StorageMart Self Storage Blog » self storage rentals http://www.selfstorageblog.com StorageMart Self Storage Blog Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:07:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Which Floor To Store http://www.selfstorageblog.com/which_floor_to_store/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/which_floor_to_store/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:11:34 +0000 Joel http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4594

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

]]> Of course not all self storage facilities are created equal. Many facilities try to figure out what the customers in their area are truly wanting. They then go through extraordinary lengths to fulfill those needs for the customer. There are times in which the facility will have many units open, they will do their best to fill the other spaces. Depending on the area you will find that your local self storage facilities have different types of units to please their community. The following are types of levels in storage facilities.

 
Ground floor units are units that are on the ground floor and you can either drive right up to or go through a hallway to get to. These spaces can be climate controlled or not depending on the area. Many people do not want to haul their belongings to any other space except for the first floor. They are very convenient to get to.

 
2nd, 3rd, etc floors are at facilities that typically have to build up instead of out. By building up, a facility can truly save on money per square foot in real estate. Typically these self storage units will be units that you can get to via an elevator or stairs. If a facility does not have elevators but your unit is upstairs, then you have to decide If you still want to store there. You could get a lot of exercise as you are climbing those stairs.

 
A Mezzanine floor is a sub floor with cat walk around edge.  There are no units in center of floor. This floor level is not common in most areas except for the east coast. These are common for those facilities that have to build up or are looking for a way to have storage units in warehouse environments. Typically you will have to go up stairs to get to that level so you would not try to store anything heavy.

 
Breezeway units are units on the ground level, accessible by a pull through building. Many customers like these kinds of units because you can pull right through the building and escape the elements of Mother Nature. If it is raining outside, you do not have to get wet. That is a great thing. You can still take your time getting things in and out because the space is big enough for more than one person to come through.

 
A facility will have a lot of different units available. It is up to you which type of unit you want. Typically each type of unit will be price differently in respect to the level. The higher levels will cost less than the ground floor because the facility feels that the customer should not pay more for a lack of convenience. Ask your facility manager about the pricing and the different units they offer.

 

 

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/which_floor_to_store/feed/ 0 It Is Free http://www.selfstorageblog.com/it-is-free/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/it-is-free/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:46:33 +0000 Joel http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4547

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

]]> Some self storage sites will hold units kind of like a hotel reservation. It is free to hold so there is no reason not to hold the space. You will still have time to visit the site so that you are able to make sure that everything meets your standards when storing. You should be able to hold a couple of different sizes if you are unsure of what size you will need. Even if you need a different size, you can still switch when you get to the site. If it was this easy why don’t more people do it?

There is a simple answer to that. When it comes to reserving a space, many people like the idea of it not costing them any money, but many hotels hold the funds in your account until you come in. Well not a lot of people think that is a good practice. For that reason they shy away from reserving the space. Also people do not want to use their credit card in order to hold the space. They want to pay in cash and not use any form of credit to hold the space.

If the space really is free to hold, then make sure that the customer knows that. Saying that holding a self storage unit is just like renting a hotel space is not really the truth. Make sure as a facility manager, you are explaining that correctly or people might shy away from reserving a space. So with that said, why not reserve a self storage space today? It’s free.

 

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/it-is-free/feed/ 0 What Can Happen if You Don’t Pay the Rent on Your Storage Unit http://www.selfstorageblog.com/what-can-happen-if-you-dont-pay-the-rent-on-your-storage-unit/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/what-can-happen-if-you-dont-pay-the-rent-on-your-storage-unit/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:04:22 +0000 jeff http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4449

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

]]> University of Georgia storage units will cut locks.  We all have to cut locks once in a while in the self storage business, but the more you do it, the more you get used to it.  You do not want to cut so many locks per month though because this takes up a lot of time that you could be using for something like selling your product.  We read one time where a famous author on the fine art of running a business, was explaining why you should spend most of your time selling, and not doing all the other things all the time you need to do too.  Before customers are so late on their self storage bills, give them a call and tell them.  Tell them the truth.  If you do not pay this bill, you could loose all the stuff in your self storage unit through a process called the auction process.  It will cost you at least twenty-five dollars to get the lock cut, and the auction fees will be paid by you, not the company.  Therefore, if you already owe money why do you want to pay more money with late fees and lock fees and auction fees.  So convince, or try to convince the customer to pay his or her bill.  Credit card companies will charge late fees all the time.  Some credit card places will charge you twenty-nine dollars on the first day you are late.  In the storage business, certain companies and self owners will vary the late fee policy.  We have seen different ones in our time managing self storage places.  We used the ten-dollar late fee after three days late quite often.  After ten days go by, another ten dollars might be charged.

