You may have come across an article last week proposing that traditional mass media advertising is the solution to your self-storage marketing problems. “Stop Whining and Start Acting (Literally): An Open Letter to Self-Storage Professionals,” by Randy A. Smith, was distributed widely in an email blast to industry professionals and published by Inside Self Storage in the On The OpSide blog.

We won’t completely disagree – TV and radio advertising may be effective in some instances. Saying mass media ads never work would only be myopic. However, the majority of evidence points to their decline. Look at the TV industry as a whole– stations are suffering because major companies continually slash their TV ad budget. Growth rates in TV advertising are less than 1% across the board, and in many cases, even hit negative percentages.

At the Storage Facilitator, we encourage self-storage operators to take advantage of marketing tools that work for modern audiences. So we want to explain why mass media might not be the singular answer. Using the power of the Internet to brand your company is a much more potent, flexible and affordable strategy.

It’s no secret that self-storage falls behind other industries in adopting technologies and adapting to changes in consumer trends. Smith’s broadly sweeping, all-or-nothing claim falls into the same traditionalist mindset that causes our industry to lag. The “Mass media always works” mentality is a slippery slope to backward sentiments like “Web marketing will never work for me” or “I don’t need to list my prices online, because customers always call.”

With even faster changes on the horizon, your self-storage company can only survive if you tout a philosophy of open-mindedness. Something we preach frequently on this blog deserves more emphasis now– your best bet is to experiment with different techniques and choose what works for you. If TV and radio ads fill all your units, then you’ve found your answer. If they don’t (or if you can’t afford those pricey ad spots), look to web marketing channels and reach potential tenants on their turf, on their terms.

Smith’s article argues that social media, facility events, SEO and search marketing have no branding power. But handled correctly, each of these is a powerful marketing tool. Dell makes millions using their Twitter account. California start-up Sevenly rose to success almost exclusively by blowing up social media channels. REITs like Public Storage succeed partly because they rank first for self-storage keywords in search results on engines like Google, where most consumers begin searches for local businesses. Our partner site SpareFoot hosted a party at an Austin storage facility during the South by Southwest festival, landing both the facility and SpareFoot a barrage of local media coverage.

Company executives recognize that mass media ad exposure is decreasing. People can easily skip advertisements while watching their favorite shows. They fast-forward through them using TiVo, and increasingly stream shows online through Netflix and Hulu. People also tune in to the radio less often now— they download music or stream it through free services like Pandora and Spotify. Most radio programming is also available for download through apps like iTunes.

Compare that to Internet exposure: A 2010 Forrester Research study showed that Americans spend just as much time on the Internet as they do watching TV. With a growth rate of121%, time spent on the Internet has since surpassed time spent watching TV. The gap only continues to widen.

Perhaps most crucially, online branding techniques are cheaper. Logistically speaking, low costs make it easier to optimize your advertising strategy through trial and error. Conversely, you really shouldn’t advertise on TV or radio unless you’re sure you’ll receive a good return on investment. Since buying TV and radio ads is incredibly expensive, you’re dealing with huge sunk costs. While popular storage auction show Storage Wars powerfully and easily shaped public perception of our industry, a huge margin exists between TV shows and TV advertising. For starters, shows like Storage Wars can fit within the pattern of increased Internet usage— many viewers stream episodes on the A&E website and Hulu.

In addition, consumers are simply getting smarter. They’re becoming harder to persuade with direct sales messages. Storage Wars’ primary purpose is to entertain, not to sell a product or service. What we can learn from the show is not that we desperately need to advertise on TV, but that we need to get smarter about marketing. Consumers more easily digest ads when they’re packaged with other messages of value. For example, you could start a unique storage blog or shoot campy YouTube videos starring your staff— if they’re fun to watch, they could go viral. Look at how Manhattan Ministorage has captivated a broad audience with its witty, topical, local-centric ads.

What about Smith’s personal success using mass media broadcast? After all, TV and radio ads work for his facility, even though it operates “in one of the poorest areas” of the state. But the fact that McAllen, TX is an impoverished small town is precisely what makes his facility an exception.

Geographically, McAllen’s broadcast area overlaps perfectly with Another Closet’s target audience. In a municipality as small as McAllen, viewers might see a local ad for a facility across town, and not mind the drive over to store their belongings. In any larger city, this becomes less of a possibility. Imagine living in Queens, and seeing an ad for a Manhattan facility on an NYC local news station. No matter how catchy the jingle might be, the customer will not make the hour-long trip. In larger metropolitan areas, broadcast audience and your target consumer group overlap less, diluting the effectiveness of TV and radio ads.

Furthermore, consumer behavior evolves less rapidly in smaller towns, so traditional mass media can work well here for the time being. But even in these places, consumers will eventually adopt behaviors that render traditional broadcasting near-obsolete. A simple, functional, search-optimized website, and claimed listings on Google Places and other directories are the “right now” of marketing.

We agree with Smith’s point that capturing “tomorrow’s customer” should be every owner’s long-term vision. But a single-minded strategy isn’t prudent— consumers have changed enough over the past ten years, so who knows how they will in ten more? The best way to modernize your branding approach is to be open-minded, forward-thinking and creative. Then, take action and show the world how essential and compelling self-storage can be.

