If you move in during the middle of the month, most sites will prorate your move in so that you are going to pay for the remaining days of the month. This is good because you are paying for the time that you are there and not the entire month. It does not really make sense to pay for the time that you are not storing. Prorating your move in days is very helpful to your peace of mind and also your pocket book.

If a site has 1^st of the month billing, they actually will not typically prorate the move out. If you are only there a couple of days, then that could potentially be different. Very rarely you will find that a facility will prorate the move out and you only pay for the time that you are renting. In most cases the facility will ask that you pay for the rest of the month even if you are not there. Not all believe that to be fair, but at the same time, this prevents customers from abusing the self storage facility. Leases are typically month to month so you can leave at the end of your prorated time.

Knowing how your billing works at your self storage facility is crucial. They will not send you a bill unless you ask for one. So just know that you will need to bring your account current each month on the first of the month if that is now it is set up. Before you leave, the manager will make sure that you understand the billing cycle.

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

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Hollywood Park storage units are located in the great State of Texas.  Storage units were full during the boom of Texas and many companies came in to build.  Soon enough the industry was saturated and many companies stopped building in Texas because of that.  They could also get higher rent prices in New York and other cities.  It was pretty cheap to rent a self storage space in Houston, Texas in the nineteen nineties.  Many companies and self owned storage places were not very full either back than so it was a double whammy.  Prices were cheap, and still no one was renting units.  A lot of them fell under sixty percent.

Hollywood Park storage units are located in the great State of Texas.  Austin has always been a growing city, boom or no boom.  It did not rely only on oil but on music scenes, computer and software business and electronics too.  They were more diversified and benefited from this.

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

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First and foremost, reader, you have to be sure that you are not renting a unit that is too big for you.  This, believe it or not, is how the majority of people waste money when they rent a self storage unit.  Of course, you can avoid all of this by getting a solid feel for how much space your belongings are going to require before you start calling around for prices.  IF you can, stack up your belongings in a spare room in your house and see how much space they take up.  Take a few rough measurements, and do not allow yourself to be bullied around when you are asking about sizes and prices.  If you come to the table with some knowledge of what you are going to need, then the chances of you getting ripped off are much, much lower.

Of course, you are also going to want to remember that you can stack your belongings when they are in your unit, which is going to save you quite a bit of space as well.  If you have large, bulky items, then you are going to want to move them into your unit first, thereby guaranteeing that they have enough floorspace.  Next, move your littler objects in, stacking them on top of the larger ones when this is possible.  IF you have a little bit of extra money, then you might choose to install some shelves in your unit, which will help you keep your smaller boxes and items out of the way.  A little bit of work can go a long way when it comes to maximizing your storage space.

Finally, reader, you are going to want to be sure that you are making full use of the moving specials that are at your disposal.  Always remember to ask your property managers if they are willing to match prices, and be sure to ask them if they have any moving specials to offer.  If they do happen to have a moving special, then you are going to want to write it down in an organized fashion, guaranteeing that you are not going to run into any problems when it comes to comparing your options at the end of the day.  This is going to start sounding a bit like homework, but if you are ready and willing to commit to a bit of research, then you are only going to end up saving yourself money.

It is a little bit of work to maximize the power of your dollar when it comes to self storage, but you are going to find that the extra work almost always amounts to massive savings.  Get out there and explore your options.

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

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First and foremost, reader, you are going to want to be sure that you are treating each and every customer with respect.  The last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is lose a sale because your customer feels that you are not paying any attention to them at all.  Indeed, it does not take very much for you to lose a sale if you are not careful about how you present yourself.  Be sure that you are smiling when you greet your potential and existing customers, and be sure that you are looking them in the eyes as they talk to you.  There is no need to be intense, here, but you are going to want to make sure that you are letting them know that you are actually paying attention to that which they are saying.  If they do not feel like you are listening, then they are never going to trust you enough to rent one of your units.

Moving on, here, you are also going to want to be sure that you are well aware of all of the specials that you can offer your oncoming customers.  Chances are that your customers are simply going to go with the cheapest facility that they can find.  You can talk them to death when it comes to security and cleanliness, but very few of them are actually going to listen to you at the end of the day.  Thus, you are going to have to know your specials well so that you can simply step up and save them some money.  By saving your potential customers money, you are going to make them more inclined to rent a self storage unit from you.  That is simply how it works the majority of the time, at least.

