Matt Stapleford Owner/Operator of Go Mini’s By Erica Shatzer
A
ccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in five (20 percent) of new businesses fail
within the first two years. Investopedia, a financial media website headquar- tered in New York City, claims there are six common reasons new busi- nesses fail: • Lack of financing, • Not satisfying a need, • Bad location, • Inflexibility, • Bad business plan, and • Rapid expansion. Franchise opportunities can poten- tially reduce those odds, providing
investors with proven business models and resources that enable them to become successful business owners. However, like building a busi- ness from scratch, starting a fran- chise requires plenty of dedication and hard work, especially when you don’t have a team in place. Matt Stapleford, owner-operator of a Go Mini’s franchise that services the entire city of Pittsburgh, Pa., knows this from firsthand experience.
One-Man Band Stapleford, who has a bachelor’s degree in math and spent five years in health care consulting, came across the Go Mini's franchise when he was looking to diversify his real estate portfolio and put some vacant land to good use. Liking both the concept of portable storage and Go Mini’s busi- ness model, he decided to open his own franchise in May of 2021—despite the uncertainties of COVID and the new responsibilities of fatherhood.
“Portable storage offers the convenience
of adaptability, ensuring customers can rent for as long as needed.” - MATT STAPLEFORD
“Trying to juggle everything is chal-
lenging,” he says about starting a business on his own. But Stapleford was more than willing to put in the extra hours necessary to make it work, because he wanted to thoroughly learn every aspect of the business before hiring any employees. His franchise began with 111 of Go
Mini’s portable containers, which was based on the population of the ser- vice area (he services a population of
SECOND QUARTER 2024 Self-Storage NOW! 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
