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Self storage units have been the same since the days before the big meteor hit the earth and the dinosaurs roamed. Women needed a place for all the stuff that was pilling up in the corner of the cave. Men kept replacing the stuff with the clubs and rocks that were important to them. Women needed a place to store the extra bowls and carved out eating utensils that were only brought out on holidays and special occasions. There were plenty of places in the side of the mountains for the new state of the art self storage units. The units could be used to put away all that clutter that there just was not room for any longer.  Mom always needed a place to store away those snaggle tooth tiger furs that were handed down from generations to generations. Some things like, the old pterodactyl cage and the feather filled furs used for the baby dinosaurs that they kept as pets. Self storage units were constructed so that all the clutter could be put away. It made the cave looked bigger. Maybe it was time for grandma and grandpa to come and live with the family as they got older and they needed a place to put their stuff that was not needed any longer.  What ever the case might be, the need for self storage units has been around since the beginning of time.

Back in the day, we carved the self storage units out of solid rock and installed doors made of rolled tree bark.  These self storage units had trenches on each side for drainage. Self storage units still came in a variety of sizes. A standard battle club times 3 deep, and two wide was a very popular one, or four dinosaur leg bones deep, 3 clubs wide where you could store a lot of stuff. When it was cold, we left a space for a fire pit in the center of the storage space. Ventilation was always a problem, letting in the air for circulation without letting in our unfriendly neighbors. We installed rock walls around the storage sites, with heavy wooden gates that were opened in the morning and closed at night. There were few self storage units available and everyone wanted one.
 

Like most of our fellow dwellers, our cave has very little extra space with no closets or basements. We have too much stuff and no where to put it. Most of it makes its way to the garage, uggg. My wife has been grunting and complaining about all of the animal skins and woolly mammoth bones, and the kids sticks, rocks, clutter and mess of modern cave living. She never mentions or seems to notice all of her stuff that we trip over every day in the cave, uggg. We have decided that we can not put it off any longer, we have to consider looking at some self storage units. How does a cave person go about putting their worldly possessions in a self storage unit? A better question would be, where does a modern cave dweller find self storage units? And what does one cost. We do not know where this industry will go and if it will ever take off, but we will just have to see.

Minnesota Storage Units

Downtown Nashville, 1615 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37203

Boat Storage

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When someone needs self storage they expect to find secure, convenient storage at a reasonable cost.  After having worked for this company for the past five years, it is interesting to watch the self storage industry grow in leaps and bounds in technology and the variety in which storage is offered.  From wine self storage to recreational vehicles there seems to be a niche for any type of storage in the market today.  Consumers are much savvier these days and with the growth of the industry added competition as well.  As the housing boom increased so did the self storage market to keep up with the demand.  Unfortunately the boom went bust and now there are some markets that are saturated with storage facilities increasing the competition even more.

So how do we compete without giving away the store?  It seems anymore when someone calls for self storage on the phone explaining features and benefits their attention is lost because it sounds like they are listening to a broken record.  Most all self storage facilities these days offer a certain level a security so it is almost a given and the self storage consumers have come to expect that.  When you go buy a car and you are sitting in the salespersons office and discussing the price you expect that the selling price would include things like an engine, a steering wheel, tires etc. This is a given when buying a car.  It is the same for a self-storage seeker to expect a certain level of offerings.

Maybe we need to rethink the way we approach selling our self storage facilities to our prospects since what use to work no longer does or has become so watered down it is no longer as effective.  A big trend now is specials, specials, specials which in and of itself is not a problem but the larger risk is conditioning consumers to expect, no even demand, some type of discount every time.  It seems like every other call taken, the first thing out of the callers mouth is, what are your specials?  For the brand new self storage facility that has such high initial operating costs, depreciation not withstanding, they cannot afford to give a free months rent.  Even older properties that have already recouped their opening expenses and the building and property are paid for can have a hard time offering discounts say due to having high occupancy rates.  What we have been witnessing here at our company call center seems to be the battle of the specials between companies we answer for especially in larger metro areas. 

Specials are a great way to secure potential self storage customers and help reduce their initial out of pocket expenses especially for price shoppers, just do not use this as a primary way to sell your property.  If you have great state of the art security equipment certainly sell all that but find something to sell that will set you apart from the competition.  If you have great locations, emphasize that.  If you have an all climate controlled self storage facility, emphasize that. One feature that is used to sell a property and differentiate from the others when possible is having lights in the self storage units.  Can you imagine trying to unload your three-bedroom house in to a self storage unit and not be able to see what you are doing?  Find a feature that is semi exclusive to your property such as lights in the units and sell it, sell it, sell it. 

