From starting the journey in 2011 with Storage Squad until today in 2021, this past year has been the craziest one yet and has been a wild ride. In 2011, we started Storage Squad and it wasn’t until 2014 that we began making decent money, and by 2016, we were able to build a massive 39,000 square foot, climate controlled storage facility. With $2.4 million, $500 grand from outside investors and $500 thousand of our own capital we were able to expand and get into the self storage business. In 2018 the self-storage arm grew as Bolt Storage purchased a facility in Ithaca, NY.
The next couple of years were tough though. From zoning to development and approval issues, land and environmental roadblocks, by 2019 we knew we had to make some major changes and purchase self storage units. Even though self storage acquisition is a hot asset and is super competitive to buy, we didn’t let this bottleneck stop us. In 2019, Bolt acquired three properties in Erie County, PA, a property in West Mifflin, PA (Pittsburgh), and a facility in Lansing, NY and fast forward to now, as of May 2021, Bolt Storage owns and operates 20 facilities, 4,154 units and 536,300 rentable square feet of self storage in Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.
As you can see, we are growing and growing fast! The year of 2020 hit us with uncertainty, like many of you, but we didn’t let that stop us! In late 2020, and into early 2021, Bolt Storage was firing on all cylinders, and with new financial partners on board, Bolt Storage was also able to sell the student storage division (Storage Squad) for $1.65 million and all the self-storage facilities were then rebranded under the Bolt Storage name.
With how exciting the business realm is, I’m excited to announce the launch of The Nick Huber Show. The Sweaty Startup is not going anywhere and will strive to be one of the best entrepreneur podcasts, but The Nick Huber Show will hone in on real estate investment. Going along with that, if you’re new to the game, it is very unlikely that your current network has the connections that you need to be successful in either of these areas, which is why I’m also putting together two communities that will go in tandem with each podcast where you can network with like minded individuals and grow and build together.
This is an exciting time, and I’m ready to help and add value in any way possible to help you build and create a successful life.
Three Key Takeaways
- Scale up and go! Life comes at you quick. Having a clear path, clear vision, and practicing the fundamentals will set you up for success. We went from 3 to 13 employees and are still expanding The Sweaty Startup brand. If you’re not sure where to start, start here and get some ideas that will help you clear up your focus.
- Surround yourself with a good team. Being able to network with like minded individuals can make or break your business. As we continue to grow The Sweaty Startup and launch The Nick Huber Show, I want to make sure you have access to the community you need in both small business and real estate. Stay tuned for more information as these communities launch. In the meantime, visit https://sweatystartup.com/rec/.
- Persistence is key. There is always a creative solution for you to adapt and implement into your business. If you have that clear value, take it to market and build! You have the resources at your disposal, it’s time to start putting them into play. It took us 10 years to get to where we are today, so, be patient and keep working at it!
For more valuable content like this, join our community of like minded individuals who are seeking to improve every aspect of their business, or simply subscribe to the podcast.
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Shoutout to Shepherd
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Sweaty Startup Courses
Releasing more courses here soon, but in the meantime, check out the hiring course. With 90 minutes of video, this $200 masterclass. The podcast is not going anywhere, but if you’re looking for a little more, an online course may be just what you need.