Profitable Warehouse Business Ideas

Warehouses can be extremely profitable businesses. So, if you’re thinking about starting a warehouse business and wondering, “How to own a warehouse?” or “How to make money with an empty building?” read on; we’ve got you covered.

Warehouses play an essential role in the global economy. As a fundamental component in the supply chain, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers rely on warehouses to store their inventory before it reaches consumers.

However, there is not just one way to own and operate a warehouse business. Not only are there different varieties of warehouses, but you don’t even have to use the building to store inventory. Whether it’s a big or small empty warehouse, there are an amazing array of profitable warehouse business ideas.

Warehouse or distribution center, what’s the difference?

Many people use the terms “warehouse” and “distribution center” interchangeably, which is understandable. After all, they are both buildings that receive, store and ship inventory. However, it’s more accurate to say that a distribution center is a warehouse, but not all warehouses are distribution centers.

A warehouse is any building used to store inventory. There are “bonded” or “customs” warehouses that can hold imported goods for up to five years before the duty fee is paid (because the duty on imports is often very high, bonded warehouses let importers sell their products and pay the fee from the proceeds of the sale). There are “cold storage” warehouses that only store temperature-sensitive items like medicine and perishable foods. There are “on-demand” warehouses that contract with seasonal, temporary and other businesses that need storage for a limited time. Even personal storage facilities are a type of warehouse.

Distribution centers are a type of warehouse that play an essential role in the modern supply chain. The rise of ecommerce placed new demands on inventory management and technology. In response, distribution centers utilize the latest warehouse management, order processing and transportation management technology to rapidly micromanage vast amounts of goods. Distribution centers are always located close to the end-user, so consumers quickly receive their products.

Starting a warehouse business

Once you decide on a warehouse business model, it’s time to create your building. When starting a warehouse business, you have two options: rent an existing building or buy land and build your own. Both options have pros and cons. Renting saves you the hassle of construction and the landlord is responsible for building repairs and maintenance, but the structure may be older and you always have rent due at the top of the month. Building means you get the warehouse of your dreams (allowing for budget, of course), but there are significant up-front costs, and you are responsible for all repairs and building maintenance. You could also purchase an existing warehouse. However, this option has all of the cons of new construction (up-front costs, responsible for all repairs, etc.) coupled with, likely, an older structure.

There really is no average start-up cost of building a warehouse business. You could spend around $25,000 for a small, 1,200-square-foot warehouse that serves a niche market or about $1 million for a fully decked-out, large-scale, 90,000-square-foot distribution center. However, don’t get scared off by that million-dollar figure. That’s an Amazon or Walmart facility. Your start-up costs will likely be between $25,000 and $100,000. (For more information, check out our article “The Ultimate Guide to Warehouse Construction Cost and How to Save.”)

Building the warehouse is a significant portion of the cost, ranging from $35 to $100 per square foot depending on the size and type of warehouse, market conditions and location. Other costs include:

• Licenses and permits
• Analysis and planning
• Consulting
• Materials
• Land
• Designing the warehouse layout
• Architecture
• Engineering
• Labor and construction
• Insurance
• Warehouse equipment (forklifts, hand trucks, etc.)
• Different types of warehouse storage equipment
• Office equipment
• Branding, marketing and advertising          
• Technology integration
• Project management
• Legal and taxes
• Wages
• Soft costs
• Contractual fees

However, before building the warehouse, you need to identify why you plan to build the warehouse. There are a number of big players in this industry. In fact, in addition to the start-up costs, the high level of competition is the most significant barrier to entry. Due to this competition, many new warehouses make minimal profits for a few years until they become established.

One way to stand apart from the competition is to differentiate yourself. Find a gap in your area and fill it. Analyze any data you have about your potential clients to discover their needs and how you can fulfill them. Another possibility is to evaluate the companies those potential clients currently use, your competition, to see if you can streamline or improve on their services.