Let us not discount specials entirely as they do have a purpose and a benefit for both customer and self storage operator.  One thing our company likes to use specials for is a trump card when the customer is sitting on the fence.  Sometimes it just takes that little push to get the customer to commit.  Customers that are looking for permanent or long term self storage need the discounts the most and prepaid specials for six months to a year really benefit the customer. This ensures your occupancy rate is full and less hassles collecting payments and charging late fees.  Okay, all you self storage marketing pros push the envelope and develop new methods to sell with less reliance on using specials.  Remember, we all prefer to explain the quality than have to justify the price now that is special.

GA Storage Units

StorageMart Mannheim & Belmont Franklin Park, IL 60131

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Currently in the self storage industry there is a substantial gap between locally operated storage facilities and those operated by individuals experienced in self storage.  Recently, one of the top self storage companies looked at purchasing a facility owned by a local operator.  During this process it was apparent to the analyst at the top storage facility that the local facility was grossly mismanaged.  The facility lacked many of the amenities provided by more experienced owners as well as a computerized system for record keeping.  As you can imagine the lack of organization was reflected in the facilities lack of revenues. All in all the facility was an utter mess.  Without the self storage experience needed to understand market demand and the importance of a quality location entrepreneurs continue to flood the market with misplaced and mismanaged facilities.  These facilities struggle to attract customers and in turn operate at low occupancies. 

Individuals inexperienced in laying out self storage facilities often times build facilities with too many small units.  Small units get a higher dollar value per square foot but are much harder to rent up.  Large facilities laid out with many small units often have low occupancies.  While large units have a lower return per square foot they are more utilized by customers which creates higher occupancy.  Individuals who have not been in the industry for a substantial amount of time fail to lay out facilities to fit their geographic location.  While smaller units are often harder to rent up, that mantra is not always true.  Some facilities located in cities require large amounts of small units while other facilities located in rural areas call for larger, more spacious units.  The unit mix for a facility should be determined by the market demand in the area that the facility is being built.  Inexperience and lack of planning has been the down fall of many self storage investors.     

Struggling facilities are good news for investors in the self storage industry.  With ample cash on hand, companies at the top of the industry can purchase mismanaged facilities at discount prices.  The implementation of experienced management and demanded amenities makes these once unsuccessful facilities into cash cows in the self storage industry.  Changes made to these facilities can be as simple as adding security features, employing an onsite manager, contracting a call center, or expanding advertisement.  On the other hand, changes to these facilities can be complex and difficult.  Buildings often times need to be completely renovated.  This process includes changing unit sizes, building structure, and climate controlled features.  Major renovations like these are not for the faint hearted investor.  Major renovations should only be attempted by companies with construction departments employing designers and project managers.  While technology such as excel and computer animated drawing is making it easier to design facilities and set up project budgets, it still takes extensive training using these technologies to be successful in running a project.  To conclude this blog entry it is important to point out that there is an exception to every rule and if you have a level business head on your shoulders you can make owning a self storage facility work by following the examples of the top industry companies. 

Illinois Storage Units

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage and Self Storage Finder.

Storage

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Acronyms lovers, here’s one for you. Scramble the word dormitory to create two new words. The new words are the perfect definition for most college dormitories in the country. Here is a hint. Just picture in your head what a typical dorm room looks like. Do you see clothes on the floor and hanging from the ceiling fan; do you see books scattered randomly about; do you see shoes used as beer bottle holders and table tops used as chip bowls? If not, then other people had problems where they went to college. Isn’t this stereotypical dorm room pretty dirty, or in other words a dirty room. That’s right; you can use the letters in dormitory to create dirty room.

Why are college dormitories boxes of dirty rooms? It’s because college students lack adequate storage space, especially when sharing a room with another student. Within the space comparable to a walk in closet, college students must fit a desk, a chair, a dresser, a refrigerator, and a bed. These are just the essentials; college students pack whatever they can into this space. When students are assigned a roommate, the same amount of space must hold double the furniture. Now there is no room for shoe storage or even Book storage. What is a college student to do?

There are two answers to this question. First a student can put excess furniture and clothes into a self storage unit. The other answer is for the student to move into an off campus apartment. However, the latter option is usually not an option until a student has completed his or her freshman year. Either way, self storage fits into the plan of both options.

Usually, students only need the smallest self storage unit available. A 5 x 5 will fit extra furniture, like a dresser and chair, plus some boxes of books and other small items. Some incoming college students found it unnecessary to bring the computer when the college campus offers the use of computer labs. Computers and other electronics will fit in a storage unit too. However, students may want to rent a climate controlled self storage unit for temperature and moister sensitive items.

