If you are looking for a unique way to earn extra money, you might consider growing specialty mushrooms to sell in your local market. This can be done with little startup capital, and you can rent a storage space to complete your growing and store your business supplies if your local storage facility allows it. Below is a quick guide to getting started growing and selling specialty mushrooms. 

1. Decide what type of mushroom you will grow.  There are many types of mushrooms that are easy to grow. Button mushrooms such as white and cremini mushrooms are very popular and easy to grow. Shiitake and oyster mushrooms require a more controlled environment but they are considered more exotic in many places and may be easier to sell for a higher price. Deciding which mushroom to grow will depend mostly on your market. You might go to nearby grocery stores and see what their most expensive options are or consider providing mushrooms that are not available in your area.  
2. Find a self-storage facility that meets your needs.  Mushrooms do not have a lot of requirements to thrive. Most mushrooms can grow in complete darkness. However, mushrooms appreciate relatively high humidity and a steady temperature. Depending on where you live, you may need to find a facility that offers climate controlled storage units. You may also need to have access to electricity to install a humidifier. You will also want a unit that does not have any potential drafts of air that can spoil your mushrooms. Finally, you should make sure that the facility you selects allows you to grow mushrooms. Many storage facilities have rules against growing or storing living items. However, if you approach the facility manager with your plan for growing and a clear idea of how you intend to contain the mushrooms, they may make an exception for you. 
3. Create Ideal growing conditions for your mushrooms. Once you have rented a storage unit, you should begin setting up your unit for mushroom production. You will need several plastic containers that you can fill with organic material, which can be kept on shelves to maximize your space. Depending on how you order your spores, you may need to fill your plastic containers with your organic material of choice before you order your spores or you may wait for your spores to arrive with a special spore growing compound. 
4. Purchase quality mushroom spores and learn how to collect your own spores.  Once you have your space set up, you can order your mushroom spores. At this time you should also learn how to take a spore print so you can continue growing new mushrooms from your own harvest without continually ordering fresh spores. 
5. Find a place to sell your mushrooms.  Once you have a harvest of mushrooms, you will need a place to sell them. You may want to rent a stall at a farmer's market or pair with a nearby farm to ask about selling your mushrooms with their products. You can also sell directly to friends and family and have your product spread through word of mouth. 
6. Repeat throughout the year, adjusting your mushroom type and harvest amount to meet your customer demands.  It is important to keep a regular harvest throughout the year. This will help increase the popularity of your mushrooms and make your customers realize that you are a reliable source to purchase their mushrooms from. To do this, you should stagger your growing cycles to have fresh mushrooms at all times. You should also get feedback from your customers about whether you need to grow more mushrooms and what type of mushrooms they would like you to grow. By offering a personalized, custom growing service you can increase your client base and charge a premium price for your product. 

Mushroom growing can be a lucrative business if you grow specialty mushrooms and sell to clients who utilize mushrooms in gourmet cooking. By renting a storage unit as your growing space, you have little investment for a solid business. Visit a site like http://www.northstarministorage.com to see if local companies allow solutions like this in your area.