Sunset storage units in sunny Florida had one cat.  This cat purred and cuddled up right to this woman and than the woman went away to her storage unit.  We approached her and told her the whole story of the cat, and people, and being a loner and all of it.  The woman looked at us and said she was a witch and cats were never a problem understanding her.  We went back to the office hoping she would stay away from our cat and us too as a matter of fact.  We saw her many times after that, but tried to keep our distance.  The cat too, would watch her as the cat sat on a fence dividing the parked cars and another parking lot.  She looked like a witch the more we thought of it.

Sunset storage units in sunny Florida once had a real witch renting space from it.  We were there.  Now, you could say there is no such thing as a witch, but she was not the first witch we ever met.  We had met two more, three if you count the mother of one.  Two were white witches and made good spells on people.  One was a black witch who did evil spells.  Good luck and watch out for witches.

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

Tweet This Post 

Callers in Kentucky do not want to spend any more money than they have to so make sure that you offer them the best possible size. Many callers will need to store a whole house. When storing a whole house, there probably is a need for climate controlled storage. If they have a house to store, they will probably have electronics and certain types of furniture that would benefit from a climate controlled space. Not every Lexington self storage will offer these spaces so you may be able to sell your facility just be offering it.

You need to ask how many bedrooms their house has. It may also be helpful to ask how many rooms they are looking to store. A two bedroom home that is an average size would fit nicely into a ten by twenty space. A larger two bedroom home would be better off in a ten by twenty five. The terms average and large are relative so be careful not to corner them into a certain size. The best thing to do is to offer them a couple of different sizes and invite them into your Lexington self storage property to choose which size would work best for them. A three bedroom house would fit into a ten by thirty most of the time. Most sites in Kentucky will not have spaces larger than this, so it may be necessary to get two spaces for some customers. There are a few Lexington self storage that may have ten by forty spaces or larger.

Some customers may be storing for a business. This is probably one of the hardest types of storage requests to offer a recommendation for. Luckily, storage is not a new thing to most businesses so they should at least have an idea of where to start. With callers who have not stored in the past, it can be very difficult because they do not know what size area they will need. There are about fifty different sizes to choose from so you must be able to ask great questions to determine the size. Many employees do not pay close enough attention to the caller when they ask them what they are going to store. It may be useful to write down what they are storing as they are telling you so you can take a look and make a recommendation from there. Repeating back to the caller what they are storing will let them know that you are actively listening, as well.

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

Tweet This Post 

• We bring out children into this world and it seems that in no time at all they are crawling, walking, driving, graduating and then moving off to college in just a short period of time. Having one less child in your home can be a big adjustment for most parents. Whether it is their first or last child moving out of the nest it is something that parents have to adjust their lives and sometimes their home around. When you find yourself facing a subtraction of a child from the home after they move out there are some ways that having a self storage unit can help you adjust to the change. When your child moves out you are left with an unused room. What better way of getting over the sad feelings of having your child move out than making a space out of the room that you can enjoy. Depending on where your kid moves when they leave the nest they may or may not take their bedroom furniture with them. If they do leave their furniture behind your vision for the room may not include the lime green walls or the furniture with stickers attached everywhere. To help you turn the space into your dream renovated space utilizing a self storage unit can help you to clear out the space and still hold on to their furniture for them when they have their own apartment. With the self storage unit keeping the room clear for you, you have the opportunity to make the space into what you envisioned it to be.
• Sometimes a subtraction from the family is not as happy as your child taking an important step in growing up. Sometimes the subtraction from your family comes from the passing of a loved one. During this time you may find yourself with the belongings of your loved one or things that you want to hold on to for sentimental value, but no where to store them in your home. to be able to hold on to your family heirlooms or important possessions to you a self storage unit can help you keep the links to your past in a safe and secure location when you do not have room for these items in your home. Each person grieves in their own way. If you find yourself unable to face going through these possessions you can store them for when your emotions are better under control and you have reached the stage of healing that you need in order to be able to decide what to keep.

As you can see sometimes the need for storage is a matter of subtraction. When you find yourself in these types of situations where you need space remember that a self storage solution may be the answer that you seek.  Whether you find yourself needing short term or long term storage solutions the answer to your need for space may be as simple as adding a self storage unit.

