The ever popular easyStorage facility is now fully operational in Manchester, thanks to a new franchisee, Graham Howard, joining the easyStorage family.

Graham became an easyStorage franchisee in March, but, with many places closed due to COVID lockdown, the absence of training facilities (along with other restrictions) meant that he couldn’t start operations until August.

But what a start it’s been! Barely had he blinked and people were contacting him to store their belongings.

Graham has 22 years of experience in the storage industry, starting at the bottom and working his way up to facilities director. He loves the industry and would have loved to have started his own storage company, but the barriers to entry are high: the building for a storage facility alone can cost millions.

So when the opportunity to become an easyStorage franchisee came up, he jumped at it! Not only was there a financial appeal, but there was the easy brand and operation to back him.

Graham also loves the company model. He has worked with three of traditional self storage competitors, and believes that the easyStorage model brings old style storage into the 21st Century. By helping customers decide what storage space they need, taking the storage pod to them and collecting it to store in a secure facility, easyStorage saves customers a lot of lugging around, van hire etc and hassle.

For easyStorage, he’s an ideal franchisee, committed, experienced and professional – as well as being friendly and fun to work with. He’s lived across the North West all of his life, and is a football fan, loves clay pigeon shooting, films and especially taking time out with his children.

He sees the only downside challenge for the easyStorage model as that of bringing a new concept in storage to the market, and how to help customers change their mindset. Self-storage users are often stung into paying premium prices for 24/7 access that they never use, or visit just four times a year.

In Graham’s experience (and research), more than 80 percent of personal storage customers never access their things, or do so just three or four times a year. And most of the time they know well in advance that they’ll need their winter woollies or Christmas decorations, or want to get out their garden furniture in the summer, so the 48 hours notice that easyStorage asks for is no inconvenience at all – and easyStorage brings the pod to the customer! (Access can be arranged as well, of course, but the delivery system works well for most people.)

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With prices that start from £14 per week for 35 square foot of storage, way less than old fashioned storage facilities, he’s pretty sure that storer’s thinking will start to change. Especially now.

With people downsizing and moving around to deal with their new economic situations in light of COVID, or not being able to upsize to cope, with stores closing but wanting to store things for better times, and the current trend towards decluttering, Graham believes easyStorage has a great solution. It really is the new way to self store – making it easier, making it cheaper and making it secure.

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