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

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1. Integrity. Of all personal traits, perhaps integrity is the single most important. Effective self storage management comes from an individual who has integrity in all that they do. They are honest and up front in their dealings with others, whether they are speaking with customers, employees or the owners of the company. When you find someone within your ranks who displays this sense of honesty, personal power and integrity, move them up the corporate ladder, for they will be invaluable to your business. As the manager of a facility is alone a great deal of the time while on the property, it is this integrity which will motivate them to look for new and better ways to do the job that they already excel at.

2. A knack for sales. It may not seem like the business of storing things requires much selling, but that is a misconception. In fact, with the competition ever mounting on all sides, the primary responsibility of self storage management is to make the sale when given the opportunity. It is not enough to simply give a tour of the facility now and then. What is required is an ability to promote the facility and its benefits and close the deal. After all, the monthly payments are what keep the lights on and the people employed. Now, more than ever, the ability to represent the company in such a way as to provide potential customers with the impetus to sign on the dotted line is key.

3. A team player. Many facilities offer retail stores, and often more than one employee is present. Someone who fulfills the role of self storage management will recognize that no matter what their individual job responsibilities are, they are working as a part of a team that, when firing on all cylinders and working together, has the potential for ultimate success. Someone who is not receptive to suggestions, or who has an overly inflated sense of self importance, is not necessarily a good candidate for a person who needs to work well with everyone on the team and to play nice in the sandbox, as the saying goes.

4. Great customer service. A candidate for exceptional self storage management is someone who has mastered the art of customer service. Great customer service skills involve true listening and thoughtful response, whether one is interacting with an actual customer or the mail carrier. It is that ability to make the person with whom you are interacting feel as if they are the only ones who matter to you at the moment. Great customer service wins business, and builds trust and loyalty.

5. Positive attitude. In the end, great self storage management will posses a characteristic that, once fully developed, can inadvertently spawn all of the previous characteristics. Having a positive attitude is much more than just pretending that everything is hunky dory. A positive attitude reduces stress and dissolves the negative emotions of anger, hostility, blame and resentment that tend to wreak havoc within the ranks of employees. Being happy and positive about life will carry great self storage management through the good times as well as the rough times, setting a great example for other employees to follow.

Woodland Hills Self Storage

Canada Self Storage

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

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The reputed companies are dedicated to their clients to provide honest and reliable self storage management service. The companies have expertise in the following area.

• If you are new to this industry, the company will help you to build up the new construction of the storing units and to start up property management functionalities associated to your business.

• If you are already into this business, the company will do an analytical study to find out the proper value of your business, and then suggest ways to enhance the value.

• The company will take responsibility to fix up loss due to vacancy and distressed properties.

• The self storage management company will offer you marketing and advertising service for your warehouse. Without proper marketing strategy, no business can become successful.

• The company is also liable to design a suitable, mind blowing image and logo for your storing company.

• They will find out the market feasibility of your business, and suggest recommendations accordingly.

• Finally, as told earlier, the company is fully responsible for any kind of management service to make your business profitable.

Owners having multiple self storing properties might consider them quite capable of self storage management and thus can save the fee amount related to the professional company. However, there are several reasons for which an owner can rethink on this issue.

• A good management company is capable of generating more revenues than the owner, as it has sufficient amount of experience and has a specific knowledge set just on this issue.

• Being a successful owner, you might invest your time in gathering more properties, by leaving the responsibility of day to day operations of each and every storing center on the management company. This way, you can increase more on your investment and get back good returns.

• A self storage management company can save you from taking any devastating decision unknowingly on your business. The company will minimize your exposure to major risks like faulty sales or disposal lawsuits etc.

• Normally, the companies follow some unique management techniques to provide time to time adjustments of lease rates based on conversion rates. This will definitely maximize the revenues of your business.

• The companies are capable of generating more leasing inquiries than the owner and they are able to convert at least 75 per cent inquiries into leasing contracts.

• Finally, fully trained staffs will always be at your service to provide you best solution for any administrative problem. The reputed companies maintain a low ratio of properties to supervisor, so that at any point of time you receive the right service from them.

So El Monte Self Storage

Sonoma Self Storage

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

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It is advantageous to have a self storage management organization to manage your self storing facility than hiring a stand alone manager. This is not for the reasons that they are unskilled, but this is for the reason that when you have a manager appointed from a company you usually have the back-up of the entire management company to look after your job. Sometimes the big companies appoint independent managers, but they have the resources to take care of the other aspects by hiring the related professionals. There is a chance that you are still doubtful about the integrity of a professional firm be assured that the management companies are professionals and managing is their business. So when you appoint a management firm for your business, be sure that they will do their job as they also have a reputation at stake.

The first job of any self storage management organization is increasing the revenue of the company they are engaged in. Many a times the company looks after the management of a number of facilities at the same time. It depends from company to company how many will be managed by a manager at a time. The good companies usually restrict the number to a few as they pay more attention to the daily activities of a facility and do not want to overburden the managers. An advantage of these firms is that they can spend more time in personal contacts with your staff and guide them in the daily management of the units.