As for finding those potential clients, you may need to start small to find companies that need your services and will walk away from their current provider based on your benefits (such as superior prices, better service, etc.). Reach out to brick-and-mortar shops with large selections and small locations, start-ups, online retailers and Etsy sellers. If you want to shoot a little higher, research manufacturers and wholesalers.

The 12 (maybe 13) best cities for warehouse business opportunities

Of course, you also need to decide where to build your warehouse. Here are some of the best distribution cities in the U.S.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

Located in the northeast portion of Texas, this area is the fourth largest metropolitan region in the U.S. and still growing. Easily accessible by road, rail and air, Dallas-Fort Worth is a gateway to the Western and Southern states as well as the Gulf of Mexico. The area is home to one of the busiest airports in the world, DFW International Airport, three Class 1 railroads operate there and it’s served by several major highways, including I-35, which is the NAFTA Trade corridor.

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is home to the busiest airport in the world, making the city an obvious transportation hub. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has seen increased demand for fulfillment center space to support ecommerce operations and last-mile delivery. Atlanta is also one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S. and boasts a tech-friendly culture.

Chicago, Illinois

When Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837, it had 4,000 residents. In less than 20 years, by 1854, the city swelled to 30,000 residents and became a major commercial transportation hub. That trend continues today. Geographically, Chicago is an exceptional distribution location and is often recognized as having one of the best transportation, distribution and logistics ecosystems in the world. Chicago houses one of the world’s largest and busiest airports, is crisscrossed by several railroads and major interstates and is directly accessible to boats, thanks to its location off Lake Michigan.

Detroit, Michigan

Former home of the auto industry known as “Motor City,” today Detroit continues to earn that nickname, albeit for a different reason. After struggling for years due to its dwindling car manufacturing industry, Detroit diversified and attracted several large retailers, including Amazon, to use the city’s location for their distribution centers. Centrally located in the Midwest, Detroit possesses a large network of transportation routes.

Houston, Texas

For those who like to be in good company, Ikea, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Ford all have major distribution centers in Houston, for good reasons. The city is home to two international airports, a mainline railroad system, four deepwater seaports and an expansive highway system. The recently widened Panama Canal means the city may soon become a major entry point for cargo entering the United States.

Los Angeles and Long Beach, California

As the second-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and a destination city for shopping, Los Angeles is a city that needs distribution centers. The Los Angeles and Long Beach area is also positioned for Pacific Rim imports and exports and cross-country transportation across the U.S. and Mexico border.

San Bernardino and Riverside, California

Although dwarfed in both glamor and population by its neighbor 60 miles to the west (see above), the San Bernardino and Riverside area is a very large metropolitan region with over four million people that shares many benefits with L.A. and even surpasses it in some ways. It has lower property values, which means owning and running a distribution center is less expensive, and traffic is much less of a nightmare.

Memphis, Tennessee

As the world headquarters of FedEx, Memphis already has the four Rs in place, which is the ideal infrastructure for a distribution center. Roads: more trucks pass through Memphis than anywhere else in Tennessee. Railways: All five Class 1 railroads operate in Memphis. Runways: Memphis has the busiest cargo airport in the world. Rivers: the fifth largest inland port in the U.S. is the Port of Memphis on the Mississippi River. Two additional benefits are that Memphis has low real estate costs and one of the lowest costs for distribution in the U.S.

Denver, Colorado

Practically located in the middle* of the contiguous U.S., Denver is ideally situated for a base of operations that ships to Mountain, Western (including the coast) and Southwestern states. It also benefits from housing one of the busiest international airports in the world and is the largest city within a 500-mile circumference.

*The actual geographic center of the contiguous 48 U.S. states is about two miles northwest of Lebanon, Kansas. The geographic center of the total U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, is found approximately 20 miles north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is basically a flipped Denver in that it is ideally situated for a base of operations that ships to Midwestern, Eastern (including the coast) and Southern states. Cleveland also benefits from two international airports (the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the largest airport in the state, and the Cleveland Burke Lakefront, located directly next to Lake Erie) and several harbors, which help facilitate shipping.