Finally, here, you are always going to want to be sure that you are capable of explaining the ins and outs of your facility.  When it comes to your self storage security features, you are going to want to be sure that you truly know them like the backs of your hands.  If a potential customer asks you a question about your video surveillance methods, then you are going to want to be sure that you can answer it without a stutter.  The last thing that you are looking for, here, is to lose a customer at the very last minute because you could not answer a question about security in a satisfactory manner.

So long as you understand your customer, your specials, and your property, you are not going to have an overwhelming amount of trouble when it comes to effectively selling your self storage units.  Just keep all of this advice in mind as you are selling your product, and you are going to find that your numbers will improve overnight.

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

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The first thing that you are going to want to do, here, is be sure that you have a good feel for the truck companies that are in your area.  You are going to want to call around extensively, seeing if any of the major trucking companies are going to be able to save you some valuable money.  If you cannot find a good deal on a truck, then you might consider looking into a trailer.  Especially if you are just moving across town, then you are going to be able to make use of a trailer, and they are rarely going to run you more than half of what a full on truck rental would.

Of course, just as you would do with a self storage unit, you are going to want to be sure that you are keeping track of all of the specials that come your way.  If you get a coupon that is going to make your moving situation a lot cheaper, then all the better.  Of course, what you may end up finding, here, is that you are going to save money if you rent your truck and your self storage unit from the same place.  You might also stand to save some money if you purchase your moving supplies from your trucking company.  Always be on the lookout for these combo deals.

And at this point, it should be clear that you are going to want to be sure that you have purchased all of the moving supplies that you are going to need to move safely.  If you are not boxing up your belongings, then you are not going to be able to rest assured that you are keeping them as safe as possible when you are on the road.  Just buy some simple boxes, here, and be sure that you are also buying the tape and packing paper that you are going to need to keep them closed when they are in the back of your truck.  Likewise, be sure that you are buying some cables to keep your larger items secured in place while you are on the road.

At the end of the day, you are going to see that there is not much to keeping your belongings safe when you set out to move.  And the whole moving process is not nearly as bad as people seem to say that it is.  Once you get started on some of your chores, and once you begin to pack up some of your belongings, you are going to see that the difficulty of the entire process is really, really overstated.

Of course, if you do not believe me, just get in touch with one of the many self storage professionals that are in your local area.  Just ask them for a few pointers, and they are going to be able to get you moving in the right direction.

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

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First of all, you are not going to want to ignore the moving companies that are in your area.  Indeed, if you have a few extra dollars to spare in your moving budget, then you are not going to want to forget about these extra helpers.  I mean, when you think about it, this makes a great deal of sense.  The thing that people really dread when it comes down to moving is all of the heavy lifting.  At the end of the day, when you have struggled with all of your heaviest, bulkiest items, you just wish that you had found a better way to get everything moved.  You feel like you are truly spent, and that you are going to have to go to sleep before you can even think about dealing with your items again.  Of course, if you hire a good moving team, then you are not going to have to deal with this problem.  All that you are going to have to do is sit back and relax while the professionals take care of all of the heavy items.  And you do not even have to worry about them breaking your items, as you can supervise the entire process.  Truly, if you have extra money lying around when you set out to move, you are going to want to be sure that you look into your local moving services.

Second of all, you are going to want to be sure that you are picking a facility that can actually offer you all of the services that you are going to need.  If you know that you are going to be busy with work a lot of the time, then you are probably going to want to find a facility that can offer Wi-Fi internet access.  If you know that you are going to be using a very large truck to move your belongings into your self storage unit, then you are going to want to inspect the property to make sure that you can get your truck in easily.  It is never fun to deal with that problem on the day of your move.  Also, you might want to keep an eye open for all of the little things that can add up to a much better self storage experience.  The properties that offer free coffee and doughnuts may seem a little bit silly, but you would be surprised how much they can improve your move when you are in the heat of the moment.

Really, all that you have to do, here, is make sure that you are not forgetting about all of the convenient services and features that are at your disposal.  When you truly take advantage of them, you are going to forget what all of the fuss was about.

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

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The self storage facilities providers have provisions for storing virtually every possible type of item you can think of. While some may be integrated facilities that provide household goods storing along with car, RV and boat storeroom, most often, specialized storing facilities are preferred for storing items such as cars, boats, RVs, documents, wine, etc. These units are geared towards providing additional services for that specific product.

