But what, exactly, are the changes that they have made? A great question, and one that can be broken down into rather simple terms. First and foremost, the bill changes the manner with which a facility can send out its lien notices. In the past, self storage owners were required to use certified mail (a somewhat costly option, but one that presented owners with proof that their lien notice was not only sent, but received by the customer, who had to sign the notice upon receiving it). Now, facilities can simply use a certificate of mailing—a receipt that proves that the mail was received by the post office. If that sounds like a bunch of jargon, feel free to think of it this way: storage owners stand to save around two dollars per lien notice mailed. With 3,890 self storage facilities freckling the landscape of California, and ten lien notices sent out per month, the industry savings come to a staggering $1,867,200. That’s quite a lot of green!

Also changed were the regulations surrounding the “Declaration of Opposition” provision. In the past, lien disputes could only be settled in superior court, which often took a great deal of time and money. As it now stands, lien disputes can be settled in small claims court—a much faster and much more cost effective way to resolve disputes. Facilities and storage owners stand to benefit quite a lot from this change. Baseless disputes can be dismissed at a much faster pace, meaning that legal fees will not continue to pile up throughout long, drawn-out superior court battles. With estimated savings at nearly $2000 per store in California, the industry is looking forward to $7,780,000 in savings. Perhaps that last part merits some repeating: that’s nearly eight million dollars that the industry saves in attorney fees and lost rent.

When you crunch the numbers, you can see that California’s self storage community is set to save around $10 million through these two “common sense” changes. This leads me to a very obvious question: how, exactly, is all of this money going to be spent? Are we going to see these savings reinvested into properties? Might we begin to see single-property owners turn into multiple-property owners? Might we see the larger companies not only expanding their empires, but improving upon the properties that they already own? Are we going to see more advertisements hitting television, the internet, and our favorite magazines? Are these industry savings going to translate into savings for the consumer? Will these changes make tenants take their rent payments a bit more seriously?

Surely, the following weeks and months will resolve some of these questions for us. With any luck, we will find that both self storage owners and customers stand to benefit from these changes.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Self storage industry has gained from the popularity of the concept and it has grown so fast that in the last twelve years the use has grown from one in every seventeen households to one in every ten. Converted to percentage growth it comes to sixty-five. The concept of self storing has caught on so fast and the revenue generated has been so lucrative that many companies have joined the fray tough the primary income of these are from other sources. There are almost nine thousand such companies operating in the country. These statistics are based on the actual figures that are available to the authorities. The actual size of the industry is larger and there are many facilities that are lying beyond the record of the authorities.

Self storage industry has a variety of members. There are companies who have multiple facilities all over the country and there are some that end in themselves. There are quite a few operators who just operate a single unit and it is the source of primary income. Of the large companies that are doing business in the country, the top five operate about one facility in every ten that are operated in the country. The rest are operated by over thirty thousand companies spread all over the country. An estimate provides that the current area available for self storing in the country is over two billion square feet which converts to about six square feet per person.

The users profile has shown that the self storing facility is quite popular among the military personnel and the usage near the domestic military bases grows higher with sometimes the military personnel using almost all of the available storing units. The self storage industry values the military personnel and the associations of self storing facility operators often provide discounts and incentives like discounts on rental rates, free period of usage, gift certificates, and no change in rent during overseas deployment, waiver of deposits and fees, etc.

The competition within the self storage industry is hotting up with a survey saying that the market is overbuilt at almost every level, local, state or national. The industry has confessed that at every instance a self storing facility has to compete with anything between three to twenty facilities to get customers. This is the urban scene. The rural scene is not very different as each facility has to compete with three to ten facilities. The rapid growth in the self warehousing industry that was seen during the late nineties and early parts of the new millennium has slowed down considerably though it has not stopped altogether. The last two years has added fewer facilities that what was added in the previous years.

Boat Storage in Kansas City

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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The positive influences of American business persons who are offering advice about what they have seen work and what they have seen fail, is, in some parts, creating a more rapid growth in the Canadian self storage industry . The growing pains of the American market can certainly be a lesson to the Canadian, and other markets beginning to develop the storing market.

The supply and demand ratio in the United States has caught up in many rural and urban markets. Storing facilities are typically anywhere from 75 to 90 percent full, depending on the region and the season. Whereas, the demand still largely outweighs the supply in Canada and rural and urban facilities alike are commonly enjoying the luxury of having their facilities 85 to 95 percent or more full.

Perhaps the difference in occupancy is a contributing factor to the vast difference in customer service between the American and Canadian industries.

In a study conducted in May, 2008 by a self storage industry call center in Columbia, Missouri, an astonishing 94 percent of Canadian store room facilities did not ask the customer for a phone number and only 18 out of 63 facilities asked the customer for his or her name. This is either indicative that the Canadian market is doing a very poor job or a very great job. Perhaps a very poor job because the lack of asking fundamental and imperative questions such as this could indicate a deeper sales and service problem rooted in complacency or inexperience.