North and central New Jersey

Ok, so this isn’t one city. However, while southern New Jersey is lounging around in the Delaware Bay, the northern and central regions are hustling. Deliveries can reach 40% of the U.S. from these areas within one day. North and central New Jersey are easily accessible by road, rail, sea and air, including through the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest port on the East Coast and the third-largest in the U.S.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founder William Penn crammed the Greek words for love (phileo) and brother (adelphos) together and created the name Philadelphia. Today, “the city of brotherly love” has a booming industrial economy. It is also the sixth most populated U.S. city, and big-box retailers continue to build facilities to service the populace. The area also boasts robust highways, public transit systems and the Philadelphia International Airport.

The case for (and against) New York City

How could the largest city in the U.S., home to eight million people (and, if you include the entire New York City metropolitan area, that number skyrockets to a population of nearly 20 million), be anything other than an ideal spot for a distribution center? Well, there are a few reasons. For one, real estate is insanely expensive, in short supply and in high demand. So, for the cost-conscious warehousing industry, that is frequently a dealbreaker. The area is also a paradox because, even though no one drives in New York City, the streets are clogged with traffic 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making vehicle transportation a slog.

However, did we mention there are more than eight million people just in New York City alone? Not only is this a large labor pool, but those eight million people order packages all the time and need them delivered quickly. A distribution center located in the heart of New York City is uniquely positioned to do just that—a premium service that will help offset the expensive rent and real estate. Also, the area has a comprehensive infrastructure that includes two international airports, two of the busiest train stations in the U.S., several highways and canals. So, while the start-up cost of a New York City warehouse is high, the final cost may be the same as or lower than shipping from a location further away.

Warehouse business plan sample

Anyone interested in starting a warehouse business (or growing a current warehouse business) needs to create a warehouse and distribution business plan. Simply put, a business plan is your vision for the evolution of your warehouse and how you intend to achieve it. Every potential investor expects to see a business plan if you need to raise funding. 

A warehouse and distribution business plan is not a fixed document. Instead, it evolves and changes along with the evolution and growth of a warehouse. So, do not leave the document to rot in a drawer. Instead, pull it out every year and update it to include all new plans and aspirations.

There are 11 segments to include in your warehouse and distribution business plan:

1. Executive summary
2. Company overview
3. Target market analysis
4. Industry analysis
5. Competitive analysis
6. SWOT analysis
7. Marketing plan
8. Operations plan
9. Management team
10. Financial plan
11. Appendix

Executive summary

Although this is the first section of your warehouse and distribution business plan, it is the last piece you write.

The executive summary is an introduction and summation of everything to come. It introduces the reader to you and the type of business you intend to run. However, this should not be a rote, bland, section-by-section retelling of the report. Instead, use the executive summary to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to know more about you and your business.

Company overview

The company overview is an introduction to your company and business philosophy. Here are a few issues to address in detail:

• What year was the company founded?
• What is the company’s legal structure (S-Corp, LLC, sole proprietorship, etc.)?
• What did you hope to achieve by creating the business?
• What milestones have you hit to date?
• What is your company’s unique selling point?
• What are your mission and vision statements?
• How is your management team structured?
• What types of warehouses have you built or managed in the past (for example, distribution center, cold storage, bonded, on-demand, etc.)?
• What type of warehouse are you currently building or expanding, and why?

Target market analysis

The target market analysis is a detailed review of the types of customers you currently serve, intend to serve soon and expect to serve in a year or more. Your target market significantly impacts how you manage the warehouse and its day-to-day operations.

This section could be as simple as “this operation targets businesses along the west coast of the U.S.” However, while that statement may be true, it does not provide a lot of useful information. There are thousands of businesses in hundreds of different industries along the West Coast. Is the intent to target all of them? Because that’s insane. You’d wind up storing fresh produce next to pallets of board games. Also, the “west coast” is very big. Can your operation truly handle the entire region?