The self storage management organization does not take part in the operations of the facility but acts as a coach or guide. They devise plans to improve your revenues and to implement these plans they interact with your staff to coach them for the purpose. Your staff does as they say and you are supposed to get increased profit. While your staff does the daily work the management people you employed do the thinking. They refer changes in operation in line with the latest developments and needs as well as see to it that your units do not go empty. It does not need elaboration that empty units mean loss of revenue.

To engage the self storage management organization you will have to enter into contracts. These are generally yearly contracts that can be renewed at the end of the term if you want the company to continue. Sometimes you can also engage a firm for one time evaluation of your business and then plan your operations accordingly. For a fee you can get advice on various aspects of your business like the staffing, image building, pricing, sales and marketing and even increasing general operating efficiency. If you are thinking of a venture into self storing business, you can just give a knock on the door of the managing companies.

Rancho Cucamonga Self Storage

Rancho Santa Margarita Self Storage

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

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Self storage software is developed with the view of ease of use. You do not need to be a master or even an expert in computers to be able to run such software. But at the same time you are getting a host of very important applications for your storing company that will simply increase the efficiency of your site as well as improve your business. This has been achieved by the various user friendly interfaces used by the various software development companies. This translates into the fact that you can achieve all that you want from the software by simply making some clicks with the button of the mouse.

The most valuable use of the self storage software has been in the field of managing the storing units. Earlier the log books and registers kept a record of vacant and filled up position of the units and it meant rummaging through the fat registers to find a vacant unit. The alternate method was using the peg board to have an overall view of the availability of the units. Still it needed enough effort to find out and rent out the suitable unit. Nowadays the software has made the task easy and more efficient. It not only gives a ready reference for the vacancy position but also gives the details of the occupancy including the rate of hiring, units where the rent is due and the due date of rents for such units.

The self storage software uses a database management system as the design. This means that you can access all the required data and also use them for calculations and similar purposes whenever you want. Additions to this database and upgradation of the existing data are not a big job and anyone of the employees can do this. The software are usually access controlled so that the people looking after a certain department can get hold of or modify only that data that they need to work with. The software saves time and energy and results in more efficient management of the facility. Some software even use graphical interface for ease of use.

The more complicated self storage software cost more but gives many additional features. But the small operators hardly need these features. These are designed for the large operators having many facilities spread all over the country. These are designed to handle automatic payments, customized billing like monthly billing, part billing, annual billing, etc. and even incorporating the transactions from these facilities to the broader accounting software they use. The most important thing that can be said about all the software, costly or cheap, and that is with such software you can always have a peep into the condition of your business at any time of the year without waiting for the end of the accounting quarters.

Palm Springs Self Storage

Palmdale Self Storage

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

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The first feature that any self storage facility will have is the high perimeter fence or wall. They are also quite strong to prevent any ramming from outside with the intention to break them. So you have that security that nobody will normally enter through that way. This security fencing is often supplemented by patrolling guards who patrol the facility round the clock. This not only ensures that no one from the outside can break in. It also ensures that the users of the storing units do not resort to any means that may harm the interest of the other users of the facility. Sometimes this feature may not be that prominent in the small facilities but the bigger facilities usually always have such guards.

The manual surveillance is the age old time-tested form of protection of property and has been there for ages. But with the advent of electronics the electronic surveillance system is catching up and it has now become the norm of surveillance for every self storage facility . Round the clock surveillance is done on each and every facility with the help of surveillance cameras. All the activities going on in the facility is recorded and analyzed by the security personnel who keep a constant vigil with these aids. To ensure that the security continues on the same level even after dark the facilities are and should be well lit. Well lit means that the storing units should be visible to the security personnel and all activities around them can be monitored.

The access is also an important part of the security system of any self storage facility . Access is usually given to anyone up to the office. But to get to the storing units you should have identification. If a facility does not have any such system, then it cannot be told that it is a facility with the best of security. Such access controlled facility removes the chances of entry of any unauthorized person which in turn means that if, by any chance anything unacceptable happens, then it will be easy to identify the person or persons responsible for the incident. Remember that it is not a ware house where you are storing your articles. A warehouse has the responsibility of safekeeping your articles but a self storing facility cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to your article as the law says so.

The final form of security lies in your hand and that is insurance. It is true that if you lose something invaluable, it cannot be replaced by any insurance, but the material value can be recouped to some extent. Do not feel that your household insurance will cover the goods as you are storing them outside your home. If at all they are covered then the premium will get much higher. So it is better to have a separate insurance for the articles, which are stored in a self storage facility , and this is much cheaper to buy.

Concord Self Storage

Corona Self Storage

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

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A steel mini storage building can be easily erected at any place. One can buy the pre-engineered panels and assemble them at the site to make a steel storehouse very conveniently and in a less amount of time. After that the storehouse can be made available for usage in a short duration of time. People opt for steel storehouses these days because the ease of installation gives them the advantage of saving up on the expenditure that is incurred on getting it constructed by professionals. The individual parts can be assembled easily without professional help.

