Are you in the self storage business?
If so, are you a member of the SSA (Self Storage Association)? How about Inside Self Storage (ISS)?
I found it strange when I first got in the self storage business that there were two trade organizations that both had great national and regional conventions.
I came from the real estate industry and is there was one trade organization that supported Realtors. There were different real estate conventions. Some were held by industry designation groups, others by industry franchisors but each had its own focus.
In the self storage industry, there are two different groups that somewhat support the same people.
Both put on awesome conventions and both usually have the same vendors at the trade shows.
Is there a difference?
Well yes.
The ISS (Inside Self Storage) is a for-profit organization.
They put on shows and sell support material for people just starting in the self storage business.
They put on amazing conventions and have great support material. It is very well run and I have a fantastic relationship with them.
They have published articles I’ve written and sell some of my products. Thier focus is on supporting many of the same people I support – those who considering getting into the self storage business.
The SSA is different.
Their mission is to support the industry and advocate for and help improve the business and business climate of its members.
Most of the members are self storage owners and operators.
And they have a tough job.
In the real estate business, much of the laws affecting the industry come out of Washington D.C.
Yes, we all know Washington’s broken, but that’s our fault because of who we have elected (I promise I won’t get started down a political rabbit hole).
So despite the fact that much of what happens in real estate is at a state and local level, most of the legislation happens at the national level.
The Realtor Association knows where to focus their efforts. Then each State Level Association mimics the National Real Estate Association (NAR).
NAR is big. There are over 2 million real estate agents in the US.
The SSA is very small by comparison.
Even though the self storage business is getting bigger than anyone realizes there are still only 48,500 facilities.
And each facility is governed by the state it resides in. There are no national self storage laws that I am aware of.
Most state associations are very small. Texas, California, and a few other states have big associations. My home state, on the other hand, has about ten to twenty people show up to the annual state meetings.
In reality, the SSA has to work directly in 50 different states to fulfill its mission of supporting owners and the industry.
That’s a hard task. But from what I have seen they do one heck of a job.
Let’s take my home state of Kentucky.
Our state association wasn’t formed until a few years ago. The SSA manages it like they do many states.
The first year it was formed, SSA lobbyist (national not state) went to our state capital (can you name it?) and addressed our antiquated state laws around liens.
Antiquated laws our state has indeed. Do you know in the Commonwealth of Kentucky it is still illegal to act as a second in a duel? You also can’t hold public office if you have been a second in a duel. One of the many safeguards for our state residents still on the books.
In less than one session they successfully changed policy so self storage operators aren’t required to send certified letters to enforce their lien rights. This reduced a big expense we had to budget. We can now send them through registered mail or return receipt mail.
At the same time, they got clarity on late fees (i.e. got them defined in writing). They also pushed through a few other cleanups that make running a self storage business in our state better, cleaner and more profitable.
Most self storage owners in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are not members of the SSA. They benefited from the few owners and operators who are members.
If you are in the business, support the SSA and your state association.
Let your employees get training at the state and national level. It can get lonely for our self storage managers. If you run a facility you know what I mean. Often, it is just you or you and one other person day in and day out.
By participating at the state and sometimes going to the national conventions, the employees get a sense of being part of an industry. They get support from someone other than the owner and see they are part of something big.
We have better employees because of the SSA and our state association.
And Owners will learn new things. This industry is evolving fast.
It uses to be a slow and easy business to be in.
Now it is evolving at a fast clip. If you don’t understand what’s happening, I am telling you, your facility and your business will be irrelevant in the marketplace soon.
So support your state self storage association and support the SSA.
I look forward to seeing you at the Fall SSA Convention in Las Vegas the first week of September.
If for some reason you can’t attend this one, go to your state association. I will update you in future articles what I think are the important takeaways from the convention.
But whatever you do, support both state and national associations as well as join the ISS.