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

Tweet This Post 

First and foremost, here, be sure that you have a clear idea as to how you are going to get your belongings from one place to another.  This, you might guess, is the simplest part of your move.  Are you going to rent a truck?  If so, who are you going to rent it from?  Are you going to rent a trailer for your car?  If so, is your car bulky enough to tow all of your belongings?  How far are you going to travel, and how many days is it going to take for you to get there?  These are questions that you have to ask yourself well before you move is upon you.  Otherwise, you are going to be extremely stressed out when the time comes to actually move your belongings.

Second of all, you are going to want to be sure that you have a safe way to move all of your belongings from one place to another.  This, of course, means that you are going to have to buy a ton of moving and packing supplies.  Well, all right.  You are going to have to buy enough moving and packing supplies to guarantee that your items are not going to break while they are in tow.  The last thing that you are going to want is to show up at your new house to find that your truck is full of broken stuff.  Just do yourself a favor, here, and plan ahead a little bit.

Of course, you are also going to want to be sure that you have made certain back up plans, just in case your new home is not ready when you arrive.  Typically speaking, you are going to want to contact the local self storage facilities that are in your local area, checking to be sure that they have vacancies.  If there is any risk of your new home not being ready when you arrive, you are going to want to be sure that you reserve a self storage unit ahead of time so you do not have to worry about tons of late fees from your trucking company.  It always helps to plan ahead, as this is going to really help you out if the unexpected happens.

As you can see, reader, you are not going to have much trouble when it comes down to moving effectively.  Plan ahead.  That, really, is the name of the game at the end of the day.  Forward thinking.  If you are willing to set aside some of your time to take care of all of your chores, you are not going to have to worry about running into any nasty surprises at the last minute.  If you can pull this off well, then you are not going to find yourself in hot water.  Not in the least.

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

Tweet This Post 

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

Tweet This Post 

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

Tweet This Post 

Now if you have answered that question like most everyone reading this article you have lost track of the times.  Why not throw it all away clearly, if it is collecting dust, there is no reason for you to even have it. While this is a valid argument, it is clearly not a logical one. We keep hold of the things that matter most to us because they make us remember a time or person in our past. No one wants to be forced to give up the things that are important to them. Sadly, if you are dealing with a lack of self storage space you may not have a choice in the matter.

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

Tweet This Post 

Fencing And Lighting

Perimeter fencing is one of the most common security features that self storage spaces must offer. Therefore, if you are looking for a mini storeroom to keep your business inventory, cars, seasonal items, recreational equipment, antiques, collectibles, office equipment, electronics, extra furniture, or any other such thing, make sure that the facility is thoroughly surrounded by high, top quality fencing. The fencing must also be well maintained. Besides that, it is also very important for you to make sure that both the inside and the outside of the storeroom building are well lit. The lighting system must be in a very good condition too. 

Unit Lock 

When you rent a storing unit, you also need to supply your own lock for added security to the goods stored. You are strongly recommended to invest wisely in a high quality lock. You can keep the key with you, but the facilities usually also provide you the option to keep a duplicate key with the facility staff. The duplicate key system for self storage spaces can be advantageous in several situations, such as when your original key is lost or when you are outstation and want someone to get something stored in your unit. 

Keypad Entry System

The keypad entry system is also very common. As per this system, the customers get an access code. You need to enter that code using the keypad. If the code is correct, the gate will open for you. If you enter the wrong code, you will not be able to access your unit. Besides that, the keypad system only works within the set operating hours. 
 
Video Surveillance

A good facility must have at least one security camera installed at the main gate. However, most storeroom buildings usually have more than a dozen cameras installed at different spots in the building. Some self storage spaces also keep a record of the individuals who used the keypad entry system to exit or enter the facility. Earlier, VCR tapes were used for this purpose, but now digital technique is used. The digital video surveillance provides a better picture quality.

Manager On Site

There are many storerooms where the staff members, owners, or property managers live on site. It is important for you to keep in mind that they are there to provide an additional level of security. However, just because a few individuals are living in those buildings, it does not necessarily mean that your belongings are thoroughly secured. So, make sure that other security features are also available.   

Some self storage spaces also appoint a manager on duty. It means a staff member will always be present at the facility whenever you want to access your unit.