The instructions given for construction in the kits are usually very clear and are enough for one to follow and construct his mini storage building on his own. The construction cost can be reduced up to 60 percent in comparison to the costs incurred for constructing concrete or wooden structures. Steel is cheaper than wood and other materials and hence is ideal for those who want to invest economically on storehouses. Steel gives one the advantage of making modular constructions. The existing constructions can be easily modified. New features can be added without disturbing the existing structures.

A major advantage with steel storehouses is that they are resistant to inclement weather conditions. They can withstand stormy conditions. As they are coated with a protective layer of paint, they are not rusted due to atmospheric moisture. As a steel mini storage building is very sturdy it does not easily get damaged or cracked. Usually steel storehouses survive stress for some years before succumbing to the damaging effects of the environment. Pests also do not affect steel storehouses as much as they do wooden storehouses.

Steel storehouses are easier to maintain than wooden storehouses and hence maintaining them is a cheap affair. They can be cleaned easily and repainted whenever necessary. There is no question of the paint peeling off. Another big advantage of steel storehouses is that it is fire resistant. Wooden storehouses are highly susceptible to damage by fire. Steel storehouses are made up of recycled material and this is an environment friendly move. Wood is obtained by destroying greenery and hence is not an environment friendly material.

By opting for a steel mini storage building one can get greater insurance benefits than by opting for other items. This is because it is resistant to fire, and damaging effects of the environment in comparison to wooden storehouses. The premiums are also very low. One can save from 30 to 40 percent on the premiums with steel constructions. They can be aesthetically constructed to the desire of the user.

Chandler Self Storage

Cottonwood Self Storage

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

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• The low building and management costs and low monetary loss on failure are the main factors that are attracting a lot of investors. 

• Starting a storing project venture is very easy. You do not need to put in a lot of money and resources in maintaining the storehouses. But one needs to always put in a lot of effort in making the business successful. The self storage business is potentially very fetching. Even though the investment is pretty low, you still need to put in some financial resources of yours. This venture requires investment of resources and time along with money on this.

• Investing on the storehouses is always better than investing on real estate because of the lower investment costs.

• It is always essential to conduct a market survey for potential clientele before venturing to set up storehouses in specific areas. The places where there is a possibility of getting a good number of renters prove to be profitable for the investor.

• You should always set up the self storage business at prime locations of the city or town. The site for your venture should be well connected to the rest of the city and should be near residential areas so that people can easily transport their belongings from their houses to the storehouses. Areas with high visibility and in the vicinity of important areas of the city are always preferable. When it comes to compromising between location and price, it is always better to choose a good location even though it is expensive. A new investor can always take the advice of experts to decide on the land that he should invest on for his venture.

Places where there is a lot of competition are not ideal for fresh investors of the self storage business as there is a very low chance of their getting any good client response. It is always better to invest in areas where there is no competition for at least three to four kilometers in the surrounding areas.

• After choosing a suitable location one needs to decide upon the size of the land that he should buy. He should also decide upon the amenities that he is going to provide for the items that he stores. Nowadays, the firms that provide storehouses usably offer environmental regulation and security measures. They provide storehouses with good lighting. The self storage business experts can give a clear idea about the most appropriate amenities that are required for storing different types of items. The storehouses that store furniture need to be stored at different conditions of temperature and humidity than the ones that store food items.

• The layout of the storehouse building should be carefully designed by specialist architects. A storehouse that is well designed and equipped with the most useful features gets a huge client response. This will also save up on the repairs and maintenance costs in future.

Brentwood California Storage

Local Brentwood California Storage

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

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One should be able to correctly assess the storing unit that is most appropriate for his needs. A small sized storing unit might seem to be a cheaper option than a larger one. But later on it might so happen that all the belongings are not actually fitting into the small unit at one go. In such a case the truck carrying the possessions might have to make more than a single trip resulting in the renter shelling out more money for the trips. Hence it is advisable for the renter to make accurate estimations of his requirements. The self storage rates of all the different units along with the transportation costs should be considered at the time of estimations.  

The rents of the storing units depend upon the quality of the units if they are of the same size. Metallic storing units are quite costly as they are very durable and offer the best protection possible. Even the rents of wooden storing units are high as they are pretty sturdy. One should assess the features that are to be present in their storing units depending upon the type of material that they are storing in a particular unit. The self storage rates depend on the extra protective features present in the storing units. Some of the items might require climate control features due to which the rent of the unit might rise. If a sophisticated locking mechanism is a must, then one must be prepared to shell out some extra money for the extra security feature.

The rental charges of the storing units depend upon the protection the unit provides against environmental pollution. Air tight rubber gasket sealing around the doors prevents dust from entering the storing unit. Similarly measures should be taken to keep the units free of pests and rodents. This can be done by spraying chemicals or using steel containers. The self storage rates will prove to be high when these and other such features are included.

