When Brian Hurley moved three years ago from his 2,700-square-foot home into a Downtown condo, one lesson came fast: “You either learn to toss a lot of items out or get storage,” he says.

From that came the inspiration to start Big Box Storage which delivers to customers storage containers that are 5 feet wide, 8 feet long and 7 feet tall. Each holds about a room and a half in goods. When it is full, the company’s special trucks pick it up and take it to one of two storage locations.

The fee is $69 a month and customers can visit their stuff 24/7. Those that sign an eight-month contract get the $89 pickup and delivery fee waived.

While Downtown is challenging, the relatively small size of the boxes means they fit into underground parking spots, or, on a Sunday, on the street at a meter. “What we would do is deliver in the morning then return that afternoon to pick them up,” says Hurley, who lives at City Walk in Little Italy with his wife and business partner Rita.

Approaching 2,000 boxes delivered and with a company-owned store now open in Las Vegas, Hurley has embarked on franchising. “We see nothing but benefits there as you bring on partners in individual territories,” he says. Franchisees in Los Angeles and Portland are expected to open this month.

Before Hurley, 36, started Big Box, he owned a software development company. But since he doesn’t write software himself, “there was always a problem I couldn’t solve.” There’s no such problem with this business. “I am a customer,” he says.