https://youtu.be/_vIWtRf7X-w There are a lot of good self storage management software packages out there. Most of them are very good. Over the years I have used three different programs and, for the most part, I haven’t been disappointed with any of them. That’s why I...
It’s a brave new self storage world out there, especially in marketing. When I first got in the business on December 31, 1999, over 80% of our new customers came from Yellow Pages ads. Remember those? The last yellow page ad I ran was in 2013 and the cost per new...
Do you sell retail items in your self storage facility? I think you're missing the boat if you don’t put a real focus on retail sales. I know, I know…you're in the business of renting units and selling retail items or renting trucks is a hassle that takes you away...
I hate companies that have a computerized, punch-in-the –last-name-with-your-key-pad answering systems phone systems. I hang up. Unless I have no choice but to deal with them - like the phone or cable company. And then I hate it even more. By the time I finally get...
I’m going to do it! I am going to get an SBA loan. https://youtu.be/4apBnCm-nmA I don’t care where you are in growing your self storage business; if you are getting bank loans as opposed to non-recourse CMB loans, it can be tough. Sometimes the more...
“Have self storage stabilized occupancy rates gone up?” At the Inside Self Storage Convention, I heard that question asked more than once. https://youtu.be/p3mzPONLKYg The quick answer is YES. For the first time in the history of this industry, all the REITS are above...
“How long can this expansion of self storage last?” “Is there a self storage bubble forming now?” Those seemed to be the questions on everyone’s mind at the Inside Self Storage Convention in Las Vegas this year. https://youtu.be/E1-F4VOsrVY Here is my take...
“Everywhere I go, I see self storage being built. Is it becoming over built?” Have you heard that? Have you thought that? It often looks like that to me. How do you, or would you, answer that question? https://youtu.be/bL_6GpFUCG4 I usually hear something like “Is...
I love this time of year. I love it for two reasons: (1) The Inside Self Storage Convention in Las Vegas and (2) the Kentucky Derby the first weekend in May. If you have never been to either you should go. Especially the convention. https://youtu.be/cgJMqbCUtQY The...
How fast are self storage rent increases happening? Well it depends. It depends on your market, what size and so on. But the truth is, it has been hard for us to really tell accurately. https://youtu.be/BXIsUfcIZ1U Much of our competition uses the demand marketing...
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