If a storing unit is having any leakages or cracks the units should be repaired and sealed. They should be cleaned regularly and maintained well. Some companies offering storing units offer to conduct twenty four hour supervision on the storing places. Some of the rooms are equipped with video cameras to ensure that no thieving or tampering takes place. Some of the buildings in which the units for storing are housed may be providing protection against environmental hazards like earthquakes and floods. In such a case the self storage rates may be high. In flood prone areas the storing units in the top floor of the building might be priced higher than the ones in the lower floors.

The companies will have different schemes of payment for the storing units. The renters might have to pay on a monthly or a term wise basis. The renter can avail of insurance facilities provided by the company on the storing units. 

Montgomery Alabama Storage

Local Montgomery Alabama Storage

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

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There are plenty of companies, who will provide you the service to build a mini storage building . They will customize the building to be a perfect fit to your land arrangement. Generally the building width varies from 10 to 60 feet and unit width to 15 feet. You may have a sloping roof along with unit stepping for inclined land. This type of structure makes the units adaptable at any climate. These pre designed structures are going to be strong, sturdy, secured and durable. You can customize them according to your choice making them to look attractive to attract more and more customers.

It is advisable to use steel as the main material for the mini storage building structure. Steel has many advantages compared to other materials like wood. A steel construction is erected faster, so that you can start the center as soon as possible. It saves up to 60 per cent on your construction and material price. You can always add new extensions to the existing facility, without any interruption to your business. You do not have to face any cracking or rotting problem with steel. This is also safe from pest and insects. There is no fire hazards associated to steel. The materials are fully recycled, thus you are also preserving the nature by not using wood from forests.

If you use steel as a building material for your mini storage building , you can save up to 40 per cent on the insurance premium. It is very easy to keep the units clean and dry. Usually, you will get 25 years warranty for repairing purpose. You can also save money to maintain the ideal storing condition. Steel also guarantee you the security of the stored materials. Once the building is erected, you can have beautiful surface textures and colors to apply on. Your customer will feel comfortable to keep their things at a unit which is built of steel.

Select an experienced construction agency to build your mini storage building . Keep your surveyed property plot plan handy for their requirement. You need to make a deposit on the fee, before they start looking into your project. The cost of construction will depend on the size and complexity of your project. If you are planning to build a large storing facility, better to hire a construction manager. He will look into each and every module until the building is completed.

You will find lots of construction companies, if you search online. Free instant building design is also available at their websites. You can also quote to calculate the cost of your project. At the website, you have the privilege to choose from more than 500 different type of building kit sizes and design arrangement. Once you finalize the company they will ship the drawings and plan as early as possible. The material will be shipped no later than one week.

RV Storage in Miami

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

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Whatever may be your experience, it needs no introduction that you will need a mini storage building to start your business and it should be reliable enough to make people rely on you. The attractiveness of the business lies in the strategic location of the buildings and low marketing cost supplemented with a strong marketing plan. The better this combination the better is the business. The vital installation, the building, needs to be properly planned and constructed to maximize profit and a good building contractor can do wonders with this.

Steel has become the most popular of all the building materials and almost every mini storage building is being made with steel these days. There are the prefabricated buildings and the custom made buildings. The prefabricated ones are gaining popularity not only in construction of the storing facilities but also a wide range of constructions like industrial, institutional, commercial and recreational buildings. The prefabricated structures can be used for covering large spans and high walled facilities. Moreover, if you are considering building your storing facility in a new location where construction is a difficult proposition, the transportability of the prefabricated portions makes it an ideal construction option. Finally, the construction involves minimal labor costs and this makes the building cost effective.

With a mini storage building made of prefabricated portions, the return on investment will be faster. If you already have a running business and thinking of remodeling or expanding then you can opt for the prefabricated portions. The contractors are not only the installers but nowadays they are also the planners and managers for the self storing units. The contractors start from discussing with the owners about the matters relating to efficiency and security. Then they look after the access control and design the exit and entry to facilitate convenience of the customers. Then comes the matter of lighting and electrical connections so that it maintains both efficiency and aesthetics. After going through all these they take up the construction.

A mini storage building made of steel comes with a lot of features like long-time warranty on roof and construction and workmanship. The bright colors that you see on the walls are long lasting too and are guaranteed for quite a long period. The facilities can also be insulated to provide for climate controlled units. There are various types of insulation that can be fitted on the prefabricated buildings. So when you decide on the use of prefabricated steel structure to construct your storing facility you do not miss out on the conventional construction but rather gain with the quick installation and almost immediate start up of your business.

Self Storage in Chicago

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

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

Your local self storage unit provider in 1601 Twilight Trail Frankfort, KY. 40601

Quality Assurance Management at Total Quality Assurance Services

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

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There are many challenges that self storage owners have to deal with on a day to day basis. One of the great things about the self storage business is the fact that people in self storage like to be helpful to each other. Every meeting of owners, operators and managers is really a big idea exchange, networking event and best practices forum. A lot of other industries are not like this. I have been involved in other industries where people did not talk to each other and would never swap best practices ideas.

State and local associations have been great places for this gathering and sharing of experience to take place. Traveling a few hours to discuss business for a half a day is a lot easier than spending several days and traveling far to a big conference.