Instead of vague statements, use demographic and psychographic profiles to describe your target customers in detail. Demographics are the characteristics of your target market.

Examples of demographics for individuals include:

• Age
• Gender
• Marital status
• Location
• Education level
• Employment
• Household income

Examples of company demographics include:

• Age
• Stage of maturity (start-up, growing, declining, etc.)
• Number of employees
• Infrastructure (franchise, privately held, publicly traded, etc.)
• Geographic area
• Number of office locations or sites
• Annual revenue or sales volume
• Industry type (construction, retail, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, etc.)
• Products or services offered
• Target market

Psychographics are the wants and needs of your target market. This information helps you understand the values and emotions that drive customers to purchase specific goods and services. Examples of psychographics include:

• Interests and lifestyle: How do they spend their spare time? (travel, activism, social media, culture, pets, sports, nature, volunteerism, etc.)
• Motivation: Why do they do these activities? (comfort, convenience, practical need, fear of missing out, self-improvement, social status, self-fulfillment, curiosity, escapism, doing good, health, etc.)
• Values, opinions and attitudes: What are their motivations, and how do they affect their worldview? (environmentalist, disengaged, religious, realistic, idealistic, pessimistic, logical, emotional, progressive, conservative, rebellious, risk-averse, etc.)
• Personality: How do they believe they act every day? (agreeable, open, extrovert, conscientious, neurotic, etc.)
• Behavior: How do they act as a consumer? (brand loyal, value seeker, early adopter, impulsive shopper, influencer, comparison shopper, compulsive shopper, interested in experience, quality seeker, etc.)
• Social status: How do they perceive their social standing, and are they happy about it? (Desired social status is a significant motivator for many purchases.)

Combining demographic and psychographic data gives you a complete picture of specific segments in your target market.

Industry analysis

This analysis is a detailed look at the current state of the warehouse industry as a whole and the specific niche you fill within the industry. It’s possible that anyone reading your warehouse and distribution business plan is already familiar with this information. That’s ok. Performing an industry analysis serves two crucial functions. First, this research helps you become an industry subject matter expert. Second, combined with your target market data, this information enables you to create your marketing plan.

Here are a few topics to include in your industry analysis. These issues are just to get you started. As you research, you may come across relevant info not listed here that you should include in your report.

• How big is the warehouse industry (in dollars)?
• Is the overall market increasing or declining?
• How does the overall market compare to the market in your specific geographic region?
• What are the trends affecting the industry?
• Who are the key competitors?
• Who are the key suppliers?
• What is the growth forecast over the next 5 or 10 years?

Competitive analysis

Begin this section by identifying your warehouse’s direct and indirect competition. The main focus of this section is your direct competition, which is other area warehouses that service your target market. Indirect competition is services your target market may use instead of a warehouse, such as an order fulfillment service.

Provide a detailed analysis of each direct competitor. You will need to research the competition and perhaps speak to a few of their current customers to find out what they like and don’t like about them.

• What is their specific type of warehouse business?
• Who are their customers, and how do they overlap with your target market?
• What are their rates?
• What are their strengths?
• What are their weaknesses?

Some of the answers to those questions come from research (warehouse business, rates, etc.). However, for some answers (specifically strengths and weaknesses), you may need to extrapolate and imagine yourself as a customer (especially if you cannot interview any of their current customers).

The last part of this section is devoted to you and how you (will) stack up against this competition.

• Can you provide better customer service?
• Are there products or services you can offer that the competition doesn’t?
• Does the competition have roadblocks that you can avoid to deliver better service?
• Can you beat their prices?

SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis takes the information you discovered so far and places it in a framework that visually represents the company’s competitive position. The framework contains four quadrants: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (i.e., SWOT). Each quadrant includes three or four bullet points. A SWOT analysis aims to provide an honest, easy-to-read glimpse of your business.