Perhaps a very great job because asking for a name and phone number is unimportant, for now, to the Canadian market because they are experiencing great success with the occupancy of their businesses. Why ask for a name and number when you know the unit will be rented out within the week? This may be their mind frame. However, they should take a cue from their neighbors to the south and keep a close eye on how the market is changing.

The self storage industry is no secret to business owners looking for property in Canada. Like the American industry, soon enough, Canadian owners will find themselves battling with competition and looking at their sales and customer service practices to get an edge over their competitor.

Already, in cities like Okotoks, Alberta the market has a cluster of storing facilities within a short radius of one another. And while larger cities like Toronto can easily host a handful of storing facilities, the guarantee of filling up after the first few weeks of your grand opening is narrowing as likeminded business men and women are opening their own facility.

Competition is what morphed the American storing industry from a few metal sheds crafted from wobbly aluminum and chicken wire to top notch steel constructions equipped with individual alarms and video surveillance. It would benefit a new business owner in Canada or the States to learn under the wings of well established storing associations and business persons.

Columbia Storage

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Depending on who you ask and where their experience is in the storing industry, you will hear different answers. Some will say that a housing slump means people will stay in their homes collecting clutter and needing a place to store it. Others may say that a lull in the housing market is bad for the storing industry because people are not moving.

No doubt about it, rising gas and food means families have less money on discretionary funds. Just how that filters down to local storing facilities remains to be seen.

The truth of the matter is that self storage companies have not seen as great a moving season as it has in past years. The typical busier months are not over yet, and it could make a comeback, but if the past few months are indicative of the coming months, this year will be less than the growth the industry has seen in the past, with 10-20 percent less rental volume than last year.

So what about the newest face of moving? Mobile storing pods advertise to be a quick, easy answer for families who are relocating. While they romanticize the idea of moving or relocating, they do not disclose the ugly side of the business. It is often hard to get the units delivered to your doorstep the same day or even the next day, especially if you live in a densely populated city. Mobile storing companies usually deliver 2 units and the cost of bringing you more than that begins to add to your bill. Additionally, there is a high cost to deliver the unit upfront. Moreover, there are more costs to redeliver your box to a new location or back to your existing home. Add to that, the monthly rental cost, per pod, per month. In some cases, there are extra costs for accessing your box in the warehouse where it is kept and it usually takes 45 minutes or longer for the company to get it down and ready for you.

No matter what the dark side of mobile storing is, customers do draw to the convenience that these companies advertise. If a customer phones the mobile storing company to inquire about prices and the sales associate is any good at all at his job, then self storage companies have just lost a tenant.

So what can self storage companies do to battle the new kids on the block? Well, if your facility is in a rural area, you are not likely to be affected, by these mobile companies, yet. No matter how your local business is feeling the affect of mobile storing, there are things you can do to attract renters and impress them once they call or stop by your facility.

For starters, you should make sure the store front appearance is neat and fresh. Peeling paint or missing siding only indicates to a prospective tenant that you do not maintain the facility well.

Also, when customers call your self storage companies , they should be impressed with the friendly service and even more impressed with the informative and helpfulness of it. The managers of your self storage companies should guide the customer to the best unit size, based on their needs. The manager should offer the caller choices and get agreement from them. Selling the amenities and security features is also important in helping your facility stand out from all the other self storage companies and mobile options. And most importantly, your managers should be great at closing the sale and reserving a unit on the phone.

The idea of mobile storing is hard to combat, but perhaps the self storing industry has lucked out a little bit with a lull in economy. If moving families already have less money to spend because of gas and food and rising interest rates, then paying expensive delivery, redelivery, monthly and hidden fees may be out of their price range.

But make no mistake, mobile units are not going anywhere in the long run. So, as they say, if you can not beat them, join them. Exploring the cost and profitability of adding a mobile service to your self service facility may be worth a look.

Kansas City Storage

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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The first thing you do if you want to start a self storage business is pick up a pen. A pen you say, why a pen? Well, you pick up the pen and write down what you are expecting out of this business. You write down your goals and your aspirations. No business is successful without proper planning. Make sure you plan correctly and before you jump into it, you know what to expect.

After you have written down your goals, aspirations and dreams to start a self storage business, you have to do some research. You have to take some time to find out about the area in which you want to put a self storage facility into. These are some questions that you should ask yourself:

• How many other self storage companies are in a five to ten mile radius of your area?
• Will your potential location be easily accessible to most residents that could use your facility?
• Based on the population, how many units (and sizes) do you need to have on your property?
• How much should you charge per unit that you have?
• How much staff do you need to hire in order to care of your customers?
• What should your security look like? Will you have door alarms, a fence, etc?

As you see, the questions above are some of the necessary questions that you need to ask yourself if you want to start a self storage company.

The questions above are just some of the questions, and the questions are the easy ones to answer. You can find those answers after doing some research for a couple of days to a week. The harder questions still need to be answered such as:

• How will you get the money necessary to start a self storage company?
• Which construction company will you use?
• What time of year do you begin?
• Do you have collateral if your company does not succeed (if you take out a loan)
• Is the area in which you want to build appreciating?