University of Georgia storage units probably have a lot of collage students storing from them.  They might be late a lot because that is what collage students do.  If they are charged a little beer money once in a while for being late, it might get them and keep them on the right track.  Call them.  We have had policies where we had to call our customers three times before a late fee occurs or six times before you cut a lock.  Many times this will work unless the customer is just plain broke.  This happens too.  The customer has no money or spends the money he or she has on something else.  Do not cut so many locks per month that it drives you crazy and you dread that day.  Call your customers.  They will like it most of the time.  “We are calling you to save you money and avoid late fees and lock cut fees and all of that.  If we cut your lock it cost you twenty five dollars plus you must buy another lock to replace the one we just cut.”

University of Georgia storage units do not want to cut ten locks a day.  This is a whole lot of time spent not selling your products, or not answering the phones.  Do not spend most of your time cutting locks when you should be using that time to collect money.  You loose money when you are cutting too many locks.  We can all do better as managers than this.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/what-can-happen-if-you-dont-pay-the-rent-on-your-storage-unit/feed/ 0 Don’t Force Your Storage Facility to Cut Off Your Unit’s Lock http://www.selfstorageblog.com/dont-force-your-storage-facility-to-cut-off-your-units-lock/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/dont-force-your-storage-facility-to-cut-off-your-units-lock/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:51:13 +0000 jeff http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4443

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

]]> Milledgeville storage units in sunny Georgia have a few locks to cut this month.  We have been talking about the fine art of cutting locks and how important it is in doing it right, and following the exact process of doing it right.  We can not talk about this in any more serious tones, because it is so important to do it right.  We talked about disc locks and why it is useful to have a grinder on site to perform these acts of grinding locks like that instead of trying to cut them with bolt cutters.  We bought our grinder from a flea market for a much less price than it would be at a hardware store or another store in that same vein.  Grinders can cost some times up to one hundred dollars, and even at flea markets we paid we believe, thirty dollars for ours.  It was a good one though, so do not get a cheep weak one that can barely cut anything just to save a few dollars.  Everything must be working and be in good shape when you cut or grind a lock.  We are on a deadline to get these locks cut, because the process is very precise, and the laws of the United States of America are to protect everyone too sometimes.  These specific laws in this process of cutting and grinding locks must be followed, or lawsuits can occur.  It does make sense though, because as a paying customer with all your things in a storage place and space, you might just love because of memories and what have you, are important.  You do not want a self storage manager running around cutting locks and acting a fool.  That is not a very good manager, and that person should look for another job.  We are not in the business of treating customers the wrong way.  Help the customer. Do not hurt the customer.

Milledgeville storage units in sunny Georgia will grind a lock or two also.  If you cannot cut the lock for whatever reason on that specific date, do not fudge on the rules or the laws of the United States of America.  This is part of your job as a self storage manager, and it is really a very big part of your job to control your property.  The customer expects you to do everything right.  After all, they might be storing in your self-storage place thousands of dollars worth of stuff.  Be a good manager and do it right.  Another good bit of advice is to cut the locks early in the morning so as few customers as possible can see you do it.  It will not look good to watch a person cut a lock for most customers.  They do not want to know all the details if you know what we mean.

Milledgeville storage units in sunny Georgia will cut locks because they have to at times.  Most customers pay their bills though, and not many locks are cut in any given month.  If you are cutting or grinding too many locks, you might be doing something wrong before you get to that point.  Maybe you did not call the customer enough to remind them to pay their bill.  Look into it for all the people you manage, just not the ones that are affected by it.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/dont-force-your-storage-facility-to-cut-off-your-units-lock/feed/ 0 Don’t Forget to Pay the Rent on Your Storage Unit http://www.selfstorageblog.com/dont-forget-to-pay-the-rent-on-your-storage-unit/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/dont-forget-to-pay-the-rent-on-your-storage-unit/#comments Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:37:58 +0000 jeff http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4440

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

]]> Lawrenceville storage units in sunny Georgia will cut locks too.  Our last discussion was about cutting locks when certain customers will not pay the self storage bill.  This a process that we will also discuss later in another article to get all of the managers familiar with this process.  Some countries around the world may have different laws and different policies when cutting locks on storage spaces that are not being paid on, but we will stick with the good old United States of America policies and procedures.  It is different State to State remember, but a lot of it is pretty similar.  We were cutting disc locks before and how to do it safely.  A disc lock is one of those locks that are round and the steel part is not showing very much, so bolt cutters can not fit inside to snap the lock off.  There is a little room though really, and managers like yours truly have cut a few disc locks with a bolt cutter.  Not everyone can, there is a trick to it, but we suggest using a grinder for the lock.  Grinders can be hard to use to if one has never used one before so be careful at first.  A lot of experienced managers of self storage units in the United States of America will show new managers how to cut a lock with a grinder to make sure they have an idea to do it and how it all works.  We have seen some managers grind a lock off in minutes, and some managers never getting the way to do it.  You must know how to get a disc lock off a self storage unit or you will never be a good manager, or even a manager in this business.  You can do it though, and the first few times might be tricky.  Other people have used grinders before, and know how to do it, even though they have never grinded down a lock before.