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

Tweet This Post 

• The storehouse should be conveniently located. Storehouses that are located far away will be difficult to access. If the items are to be accessed frequently it is better to hire storehouses that are located nearby. If the items are accessed rarely then one can afford to place items in a remotely located storehouse.
• Before hiring a self storage space one should have a clear idea of the amount of area that he would actually require for accommodating all his articles. If he does not have an accurate estimate, he might end up hiring an area that is too big or too small. By hiring areas that are too big one might end up paying for extra unused place. An area that is too small may not be able to accommodate all the articles that need to be stored. One should take the advice of storehouse experts if he is not able to assess his storehouse requirements accurately.

 Regardless of the size of the hired storehouse, it is important to pack the area in a well organized manner. All the available area should be utilized efficiently. There is no point in hiring a very small self storage space and packing it up to the ceiling, or hiring a very big storing area and leaving a significant portion of it unused. The purpose should be to pack the maximum number of items in a given area in a well organized manner. While packing articles in a storehouse walkways should be left in between rows of items as this will ensure easy accessibility of each and every article placed in the storehouse.

•  Accessibility timings are very important determinants for selecting a storehouse. Many firms keep their storehouses open for twenty four hour accessibility but many firms have restrictions too. The self storage space should be accessible at a convenient time for the tenant. Otherwise it will become difficult for the tenant of the storehouse to visit the storehouse and handle his belongings. There are some firms that allow one to access storehouses even after the normal hours of access by charging a special fee for that.
• Security is another feature that should be considered before selecting a storehouse. If one wants to store valuable items he should always opt for storehouses with the latest security features.
• The self storage space should have special amenities like weather protection and environmental regulation if it is located in a place where there are temperature and humidity extremes. Wooden and metallic furniture when kept in storehouses without environmental regulation will get damaged when exposed to temperature and humidity extremes.
• The storehouse should be located in an area that is well connected with the rest of the city or town in which it is situated. There are storehouses that are located on highways too but only people who travel in the outskirts of cities can access them easily while those located in the heart of the city cannot.

If you like this entry ;

please visit our other Storage Mart blogs :

Storage Mart Secret Shopping Blog :

http://www.secretshoppingblog.com/

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

Tweet This Post 

Items should not be shoved haphazardly into self storage spaces but arranged in a well organized manner in them. These spaces should be accessed easily and the items should be so arranged that accessing each and every item should be fast and convenient. Paid storehouses are hired basically to free up the household or office area from extra clutter. While arranging items in the storehouse one should always try to use the entire available area in the best possible manner. For that one should plan beforehand the best possible way of organizing the items.

Before packing one should always plan out the items that need to be stored in boxes. It is better to store most of the household articles in boxes and seal the containers, especially delicate items like glassware and antiques should compulsorily be packed in boxes. The boxes containing delicate items should not be stacked as they cannot withstand the extra pressure of weights over them. In self storage spaces only those boxes that contain heavy items should be stacked on the bottom for quality assurance that your things will be safe.

The boxes that are expected to be accessed less frequently should be placed in the remote corners of the storehouse. Those boxes that are expected to be accessed more frequently should be kept in the front side of the storehouses for easy accessibility. Stacking should be done according to the weight of the stacked boxes. Heavier boxes should be placed at the bottom while lighter boxes should be placed on the top of the stack. Items that are of abnormal shapes and sizes cannot be packed in boxes. While stacking one needs to understand the best ways to arrange these items.

The self storage spaces should be slightly larger than the size that is required to fit in the articles exactly. One might not want to pay for some extra area but it is always better to arrange the articles with some place in between them so that people can move about freely in between them. This makes accessing the items convenient and fast. Moreover, if one wants to store some more items later on, there will be place readily available for that.

If one does not know the size of the storehouse that is exactly appropriate for his choice he can always take the advice from storehouse experts and consultants. By coming to know the number, type and sizes of the articles that one needs to store, they can give an accurate estimate of the self storage spaces that are most suited for fulfilling his necessities. There are software applications also that will help out in determining the storehouses of the correct dimensions. While arranging items in storehouses one needs to concentrate on utilizing each and every bit of place available. 