It is not easy starting a self storage company.

Understand one thing. No one has the secret formula to starting a self storage company. Many people have tried and many people have failed. On the other hand, many people have succeeded. Everyone goes through their rough patches, but they press on to achieve their goals. You have to be that one, which will stop at nothing to get to where you want to be.

A self storage company can be profitable to whoever decides to take on the responsibility. It would be smart to hire someone who can run the day to day operation of the facility. You can choose to do it yourself but at the same time, do you have the time to do it? Make the right decisions when it comes to starting a self storage company. As you see above, there are many questions that you need to ask yourself.

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Kansas City Storage

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Not to mention, to list self storage online in this forum is free. And who does not love free advertising? A lot of money goes into marketing to consumers. There are pamphlets, flyers, and postcards to print, commercials, radio, and print ads to produce, and phone book ads to create. It has to be a breath of fresh air to find something that reaches so many people and only takes a few creative words, a good special, and a click of the mouse to post.

Speaking of specials, many self storage facilities go as far as offering an exclusive online special, in addition to the special that the store is currently running. Something as simple as a free lock or a coupon for a few free boxes more than compensates for the free advertisement that self storage facility has received. Furthermore, the typical person that is on a classified ad forum is a bargain shopper. Telling them that they have received an exclusive special makes them feel accomplished, as if they have caught the bargain in the chase to find a good deal.

Crafting your ad is probably the most crucial element in luring that customer in to your self storage facility. The ad title is probably the most important, because if they pass by your ad, you never get to tell how great your self storage facility is. Your ad needs to stick out and set you apart from the rest of the ads. A title like Free Self Storage!!! would be great because it peaks the readers interest and they just have to click on your ad to see what you have to offer. When they actually get into the ad is when they see that you are offering a self storage unit with one month free or half off the first months rent. That is still free storage, right? In the actual body of the self storage ad, you have to be sure to give enough information, but not too much. Your goal is to get them to call you for more info. Giving information on a special, a few of the security features, perhaps a website address, and a phone number should suffice. When you actually get them on the phone, that is when the actual sale starts.

Hopefully, after reading this you will realize the appeal of advertising online in free classified ad forums. It can be a great tool to use to reach those who choose to scour the Internet for bargains first. The Internet is the first stop in shopping for anything and that is increasingly becoming the case in this day and age. Why not move self storage into the 21st century?

Texas Storage Units

StorageMart Excelsior Blvds Hopkins, MN 55343

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However, it will also mean higher costs. If energy costs continue to rise and if it takes more power to cool and dehumidify climate controlled self storage facilities, then rents will need to increase to keep up with the rising costs. There may be a point where the cost of renting a climate controlled self storage unit puts climate controlled self storage out of reach of the average self storage consumer. However like most purchases, climate controlled self storage is a purchase of perceived necessity. If you think you need a climate controlled self storage unit, then you will figure out a way to pay for it. You might not stay as long as you would if it was priced lower, but you will use it if you think you need it. As more baby boomers retire and down size, they will be passing their nice furniture and the furniture of their ancestors down to the next generation. All this furniture will need to go into climate controlled self storage while the next generation figures out what to do with it.

There are other unexpected costs associated with global warming that will impact both climate controlled self storage and non climate controlled self storage. Our call center is headquartered in Central Missouri. Historically our winters have brought more snow than ice when we get precipitation. But global warming is changing the flow of gulf moisture and the power this flow has. This winter we have gotten many freezing rain and ice storm events because the powerful flow of warm moisture from the Gulf of Mexico has ridden over the top of cold arctic air. In years past, the warm flow would not have been as powerful and these precipitation events would have brought snow. Snow is much less costly than ice and freezing rain from every perspective.

The cost of salting and cleaning up ice on a self storage property is far higher than dealing with a few inches of snow. Ice causes car wrecks, electricity outages and lost work time. A few inches of snow has very little impact on self storage or other businesses.

However, one cannot anticipate how changing weather can impact costs, consumer behavior or forecasting a return on investment. This may be where the next group of mathematical geniuses and actuarial wizards will create huge wealth. The forecasters who can help companies and governments anticipate and manage changing cost structures and new events of financial consequence will put their organizations in a powerful position. Those who go to work everyday thinking that things are as they always have been may wake up one day so far in the red that hey have to sell off assets at bargain basement prices or just close the doors and walk away.

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StorageMart Scenic Hwy Lawrenceville, GA 30045

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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An article written by the president of a storage marketing firm recently appeared on a well known self storage media web page. The article gave self storage owners a healthy dose of the reality of how competitive the current self storage market has become. The article told the story of how self storage owners that once had effortless profits are now in a crowd of other local self storage facilities because supply has caught up with demand. Future tenants use Yellow Pages and more increasingly, the Internet to search for storage. Competition has created innovative marketing plans as self storage owners are all vying for higher occupancy in the same pool of tenants.

The article inspired self storage business owners to get their head in the game by aiming towards high profit and occupancy by understanding competition and implementing a strong marketing campaign. This could not be more right! The self storage industry has been found out by business owners and investors looking for profitable business. There are now more rentable square feet in the United States than ever before and the cost of renting that square foot is rising.

