Would you like to live in a shipping container? How about swimming on one? 

When it comes to containers, those of us in the freight industry tend to think of them solely as… well…containers. Big boxes to package up your cargo and keep it safe while it travels across the oceans. But thanks to the ingenuity of people, shipping containers today are used for so much more. 

You’ve probably heard about container houses? I’ve definitely mentioned them before. While they sound a little cramped and dingey, they’re really not. Just have a quick Google, and you’ll soon see some of the incredible house designs crafted from combining containers. They look like something from Grand Designs. 

This week, I came across something a little different… Someone who has turned a shipping container into a swimming pool in their back garden! Complete with steps up into the water and a little wooden sun deck, this container pool looks pretty cool. Hot tubs are so last season. Container swimming pools are in! 

I don’t know about you, but I’m often amazed by the creativity and ingenuity of people. I mean, think about it… give them a big metal box with a couple of doors on the end, and they’ve created a whole range of incredible uses. Container schools, container hotels, restaurants, bars, studios, saunas, art galleries, medical clinics… The list goes on! 

That’s what creative, entrepreneurial people do isn’t it? We create. Innovate. Build. Give us a problem, and we’ll solve it. Give us an opportunity, and we’ll build from it. Give us a container, and we’ll turn it into a storage unit, disaster shelter or cafe. Where other people see a box, you see an opportunity. And that’s really quite a gift. 

Now, I’ve got a good 3 decades in business, and I know how hard the daily grind can be. Running a business can be tough, from balancing cashflow and generating sales to managing staff and carrying the weight of the whole company on your shoulders. As you go through the stages of business growth, it can be easy to lose that spark of “ingenuity” and get bogged down with the daily firefighting and grind. Sometimes, you need to keep that spark alive. Carve out a bit of time for creative thinking, allow yourself some space to innovate, take a break, take a trip, or just have a bit of time to get your creative juices flowing again. 

You’ll be amazed at how big a difference it can make to your business…