St. Clair Shores Self Storage 

Taylor Self Storage

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

Tweet This Post 

One may not be able to decide upon the exact size of the self storage space that he might want to accommodate a given number of items of a given size. He should call up the firm from which he wants to hire a storehouse and ask the experts out there regarding the size of the storehouse that he should select for storing his items. The experts will readily provide information on the size of the storehouse that is ideal for storing a given number of items of given sizes. There are firms that run a twenty four hours helpline to answer the queries of their clients. One can call up these help lines either during the day or night time as per convenience and find out about the different amenities that are available.

The self storage space experts can guide the tenants in the type of storehouses that will suit their requirements. For example, if the tenant tells them the items that he wants to store in the storehouse, the experts can tell him if these items should be placed in zones with special features such as high security and environmental control. Good firms employ experts that have offered consultation to thousands of people and hence one can safely trust them in getting good advice.

Other than ask experts one can also visit the websites of firms that offer online guides for choosing storehouses of appropriate sizes and types. These guides will show the interiors of each type of storehouse that is available with the firm along with examples for easy understanding. One can see different types of items being fit into each and every self storage space and the number of items that can be accommodated in each one of them.

A small closet that one can walk in is perfect for storing small items such as small furniture, toys, summer and winter clothing, boxes and sundry household or office items. One can choose large closets for storing big household items such as couches, dressers or mattresses. One can also fit in some small or medium sized boxes along with all the big sized items. These storehouses are large enough to store bikes and motorcycles during the winter months. One can also place large equipment such as lawn mowers and patio furniture or snow blowers during the off season. A self storage space that is about seventy five square feet in size can hold all the items that generally belong to a single bedroom apartment or a studio. A storehouse that is about a hundred feet in size can hold the entire contents of a two bedroom home.

Kensington Self Storage

Laurel Self Storage

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

Tweet This Post 

Your local self storage unit provider in 3100 N Mannheim Franklin Park, IL. 60131

Quality Assurance Testing

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

Tweet This Post 

It happened to me! With little to no warning I found myself without a home. No fault of my own of course, my landlord decided to let the bank foreclose on the house I was renting without giving me ample warning to move out. So with only nine shopping days left until Christmas, and I have yet to do mine, I now need to find a home. Unfortunately three things are against me in doing so.

First, I am in Columbia Missouri and this time of the year it is cold and wet so there is an inconvenience I would rather not have. Second, this is the home of three major colleges and all the decent rentals are already taken until late Spring. Third moving is usually a planned expense and rather costly with rent, rent deposits and utility deposits as well as the cost of actually moving my belongings.

So now I am back to where I started, homeless, and I will have to knit sweaters to give as holiday presents, after I learn how to knit. So I now sit in that proverbial boat going up that proverbial creek without that proverbial paddle. What do I do? I call my best friend and after much crying for both of us she offers to put me up until I can find a place after the holidays. Perfect solution except… where do I put my earthly belongings?

Why self-storage of course! After all I am an expert at the business. I sell storage space all the time and even train others to do so. Cut and dry, black and white, pink and green, this will be a breeze. I thought. What I did not take in to account was the emotional part of this. I never thought this could happen to me. Me. Laura Dawn.

I am always the one helping others through these rough spots in life. Granted things could be much worse: no loss of life, no hurricane damage, no fire damages. I speak on a daily basis to at least one person who needs to store as a result of these misfortunes. I preach empathy to the people I train because someone going through these kinds of circumstances wants understanding not sympathy. I was praying that karma would in turn bless me with understanding people who want to help me reach a solution to my predicament. I did. Thank you karma!
Arlene and Jason, the management team at the local StorageMart our office is connected to, were more than willing and understanding to help solve part of my problem. Thanks to both of them and their efforts I am now a proud owner of a 10×10 storage unit with a nice new shiny lock on the door. I can spend time with my best friend and her family for a while until I can find a place. Once again life is good and all is well in my world. Thanks karma. Gotta go now, my knitting lesson is in half an hour and I’m learning to do a pair of mittens. What do you think, pink and green? Happy Holidays!

Laura Dawn

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

Tweet This Post 

I had the pleasure of visiting with two self storage insiders today who made the trip to COlumbia Missouri to visit our off-site sales center. We talked about how simple a business self storage appears to be. And we talked about how it may be simple, but it is not neccessarily easy. Some people make the mistake of thinking any simple business is easy and get involved without figuring out what they are doing. Other people make the msitake and think that wimple is the same as easy.

In self storage, you rent space month to month for people to put their things in. Yes it is that simple. But as in most projects, the devil is in the details and there are many complications involved.