Lawrenceville storage units in sunny Georgia have locks cut on their property.  The manager should lock up the bolt cutters and the grinders in a specific unit that is their own, or it is a storage unit that has been designated as a storage unit to store things a manager might need to run the business.  Also clean up items can be held and stored in this unit too.  We put a golf cart in ours and boxes and brooms and stuff like that.  We believe every storage place in the United States of America has a storage unit like this one.  It is also smart to keep this storage unit near the office.  Therefore, your bolt cutters are locked up.  Never let a customer borrow bolt cutters or let a customer with bolt cutters on the property.  Never do that for good reasons.  Can you imagine if other customers on the storage property saw other people walking around with bolt cutters?  That is never, ever a good idea.

Lawrenceville storage units in sunny Georgia have cut and grinded locks too.  Many storage places have grinders on the property if they sell disc locks in their office.  The locks are great, and it keeps all the storage spaces safer for all of us.  Good luck to everyone.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/dont-forget-to-pay-the-rent-on-your-storage-unit/feed/ 0 Short Term Leases are a Convenience of Self Storage http://www.selfstorageblog.com/short-term-leases-are-a-convenience-of-self-storage/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/short-term-leases-are-a-convenience-of-self-storage/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:42:30 +0000 jeff http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4395

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

]]> Miami Airport storage units might do a lot of short term leasing.  When your business is very close to an airport, one might do business a little different than usual.  Miami is one of the most vibrant cities in the United States of America.  People from all over the world come to this great city for a number of different reasons.  The airport here is a very busy one, with people from all over the world coming here.  They come here for conventions and vacation.  The storage units by airports are doing business a lit bit differently than say a storage place in downtown.  Most storage places do not want to rent spaces for a few days or a few weeks at a time.  This high turnover rate of storage units is not the best way to make profits compared to long time customers.  Like most business loyalty and liking a product you have bought is always a good feeling for the consumer.  Our parents probably bought the same products for most of their lives because of product loyalty.  We studied this in a marking class more than a few times.  Look at Coke and Pepsi, some people will only drink coke and some people will only drink Pepsi.  They kind of taste a lot like the same flavor, but people will be loyal to one or the other for a lot of reasons.  We all like what we like we guess, but marketing has come such a longs way now, it has become a science to be studied and practiced.  Marketing has actually helped the United States of America because profit is good in a free enterprise system.

Miami Airport storage units use this short time leasing because they might just have to.  In a free enterprise, the consumer is the one with all the power.  Power to the people as one of the Beatles once said in a song.  This promotes freedom and this great power that consumers have, help keep us free even more than a government can do.  The government can protect us from invaders and bad guys, but the consumer can make all the decisions on what business should be selling us.  If people kept from not buying sugar in foods and started buying more good food, companies would produce more good food to keep profits where they need to be.  What a great idea for such a system to work on.  It is better than any other in the entire world.  Yes, it is not perfect, but it is the best we got, and that is a good thing.

Miami Airport storage units will rent short term we believe.  Like we said earlier, most storage places want long term customers like most businesses do.  Storage places want that too.  If all your customers are short term or just need storage for a few days or weeks, you might as well do it.  One can not have so many empty storage units on your property making no money at all.  Vacant storage units are never a good idea unless of course if renting them out so cheap, hurts your profit.  Business is a great thing but do not go in it without learning how it all works.  It will be a great education.  Good luck.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/short-term-leases-are-a-convenience-of-self-storage/feed/ 0 Renovations Made Easier with a Storage Unit http://www.selfstorageblog.com/renovations-made-easier-with-a-storage-unit/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/renovations-made-easier-with-a-storage-unit/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:13:49 +0000 jeff http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4221

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

]]> Lexi was not only a first time home buyer, but she was a first time renovator as well. After graduating from college she moved back in with her parents to help her save up for a house. For three years she saved every penny that she could. She hardly ever ate out, brewed her own coffee at home, and walked whenever possible to save gas money. It saved off though and at the end of the three years she had a sizable down payment towards her house and had been pre approved for a home loan.

Lexi and her mom hit the housing market with the help of a trusted local realtor and began to look at the more traditional older homes that Lexi was interested in. Modern was not something that Lexi wanted and she was sure that even though older homes come with more problems sometimes the style was more to her liking.

The third house that they pulled up to was run down and dirty, but Lexi was able to see past all of that. The structure of the house was just what she wanted with the wrap around porch, bay windows, and farm house feeling that you got from looking at it. Her mom thought she was crazy when she wanted to put in an offer, but Lexi was in love with the space.

She spent the next month doing all of the closing and then the next month researching contractors that could help her restore the house to its beautiful potential. The construction date was set and Lexi could not wait to get started.

The house was not so run down that it was not livable so Lexi moved some of her stuff into the master bedroom. Everything else she had she moved into a Lenexa, Kansas storage unit. With the spaces clear of her stuff the workers would have room to move around and work without tripping over her stuff, and when they worked on the floors they wouldn’t have to move anything,

Also keeping her things safely stored in a Lenexa storage unit nothing would be damaged by paint or construction debris. The construction began and Lexi could not wait to see how beautiful her home was going to be once it was restored to its original glory. The kitchen was being remodeled to have a farm house feel, the windows in the living room were being turned into a window seat, the bathroom had to be completely gutted but it could not have been saved in the condition it was in. the renovations continued on into the bedrooms and the hardwood floors throughout the house was being restored.