For instance a wine storing unit would typically have racks to store the bottles on their side as well as the right amount of lighting to allow the wine to mature without getting spoilt.

Similarly, car storing units might also have a car washing facility that can come in very handy particularly when you are taking the vehicle out of storing after a significant length of time. Storing facilities for boats are usually located close to the waterfront so that the boats can be brought and taken to the water easily.

Apart from the type of goods which each store house keeps, such facilities are also distinguished based on the types of units they offer. Therefore units can vary according to size the smallest ones hold clothes that fit into one closet, while the really big ones can hold all furniture and other goods of a large house.

Units can also vary according to the type of service provided, climate control being an important feature. The presence of this feature in self storage facilities prevents goods from getting damaged by mold or mildew. Items which lose their sheen and color because of excessive heat and humidity are best stored in climate controlled units.

Security features are another important consideration. The most basic units are located in a gated complex. From that level on, you can rent a unit with digital access control, video surveillance cameras and even laser grid control.

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

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There is no restriction on what you can store in these types of storing units. Anything illegal whose possession is outside the law is of course disallowed. Items which are generally not recommended for storing in self storage facilities include perishable items and items which have enormous sentiment value to the renter. Perishable items can be stored in refrigerated facilities which are specifically designed for such products.

Items that cannot be replaced can include stamp and coin collections. Not only do such collections have significant value but are also irreplaceable if damaged. Damage can occur to items stored in a self storage facilities from factors outside of the control of the owner of the property. If there is an unexpectedly severe storm that blows off part of the roof the storehouse, goods placed in storing can be damaged from the resulting flooding. Insurance cannot take care of such eventualities. You might get a payout from the insurance company but you can never get your stamps back.

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

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These store houses are rooms that can be rented and secured by the renters own lock. These are places where we can store some of our belongings. The availability of this facility has greatly eased the space crunch in our lives.

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

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However, it will be wrong to say that mobility alone is responsible for the steady rise in the demand for storing spaces in America. Another factor that has contributed substantially in making the storing industry a prosperous one is the consumerism nature of Americans. Perhaps no other nation in the world is as fond of hoarding consumer goods as Americans. A survey conducted between 1996 and 2004 had revealed a 3.9 percent annual growth in expenditure on consumer durables by the US citizens. Elsewhere, it was found to be around 2.2 percent.

Owning things has become a status symbol. But, it comes with its own set of problems as you do not know where to keep the things since you cannot dump them at just any corner of the house. They are needed to be kept in top condition. Here comes the need for self storage facility .

These places are no ordinary ones. They are built keeping in mind safety and security of the goods. The units are equipped with security systems and have measures taken for providing a favorable environment for storing goods. There are units for almost all kinds of goods, even perishable ones. These units are guarded so closely and with such hi-tech systems that it becomes no less than a mini white house. 

When we talk of self storage facility , its almost a sin to think of them as some neglected warehouses where people dump their items and forget about them. In fact, nobody would want to store his or her items in such a unit. The items that people store here are not scrap. They are prized possessions. So what if they are old and useless, they are priceless in the sense that they have great emotional value attached to them – grandmas rocking chair, a 70s leather jacket, antique sofa, your kids first bicycle, extra appliances, memorable paintings, and what not. You cannot keep them in the garage either. They require a place that protects them from the damaging elements, including dust, mites, mold and mildew, and weather elements. Besides, they need to be protected from thieves.

No other place can match the security and damage-free environment than that provided by a self storage facility . Today storing units are sophisticated places that would give even a custom home some tough competition. Some units even feature 55-degree wine cellars, voluminous shelves for yachts and RVs, and other amazing facilities. In fact, these units have become some of the classiest buildings in town.

The age-old American attic has lost its charm. There was a time when kids used to spend hours in the dusty, creepy attic to dig into the treasure hidden there. It was fun but, due to the change in the design of houses, attics have disappeared in many modern residences. The hottest trend is to store extra stuff at a self storage facility .

A well-known proverb says you cannot take everything with you. But, Americans believe that you can definitely stash everything away.

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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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These are, no doubt, very convenient but whenever you are renting any such unit in one of the many self storage facilities spread across the country, you should check some essential matters related to the available service and plan your move. First of all you must be aware that you can hire self storing units for both personal and business use. The facilities can have regular storing units without climate control or with climate control or have both types of units on the same premises. You can choose one according to your needs. The advantages of the climate controlled units are that they are protected against any major changes in humidity and temperature. The insulation provides good protection against dust particles also and this is very appropriate for storing very fine instruments, curio, and any object that is sensitive to heat, moisture and dust.

