Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘site office’

Shipping containers are often converted into offices for use on site, as classrooms or reception areas. They can be combined so that rather than being restricted to an 8ft width, you can have 16ft or 24ft etc simply by removing the sides and joining them together. The most common method of achieving a waterproof join is welding them together on site. Once this is done, however, it is impossible to easily move the container elsewhere without complicated transport arrangements being made for wide loads. An alternative is to use flanges and then seal the join to make it weatherproof. Although this is more expensive it has the advantage of allowing the office container to be moved easily should the need arise.

32x10ft site office

Site offices are often required to be vandal proof and this usually requires the container to be on jacklegs with windows that are protected by steel shutters and a sturdy security door - often kirncroft. The standard shipping container double doors are often removed and corrugated steel placed in its stead in order to reduce the risk of illegal access. The most common size for an office container is 20ft x 8ft.

Another common size of container is 32×10ft. These containers are made to order and are not, strictly speaking, shipping container conversions. It is important if the container is to be classed as vandal proof that you ask for certain features. The containers should still be made of corten steel in order to have extra strength (the steel being pressed and having a profile that is stronger than flat steel) and incorporate jack legs and steel window shutters as welll as the security door. The extra width is often useful and is not restrictive to easy road transportation and if you insist on the specification above you will have lost none of the advantages of a 20ft x 8ft shipping container office conversion.

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If you are thinking about starting a business from home there are a number of things you should consider before you even start.

• What type of business you start is often based purely on what you are doing now, regardless of what the market will take.   For example, if you are currently employed in a sports shop you might think that the right business for you is to branch out on your own and sell ski wear directly from your own home.   It is true that you will have contacts and the product knowledge but have you thought about who you will sell to as a new business without a high street presence and whether you will be able to compete with your erstwhile employer?  Play to your personal strengths.
• Basing your business at home is a great way to avoid the cost of renting an office.   But do you have enough room?  A shipping container  conversion could prove to be the answer and provide you with a purpose built office that could be sited in your garden.   Various sizes of site office should be available either new or  second hand and at reasonable cost.
• Talk to other small business owners who have at least 6 months to 5 years experience.   Ask them about the stresses and problems that they have experienced in setting up their business, how they conducted their market research and for any tips they can give you.   This could save you money and lots of wasted effort.
• Whilst on the subject of research - talk to your potential client base.   Find out what they are looking for from you, who they are and how they would like to pay for their goods/services.   This will help you to know more about how you should structure your business and give you a chance to make some pre-sales.   At the very worst, people who have been asked for their opinion are far more likely to buy from you than someone else as they feel they have had a personal involvement - nothing is as good as direct communication as a form of advertising!
• Rather than starting a business totally from scratch, consider taking on a franchise or buying an existing business.   Find out what is involved in each of these - for example, why are the owners of the existing business selling or what is the franchise company prepared to do for you in the way of  support and advertising in your area?
• Where are you going to store your stock?   You need a dedicated area that is wind and watertight as well as secure.   A shipping container used as a home storage container could be the answer.  Either new or as a second hand container, they are easily delivered to your home and stock can be easily organised by adding shelving or cupboards.
• Make a thorough financial business plan.   Know what start-up costs are involved (that home storage container  or shipping container conversion for example!) and allow enough in the budget to support yourself whilst your business gets going.
• Consider all your marketing - are you mainly going to base yourself online?   Can you sell via e-bay?   Research how your competitors use the web and talk to an expert about setting up your own website and getting it properly optimized.   80% of all traffic comes from being on the first page of Google - so if online sales/marketing is the way forward for you this is something you want to take very seriously indeed.
• How do you deal with stress?  Make no mistake,  a new business venture is often extremely stressful and you need to be able to keep calm both for your customers and for your family.
• Finally, and once again, do your research and then do it agin.  There is a well-known story about two people starting up new businesses.   One walks down the local high street and sees there is no tea shop so straight away starts up their own.   The business fails because there is not enough demand locally.   The second walks down the same high street and sees that there are two thriving greengrocers.   They start up a third greengrocers and the business thrives.   This is because there is the market demand for fruit and vegetables and the new greengrocer researches how they can offer a better, and more friendly service to their customers than their competitors.    Find out about your competition and your potential market in whatever way you can.