In the past, state associations have had some participation from the most interested owners and some states have assembled enough members to have viable associations. Even if a state is big enough and generates enough membership dues to hire a director or an association management firm, it has been tricky to get to the next level of participation. There are so many self storage owners, operators and managers who do not participate in state activities and meetings.

The same thing happens on a national level. As an example, Canadian self storage operators have tried working together many times, but without a steady flow of national issues to motivate them, their efforts have mostly been on a local or provincial level.

The USA’s SSA went through many years of struggling with membership numbers in the 70s and 80s until it reached a threshold of momentum.

In many cases participation doesn’t jump up a notch until someone in a government body wants to target self storage for a bill or regulation that would have a negative impact. Then everyone gets the hair on the back of their necks up and throws in a few dollars to campaign against the bill or regulation. Sometimes associations have been able to carry this momentum past the initial battle to grow the organization. Other times interest from members tails off.

The self storage association has tried a few times in the past to rally the states and other nation associations together to take advantage of the combined synergies. For whatever reason, the past efforts never quite came together. But this time it is happening.

The self storage association created an Affiliated Associations Council and created a long list of benefits for the state associations and state members to create a win-win-win situation. The association went so far as to hire Kathie St. Clair as the director of association relations. She has done similar work for other associations in the past. She is responsible for making sure the states and the national organizations are working together to everyone’s benefit.

So far she has made a lot of great things happen. I expect more is on the way.

So far there are 17 or 18 state associations and the Canadian self storage association in the affiliated council. These affiliated associations are able to sell SSA materials, advertise in SSA outlets and take advantage of SSA’s buying power in the areas of health insurance, web site development, membership drives and event planning. The group is also working together in watching developments in the legislative and regulatory realm. In return, the SSA requires that the affiliated associations do not compete against the SSA in areas where the SSA is active, such as events, training certifications and publications.

I have a personal interest in the developing relationship between the affiliated associations and the SSA. I was named the chair of the Affiliated Associations Council for 2006. As in anything else I get involved with, I want to see the Council become successful. Success in this case means several things.

1. Helping more associations affiliate with the SSA. Any state or national association is eligible. There are many states without an active association that might take advantage of this opportunity to build an active membership. There are many countries in the world that are seeing self storage blossom as a business and might see the affiliation as a way to help continue to grow and prosper.
2. Help the affiliated associations build and run their associations. It takes a lot of time, effort and expense to get any association humming and the help that SSA can offer and the help that other associations can offer should really give a boost to everyone.
3. Help owners, operators and managers get the information, assistance and contacts they need to accomplish their individual business goals. Getting more resources and more chances to share experience to more people means a better industry for everyone.

It looks like the momentum that the SSA has created for itself along with the significant numbers of active people in the affiliated associations will create the atmosphere that many have hoped for over the years. If you are not participating in or supporting your local associations, I urge you to do so. It takes a little time. But the contacts and ideas you will share will be more than worth the time, effort and expense. Self storage is becoming more and more of a business that requires attention and innovation. It is no longer a matter of only getting the building up and the sign lit. There are lots of interested and helpful people ready to share their experiences and practices with you. All you have to do is to show up and start visiting.

More info is available at www.selfstorage.org

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

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I had a client talk to me today about the size of July’s PhoneSmart invoice.

Occasionally in the summer busy months a store that sends us a ton of phone calls looks at a decent sized invoice. Most stores send us about 50-70 phone calls in the busy season per month, which means they don’t spend a whole lot, but they rent a lot of units. This makes us a super investment. Where a store sends us two or three times the volume, the invoice starts looking large. Although the number of rentals we create also increases by two or three fold and one of two things happens. Either the client thinks about sending us roses because we rent so many units, or the client calls to see how to lower the PhoneSmart invoices.

The problem is that someone has to answer the phone calls to the store, unless you don’t want new renters. Now if you are at 98% physical occupancy and 99% economic occupancy, you might not care about the phone. Or if you get 90% of your new customers from walk-ins and drive-ups who do not call on the phone first before they come in to rent, you might also not care about the phone. For the rest of you, someone has to answer the phone. So you have to do the math to see who you want to pay to answer the calls.

Here are a few things to consider as you are doing the math. The question becomes a matter of shifting dollars you are paying us to payroll. You might also consider that on average we are creating more leads and reservations per phone calls than store staff. This may not be true in your case. But this does often make it more tempting to let us handle more calls, as we tend to net more rentals per calls.

Do you pay additional staff dollars and payroll costs to decrease your PhoneSmart invoice?

Do the PhoneSmart dollars amount to a lower cost of acquisition of new business when all things are considered?

Don’t forget to enter our contest to win a registration for the Self Storage association conference in September. It will include a dinner with our PhoneSmart crew. All you need to do is send me an email with the names of three people who have submitted a blog to this self storage blog site. I will draw at random form all the entrants.

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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Today is the day that the beast wakes up. All the work and preparation for a busy season that you and we have been making are going to be called into action today. Our call volume day got off to a mediocre start early this morning and then a few minutes ago, the flood gates opened and the calls started rolling in like crazy. This whole week will be busy and next week will be very crazy. If you are not ready, it may be too late.