The article also offered some marketing insight by stating that more than 29.5 million consumers used the Internet to find self storage in 2007. It is also reported that 43 percent of consumers search online to find a local merchant. The text went on to advise that beginning guerilla warfare-like marketing strategies would bring out the top dog in the self storage industry by undermining his competition. It suggested innovation was the way to win the game.

Again, they could not be more right. Any self storage owner who plans to stay in business knows the importance of drawing consumers and advertising to their target market. The  article began with a bold statement.

Here is yet another bold statement. Self storage marketing campaigns are being undone and wasted by a huge oversight on the part of the owner or operator!

Spending thousands of dollars on just one year of Yellow Page ads is like a penny in the bucket for many self storage companies. Those one-inch ads are like a security blanket for us, and then we put a little play money into online ads or other marketing avenues.

Let us pretend for a moment that for every dollar you spend advertising your facility, one customer contacts your facility. (Yes, it is an unrealistic pretense, but that is the beauty of pretend. And it makes the math easier.) So now all your hard work has paid off and you have customers lining up outside your door for the chance to rent an empty 5×5 space.

The game is not over yet. You have not won. There is more work to be done. Who has that moment of truth with your customer? Who puts a face to the fancy web page or full-page phonebook ad? Your on-site managers do!

When it is all said and done, the most expensive marketing campaign is only as good as the manager behind the counter. What have you invested into their success? Have you trained them how to sell your storage facility? Do they know how to build agreement and gain commitment throughout their conversation in order to lead the customer to signing the dotted line? This is the blind spot in the self storage industry as a whole.

In order to make each advertising dollar worth the investment, your staff should be worth their weight in gold to your business. The only way to guarantee marketing success is to be ready to answer the phone and greet customers walking through the door. Sales training programs are the wisest investment a self storage owner could put into his business.

While that article suggests innovative marketing plans, may we suggest going completely outside the box and hitting your competitors where it really hurts, by training a fierce sales force.

StorageMart Bird Rd & SW 99th Ave Miami, FL 33165 (866) 748-6951

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A factor to consider when choosing a site is demographics.  Demographics are the population statistics of the sites surrounding area.  These statistics are vital in determining the market demand and suitability of a particular site.  If a site has demographics showing average age of 60 and a mean income of $35,000 you should consider a different site.  Statistics show that the average self storage customer is between the age of 44 and 56.  Because of this you should attempt to find a site with an average age falling between these parameters.

Also in the self storage industry a strong driver is consumer spending.  Due to the importance of consumer spending you will want to choose a site showing demographics with as high of average income as possible.  For example, a site with demographics of a three mile range surrounding the site showing $90,000 of average income and an average age of 48 would be great population statistics for a site. 

Demographics are not the only thing to consider when choosing a site.  Location is the most important factor to consider when choosing a site.  An old real estate saying goes, It is all about location, location, location.  This saying is never truer than when it is applied to the self storage industry.  A facility located a block off of the main road will never produce the same kind of business as a facility that lies on a busy four lane road. 

Locations are separated into classes, A B and C.  A wise self storage CEO and self storage association president once said, My class A is fronted by a road with 50,000 cars per day, smell McDonald’s and see Walmart.  While this is more humor than anything it also has some truth to it.  To be a good site you need more than simply a good location you need good businesses surroundings your site.

Another thing to consider when choosing a site is the state or province that you are considering.  Real estate taxes work differently in nearly every state.  Because of this you must take into account the added or decreased effect that higher or lower real estate taxes will have on your facilities expenses.  More then likely real estate taxes will be one of the single greatest expenses that a storage facility will incur.  For this reason, real estate taxes should be a major priority when you are looking across the map to select a self storage site. 

Written by a self storage real estate analyst

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

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Company Chairman Ratan Tata promised the Indian people a 100,000 rupee car, equivalent to $2,500 dollars, and that is exactly what he has delivered. India has seen a growth of per capita incomes now nearing $1,000 per year. Indian families most commonly travel by scooter, which pose dangerous circumstances for transporting a family, and specifically carrying small children. The Nano’s low cost is a promising step toward safety and convenience for India’s growing middle class.

Supporters of the Nano, and certainly Mr. Tata, are proud to highlight some of the cars environmentally friendly features. Although the basic Nano model has no radio, no air bags or passenger-side mirror, it boasts an impressive 50 miles per gallon, something U.S. cars could certainly improve on.  

Analysts say the Nano may compel other car makers to lower their costs as well. This is certainly undesirable news for the automobile industry, but consumers would welcome a break in auto prices. Pre-Nano, the least expensive car for Indians was $5,200 compared to the U.S where the cheapest option is $10,030, four times the price of the Nano and not nearly as efficient as 50 miles per gallon.

In fact, U.S. consumers can expect to pay upwards of $20,000 to get a hybrid car offering about 48 miles per gallon.