It is probably the same in a lot of businesses. And I’m sure we all have stories about the people who thought they could run a simple business without figuring out the details.

bye for now,
Tron

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

Tweet This Post 

Today I am at a conference focused on marketing apartments. The apartment industry is starting to see a trend that I think storage people already understand, even if we don’t think about it every day. Self storage insiders look at average rent per customer, average ancillary sales per customer, average stay and other figures. Apartment professionals are realizing that these kinds of numbers are more important than they realized. They call it “Return on Customer” or ROC ( as oppossed to ROI). I have talked about the true value of a move-in and the true value of a new tenant many times. Now I know what to call this concept. It is a pretty neat term it gives you the visualization that each tenant is an investment which brings a return. That makes all the sense in the world.

So try looking at your customers this way. What returns in rent, products, referrals, good will and so on does each of your customers give you in return for the use of your storage space? Now look at ways you can increase those returns and add more new customers.

One of the other trends they discussed was the number of 18-24 year olds who are living at their parents’ homes becasue they cannot carry their student loans and apartment rent at the same time. This is a real opportunity for storage owners. These young people have stuff. Their parents have stuff. If they are all trying to live together, they need a storage unit to make it all work, don’t they?

Someone else said that the number one searched item on EBAY last year was “RV”. This means more peolpe are hoping to stay on the road part of the time. They will need to park their RVs when they are in their homes or apartments. And they will need storage when they are home or on the road.

Some interesting things to think about.

bye for now, Tron

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

Tweet This Post 

You may think your place is special and indeed it may be. But how do you get your prospective customers to agree with you? Take a look at how some other industries try to fight off becoming common. Many businesses private label all kinds of run-of the–mill products to try and set them apart. Some use celebrity endorsement to make themselves seem different.

Auto dealers have a problem because the same make and model is available at many dealerships. The pricing comparisons are on the internet. This makes it hard to get a customer to come into the dealership. As in storage, if you can get someone to come to the store, the chances of making a sale are great. Some car makers are mixing up and varying package options and discounts so much that you can’t just call the dealer and get a firm quote. You have to select a specific vehicle that the dealer runs a search on through their direct connection to the maker to check current discounts, incentives, etc. These incentives change from day to day, so you have to make your buying decision immediately to get the incentives on the exact model you want. I don’t’ know how well this plan is working. We’ll see if auto dealers expand this plan, change it, or drop it.

Many in the self storage industry use demand based pricing so that stores are changing rates almost every day depending on demand cycles. This can help create urgency, when trying to convince someone to come down and rent immediately. You have some unique features at your property that other people may not have. You certainly point these out to people.

I’d be curious to read how you try to set yourself apart and get people to come in and decide right away. Email me and tell me what works for you.

Bye for now,
Tron

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

Tweet This Post 

We know from experience that if a caller knows where the store is located and says that it is a convenient location, your odds of renting to him just doubled or even tripled. This is why we normally make a big deal out of the location when talking to callers and why we normally make sure they say they know how to find the store. In a case like this, we can do an instant review with reps and help reinforce the importance of not taking, “yeah, yeah” as enough of an answer.

We have also seen that people can be easily distracted. We started answering for another store about a year ago. Conversion rates on leads and reservations were going well. Then a new competitor built down the street a ways. We knew that a new competitor had built close by. But soon the conversion rates dropped dramatically. OK, so we went trouble shooting. We went through all the information we had on the store screen to make sure we knew the store well and were selling its best features. We made sure the follow-up program at the store was still sound. Then we uncovered the problem. The store staff had not given us a new set of driving directions after the competitor opened shop. We were directing people right past the new store. So some people were distracted by the new store and pulled in to check it out. They found it to their satisfaction and chose to rent there. Other people simply pulled into the new store by mistake and rather than admitting their mistake, they chose to rent at the competitor. As soon as we changed the directions to guide drivers the other way to the store, the conversion rates jumped back up to where they were supposed to be.

So be careful that people can find you and don’t end up at your competitor by mistake. We think taking a pre-paid credit card reservation has proven to be a great way to keep people from being distracted. But also make sure your directions take your prospects directly to you.

Make sure to come to the self storage blog on April 27th. We will have a special guest writer for that day’s submission. Bye for now, Tron

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

Tweet This Post