Shelf storage warehouse for online sellers

Online sellers, craft and food-free product makers, market vendors, installers and small contractors who have outgrown a garage.

Monthly fee per shelf, bin or square foot, plus fees for receiving deliveries, pulling orders and handing over stock.

• Organized and careful with records
• Customer service
• Basic spreadsheet or inventory software use
• Lifting and handling boxes

• General liability insurance plus cover for customers' goods in your care; ask an insurer about warehouse legal liability
• Zoning and certificate of occupancy for storage use; check with your city or county
• Lease terms, since you pay rent even if shelves sit empty
• Stock loss or damage disputes, so keep clear receiving records and photos
• Customers storing banned items such as hazardous goods or perishable food
• Whether you need a local business license or must collect sales tax on storage fees; check with your city and state

Estimates typically run around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the size of the unit, the shelving and bins you buy, and your lease deposit. Rent is a continuing cost whether or not shelves are full, so check lease terms.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how much shelf space you fill, your storage and handling fees, and how many customers you serve. These are estimates, not guarantees.

Check general liability insurance plus cover for customers' goods in your care, and ask an insurer about warehouse legal liability. Also check zoning and certificate of occupancy for storage use with your city or county, and whether you need a business license or must collect sales tax on storage fees.