There are fewer than 10 cars for every thousand people in India, 40 per thousand in China and 450 per thousand U.S. citizens. This is where environmentalists raise concern. In 2005, Indian vehicles emitted 219 million tons of carbon dioxide, which is the leading greenhouse gas and catches a lot of blame for global warming. The Asian Development Bank predicts that this number will increase by 1.5 billion tons over the next 30 years due to the expanding middle calls and a rise in demand for low-cost cars.

A representative from the Asian Development Bank claims this is a major concern for urban development. If there is an increase in the percentage of India’s population who owns a car, there will be even more traffic on crowded streets, traffic jams and long commutes.

Tata Motor’s Nano will have a rippling effect on other industries as well. As the number of car owners in India increase, the demand for parking and car storage will also increase significantly. The Indian self storage industry and marketplace should take notice of this new storage trend and look at the possibilities ahead. Parking garages, automobile self storage and streetside parking will be prime real estate for self storage owners.

The U.S. has one of the strongest self storage industries and could be a help to Indian self storage owners by showing them the successes and pitfalls within the industry. As the economy and middle class of India expands, so will residential and commercial real estate along with self storage and the niche car storage market.

Written by Sarah Little, TQAS Director

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Not only will they have a booth on the trade show floor, you’ll have a chance to hear Tron speak in a session, Tron and Sarah will each be hosting roundtable discussions, the team will be making a short Vendors presentation, and Tron will be promoting PhoneSmart’s new software and online systems at the security and software marketplace session.

If you’re interested in finding out how you can capture missed phone calls and turn them into rentals, start a sales training program to improve the sales skills of your team, or implement a secret shopping program to create a sales increase for your self storage facilities, then stop by our booth or sit in at one of our sessions to learn how PhoneSmart can become your sales force.

Written by Sarah Little, TQAS Director

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Self Storage Article Directory. Visit our General Information Section.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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On Sunday, December 9th Mid-Missouri received a blanket of ice causing havoc on power lines and roadways.  Emergency personal requested everyone stay at home and off of the streets so they could get everything back in order.  PhoneSmart complied with this request and unfortunately was forced to close for the day.  Two days later Columbia was again forecasted to receive another terrible snow/ice storm, so Tron went into action.  He found a few volunteers to spend the night in sleeping bags on the PhoneSmart floor so they would be on hand to open the call center in the morning.  Thankfully, this second storm missed us.

On December 20th about 9am the lights all went out in the PhoneSmart Call Center.  This was not due to Mother Nature, but to the power company having problems with a transformer.  Our emergency generator kicked on so we still had telephones and computers, but we couldn’t see a thing!  Our self storage phone reps were very resourceful and collected flashlights and candles to help everyone see what we were doing.

Monday was January 7th and Mid-Missouri had tornado warnings.  Now this is a common occurrence in the springtime, but never in the winter. (Never say Never!)  All of the phone reps left their workstations and went to a designated safe area.  After the all-clear was given we simply went back to work, with yet another interesting tale to tell our family and friends

Working at the PhoneSmart Call Center there is never a dull moment!

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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PhoneSmart will have a booth on the Trade Show Floor and plans to send several of its executives, including Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart Director.

Some exciting topics at the 2008 ISS Expo will include

• Green building practices – discover how green design increases your ROI and learn how to lower cost and reduce long-term expenses
• Cell tower leasing – learn how to add more monthly income from tenants like Sprint/ Nextel, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon
• Legal matters – learn about the operational concerns of homeland security and how it’s related to your self storage facility
• Boat storage and RV storage – learn about the construction and development of this growing self storage trend
• Self Storage Around the World – take a look at the self storage market in Europe, South America and the Caribbean
• …and much more.

To be sure, at least one of these will perk your interest and may just be your next great self storage business venture.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Here are just a few examples of what you can do:

• Sponsor a Safe Kid’s Day.  Local law enforcement can take children’s DNA and fingerprints so parents can keep it on file in case of an emergency.  The professionals can also make certain that car seats are installed properly and bike helmets fit correctly.
• Accept canned goods to be donated to a local food bank or set up a donation box for Toys for Tots.  Give new customers a discount on their first month’s rent for a contribution.
• Have a huge garage sale with proceeds going to a specific local charity.  Self storage customers frequently have quality items they wish to get rid of, but are not sure how. 
• Invite members of the community to donate unwanted items. Even if participants are not currently one of your customers, the positive experience will help them remember your facility in the future.  It is always important in business how the local community perceives you.  Help make that perception a positive one, while doing good things at the same time!

Written by Ann Sheehan

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

Self Storage Locations

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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We get many calls in the call center asking for a self storage quote; and when asked if they want to reserve a unit say they don’t want to give out their credit card number. This is totally understandable because of people being scared of identity theft. While we don’t try to weasel the number out of the caller but we do try and reassure them that they are the ones that called us and that we will do everything we can to safeguard their credit card number. Some of our clients use a hold system where nothing is charged on the card and the self storage unit is held, kind of like a hotel room reservation. Some clients use a ten dollar reservation to hold the self storage unit. The ten dollars is then credited to their account when they come into rent. The lesson here is to trust you gut and don’t give out your credit card if you feel uncomfortable. But calling a trusted business can put your mind at ease about the safety of your identity.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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For information, call 866-230-2311, today. Registration discounts are available for those who register early and are members of the Self Storage Association. 

