Disclaimer: this has been published in the Manila Times on March 15, 2018

Thinking outside the box

The business of storage just got a lot more convenient with Kahon.ph
As the first web-based storage solution in the Philippines, Kahon.ph provides an unconventional platform for people to eliminate the logistical burden of bringing personal items to a storage facility while also providing the opportunity of doing everything from the comfort of their homes.

Meet Nick Padilla. A graduate from the Ateneo De Manila University with a degree in interdisciplinary business studies, Nick is not exactly new to startup ventures, having been a partner in the increasingly popular Felipe and Sons barbershop and haberdashery chain. Because of its success, Nick was inspired to get into other businesses that would be beneficial to more people.

Eureka
Currently the CEO and co-founder of Kahon.ph, Nick Padilla recalls his experience back in 2015. “It started after getting married and moving in with my wife, Aimee back in 2015. We struggled fitting all our items (mostly mine) in a limited amount of space in our condo. With my dad being in real estate, I had some insight into the connection between positive space and well-being and noticed that as clutter built up, so did my stress. Having a baby boy of my own allowed me to realize even further how important it is to make the little space we have work for us.” The self-confessed hoarder also shares that that a majority of Filipinos are hoarders by nature and it creates problems because it gets in the way of efficiency or peace of mind.

In 2016, Padilla went on a surf trip in Baler where he met his old friend and now partner and co-founder, Carlos Domingo. “My interest and experience in tech, coupled with his logistics background led to us to develop Kahon.ph— the first internet-based storage solutions provider in the Philippines,” he recalled.

Unlimited, secure storage space
“We wanted to provide a solution that grants our users convenient access to an unlimited amount of space where they can keep things that they do not need on a daily basis. This way, space in the home is reserved for artifacts that inspire joy andpeace of mind,” Padilla shared.

The online platform is simple to use and it offers storage solutions by the box or “Kahon” and by the square meteror “Kwarto.”

“We take care of all the logistics so all a customer has to do is create an account on our site, order their preferred solution and wait. Kahon.ph will take care of packing and transportation of your items to our secure storage location. For your peace of mind and convenience you can also access a dashboard on the Kahon.ph website which will allow you to manage the delivery and pick-up of your items. So it’s basically akin to having your own butler who is specifically focused on storage.”

Further addressing security concerns, Nick says Kahon.ph’s business model “only allows for authorized people to come in and out.”

“So we’re very secure in that sense. Our facility also adheres to all the necessary codes and we include insurance and are actually finalizing increasing that coverage even more to further assure our customers,” Nick further assured.

Tremendous response
Kahon.ph’s users have grown rapidly over the past quarter. “We’ve managed to grow our active subscribers 100 percent month on month, while gaining more attention from enterprise users. Being barely a year old, we’ve been focusing more on polishing the service rather than maximizing profit,” Padilla shares.

The online platform has no plans in expanding in other countries yet. However, they have plans in branching out and developing business-to-business and enterprise solutions.

Padilla shares that their biggest challenge right now is to educate people that storage is affordable and easy. This is why their main goal is to gain people’s trust and make them realize that there is a platform that will allow them to access livable space. Kahon.ph ensures its users that it is extremely convenient to store whatever they don’t need with no long term bonds.