• Strengths: The upper-left quadrant is used for assets that separate you from the competition.
• Weaknesses: The upper-right quadrant contains elements that prevent an organization from performing optimally.
• Opportunities: The lower-left quadrant holds external factors that could benefit the organization, such as technological advances and new market opportunities.
• Threats: The lower-right quadrant holds aspects that could potentially harm operations or the organization, like competition, new regulations, etc.

Marketing plan

A standard marketing plan includes the four Ps: product, price, place and promotion.

• Product: In this section, reiterate the description of your warehouse and go into detail about your services, such as long-term storage, product fulfillment, etc.
• Price: Discuss your prices for each service and how they compare with your competition.
• Place: Describe your location (busy business district, standalone warehouse, etc.) and how the site benefits your customers.
• Promotion: Detail your plans to drive customers to your warehouse (local ads, email campaigns, social media, etc.).

Operations plan

An operations plan is the macro and micro aspects of running a warehouse. This portion opens with a detailed look at a day in the warehouse. In addition to taking the reader step-by-step through inventory receiving, storing and shipping, you also need to detail the other everyday tasks and the people who fills those roles. For example, who answers the phone, inspects forklifts and other equipment for damages, creates paychecks, etc.?

Conclude this section with a big picture view of your warehouse and the meaningful achievements to come. What milestones do you hope to achieve in the first year? After five years? In ten years? When do you expect to begin making a profit? What inventory target do you hope to accomplish and when do you believe it will happen?

Management team

List every member of your management team and their experience. It’s preferable to play up all previous involvement in managing and running a warehouse business. If a team member lacks direct warehouse experience, play up how their expertise benefits your company. The goal is to showcase that your warehouse is in solid hands to govern and grow your business.

If you feel that you’ve assembled a strong management team, but they lack resume-filling experience, consider putting together an advisory board. To find board members, reach out to people in your network who you believe will provide an honest (sometimes even brutally honest) assessment of your business. You’re looking for subject matter experts who can fill knowledge gaps in your management team. If you cannot find enough candidates within your network, ask for a few referrals. The right board members can provide significant guidance and business development insight.

Financial plan

Every public company issues three financial statements on a quarterly and annual basis: profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. These three documents provide an in-depth look at a company’s financial performance. If you are a new business looking for funding, you will need to make estimates and assumptions, which is fine as long as you can clearly explain the logic behind these approximations.

The profit and loss statement summarizes a company’s revenue, costs and expenses during a specific period, usually a quarter or fiscal year. To create a profit and loss statement, start by entering the company’s revenue (often referred to as the “top line”). Next, subtract all business expenses, including inventory, operating, taxes, interest and other one-time costs. The final amount (known as the “bottom line”) is the company’s profit (a positive number) or loss (a negative number).

The balance sheet lists a company’s assets and liabilities. A balance sheet is often described as a “snapshot of a company’s financial condition.” Typically, the balance sheet is written as two columns with assets on the left and liabilities and shareholder equity on the right.

The cash flow statement is a record detailing how money entered and left a business during a reporting period, usually a quarter or fiscal year.

Appendix

The appendix is where you include any documents that support your plan, such as financial statements, your warehouse lease, etc.

12 Warehouse business ideas

If shipping and logistics are not your thing, there are several amazing ways to convert an empty warehouse into profitable, functioning warehouse business opportunities. Here are 12 innovative warehouse business ideas for your vacant building.

Lease it

Perhaps the easiest money-generating solution is to let another company come up with the business idea. Several industries need large, empty buildings (some may even use the space as a warehouse). However, the money doesn’t just roll in from those sweet, sweet rent checks. As the landlord, you are responsible for all maintenance to the building, such as structural elements, wiring, plumbing, etc. The leasing entity is responsible for maintaining their equipment, inventory and any structural changes. Be sure to have a professional perform a comprehensive inspection before leasing any building to avoid complications.

