Self-Storage Darak, Startup Story #1

— The reality of the "hands-off, income-generating warehouse business" as told by the Mullae Station branch partner

Hello, this is self-storage ‘Mini Storage Darak.

From wealth management and vacancy management to preparing for retirement — these days, so many people are inquiring about starting a Darak business. Accordingly, interest is growing in a business that can generate stable cash flow.

Starting today, through the 'Darak Startup Story' series, we’ll be sharing the vivid stories of partners who are actually running businesses with Darak. If you’ve been curious about starting a shared storage business, we hope this article will be very helpful.

Introducing our first guest, the Mullae Station branch partner

For the first guest of Darak Startup Story, we’ve invited the Mullae Station branch partner. This partner has been operating Mullae Station with Darak since starting the business in 2022.

At the time, the concept of 'self-storage' was still quite unfamiliar in Korea. But after looking at cases in the United States, they says they recognized the business’s potential early on. In particular, as personal hobbies increased significantly after COVID-19, they became convinced that demand for storage space to keep personal belongings would clearly grow.

Why 'Darak'?

After deciding to enter the self-storage business, they must have compared several brands. The reason the Mullae Station branch partner chose Darak was clear.

Darak is the largest self-storage company in Korea, with exceptional accumulated experience from customer service to operational know-how. Above all, they said the structure that can generate steady cash flow was attractive. It wasn’t simply because it was a large company, but because it had a system in place that could realize the essence of the business: 'stable profits'.

The revenue structure they directly experienced over two years of operation

Since starting in 2022 and over more than two years, the Mullae Station branch partner has experienced the revenue structure of the self-storage business firsthand. What fundamentally sets this business apart from others is that revenue is structured to 'build up'.

Once a customer starts using a storage unit, revenue is generated regularly every month. It’s a whole different level from businesses that depend on one-time sales. On top of that, since Darak headquarters handles operations management and marketing, you can keep the business running without having to worry about every small issue.

The biggest takeaway the Mullae Station branch partner had after operating for two years was simply this: a "business that requires less hands-on work while still generating profit."

Why it doesn’t waver even when competition appears

Of course, over time competitors also entered the market. But thanks to Darak’s operational know-how, they were able to continue running stably. To improve customer service quality, they carefully inspect the internal facilities and consistently devote effort to marketing strategy.

As a result, the current occupancy rate at Mullae Station is maintaining a stable level of around 80%, and revenue is formed at around 100,000 to 120,000 won per square meter. Recently, corporate customers have also been coming in, so they are expecting additional revenue improvements through future B2B sales.

What’s great about Mullae Station

Mullae Station has strong advantages in terms of location itself.

It is in a location with excellent vehicle access, so the distance between the storage and vehicles is short, making it easy to move heavy items. Being in central Seoul makes it convenient to get anywhere, and above all, the circulation is designed so that customers can store their belongings easily, which increases user satisfaction.

Darak startup is especially recommended for these people

To summarize the Mullae Station partner’s story, starting a Darak business is especially suitable for the following people.

If you’re busy with your main job and find it hard to spend a lot of time on a side business, if you want steady income with almost no hands-on work, or if you’re considering rental businesses but are burdened by various regulations, then a self-storage startup is definitely worth considering. Unlike rental businesses, self-storage has the advantage of a low barrier to entry because it is not subject to separate regulations.

As the Mullae Station partner recommends, "I recommend starting as if you were creating your own avatar."

If you want to learn more about starting Darak

Those interested in starting Mini Storage Darak can always receive more detailed information through a consultation. Darak Startup Story will continue to share real experiences from various partners, so please stay tuned.