Many people thought that she was crazy taking on a restoration house on her first house, but the end product spoke for itself in proving people just how right she was in choosing to do this. The construction workers had all left and everything that was in the Lenexa storage unit had been moved back over. Lexi was officially moved into her first home and she could not have been happier with it. She could not ever imagine leaving this house because it was so perfect in the way that it fit her style. All of her friends and family even commented how the house was a representation of who she was. It was the perfect fit for her.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/renovations-made-easier-with-a-storage-unit/feed/ 0 First Time Renters and Self Storage http://www.selfstorageblog.com/first-time-renters-and-self-storage/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/first-time-renters-and-self-storage/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:30:27 +0000 jeff http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=4105

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

]]> What is on your wish list for your first place? Is it in the downtown area of a big city, or a trendy suburb? How many bedrooms and bathrooms are on your wish list? Can you live with one closet or do you require much more space for your clothes? We all have our dream home, but our first home may not be up to our dream standards. Often the first house or apartment that you can afford on your own is not the biggest of accommodations. In fact sometimes it is better to get a smaller starter apartment so you can save up for a bigger first house.

When you find your first place whether it is an apartment, loft, or studio you may also find that you don’t have a lot of space. Storage is probably limited, closet space will probably be small and limited, and living space may be cozy. Many first time renters pick an apartment based on price points that they can afford and location to work or school.

When you find yourself living in your first place and needing some extra space then a self storage facility may be the solution to your problems. Prices are affordable and security is much better than the small unsecured basement location that your apartment complex may offer with the only security being a small chain link fence. With a self storage unit you can get the extra closet space, and storage spaces that your first place lacks. With a storage unit you can get that smaller apartment at the location you wanted and still be able to have space for all of your stuff.

Self storage units also offers you the chance to save up all the things that you will need in the future when you are able to save up and get a bigger apartment or purchase your first home. While your apartment may be too small for the couch that you found on sale, you can store it in your self storage unit and save it for when you get a bigger place.
While you currently may be eating all of your meals sitting on a bar stool at your kitchen counter, eventually you may have a dining room space and the table that you saw that you love will look great in that space. Until you get that space you can keep it stored safely in your storage unit. Maybe by the time you save up and move into that bigger apartment or first house you will not be left with an empty house and trying to save up to buy furniture for it you will have already bought the furniture to move in.

A storage unit is like an extension of your home. In the case of a smaller first apartment it can also serve as your closet space. Having storage space can make your first apartment much more enjoyable since it will give you space to live and to grow. When you do finally get your dream home you may find yourself being thankful for the great experiences and lessons that you learned in that tiny first apartment that you had. Now if you find that you dream home needs a little more storage space you will know right where to go to get it.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/first-time-renters-and-self-storage/feed/ 0 Check Self Storage Rental Off Your To-Do List http://www.selfstorageblog.com/check-self-storage-rental-off-your-to-do-list/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/check-self-storage-rental-off-your-to-do-list/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:21:32 +0000 admin http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=3990

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

]]> Very few people enjoy the act of shopping around for a service.  When it comes to buying things that they want, like clothes, people are very willing to spend hours and hours of their time pouring over their options.  When it comes to people who are shopping for something that they need, and do not necessarily want, their willingness to pour over their options goes right out the proverbial window.  Know, though, that by ignoring your local self storage options, you are only going to end up doing yourself a tremendous disservice.  Indeed, in order to make sure that you are not wasting your time and your money, you are going to have to be sure that you are giving all of your local self storage companies the fair consideration that they deserve.  This, of course, is not to say that you are going to have to swing by all of your local self storage properties in person.  Quite to the contrary, you are going to be able to take care of most of your research on the internet.

The first thing that you are going to want to do, here, is see if you can gather some basic quotes from the websites of the companies that are in your area.  While many of the smaller companies are not going to offer online price quotes, they are usually going to offer some kind of form for you to submit, such that their sales representatives can give you a call back.  The larger companies, on the other hand, are going to be able to offer quotes on their corporate websites, so you are going to want to be sure that you are making use of this information before you begin to call around.  After all, the last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is call around blindly.  By getting a feel for how your local prices work, you are going to be able to tell when you are talking to a facility that is not charging a fair rate for its unit.

Moving on, here, you are also going to want to use the internet to take virtual tours of your local properties.  While you are not going to be able to do this for every property in your local area, you are certainly going to want to be sure that you are doing it for the properties that offer it.  By taking virtual tours of your local properties on the internet, you are going to be able to make a quick judgment call as to which ones are going to meet your standards for cleanliness and security.  If you should notice that a particular property does not look like it is quite up to your standards for cleanliness, then you can simply cross it off of your list of options.  Thereafter, you are not going to have to worry about wasting your time calling it or taking an onsite tour.