This Inside Self Storage Expo show will prove a valuable resource in your self storage business. Networking, personal contact and beneficial information and well, just a fun time in Vegas will be had by all attendees. Attendees will appreciate the 1.2 million-square-foot Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Join PhoneSmart in February at the Inside Self Storage Expo at the Venetian and Sands Expo center. Stop by our booth and say hello, we would be glad to meet you.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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I’ll be at the Wisconsin Self Storage Association annual meeting and convention in Wisconsin Dells. I will be one of the featured speakers doing a concurrent session I call Inside the Renter’s Mind.

We all want to rent more self storage, wine storage, and car storage units and keep renters longer. In order to do that you have to know what is going in inside the minds and emotions of your renters. What are they really looking for? What are their concerns? What are they afraid of? What do they think of you?

For the answers to these and other questions, come to The Dells this week. The convention is this Friday , the 12th of October. I hope to see you there.

Thanks for reading our self storage blog, a blog that keeps you up to date on the happenings of the self storage industry.

Storage available at 400 Olmos Dr, San Antonio, TX 78212

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Self Storage Owner — Where Self Storage Owners meet Self Storage Customers

33312 Climate Controlled Self Storage

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Today on the internet they had a story about a guy finding a leg in his bbq smoker that he bought at an auction. Oh wait; it was a self storage auction of a unit that was abandoned. Apparently he got the smoker home and when he lifted the lid he thought there was a piece of driftwood wrapped in paper inside. When he got the wrapping undone he found an amputated leg. Gross!

Ok, so here are my concerns;

Why would you want to store an amputated leg?
Where did the leg come from?
The leg was from the son of the renter who could not pay their bills. He was in a plane crash and lost his leg, but kept it due to religious reasons.

If you knew you were not going to be able to pay your rent on your storage unit, would you mind that your leg was inside?

Someone was able to contact the son and he is going to pick up the leg from the man who bought the smoker. What a happy self storage ending.

Compiled by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for reading our self storage blog, a blog that sometimes shares a weird story about the self storage industry.

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Self storage available at 103 Stone Mill Rd, Lancaster, PA 17603

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66203 Self Storage

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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  • One in 10 Households Uses Self Storage
  • From Rental Agreements to Lien Laws and Back Again
  • Motivating Managers: It’s Not All About the Money
  • Facility Maintenance for Managers
  • Putting Together a Winning Management Team: Screening and Hiring For Keeps
  • Mobile Self Storage: A Viable Diversification?
  • In Pursuit of Zoning: Success Strategies for Tougher Zoning Laws

Also on the agenda will be roundtable discussions on just about every topic that has to deal with the self storage industry. Thursday night’s opening reception will be the theme, At the Hop with music, entertainment, food, drinks and networking.

Representing PhoneSmart will be Director, Tron Jordheim and TQAS executives, Sarah Little and Natalie Thomas. Please stop by our booth with any questions you might have about call center, secret shopping, training and more. Or just stop by to say hello!

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer

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Planning a move to San Antonio, TX? Visit our partners at the San Antonio, TX moving information center.

Storage available at 2445 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD 20601

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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•   A stable, more satisfied tenant base
•   Increased demand in storage facilities with a reputation for active management
•   Lower maintenance and repair costs
•   Peace of mind that comes from spending more time on routine management and  less time on crisis control
•   Appreciative renters
•   Reduced criminal activity
•   Increased property recovery rate by police

Where as if the store managers do not participate then they may see the effects by:

•   Property damage arising from abuse, burglaries and police raids.
•   Fire resulting from storage of dangerous materials.
•   Civil penalties, including temporary closure of the property or even property seizure.
•   Loss of rent during the eviction and repair periods.
•   Fear and frustration when dealing with dangerous and threatening tenants.
•   Increased resentment and anger between renters and property managers.
•   The loss of other valued renters.
•   Decrease in demand for storage units.
•   Thousands of dollars in stolen property.

There are some techniques they offer that prevent any of that type of activity from occurring in your self storage facility by making sure the property does not attract crime. Good techniques for a self storage facility are: have applicant screening as to see if they have had multiple storage units that they may have been kicked out for illegal activity, have a rental agreement with a crime free lease addendum, and also warning signs to look out for illegal activity on your property.  It is also a good idea to require titles for car storage or boat storage. So it may be a great tool to help promote the security of your self storage facility to look into and possibly start the program!!

Written by Wendy Lane

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Are you moving to Brooklyn, New York? Visit our partner at Brooklyn, New York moving information center.

Rent storage at 640 SW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33130

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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If you are interested in keeping your sales staff trained throughout the year, give us a call at 1-866-639-1715 or check us out on the web; www.phone-smart.info, for information on our Training Packets, Role Play Helpline, Secret shopping, Sales Training and Seminars. Our Director, Tron Jordheim and two representatives (Natalie Thomas and Sarah Little) from our TQAS department will be attending the SSA show in Las Vegas, September 6-8th. Stop by the PhoneSmart booth and say hello; we would love to meet you and share some ideas we have about turning your missed calls into profit.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

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Visit our Self Storage Pod Cast.

