Meet the Absa Small Business Friday featured Small Business of the week – iBidOnStorage.
iBidOnStorage is an online auction platform that specialises in self-storage auctions. The website was developed to provide storage operators with a safe, easy and efficient way of disposing of abandoned goods while minimising the expenses and risks in doing so. The development of their website has allowed sellers and buyers to come together in one marketplace, and they have simplified what was traditionally a difficult and very risky process in South Africa.
Grant Daniel has been involved in the storage industry for nearly 20 years. He knows all too well the pressures placed on storage operators when it comes to the disposal of abandoned customer goods. The process can be stressful, labour-intensive and time-consuming and he knew it was unfair to the original owner as fair prices were not being achieved. This could sometimes lead to non-action, with a flow-on effect of increased debt levels and the loss of income. Grant also knows everybody loves finding a good deal and hunting for that hidden treasure. He had seen the success of this model in developed markets, and that’s why he decided to launch iBidOnStorage.co.za in South Africa. iBidOnStorage is South Africa’s only online auction platform dedicated to the storage industry, specialising in storage unit auctions.
In the future, iBidOnStorage’s goal is not only to help improve the sale process for established storage facilities in South Africa but also to encourage an entrepreneurial culture within the buying and selling community with a focus on sustainability.
There is a large segment of buyers that use their site to buy what sellers sometimes refer to as “rubbish units”. These could be car parts, vintage furniture or old used goods. Bidders buy these units for their recycle value, strip them for parts, copper, etc. and sell them for scrap or as second-hand goods. They also restore many items. This means goods are recycled, there is less waste going to landfill and fewer new goods are being purchased.