Co-working space

Granted, WeWork didn’t exactly, uh, work, but that had more to do with the behind-the-scenes corporate culture and careless expansion than the company’s premise. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to jumpstart work-from-home initiatives (that many were hesitant to initiate). Now that the infrastructure is in place, many companies allow their employees to telecommute, at least part-time, while others have reduced their corporate office space and, in some cases, eliminated it altogether. However, not everyone is comfortable working off their kitchen table, and a home office lacks many necessities (and niceties) of a business headquarters. A co-working space solves everyone’s issues around telecommuting. You can rent space to individuals, departments within a company and entire companies. Working from home is here to stay. So, if you build it, the telecommuters will come.

Event center

There are a few caveats to this suggestion. First, the building must be in a convenient location. It will not be an attractive event location if your warehouse is far off the beaten track or surrounded by other warehouses. Second, the space needs to be large and open. An event center that can only fit 1,000 people will attract some pretty lame events. Third, it must have plenty of parking. Sure, the building may accommodate 75,000 people, but if there’s only room for 2,500 cars, you will not attract many takers. (Even if attendees carpool, they need to fit 30 people per car.) Fourth, you need to put in some capital to spruce up the interior and exterior and bring it up to code. If you can meet these stipulations, your warehouse is ideal for hosting concerts, indoor sporting events, job fairs, motivational speakers, esports tournaments, farmer’s markets, corporate events, etc.

Film studio

I hope I’m not destroying any illusions, but Pandora is not a real place, no one brought dinosaurs back to life using DNA, and The Riddler didn’t really flood the streets of Gotham City (also, there’s no Gotham City). All of those feats were accomplished inside of a building that is basically a warehouse with green walls (and thousands of visual effects professionals). Do a little research, and you may be surprised about the demand in your area for film studios. While you may land a Marvel Studios production, commercial directors, corporate productions, industrials, local TV and more all need indoor locations to film. Who knows? The next time you see a city crumbling to the ground on the big screen, it may have been filmed in your converted warehouse.

Gaming center

From team building activities to friends getting together for some friendly competition, gaming centers provide a fun outing for groups. Some possibilities include:

• Laser tag: Wearing special vests with sensors and armed with a “laser” gun that fires infrared light beams, players hunt and hide through a giant maze. Some laser tag arenas only use the existing floor space, while others build a second story to add an additional challenge. The team that scores the most hits on opposing players wins. Laser tag was trendy in the late 80s and early 90s and then fell out of fashion. However, the activity experienced a recent resurgence that can benefit your empty building.
• Paintball arena: During a paintball game, two teams armed with guns (loaded with gelatin capsules filled with a water-soluble dye) try to hit an opposing player while avoiding being hit. It’s essentially laser tag with splatter effects. For obvious reasons, many paintball courses are located outdoors. However, if you’re willing to shoulder the cleanup expense, an indoor paintball arena can be a profitable venture.
• LAN gaming center: A LAN gaming center consists of approximately 30 gaming computers connected over a LAN (local area network) to play multiplayer video games. Despite perceived impediments to the business (such as the rise in mobile gaming, increased accessibility to the internet and affordable home electronics), LAN centers are increasingly popular. The industry has grown at an annualized rate of 11.6% to $247.2 million over the last five years, fueled, in part, by the continued popularity of esports.
• Trampoline or bounce house adventure park: There is a reason that kids love bouncing on stuff: it’s a blast. It’s so fun that the joy continues into adulthood when adults can find an excuse, that is. Enter the “fun for the whole family” trampoline adventure park where adults and kids can enjoy bouncing for hours. However, it’s not all fun; there are games, too. Groups can come and play dodgeball or basketball, and you can establish weekly events and even leagues. A bounce house adventure park is similar to a trampoline park, except all bouncing takes place inside several inflatable structures. Bounce house parks are geared toward younger children. That’s not because adults won’t enjoy bouncing inside the structures, but overenthusiastic big people can scare children and irreparably damage the inflatable structures (and possibly harm some children, too).