Granted that you are willing to explore the internet for all of the tools that are out there, you are going to find that your self storage situation is entirely manageable.  You are not going to have to worry about pouring tons upon tons of hours into searching for the right unit, because the aforementioned tools are going to make your search fast and easy.  Just be sure, here, that you are being thorough as you are shopping around, and that you are not passing up any self storage providers before you have given them fair consideration.  You truly never know when you are going to find one of those diamonds in the rough, reader.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/check-self-storage-rental-off-your-to-do-list/feed/ 0 Self Storage Rental Services http://www.selfstorageblog.com/self-storage-rental-services/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/self-storage-rental-services/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 12:58:37 +0000 admin http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=1502

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

]]> While booking a storing space or a place for safekeeping, it is very important to be fully aware of the facilities offered by the rental services. Most of the people who avail these storing services are not aware of the common facilities that they are entitled to at these cargo space units.

What Are The Services Provided By A Warehouse Rental

If you wish to get something worth your money then ensure that the service you select for self storage rental provides the following facilities.

  • The rental service should have a truck renting facility attached to their primary business. This is a must as shifting the belongings from one place to another required one to have transportation arrangements in place. So if the storing service does not have transportation arrangements, do not hire them. Instead look for a service company that offers free of cost relocating facility. Even a company that charges for the service is better than having no transportation service at all.
  • Another important service of a cargo space rental is to arrange for the protection of the stored goods. The good should not only be in safe custody, they should also be protected from natural disasters like fire and flood. Also make sure that the rental service provides climate controlled units inside the warehouse. This would ensure that your delicate and perishable items inside the rental unit are maintained and safe. The climate control feature would protect the items from rust, mold, pests, mildew and insects by providing uniform temperature and humidity levels inside the warehouse.
  • The rental also has provisions to support their clients with their packing needs. They have their stocks of packing supplies and provide the same to their customers for stuffing purposes. This facility is especially helpful for clients as they can pick their packing supplies from a central location instead of picking individual items from several hardware stores.
  • The storeroom service should also have adequate arrangement for storing commercial items. If they do, then they become even more useful for small or large businesses that need to store important files, furniture and other equipment.

 

Apart from the above, look for services that let you pay your monthly bill electronically. This will ensure that you do not get confused with the payment dates and can save on late payment fee. However, for this you would need to share your credit card and bank details with the company. So ensure that the company is reliable and trustworthy.

Also look for special offers while selecting your self storing service. There are several discount offers like free locks or a month of free storing offered by reputable services. This facility would make your storing experience easier and less expensive.

How To Store More In Less Space

Here are some essential packing tips that would help you store better

  • Keep the items that will be required often in front of the self storage rental .
  • Maintain a uniform size box for easy stacking. Stack the heavier boxes at the bottom and the lighter ones on top.
  • Fill each box tightly. Fill up all empty spaces with packing paper.
  • Leave some space between the wall and the boxes. This would protect the boxes from damp and cold and they would be easier to pick whenever required.

 

Use the above mentioned tips to get the most out of your rental.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/self-storage-rental-services/feed/ 0 Self Storage Rentals for Artwork http://www.selfstorageblog.com/self-storage-rentals-for-artwork/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/self-storage-rentals-for-artwork/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:29:37 +0000 admin http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=1173

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

]]> Self storage rentals can be hired for storing different types of items of which artwork is a prime category. In the past, these storehouses were used only for storing household furniture but now they are being used for storing delicate items such as artwork too. These storehouses are designed after a very new concept and they are equipped with all the latest facilities. They are equipped with the latest security gadgetry available in the market and environmental regulation features. These storehouses are specifically built for preserving the quality of the artwork kept in them. They seem to be better than top class art galleries and institutions for maintaining the artwork.

The self storage rentals come with a lot of beneficial features. The first feature is of temperature control. A constant temperature of 70 degrees with a five degree variation is generally maintained in these units. Similarly there is a humidity control feature too that regulates the amount of atmospheric moisture present in the storehouse. The temperature and humidity are regulated as these factors adversely affect many of the items kept in the storehouses. For example, high temperatures may make the material of the items expand if it is made of a metal. High humidity might rust the items kept in the storehouse, especially if they are made of iron and no protective coating of paint is applied on them.

The self storage rentals that are designed for storing artwork are different from those that are meant for storing general items. People would like to view artwork. Hence it cannot be dumped like all the other items in a cellar and forgotten about.  The storehouses are designed for displaying the artwork while they are preserved carefully. The storerooms are spacious and the artworks are arranged neatly in them. The works to be displayed are arranged in galleries. There are private rooms for viewing the artwork where art lovers can view the paintings and appreciate it. These sophisticated storerooms are customized to meet the requirements of the artwork.

Large self storage rentals consist of a number of rooms that are arranged in a number of storeys. Modern structures consist of over sized freight elevators to carry the artworks to be stored from the ground floor to the top floors. The tenant need not take the pains to carry the items by hand to the top floors if they are allotted chambers in the top floor. These elevators are dedicated for the purpose of transporting a large number of items from the ground floor to the upper floors.