The access to the self storage facilities is quite important. You must clearly think over this point. If you have a chance of regularly needing round the clock access as is often the case with the distributors, you should make sure that the facility has that advantage. Otherwise you should look for a different place with such facilities. Security is always a concern and it is better that you visit the facility personally to make a physical check before hiring the unit of your choice. Make sure that it is surrounded by a good and high perimeter fence. Also ask the manager if the facility has security lighting. The security cameras have become a standard fitting these days but still you must check that they are actually installed. Finally, ask if the compound is protected manually. You may not always get the last facility but some self storage facilities have that too. Also check if the facility is above the normal flood water level if you are in a place with such possibilities.

On your part you must take some measures to make the full utilization of the self storage facilities . You must carefully identify the articles that you want to keep in the storing units. You must always calculate it in terms of volumetric space required. Remember you are paying for the space and it is assumed that you do not want to waste your money. So do not measure the square feet you require, rather make it cubic feet you require. The units you hire come in various sizes and your prior calculation of the requirement of space will help you to identify the units that will best suit your need. To keep the small articles together use boxes and label them for the contents within them. Then arrange them in the order where the least required is kept at the farthest point while the frequently required should be placed at a point with easy access.

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If you find this situation quite common where places like your garage is filled with outgrown clothes, jars, bags, containers, bins and every other thing, it means that you desperately need a storehouse. It is not possible always to make additions and renovations in your home and increase the store place. This can be a onetime solution but you cannot do this every time. A self storage facility is something that can act as your personal storeroom. You can tuck away things and keep your home decluttered. You do not have to worry about organizing them time and again or inspecting if they are well maintained. A self storage facility takes care of your goods when they are stored in them. It is just like increasing the storing place of your home outside your premises. Thankfully, today such facilities are available in large numbers and can be availed in every location, no matter where you stay. These facilities provide several packages and also have seasonal discounts. Though many people hire these units to keep their extra luggage and goods, many of these units are hired by people who are on move and need to store their goods on a temporary basis.

Thus any self storage facility offers options for long term storing as well as short terms storing. Customers get a chance to visit the premises before hiring the units and choose a space as per requirement. Some of the units are small with cabinets made in the units where small goods can be placed so that when need arises, you can easily find them. Other units maybe large and spacious to accommodate furniture and other goods that needs to be kept. Space thus varies even in a particular facility. Other than this, there are rental facilities which are specially made to store specific goods such as perishable goods or goods that need specific temperature. These units are called climate controlled units and are a little bit expensive when you compare them to other units.

A self storage facility is well secured and has round the clock protection. There are CCTVs installed in most facilities along with professional security guards who are on round the clock duty. The warehouses are pest and rodents free so that no goods are damaged due to these pests. The place is well lit with all fire fighting and fire protection equipment installed in the place.

Self Storage Industry

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

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Sometimes self storage facilities are provided by professional relocating companies as well. When a tenant has to shift his items from one place to another he contacts a professional mover who provides a storehouse to the tenant to store his belongings for a certain period of time. The professionals are of great help when one cannot locate a dedicated storehouse in a desired area as they provide place for storing the belongings which may be moved in to a dedicated storehouse at a more convenient time.

Storehouses of different types and sizes are available for storing items of different types and quantities. Before selecting a storehouse, one should always consider a few points. The location of the self storage facilities is a very important factor. One should choose storehouses that are located in the vicinity of their houses or offices so that they can visit them at their convenience and access their belongings whenever required. The area in which the warehouse is located is also very important. It should be located in an area with good transportation amenities and security. One can choose from a variety of storehouses which may be mini, medium or large warehouses. The type of warehouse that one opts for should depend upon the number of items that one would like to store and the size of each individual item.

There are self storage facilities with different features. Some of them are ordinary. These storehouses are only meant for keeping items in them. There are other storehouses that have environmental regulation features and there are still others that are equipped with the most sophisticated security equipment. Items that get damaged when exposed to atmospheric temperature and moisture extremes should be kept in chambers that have environmental control features. Expensive items should be placed in those chambers that have the latest security equipment.