Tradeshow equipment rental shop

Tradeshows and conferences took a major hit during the COVID-19 lockdowns as nearly all in-person events were canceled in 2020 and for most of 2021. However, the industry has come roaring back. A recent study, “Planning Through Uncertainty,” found that more than 80% of attendees and 90% of exhibitors were excited about the return of in-person business events. The study also revealed people’s primary motivation to attend a trade show: there just needs to be a show to attend. When asked, “What are the primary needs (for attendees) to return to in-person events” the responses were:

• The event is held – 35%
• CDC or other trusted healthcare professional recommends it is safe to do so – 17%
• Health and safety protocols (e.g., mask mandates, COVID-19 testing, enhanced cleaning) – 14%
• Adult (18+) vaccination rate – 13%
• Event not located in a hot spot – 11%
• Other – 9%

These returning exhibitors need displays. After all, it’s been two years or more since some of them attended a trade event. They will need updated displays and graphics. Also, between shipping to and from a venue and the everyday wear and tear that takes place on the show floor, exhibits always need some minor repairs (and, often, some significant repairs). So, once you sell a display to an exhibitor, you can generate repeat business by keeping their displays looking good as new.

Microbrewery

There are a few necessities that every craft brewery needs. The first is space. Second is equipment, including kettles, kegs, boilers, bottling and canning lines, conveyors, cooling systems, storage tanks, fermentation tanks, filters and beer-labeling machines, piping and tubing, refrigeration equipment, cleaning equipment, waste treatment systems and tap handles. The third is also space because that is a lot of equipment. Fourth is adequate drainage, so you will likely need to do some construction on the floor to ensure that water drains properly. Finally, you will need a love for brewing and experimentation (and about 1,000 legal permits).

Church

At the other end of the spectrum from a microbrewery (although some people are pretty religious about their craft beers), you could lease your warehouse to a church. Often, when a church’s congregation grows beyond its current facility’s capacity, it is difficult to purchase a building quickly, and constructing a new structure takes time. Even expanding the existing building disrupts worship services and day-to-day operations. To avoid distractions and interruptions, churches often utilize a warehouse as a temporary or long-term solution as they grow.

Gym

Every gym needs the one thing your empty warehouse has in droves: space (have you noticed a pattern?). The rectangular shape of most warehouses provides an amazing level of versatility for designing a gym. In addition to the requisite weight machines and treadmills, you can also include a boxing ring, indoor pool, yoga studio, racquetball courts, sauna and more.

Magazine or newspaper publisher

Just kidding. Print is dead.

Photo studio

To open a photography studio, you don’t have to be a world-class photographer or even a very good one. However, you do need to know one. As long as you or someone working in the facility can take nice, non-blurry family photos, your warehouse is the ideal location for a photo studio. Green screen technology allows you to offer a practically endless number of backdrops. Still, you can also set up props to enhance your scenes, like sports fields and stadiums, a mountain top, Olympic rings, popular movie settings, race cars, popular video game and animated characters (with permission, of course) and more. Offer packages to local youth sports teams, church groups, high school clubs and organizations, families and everyone else who willingly gathers together. 

Parking structure

If your building is in an area with limited covered parking, you may be sitting on a goldmine. You can easily convert your building into a parking structure by simply painting a few lines and adding some ventilation. Based on perceived demand, you may want to construct an additional level or two. As long as your building is located in a busy downtown area or near a heavily trafficked venue (vibrant shopping district, event center, etc.), a parking structure is the ultimate low-maintenance, high-income business.

Whether you are starting a warehouse business or using these warehouse business ideas to evolve the space into an entirely different entity, your building provides you with countless warehouse business opportunities. As your warehouse business grows, know that Texas Motive Solutions is here to assist you with your forklift batteries and forklift accessory needs. Our forklift repair service team has the expertise to ensure your equipment operates at peak performance. Please call us at (888) 316-2459 or fill out this form.