During semester breaks, many college students are in the hunt for better living conditions, especially an apartment with plenty of storage space. Instead of hauling every piece of furniture and school gear back to mom and dads, rent a self storage unit for temporary storage. Self storage provides storage solutions for students in between homes during semester breaks. Most likely dad’s garage is already full of home storage and has no room for anymore clutter. Plus, keeping furniture and other storage items close to campus will save you time and energy it takes to haul everything back home.

In addition to more storage dilemmas, the new apartment may not support all of your storage concerns. It may be bigger than a dorm room, but you may have more than one roommate to deal with.

There are enough dirty messes you will have to deal with at college besides a cramped and dirty dorm room. Use self storage to sweep up any unnecessary storage problems.  

Connecticut Storage Units

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Yacht Storage, Self Storage Finder.

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I am a proud home owner who has a lot of things that I currently don’t use in my house. From clothes to files to kitchen tables, I have a lot of things that are not needed at this time in my life.  At the same time, I do not know what to do with it. All those extra items are sitting in my one car garage getting cold and moldy.  I know that self storage exists out there but I am not sure if I want to spend the money to use that service. I started wondering what is holding me back?  I bet there are many people in the same situation.

When people call in looking for storage for the first time, it is up to the managers on site to give them assurance that they are making a good decision for their lifestyle. For me if a manager at a self storage facility asked me why I want to store, that is the first step to having me go ahead and renting. I am trying to figure out if I want to spend money to store my belongings so I can park my car in the garage during this wintery time of the year. For instance, last night it snowed, and it have been convenient for my wife to just pull the car out of the garage free of snow and ice, instead of watching her to go out there without a hat on trying to clear off the car in blistery coldness. 

What I am getting at is this. If we as self storage sales people can find a way to determine the true needs of the caller in terms of storing, we can sell them on why they need it. Why have boxes stacked to the ceiling in a standard room, when you have company coming over with nowhere for them to sleep? Why place your antique wood cabinet in the garage when the temperatures can reach below 0 degrees or get as high as 100 degrees when you could safely store it in a climate controlled unit? Is it worth $25 to $100 for convenience and to protect your assets?

Joel Little, experience sales manager.

Storage Unit

Self Storage Article Directory. Visit our Self Storage Locations by City Section.

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Customers desire and deserve great service and I make sure that my people are there to give it to them. I try to leave a lasting impression so they’ll remember me and my business’ name

I remember taking care of a customer and getting them all set up with everything that they needed to bring their experience to life. We were sitting down chatting about stuff other than their home theater system and building a great connection. Unfortunately, the time came to where I had to move on to the next customer and they wrote me a check for the transaction. I looked at the check to verify all the information was correct and then I looked at who they wrote it out to. They wrote the check out to Circuit City!!! I looked at the young lady and she looked back at me with a confused look on her face. I asked her where she was and who she was making this purchase from, she said, Best Buy. I agreed with her and then showed her the check she had written. She seemed embarrassed and then wrote the correct check. I asked her if I didn’t take care of her and if she got a better experience at Circuit City and she said emphatically, No! However, she was just there and she apologized.

As I evaluate self storage calls and listen to the property managers talk to the callers and try to get them to rent, most don’t remind the caller about who just helped them. As most people are looking for pricing, they might call a couple of different facilities. It is up to you to differentiate that experience for them and engrain in their head which facility to rent from. Always end the call with, Thank you for calling Athens Self Storage (or your company name). This way the caller remembers who took care of them and their needs.

Written By Guest Blogger, Joel Little

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If you’re a boat owner, you understand there is a lot more to owning a water craft than just taking it out on the water to fish or sunbathe. In fact, if you live in an area of the world that experiences cold winters it can be difficult to prepare your boat for the weather. While typical winterizing of boats is essential, you may find yourself at a loss for boat storage during the cold months. Perhaps you typically store your boat at a marina. However marinas in winter climates typically close for the season. So, you’re likely stuck with putting your boat in your driveway or side yard, which can be a pain.

Boat storage is something that more and more self storage businesses are getting into. With the increase in boat sales, they realize people need somewhere to keep their boats during the off-season.

One reason boat storage is ideal for many boat owners is because it frees up their space in their yard or driveway. Your neighbors would likely be less than thrilled to see a huge boat in your driveway each time they exit their home.  In addition, you will want a place to park your car. And when you park your boat in the yard you are doing nothing but killing the grass underneath it.