Are you prepared with stafing levels? Have you gotten all your promo materials out? If you are working on occupancy, do you have some good specials available? If you are pushing revenue, are your rates up high enough? Do you have plans to increase street rates by the middle of next week if you need to? Do you have us answering your missed calls?

Last year, the last day of July and the first Monday of August were our two busiest days of the year. This year the 31st falls on a Sunday and the 1st is a Monday. Look out. This means call volume increasing events are overlapping.

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 wrote yesterday how all our call reps get a little down this time of July when the “good” calls dry up for a little while. One of our best reps went an entire shift without getting a single credit card reservation today. He was astounded. He is normally in the top 3-4 slots for the top dog of the day. He even gets reservations on a snowy day in January. I told him this is exactly what I was writing about in the self storage blog yesterday. He was glad to be reminded that next week will be better and then it will get very good by the 18th. He got so few actual rental inquiries today and most of his rental inquiries were for far out in the future or were from people who did not have a credit card available.

I also told him it was good to get a “bad” day out of your system when the quality of calls is sub-par. Everyone has an off day from time to time. So it is better to have an off day when the phones aren’t sending you good calls to work with anyway.

These kinds of experiences are what separate the good sales people form the pretenders. The good ones like the fellow I am talking about let a day like this roll off their backs like water flowing off the back of a duck. The pretenders get mad and sulk.

In the same vein, the good reps don’t get overly impressed when they have a good day or even a great day. This is because they know selling is a roller coaster ride. In order to maintain your sanity you have to keep from crying when you strike out and keep from getting over-joyed when you hit the long ball. You survive by staying level headed and swinging with your best effort at every ball that gets close to the strike zone. You also know that even great hitters go 0 for 5 some days.

Next week the balls will be getting closer to the strike zone again.

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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We are taking some time to examine how consumer behavior towards self storage is changing and/or staying the same. When we started five years ago, nost callers started by saying, “I need to store my stuff. What do I do?”. About two and a half years ago we saw the balance was shifting towards an opening question like this: “How much is a storage unit?”

We are starting to see a change. More and more people are asking first: “Do you have any specials?”

We still get some people who say they need to store and ask for help figuring out what they need. We still get plenty of people who lead off the conversation with a price question. But if the trend continues, the specials question may become the majority.

I know that people in the apartment home business are sensitive to this quesiton. It has been the prevailing question of callers for some time, as overbuilding and the unprecendented rise in home ownership has put pressure on the apartment industry. Their situation is a little different, as amenities mean a lot more to an apartment renter than a storage renter. You might disagree, but you are a little more particular when you are going to live somewhere as oppossed to just leaving your belonings somewhere. Apartment leasing pros still do not have a graet way to get someone enthused about renting with them without a special offer.

The fact that people ask about specials may mean that there are enough newer and luxurious storage facilities in most markets, that they are all starting to look alike and the newness and the neat features are less interesting than they were two years ago. It may mean that people are doing more “shopping around” than they used to and whoever they talked to earlier made it seem like the special is the “Thing”. I know some large companies work very hard to promote its specials. Maybe they have been successful enough that callers are conditioned to look for specials.

Whichever the case may be, you have to give buyers what they want. We certainly have more success creating leads and reservations for stores that give us specials to offer.

How does this fall into play with how we revamp our selling proceedures?

Tell me your thoughts about specials.

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 visited a site the other day that was brand spankin’ new and looked beautiful. The site was nice, the office was professional and had that retail feel we all seek. I looked at the rent rates and found they were twice the competition, which was all first generation and unimpressive. The first phase of the site was almost full and the second phase was just starting construction. If you were calling around for prices, you might be tempted to go to the old first generation site and rent. If you toured the two, you would forget the old site and rent at the new site, even if it was twice the rent.

A site like this has a challenge with phone traffic. Our job is to figure out how to paint a picture of the site, so callers can see and feel the differences over the phone. Our job is to get price out of the caller’s mind and get them excited about new , clean, well-lit, state of the art security, great customer service and easy location.

What I don’t know is the cost basis of the old site vs. the new site. The old site may be very profitable and have very low expenses. It may be a wonderful business on paper. But what is its long term potential? Will there always be room for a “low end, low service” product? Will consumers become so used to nice and new that the old and unimpressive sites become empty? What is the long term potential of the new site? How far can you push rents without hurting profitability? Are we seeing market segmentation? Where there used to be just self storage, is there now beginning to be high-end and economy?

These are the questions you see people asking themselves on either end of the spectrum. What are your thoughts?

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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When you look at the numbers of users and the number of self storage facilities per capita, Europe looks pretty good as a place to do business. Of course, going to a country you are not that familiar with and adjusting to new regulations, new ways of doing things and new customs, makes things a little more interesting and challenging than you might like. You owe it to yourself to take a closer look at Europe. It is developing as an economic powerhouse.