There is a lot of firms that offer a lot of packages for tenants when they store items in their storehouses. There are standardized as well as customized packages. It is always better for a tenant to take only those features that he really needs. For example, if he wants to store a very ordinary piece of furniture there is no point in going for self storage facilities with the latest security equipment. But if he wants to store some expensive jewelry then he should definitely go for those chambers that have a lot of high technology security features. The storehouse that a tenant wants to hire should be booked according to the desired amenities. There are different plans of booking and each plan is priced at a different rate.

Bourbonnais Self Storage

Chicago Self Storage

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

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There are different types and sizes of storehouses available for storing items. One can choose a self storage facility of the size and type that suits his requirements. There are storehouses with different types of features, such as, environmental regulation and security features. One should opt for those features that are truly required for preserving his items in a good condition. He should not go for features that are highly sophisticated but of little use. One should select a storehouse that can accommodate all the items that need to be stored well. Insufficient area for storing items will only damage them whereas excess area can be wasteful. One should choose a storehouse of the correct size.

Nowadays, there are a lot of storehouses available in the city. Hence a self storage facility can be easily found in most of the localities of a city or town. One can easily keep his belongings in a storehouse that is located in the vicinity of his house so that he can easily access his belongings at his convenience, without wasting much time in traveling from his house to the storehouse. Transportation of his belongings from his residence to the public storehouse is also very convenient and fast when the storehouse is located nearby. 

A storehouse should be chosen according to the number and type of items that one would like to place in it. For storing furniture, it is always better to choose a self storage facility that is large and spacious. Before placing furniture in a storehouse, it is always advisable to dismantle it to its constituent parts. This will enable easy packing. It will also occupy less area in the storehouse. For storing small items, such as clothes, jewelry, or books one can opt for a medium sized or small storehouse. The firms that provide the storing areas will charge the tenant according to the size of the area opted for. The areas that are large, definitely, will carry a greater hiring charge than small ones. One can always opt for a storing area of a limited size as he will not have to pay charges for any extra area.

The hiring fee of a self storage facility also depends upon the amenities that one opts for. For storing inexpensive items, it is always better to go for a storehouse that does not have environmental regulation and sophisticated security features. Environmental regulation is required for storing those items that run the risk of being damaged owing to extremely high or low atmospheric humidity or temperature. These include metallic and wooden items. Environmental regulation is an important feature where the atmospheric temperature and humidity are moderate.

Self Storage Industry

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Your local self storage unit provider in 195 SW Boulevard Kansas City, KS. 66103

Quality Assurance Testing You can be assured we’ll get the job done right.

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

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Written by Kay Johnson PhoneSmart call center blog editor and reservations specialist.

By the way, I would be happy to pay the storage fee if someone would like to buy a car for me.

We are PhoneSmart your off site sales force call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Your local self storage unit provider in 9702 W. 67th St. Merriam, KS. 66203

Total Quality Assurance Services Your all in one Quality Assuarance Portal

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Your local self storage unit provider in 794 Scenic Hwy. Lawrenceville, GA. 30045

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Welcome to the PhoneSmart call center blog and insider view of the self-storage industry.

Self Storage in Hialeah, Florida Call Manager Willie at (305)826-4119, 1300 West 49th Street

Contact center services at Total Quality Assurance Services

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Welcome to the PhoneSmart call center blog and insider diary of the self-storage industry.

Storage Concierge Self Storage in Georgia

Storage Concierge Self Storage in Illinois

Storage Concierge Self Storage in Kansas

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A training tip from Robin Turner, PhoneSmart call center manger

How many times have you heard that from a caller? Or a customer?

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Self Storage Search Engine Self Storage in Kansas

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But now we have seen that a meeting between Self Storage Association representatives and members of the military did not go well. The military wants to compete in self storage. They apparently see a great opportunity to get a cherry deal from operators who are willing to lease a facility on base. There will of course be people who will sign the lease and run the units.

What will this do to the businesses around the bases? It will make it tough to compete. Will this give other government entities the idea to get into the storage business? You bet! I can see airport authorities creating self storage space on the airport properties, advertising enhanced security from the TSA personnel who work in the airport.

Wait a minute. Don’t we have a big enough challenge on our hands competing with each other and competing against non-consumption? I imagine everyone in our business will try to rally their local law makers into a coalition to stop the government agencies and the military from hurting private enterprises in this way. But will it succeed?