Planning a move to Oakland, California? Visit our partners at Oakland, California moving information center.

Storage available at 20 E Alameda, Burbank, CA 91502

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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I was shocked. What would happen if I called your store? Would you and your staff ask if I needed storage?

Written by: Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart Director

Thanks for reading our self storage blog. We take you behind the scenes of selling self storage.

Rent self storage at 112 168th St. S, Spanaway, WA 98387

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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• More than a fifth of all callers hang up on customer service reps before their problem can be resolved.
• Callers also tended to rate services from offshore call centers lower than those in the US.
• Poor communication skills played a big part in problem solving with only 45% as compared to 88% that spoke clearly.

How does your call center stack up to these numbers and issues? Here at PhoneSmart, we have bilingual reps available to take calls during all of our business hours. In some larger Spanish speaking markets, our phone lines give an option right away for Spanish speaking option. Several of our bilingual reps learned English as a second language (or third, or fourth). But these reps are also some of our very best sales people, scoring the highest percentages in reservations month after month.

Think twice about sending your call center business oversees. It may seem to save money in the long run but how many customers are not being helped effectively? We have plenty of manpower (and womanpower) to run cost effective call centers in the United States.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for reading our self storage blog, a blog that shares information and ideas in the self storage industry.

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Thinking about moving to Kansas City, Missouri? Visit our partners at Kansas City, Missouri Moving information center.

Storage available now at: 16825 Tye St. SE, Monroe, WA 98272

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Call volume is up by a good 20% a day. Yes, there have been a lot of calls related to all our client stores being closed on July 4th. Yes, there have been a lot of calls about billing. (It is around the first of the month and many stores are on first of the month billing.)

But reservation activity has been good. Many reps are significantly up in the number of leads and reservations they are sending. We are also getting a lot of truck rental inquiries. This is a very good sign that people are moving. And the best news of all is that we have been getting a larger number of calls for boxes and moving supplies than usual. This is a very good omen.

So July is off to a very good start.

Is this pent up demand from last week, because the 4th of July holiday fell in the middle of the week? Is this pent up demand from June because the tightness in the economy has made people hold off a month on projects, and to-do lists? Is it because the wave of foreclosures in the sub prime residential mortgage market is starting to build and people need to move out of the houses they can no longer hold on to? Maybe this is just a temporary blip? We will see.

Written by Tron Jordheim

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PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent a storage unit from 3016 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, PA 19344

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If you’d like to be a guest blogger, send your entry for consideration to Sarah Little.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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With the local geography providing rainfall runoff in the area little place to go, the Metropolitan Area Outer Discharge Channel (promoted under the G-Cans Project name) is a yet-to-be-completed set of pumps and series of underground concrete channels totaling 6.3 km that are connected by massive down shafts acting as entry points for overflow from rivers in the region. At the point of final discharge (in the city of Kasukabe) massive pumps send the flood water into the Edogawa River, which in turn empties into the Pacific Ocean. Between the pump system and the channel’s terminus is a massive room of smooth concrete. As long as two football fields with 59 piers reaching to a 25-meter high ceiling, the scene takes on the look of something suitable for a sci-fi movie set or an ode to ancient Greek architecture. Since 1979, six major floods have affected the area. Two floods resulting from typhoons in 1982 and 1981 each impacted over 30,000 homes. Planners for this project claim that had the discharge channel been in place during these periods, the flooded area would have been reduced by roughly 80%. The system, in which construction began in 1993, will be able to welcome its first floods in 2006. The large columns and twisting channels of this 240-billion yen project have been featured in Life magazine and 2004′s live-action robot film “Tetsujin 28 Go” (Gigantor T-28).

It really looked like something out of a futuristic movie and you can even take tours of the facility as long as you know Japanese or have an interpreter with you or your group. This is for safety reasons and you should do some homework before you arrive at the door.
So don’t think that the only storage is self storage. There are lots of storage ideas and storage solutions out there. And if you can’t find something make it for yourself.

Written and compiled by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for reading our self storage blog, a blog that explores more than the self storage industry.

Rent storage at 1125 Wyckoff Ave, Ridgewood Queens, NY 11385

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Want to be a part of our self storage blog? Contact Sarah Little, Blog Editor for information.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Self storage is receiving recognition as a growing industry from notable sources such as HGTV (where I saw the commercial) and TLC along with newspapers and magazines. Many people are moving, buying vacation property, downsizing, remodeling, etc. It may be that our fascination with redecorating, re-designing or flipping our homes has contributed to the need for storage. After all, the experts on these shows tell us to clear out the clutter to make room for more profit at closing.

Make no mistake about it, the self storage giant advertising their properties with that 30 second airtime has taken the lead and raised the bar. While some self storage operators are still trying to definitively calculate their ROI from that obscure telephone ad, this company is stealing the lime light. How will your self storage facility answer the call? The bar has been raised and self storage will keep evolving.