I am going to take advantage of a seminar given by the European Union Center at the University of Missouri, Columbia. On June 9 and 10, The EU Center will hold a trade forum in Kansas City focused on helping small and medium sized companies do business with EU countries. It seems to be geared more toward export industries, but I guess you can consider Self Storage to be an export. The US has been a leader for the last 25 years, even though recently several European operators have been putting their own stamp on the storage business model. European companies continue to look to the US for hints and patterns to use in their models. For more information go to www.eu.missouri.edu .

For those of you who watch call volume patterns, this Memorial Day weekend was pretty much what we expected and today is very nice, We had our year-to-date best half hour period of phone calls this morning. I hope some of those leads and reservations went to you.

Don’t forget to enter the contest to win a Gold registration package for the Miami ISS conference in October.

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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“To stop learning is to stop growing.”

Did you know that there are now 46,883 self storage and mini storage facilities in the United States? Well, according to the Self Storage Association’s new National Facilities Database, that’s true. Perhaps the most interesting impressive number is that 38,600 of these facilities have been built in the last 20 years. In fact, 6,730 facilities have opened their doors in just the last two years! If my math is correct, that means that 280 new facilities open somewhere across the nation every month. Now some of these facilities might have just 4 units, while others might have 1,400 units; but square footage aside…

That’s what I call development! That’s industry growth!

Industries can go through cycles of boom and bust. And it’s true that no two regions of the country are the same. Point in fact: people are leaving the Northeast and Midwest and are moving to the South and the Southwest. Thus, there are great regional differences that must be read into any data.

Self storage has been on a development and growth “tear” for the better part of the last 30 years. Thus, the question arises, “are we overbuilt?” The answer is both yes and no.

I believe it is fair to say that the industry cannot keep this same rate of growth and national pace of development at the current rates for too much longer. At some point such growth would have to affect occupancy, revenues and net operating income. In some markets that effect is taking place right now.

I’ve heard many owners and operators say that the secret to future growth for self storage is penetration – more American households starting to use self storage for the first time. Well, that too has already taken place. In the last ten years (1994-2004) American households have increased their usage of self storage. A decade ago, one in seventeen American families (6%) rented a self storage or mini-storage unit; today, one in eleven (9%) rents a storage unit. That represents an increase of 50 percent in just ten years. So ask yourself is there really much room left for growth via penetration. Some would say “sure.” Others might not.

According to the data contained in the Self Storage Association’s new ”Self Storage Demand Study – 2004 Edition,” it can be interpreted that those markets where there is genuine population growth still have room for development and the construction of new facilities. However, in those markets where there is negative population growth (say the “Rust Belt” states), the negative impacts of saturation are likely to set in all too soon.

According to Dr. George Leon of National Analysts Research & Consulting (the firm commissioned by SSA to conduct the Self Storage Demand Study) – “…there are some signs – and definitely concerns – that we may be exhausting pent-up demand and that new starts are trailing in some markets.”

All this leads to the conclusion that our industry is maturing. Fewer and fewer of us will be able to stand in a cornfield and hear a voice saying, “Build it and they will come.”

I’ve heard corporate CEOs say, “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Growth is vital to a business; but planning for growth just for growth’s sake can be risky.

From this point forward all the new the data is pointing to the inevitable conclusion that owners and investors in self storage must make smarter and wiser decisions regarding growth based on more and more due diligence.

In the short term, self storage organizations should no longer have a knee-jerk reaction to the concept of growth that says “let’s develop…let’s build from the ground up.” There are other options to ground-up development and each of us must all take a good, close, objective look at each of them.

The next time your accountant or banker asks about the future growth of your business, you can lay out some options. Ask yourself: (1.) is it time to divest or sell? If you’re on the cusp of retirement maybe this should be considered; (2.) is it time to expand? – perhaps vertically if you are on “good dirt” but limited horizontally; (3.) is it time to acquire – someone else’s “dog” could end being a “cash cow” for a sharp operator; (4.) is it time to diversify? A new retail storefront or an added car wash or some other revenue stream could help you grow if you’ve got room; (5.) is it time to take on a refurbishment? Is there a vacant building in your market that just begs to be a self storage facility; or, (6.) is it really time to build? If population in your market is still truly growing then perhaps ground-up development is the right growth option for you.

No one knows your market like you do (or like you should).

Just remember, business growth can come in many forms. Think about it. Do your research and due diligence and you’ll make a much more enlightened decision as to growth. Don’t rely on industry clichés and habits. Never stop learning. Your industry is certainly changing, the business environment is certainly changing and the market is certainly changing. Change your approach to growth decision-making. Keep on top of it all. Keep learning.

And oh…by the way…the Self Storage Association has many educational programs and two new studies that might help you to evaluate which way to go. Go to our Web site: www.selfstorage.ORG and consider attending a Conference, Seminar or Workshop or buying the “Self Storage Demand Study – 2005 Edition” and the “Financial & Operational Characteristics of Self Storage Facilities – 2005 Edition.”

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

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Our call volume is cooperating nicely with our projections. Yesterday was one of the best days of the year. We will start seeing record breaking year to date call volume each Monday from here on. The percentage of reservations to calls is growing as well. The rental season is here.
Tune in next time. 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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