Just in case it is not successful, we better think about how to compete. If you will need to draw customers off base to store their goods, you will need something on site to attract them like a barber shop, a pool hall, a taco stand or a beer hall. You’ll have to offer something to make it unattractive to rent the cheaper unit on base. Maybe for a small additional fee, you do the laundry of you customers every week. Perhaps you give a free airline ticket to everyone who signs a year lease on a 10×10 or bigger. Maybe you give a pair of Kevlar gloves with each new rental.

You could probably defend yourself against the Airport Storage venture by selling a more convenient location. Most people will not want to drive around to the back of the airport and fight airport traffic, when they can just turn into your place as they drive by on their way to work or shopping.

The people who will be running these facilities will likely be leasing the property from the military or the airport and will not have an ownership stake. This will make it hard for them to raise enough capital or raise enough courage to compete against you if you do NOT compete on price. Staying out of a price competition can be difficult. Your occupancy may suffer a hit after “The Storage place on base” opens up. You may have a hard time keeping up your monthly new rental goals. But price matching is not always the way to go. If you can rent a lot more units by cutting price, you can make up for the shortfall. But if all you do is destroy the market in your area and make the standard rates 30% lower than what they used to be without dramatic long term increase in occupancy, you have shot yourself in the foot. Ouch! Usually out-marketing your opponent is more effective.

How many cheap colas are there? Sam’s cola is cheap and easy to get. And Sam’s sells a lot of it. But Coca Cola’s numbers keep rising. They market the heck out of their drinks, some of which are just water, and they are making money.

When you out-market your competition and out-do them in customer service and sales performance, you can lose some occupancy without long term suffering. You will regain ground after word of mouth has let people know that your place is a good value and a great place to store. A good value that is a great experience always beats the cheapest offering for probably 75% of the consumers in that market place. You can let your competitor have the people who will only take the cheapest deal. They are hard to make happy and not great referrals sources anyway. The people who will spend an extra few dollars to get a good experience are the people you want anyway.

I’m not saying that the military is doing you a favor by setting themselves up in the storage business. But I am saying that they will not be as tough a competitor as you might think. Time will tell. Hopefully the military will find that too many congressmen and women are getting harassed by their constituents for this grand storage plan to every take shape.

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

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I drove through a city I hadn’t visited in a while last month. I like to see what storage places look like in different localities. It was after dinner and dark. I got into my rental car and started heading back to my hotel. On my way I passed a neon sign on a big building that said “elf Storage”. I was fascinated. I parked across the street and watched for a while. I could see the first row of drive-up units clearly.

My first thought was of Anne Ballard, the storage pro who likes to talk about making sure your lighted signs have good bulbs in them. I thought this might be a storage place run by someone who never saw Anne give a presentation and let the “S” burn out. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me, but I could not see an “S” on the sign.

I waited for a little while longer and I noticed a truck pull up. A couple of short guys jumped out with these huge sacks and dragged them across the driveway and opened a roll up door. It looked like the unit was stuffed with sacks.

I knew what I was looking at, but I would not let myself believe it. I stopped believing in Santa Clause when I was a little kid and recognized our neighbor behind the phony white beard. Now may sense of reality was starting to spin.

Just then, a tap on my car window startled me. There was this big stocky guy with a long white beard. Sweat broke out from my forehead. He said in a soft deep voice, “Can I help you, son?” I didn’t know what to say.

I rolled down the window and started to stammer. I couldn’t form a single intelligible word. He said, “Well I guess you can’t fool all the people all the time.” Then he chuckled a jolly chuckle. He continued, “We thought we could hide in plain view and get away with it until Christmas. Don’t you dare breathe a word of this or you will have coal in your stocking for ever!”

I said, “Yes sir” like a shy second grader and started my car and began to pull away from the curb, when one of the short guys took off his hat to reveal his pointy ears. He laughed and waved at me.

I had to pull over a few blocks later and sit and wait until I stopped shaking and could catch my breath.

I know I was not supposed to reveal this. But I couldn’t hold it inside any longer. I did not say which city I saw this in, so I may not get in trouble. But if you know your markets, you know where the 5th Street elf Storage facility is. It is not what you think it is. Or maybe you know already. Just don’t tell them you found out from me.

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

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Do any of you remember when you could actually build a storage facility and just wait for it to fill up?

