully booked. The demand confirmed that this was not a one-off success. It was a model that genuinely worked. Six months later we introduced another fifty containers. Since then the site has remained consistently full, with waiting lists forming and long-term customers staying with us for years.

In 2020, like every industry, we were faced with the arrival of COVID. At first it created uncertainty, but it quickly became a turning point. The restrictions and changes in behaviour pushed us to reassess how we operated day to day. We streamlined processes, introduced more automation and refined how customers interacted with the business. What could have been purely disruptive ultimately made the operation more efficient, more flexible and better prepared for long-term growth.

The next step: internal storage

Adjacent to that yard sat a large industrial unit that had seen many different tenants pass through over the years. That day arrived in the summer of 2025. Standing inside the now vacant unit, I could see what it could become rather than what it currently was. The scale of the building, the height of the ceiling and the layout all pointed to one clear possibility. This space could house a mezzanine, maximise vertical capacity and evolve into something far more sophisticated than containers in a yard. That moment marked the beginning of MoorSpace.

The concept was not born overnight or from sudden ambition. It was the result of years of learning what customers value, understanding how to operate efficiently and recognising when the timing finally aligns with experience. George Street had proven the formula. Crosland Moor had proven the scalability. The vacant unit presented the opportunity to elevate the entire model into a modern indoor facility that combined everything learned along the way.

Every unit filled, every returning customer and every expansion traces back to that original mindset. Keep it simple, do it properly and build something people genuinely trust.

Click here to read the full story in the magazine.