Work is currently underway on a mezzanine fit-out at the Netherton facility that will provide an additional 25,000 sq ft of space to add to the existing 50,000 sq ft. Neil Hodgson reports

Investment worth £250,000 by self-storage and business space provider Rent A Space will add further capacity and help create more new jobs at its Dunnings Bridge Road facility in Netherton.

Work is currently underway on a mezzanine fit-out that will provide an additional 25,000 sq ft of lettable space at the unit, which already boasts 50,000 sq ft of facilities.

Co-owner Kevin Murphy said that business related to the site has helped create more than 100 jobs since the building opened with the latest phase of development designed to help support a range of new tenants and create even more employment opportunities.

Mr Murphy and business partner Andrew Donaldson launched Rent A Space Liverpool in September 2015 prior to opening a second site, a design and built facility in Shrewsbury, in September 2016 and plan to scale to a third North West site during 2018.

Prior to Rent A Space the two were directors of Big Storage, which operated a portfolio of five self-storage facilities, specialising in household self-storage and situated at various locations across the North West.

The business was acquired by Big Yellow Group in January 2015. This provided the entrepreneurial duo the opportunity to develop a new business model within the fast growing sector they know so well.

Mr Murphy said: “With 17 years’ experience in the self-storage sector, I had first-hand experience of where the market trends were heading and I feel that being ‘Rent A Space’ rather than ‘X Storage’ we can capitalise on the growing demand for flexible workspace while also offering a modern version of our core business, self-storage.”

Their burgeoning business offers a mix of trade units, office space, warehousing and studio space, underpinned by traditional household and business self-storage units each supported by the latest technology and set within a modern environment.

The Liverpool site is home to a range of independent businesses working from just one unit, such as e-Bay and online retailers, to bigger tenants including a health supplements outlet which has grown from one staff member to 10.

Start-ups are encouraged with free hot-desking, free wi-fi and free meeting room facilities which has so far led to five new ventures taking the next step on their own path to business success and moving into their own independent office space.