Another reason it is great to store your boat in a professional self storage business situation is because it will protect your boat. When you store your boat in an indoor storage unit, your boat will be out of the outdoor elements and will stay in good shape much longer.

Lastly, storing your boat indoors during the off-season can allow you to keep the boat un-winterized and ready to go if you should want to grab it during a warmer day during the off-season.

Written By Our Guest Blogger.

Self Storage Blog is brought to you by PhoneSmart – Your Premier Offsite Sales Force.

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I take about 100 calls a day working as a sales rep in the PhoneSmart Call Center. I talk to all kinds of people in all kinds of situations. Today there seemed to be a lot of callers that were just trying to annoy me.

Here is just a sampling of some of the calls:

1- ME:  Hello, thank you for calling ZZZ Self Storage, how can I help you?
    Customer:  I just have a quick question for you… 
            (And then he droned on and on and on and on…..)

2- ME:  What will you be storing?
    Customer:  You know. 
             (No, I really don’t!)

3- ME:  Did you want me to reserve the 5×20 or the 10×10, since they are both the same price?
     Customer:  I want the bigger one.
             (Math is not your strong suit?)

4- ME:  What sized storage unit do you need?
    Customer:  I don’t know. I am calling for someone else.
    ME:  What will they be storing?
    Customer:  I don’t know.
    ME: Are we a convenient location for them?
    Customer:  I don’t know.
    ME:  When do they need the self storage space?
    C:  I don’t know.
             (Why are you calling??)

5- ME: You can call back to speak to the manager in about 15 minutes, or I can give you
             their voicemail.
    Customer:  Okay. 
            (Okay, what?)

And my ultimate pet peeve!
6- ME:  What credit card will you be using today?
           (BEEP, BEEP – I hear the dreaded call waiting beep)
    Customer:  I have been expecting this important call.  Goodbye. (Click.)
           (Why did you call me if you knew you were expecting a call.)

Written by Ann Sheehan, Call Center Rep with nerves of steel.

Thanks for visiting our self storage blog, where we sometimes share funny stories about the self storage business.

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Being a business owner is so easy and I encourage everyone to do it. I mean the long hours, the management of staff, keeping the property up, ensuring everything is functional, etc, is a blessing and everyone should do it at least once. Ok, well maybe owning a business is not for everyone. When you are looking at or trying to maintain your business, every decision that you make ultimately affects the bottom line.

From how much you pay your staff, to how much you pay someone to mow your grass, to how much electricity it takes to raise your computerized gate, these are all things, plus more that you have to look at monthly. Your bottom line is how you see if you are a profitable business or a non-profitable business. And there aren’t many not-for-profit self storage organizations out there. When making any decisions, you have to think to yourself, how this decision will create a profit for me in the future. If you are not thinking this way, you are possibly placing your money somewhere it should not be. You could be carelessly throwing your money away.

I will always preach that the first line of defense of your bottom line comes from how well your staff is trained. If they can understand the P&L (profit and loss report) as you do, show them some kind of incentive to reach the goals you establish, your bottom line will be extraordinary. Everyone in my business understands how we make money and how we lose money. Knowledge is power and now I just empowered my whole staff to make sound business decisions around the bottom line. In result, the store profits, they all get a share of the profits at the end of the year.  Make good decisions; understand what is costing you money and what is making you money. Trim down the costs, and increase the profit. 

Joel Little, Experienced Manager

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65202 Wine Storage

Rent storage at 7332 Tolbert Rd, Nashville, TN 37209

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I have taken many calls about sell storage and have a good way to build rapport on the phone; I still enjoy that face-to-face contact with the customer. Your personality can sometimes shine through on the phone, but looking the customer in the eye and showing your friendliness and willingness to assist them in your body language will win them over. Getting the caller to stop by and see you and your facility is a great way to close the sale.

Think about it. If you call into a retail store looking for a particular item, you find it, and go down to the facility, you are most likely going to buy it from that retailer barring some catastrophic turn of events. The same thing is true in self storage. If you can get the caller to commit to coming by your facility and showing them a great, personalized experience, they will hand you their money to rent today. I personally would not take my time to venture down to a place if I was not intending to buy from there.

In self storage, we need to take every opportunity to get the caller to rent from our facility vs. our competition. Get the caller to stop on by your facility. When they do, ensure that your facility is clean, warm and inviting to them. You need to make every effort to impress, but do not be over the top because the customer can see the over aggressiveness. After you’ve given a self storag quote, get the caller to stop by and you are more than half way there to getting a new tenant.

Joel Little, Experienced Manager

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64153 Wine Storage

Rent storage at 5251 Mt. View Road Antioch, TN 37013

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