You still may be able to find the perfect location and build a property under budget. But can you win the consumers in the market? Marketing has become much more intense than it ever was. The competition to get a dollar of spending money from a consumer is fierce. You are competing against lots of other businesses that are not even remotely storage related for the attention and the business of consumers. You are also competing against lots of other storage and organizing options. If you are not spending a significant portion of your day concentrating on marketing and sales your competitors will leave you in the dust.

Look at your market and see how people are trying to get noticed and trying to get leads.

What are you doing?

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

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Today I was taking a drive around Toronto visiting storage facilities and I saw perfect illustrations fo the old and the new theories of successful storage business. One store I looked at was the back end of a building that had retail store in the front. You had to drive all around the back end through a parking lot that looked like you weren’t suppossed to be there. The office was uninviting and hadn’t been updated since it was built in the early 80s.

The other store I visited was just completed and was a mutli story climate controlled retail big box across from a shopping mall. If you store your stuff there, your stuff would live better than you.

Here are the two ends of the spectrum. How are these two styles of storage going to effect each other and change the industry?

bye for now,

Tron

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

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I often tell people that there seems to be two types of people who own storage facilities. One group is just pulling cash out of the property and really doesn’t want to put any time, effort or money into running a better, more profitable property. They seem satisfied making a profit based on little effort and minimal investment. Now you can’t really fault people with an attitude like this, because they are making money, their properties are meeting their expectations and they are happy. This sounds like an ideal situation.

Then there are people who are trying to run a business. They try to create efficiencies, try to maximize financial performance, seek to develop their personnel and try to make the best of what they have.

I think PhoneSmart’s call center service has something to offer both groups. In almost every case we can create enough rentals to pay for ourselves several times over from phone calls the store would not have been able ot handle without us. For the person who is trying to run a business, this sounds like the ideal service provider situation. You would think that if you told business people that you can find money that they left on the table at a minimal cost, they would line up to sign on the dotted line.

Sometimes business people are so busy trying to keep their program moving forward or so busy putting out fires, that they lose sight of the “maximize financial performance” goal.

For the people who are milking a cash cow this should also be attractive. We require no new money. We pay for ourselves from “Found money”. Yes it will take a little effort ot get us integrated into normal operating proceeures. But once the store staff is used to working with us, we become standard operating proceedure and require no extra effort. At this point the owner can go back to the “no hassle-no worries” style of management…but be at a higher level of financial performance and a higher level of profit.

In the mean time, we keep turning missed calls into rentals for our many clients. Bye for now, Tron

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

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I could see into the kitchen through the pass-thorugh. The kitchen staff was moving from task to task in a “zone”. They reminded me of basketball players. Odd, since the college finals are going on today. They were working the plates and the pots and the pans, moving the meals towards the pick-up window. An then they’d yell “order up!”, and I knew they made a goal. I like to eat at the Main Squeeze, because the food is delicious and healthy. The chefs there get some great flavors going, and everything on the menu is whole grain or fresh produce. Much of it is organically produced. The only problem is that this kind of good food doesn’t happen fast. If you like to run up to the counter, order and leave in five minutes, forget it, it ain’t happening. If you get there before the lunch rush, the place is half empty and the mood is mellow. But the lunch rush is bumpin’. And the staff keeps up. And the customers patiently wait for their yummy goodies or they visit with people they know or they make a new friend with the person on line with them. This is the customers ways of saying to the staff, “It’s okay, I can wait a few minutes. No problem.” I enjoy watching the staff juggle. It almost looks like they know what they are doing. But I know they don’t. They may have some idea as to how many meals and drinks they might need to make, but every day is different. They also look calm and cool, even though I know they are hustling. So it becomes a matter of team work. can the team handle the chaos while making it look efficient?

This is what we do in the call center. This is what you do at the self storage facility. During the quiet times, it is easy to make it look easy. We take the calls, help the people make a reservation and wait for the next call. You take the people on a tour, help them sign the lease and move on to that next customer with a question with ease. But what happends when the lunch rush comes? or the after work rush? or the last Monday of the month rush? Can you handle the chaos while making it look efficient. Most days, we can do it. Callers would never know that the phones are ringing off the hook and we are juggling calls like butcher knives. I bet you can do it most days, too. When customers are lined up four deep, can they notice that it is busy and going crazy, or do they just go with the flow, because you are remaining calm and cool and you are making it look easy? If you aren’t sure of how well your choas efficiency works, you don’t have much time to get ready. Even yesterday, which should have been a ho-hum Sunday had a few big spikes in call volume.
bye for now, Tron.

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

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