The storerooms in which the artworks are kept consist of extremely high ceilings and wide hallways that are designed to transport huge artworks seamlessly from one place to another.

Quite a number of self storage rentals for storing artwork have been constructed in the present times. They can be found in major locations of cities that are well connected to the major transportation arteries of the city. The storehouses can be accessed twenty fours hours a day. There are large parking areas where one can park his private vehicle or truck carrying the artwork and offload the delicate piece carefully and conveniently. These storehouses are provided with state of the art security systems with remote controlling mechanism. Many firms provide quality assurance storing amenities for the artworks so that these precious items can be stored for years together in a good condition.

Self Storage Software

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/self-storage-rentals-for-artwork/feed/ 0 Computerized Self Storage Rental Operations http://www.selfstorageblog.com/computerized-self-storage-rental-operations/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/computerized-self-storage-rental-operations/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:57:32 +0000 admin http://www.selfstorageblog.com/?p=1153

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

]]> Computerized self storage rental applications are being widely used these days by many operators to make their work fast and more efficient. These applications can be used for performing a lot of routine tasks that the operators have to undertake to manage the storehouses. These tasks can be arranged in modules such as managing tenants, managing reports, managing properties, managing the system on the whole and the billing process. The subtasks are categorized as below.

• Managing tenants itself is a module that involves a lot of complicated and time taking subtasks. The computerized application provides a number of ways to locate the accounts of tenants. It automatically assigns multiple tenancy schemes to each account. It tracks multiple contact numbers of each person hiring the storehouse. It gives the operator a number of options for the actions he can take when the tenants give late fees or default payments. Special self storage rental transactions are provided. The property managers can manually perform these operations using the computerized application.

The application can be used for making the processing of the entry and exit of the tenants very easy and fast. It can be used for tracking deposits.

• The computerized application provides a lot of powerful features for producing accurate reports fast. The grouping and sort options are customizable. Accurate monthly statements can be generated. Completely customizable late notices can be made. It is possible to generate a locked out report. This software can be used to show the listings of hundreds of tenants. A report on the accounts receivable with aging can also be calculated. Posts that serve as reminders for clients can be made and sent to the individual clients. The self storage rental applications can be used for making mailing labels and the unit status report. The software can be used to generate the list of features that are available for each and every storehouse of the firm.

A dynamic occupancy chart can be displayed at all times of the day to make the booking process accurate, easy and fast. Accurate vacancy listings can be generated within seconds. Detailed reports about the features and the status of each and every storehouse can be generated very fast. The computerized application can be used to generate and compare accurate sales tax reports and deposits reports. A precise monthly revenue statistics report can be obtained by using the computerized application within a matter of seconds. The self storage rental software can be used to generate receipts with remarkable detailing.

• The computerized software can be used to manage properties. It can be used to manage not only the storehouse businesses but also other businesses simultaneously. The operator can customize his tasks in each and every situation. The use of software makes adding on new functionalities very easy.

• The software can be used for performing billing operations very efficiently. It can be used for batch processing functions like making monthly statements and payments. It provides easy roll back options. It does batch processing for late lock outs and late fees.

• The self storage rental software can be used to manage the system functions efficiently. By using this computerized application new storehouses of different types and sizes can be easily set up. The data can be easily backed up. Many of the operations can be customized.

Self Storage Industry

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/computerized-self-storage-rental-operations/feed/ 0 Flurry Of Business http://www.selfstorageblog.com/flurry-of-business/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/flurry-of-business/#comments Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:49:23 +0000 admin

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

]]> Welcome to PhoneSmart, you’re off site sales force call center in Columbia, Missouri.
Our self storage blog explores self storage trends in the self storage industry.

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

The offices here at the PhoneSmart call center are buzzing. The weather forecast is calling for 6 to 12 inches of snow to start falling tonight. The temperature yesterday fell from 59 to 44 in a couple of hours. Granted we don’t have anything to complain about as far as the weather goes. I attended the University of Missouri’s last football game on Saturday and some people had shorts on. (It wasn’t those crazy people who refuse to wear long pants, it was really that warm)

Back to the buzz.

When the weather changes people scurry about to get things done before they get caught in the weather. From warm to cold or vice versa, people get going when the weather gets going. The grocery stores fill up with people trying to stock their pantries. Gas stations are busier so people can fill up their tanks. Self storage properties get busy also. People all of sudden decide that they need to store that classic car or patio furniture or maybe extra Christmas presents. Even though the winter season is not considered the busy season for self storage, we definitely see our fair share of folks wanting to store.

Your local self storage unit provider in 819 N. Eola Rd. Aurora, IL. 60504

Total Quality Assurance Services has a customer care divison.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/flurry-of-business/feed/ 0 Welcome to the call center blog http://www.selfstorageblog.com/welcome-to-the-call-center-blog/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/welcome-to-the-call-center-blog/#comments Fri, 22 Sep 2006 10:00:41 +0000 admin

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

]]> Written By Ronald Smith, PhoneSmart call center reservations specialist.