(I wrote this blog while watching the show on HGTV. During just a 30 minute span, I saw the commercial twice!)

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Executive and Blog Editor

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PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent a storage unit for your treasures at 1220 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11207

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Kiosks are multifunctional as well as user friendly.  New customers can get a virtual tour of the facility, choose a unit, pay for it, and legally sign a lease, all without the help of a store employee.  Current tenants are able to pay their rent using cash, check or credit card, plus get a receipt.  All of this without the help of a store employee!

And if the customer does need to speak to a live person?   Many of these machines come with a built-in speakerphone that is connected to the PhoneSmart Call Center.  The customer simply picks up the phone and a knowledgeable phone rep can assist with any questions.  A kiosk is a win-win situation for customers, store employees, and self storage owners alike!

Written by Ann Sheehan

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PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Find Self Storage at your premier national and local self storage unit  finder.

Rent self storage at 945 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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This means they’ll need storage for one reason or another. Perhaps they want to buy a boat or RV. Maybe they’ll want to pack up the house, sell it and travel for a while. Maybe some will move into a condo and let someone else take care of the yard work. Possibly, they just want to remodel the house they’ve lived in for so long and update it. Who can really say, but one thing is for sure; Baby Boomers are ready for a change, which could lead to a boom in the self storage industry.

Is your self storage company ready to accommodate this demand? What can you do to take full advantage of this sales increase? Is there an unused spot of land that could hold more storage units? Do you offer easily accessible spaces? Is your staff ready to give the kind of service these Boomers will expect?

PhoneSmart can make sure you and your staff are well equipped to handle not only the Baby Boomers, but every rental inquiry that walks through your door or rings on the phone. Selling self storage is what we do best.

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Executive and Blog Editor

Thanks for reading our self storage blog. We keep you up to date with the latest self storage news.

PhoneSmart it your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Self storage is waiting for you at 255 Exterior St, Bronx, NY 10451

If you’d like to be a guest blogger, email Sarah Little for more information.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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In any case, you should look at demand at your self storage operation and put your finger to the wind. Are you ahead of where you need to be for June? Has the demand hit you yet for this month? What can you expect for the rest of the month? At PhoneSmart, we are looking for very strong demand over the next week and a half. Gasoline prices have eased off just a tad in many markets. June has been busy for our self storage clients, but not as busy as it could have been. We think there is a good deal of pent up demand and some end of the month demand coming. Good luck and good selling.

Written by Tron Jordheim, Director of PhoneSmart

Thanks for reading our self storage blog and inside view of the self storage industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent a self storage unit before the holiday at 1065 Rte. 47 S, Rio Grande, NJ 08242

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Concern: It has come to our attention that sometimes PhoneSmart is INSISTING that a perspective tenant provide a credit card

Reply: This is a good issue to talk about.  We tell people hat they need the credit card to hold or guarantee the unit. This takes the caller off the market. In the vast majority of cases, the caller will either give the credit card and book the unit, or say they don’t have one and we tell them to come in ASAP before the store sells out of the size they need. This creates a win-win-win situation. The store gets more rentals, because both of these types of callers go in and rent without shopping around any more. The caller gets the unit he or she needs. In many markets, stores can fill up and it is not good customer service to let someone think they will be able to get a unit later, when they might end up disappointed. It also creates a good bonus event for our reps. Having the credit card as a bonus event helps us triage the callers, keeps talk time down and helps create urgency for the callers.

However, this excellent plan can back-fire on occasion. There are a few callers who are very sensitive about credit card issues and shy away form the credit card to guarantee a unit concept. There are also times when we might not correctly gauge the caller’s sensitivity and we might try a little too hard for the credit card. We are overwhelmingly friendly, helpful and persistent. There are a few customers who like the friendly and helpful part, but not the persistent part.

So, there is a bit of a trade off. If we did not use the credit card to guarantee a unit, many, many people would keep shopping around and end up renting elsewhere. People like to postpone decisions and like to do business where they feel wanted. We want them to know we want them.

Without the credit card plan, a lot of people would slip away. This is also why some of our customers have adopted the same credit card reservation plan for their locations that we use in the call center. With the credit card, there will be a few people who might feel put off and they may be lost as a customer. So when given the choice of gaining a lot and losing a little with the credit card strategy, or gaining a little and losing a lot with no credit card strategy, it is clear why we do the credit card reservation for 96% of our client stores.

If there is a case where someone is put off by the credit card and complains, we want to know the who, what, when and where of it, so we can pull the recording of the call and listen to it. If our rep handled the call well, then we did the best we could and we will chalk that call up to, win most, lose a couple. If, however, we did not handle the call well and we were insensitive, too aggressive or the like, we will make sure the rep understands the error and will make sure this sort of thing does not happen again for a very long time.

Written by Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart Director

Thanks for reading our self storage blog. We put sales and self storage together for you.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent storage at 3487 S. Chevrolet Dr, Ellicott, MD 21042

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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