Welcome to the PhoneSmart call center blog an insider diary self storage industry.

More self-storage and other industries are moving to call centers for their customer service needs. If you answer for one of these industries, the minute you pick up the phone you are the company. There are many different factors that lead to a positive impression to the callers. One of the five main factors is the willingness to assist customers.
One day I needed assistance from a cell phone customer service line to explain why my phone couldn’t connect to the Internet network. I had already called the customer support call center and the rep told me that I should purchase an additional plan to get Internet service for my phone. I needed the Internet so that I can download ring tones for my cell phone. When I called the customer service rep, she informed me that there was no such plan. I tried to explain what I had been told but she kept cutting me off. She advised me to contact technical support and have them send information to my phone. I told her that I had already gone through those steps. She said, “I guess you need to get a new phone.” That was not only unprofessional, but that was extremely rude.
It’s always important to make a good impression on the phone to make the experience as positive has you can for the customer. This is especially important in the self storage business because people are already on edge about speaking with someone not there locally on site. Self storage associations across the country should implement the willingness to serve in all of their sales techniques. This would create more positive trends with call centers being noted for positive customer service rather than the bad impressions already associated with them.

Your local self storage unit provider in 449 S. Federal Hwy. Pompano Beach, FL. 33062

Total Quality Assurance Services offers advanced Telecommunication hardware and software.

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/welcome-to-the-call-center-blog/feed/ 0 Time to re-group. http://www.selfstorageblog.com/time-to-re-group/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/time-to-re-group/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2006 16:21:31 +0000 admin

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

]]> Welcome to the self storage blog, where self storage insiders come to read about self storage trends. Today’s self storage blog is from Ann, who is one of our great sales people.

January/February is a rather slow time in the storage industry. Families are thinking about moving in a few months, college students are thinking about summer vacation, homemakers are thinking about spring-cleaning, etc. And it is the perfect time for PhoneSmart to be thinking about how to improve upon what we already do well!

Here are just a few examples:

 We have hired several new phone reps. They are all English/Spanish speakers, expanding the services PhoneSmart can provide. Now is a great time to teach them the ropes so they will feel very comfortable helping customers and renting storage units during the upcoming rush.

 We are having a re-training program for the veteran employees. Now is a great time for everyone to get back to the basics; break any bad habits that might have crept up during the past year. It is also when we experiment with new ways of saying the same old thing. For example, Tron is running a contest for different ways to say the catch-phrase, “How may I help you?”

 Admin is busy updating store information. Now is a great time to make sure the store screens are correct and easy to read. Cleaning up computer screens and making sure everything is accurate makes things easier for phone reps and store managers alike!

And how can our clients help PhoneSmart during our winter makeover? Please take a minute to look at your store screen and let us know if everything is accurate…
 Are your prices and specials correct?
 Is the number of your vacancies right?
 Has anything changed, like the manager name, office hours, truck stipulations, etc.?
 Do you have any suggestions on how PhoneSmart can assist you in renting more units, or ideas on how to facilitate the process?

FEEL FREE TO SEND US A
FAX @ 886-639-1716 OR GIVE US A CALL @ 866-639-1715
WE WELCOME ALL INPUT!

HAPPY RENTING!

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/time-to-re-group/feed/ 0 How many reservations can we get? http://www.selfstorageblog.com/how-many-reservations-can-we-get/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/how-many-reservations-can-we-get/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2005 13:15:07 +0000 admin

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

]]> Welcome to the self storage blog, our diary of the self storage business. One of our client’s store managers asked us how many credit card reservations our reps typically average. He was trying to compare our results with rental inquiries with what he is doing at his store.

Our call center manager, Robin sent him this response, which you might find of interest.

You may want to take a few thing into consideration when trying to get an overall picture of reservations per day. Certain circumstances will affect those numbers.

Personally, I like to look at a goal of credit card reservations per number of calls taken instead of per hour, simply because everything depends on the number of calls you take in an hour. Your results will also depend on what time of day or time of week you are working. Ideally, I go for 1 reservation out of every 10 calls. This number also includes wrong number call-ins, current customer calls, truck rental inquiries, etc.

Circumstances to consider: During the 1st and last week of the month, as well as Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, during the morning/afternoon shifts, and the summer or holiday season you’re more likely to have a greater number of reservations.

Other considerations: some stores might be sold out and we can’t take a reservation for them. This year’s natural disasters have also played a part this year in the number of reservations. For example, we answer for the Lake Charles StorageMart. While the store was without power and when its computer was down, we couldn’t take any reservations at all for a period of time.

Depending on how long you can hold the unit will also be a factor. For example, store managers may be able to hold units longer since they know exactly how many units they have left, where as we may only have a general idea.

Just recently we made a slight change to our hold time on units, expanding the time frame from the max hold time of 2 weeks, up to a 4 week hold. This will also start to affect our numbers.

Unfortunately the winter season is fast approaching and rental inquiry calls will decline. Right now our numbers are still fairly good. Many reps are averaging 1 credit card an hour or better. Not too shabby!
Robin

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/how-many-reservations-can-we-get/feed/ 0 We try… http://www.selfstorageblog.com/we-try/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/we-try/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:51:57 +0000 admin

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

]]> Welcome to the self storage blog, where we keep a diary of our experiences in self storage.

Today’s blog entry is form one of our sales rep Joseph. He wanted to share a story.

“I had a woman call that was very ill and she needed two 10×12.She couldn’t physically come and get the units right away and the store screen showed that there were only two left.

I let her know that I couldn’t promise that these would be available when she needed them, but I would do the best I could.

I took the time to contact the manager after making a reservation for her, only to find out that he sold one of the units already. I was happy at least to know that I got her one of the units she needed. The manager said he would help her get into another unit that he had coming available that hadn’t yet shown up on our screens. He usually goes in to the PhoneSmart website every afternoon to update us on his pricing in and availability.

It makes us as sales reps feel good when we go the extra mile to make sure we get the customers complete satisfaction. And it feels good to know that we tried the best we could. Even if things don’t end
up as planned all the time, the customers know you did at least take the time to care.”

-Joeseph

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

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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/we-try/feed/ 0 the sales cycle http://www.selfstorageblog.com/the-sales-cycle/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/the-sales-cycle/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2005 15:38:17 +0000 admin

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

]]> How long is the decision cycle for self storage renters? I believe we sometimes think the decision cycle is immediate and end up missing out on rentals. We sometimes assume if a caller or visitor doesn’t decide to store right away, that they are not going to store. Our experience with callers is that 20% of inquiry callers are prepared to make a reservation on their first contact. That is one out of 5. That is quite a few people who are immediate buyers. Of the people who won’t make a reservation, some need a unit right away and others don’t. We have been watching conversion rates and follow-up systems for these Hot Leads. We are seeing a 30% close rate over about a four week period. During our follow-up calls, we see many people’s schedules slow. By this I mean if they were hoping to move the end of April, sometimes they won’t get it all together and move until the end of May. Many times people put the storage unit to the back of their minds. Then when it is time to get the storage unit, they may have out you to the back of their minds, too, and they start the whole process all over again. If you are out of their minds, they may not call you or visit you this time. This leads us to believe that the sales cycle on self storage is often two months. So don’t be too quick to write off a prospect, because they did not rent immediately. Keep following up with new information, sweeter offers and helpful suggestions. A significant number of your leads will rent from you.

Tune in Wednesday of this week to read an entry form Mike Scanlon of the Self Storage Association.

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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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/the-sales-cycle/feed/ 0 5 million dollar value http://www.selfstorageblog.com/5-million-dollar-value/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/5-million-dollar-value/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2005 14:07:37 +0000 admin

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

]]> I know we just sent out lead/reservation number 200,001. People often ask how many rentals our leads and reservations turn into. Well part of it depends on how well you follow-up. But on the whole about 20% of rental inquiries make a credit card reservation, of which 75-85% rent. Another 70% or so of rental inquiries become a hot lead.

A hot lead is either someone who needs a unit right away, but doesn’t have a credit card, or is a person who is not yet ready to finalize plans. You should rent to 20-30% of hot leads. This translates into a lot of rentals. Overall, most clients are renting to 35-45% of all leads and reservations combined.

We could improve our percentages, if we would let the difficult callers slip away. But when callers say they want to shop around some more or say they are not ready to do anything, we snap to and get to work helping the callers decide to store at the place they called.

So our 200,000 storage leads translate into about 80,000 rentals. If you figure an average rental is worth at least $600.00 or $700.00 in most markets, we have created over 5 million dollars in value for our clients. When you consider that the vast majority of the rentals we create would be lost to our clients without us, we earn our keep in a big way. 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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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/5-million-dollar-value/feed/ 0 Customers at the gate http://www.selfstorageblog.com/customers-at-the-gate/ http://www.selfstorageblog.com/customers-at-the-gate/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2005 12:23:26 +0000 admin

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

]]> One thing we deal with a lot at PhoneSmart is the potential customer at your gate after you have already closed the office. Some of our clients have an on-call staff person who can meet these after-hours rentals and get them signed up. Other clients never do after-hours rentals. Either way is fine with us as long as we know what to tell people. Sometimes we can take a reservation for that after hours person and have them come back in the morning to rent. Other times we have to tell them “Too bad, so sad” in as nice a way as possible. I know some operators are trying to automate the whole move-in process so people can take care of themselves. This is great, except your lawyer would tell you that you need a clean lease and you need to have checked ID before allowing someone to put their stuff in your place. So how do you handle the after-hours rentals? What works best for you? It does make sense to have someone available for after-hours rentals, because the value of an extra rental might be $500- $1,500 on average depending on your market. 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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]]> http://www.selfstorageblog.com/customers-at-the-gate/feed/ 0