The Inside Self-Storage (ISS) team has been extremely busy lately. Projects that have been in the works for months have finally come to fruition and are now ready for you! Call them holiday presents for our beloved readers or, if you’d like, resources to help you jumpstart a successful 2020. Below are our labors of love. We hope you enjoy them and find them useful!
While most self-storage managers would never steal from their employers, sadly, there are some who would and do! Plus, tese thieves are constantly finding new ways to trick the system and line their pockets with money that doesn’t belong to them. Fortunately, there are steps owners and supervisors can take to minimize the chances of their business becoming a victim of embezzlement. A new gallery, free to download from the ISS Resource Center, offers guidance.
Upkeep for a self-storage facility is an important factor to attracting and retaining customers. If your place looks like a dump, you’re essentially telling your customers—and criminals—you don’t care. But all those maintenance tasks can be overwhelming, especially for a small management team. Know what might help? A calendar that outlines every task you can imagine, plus tips to keep your curb, building, parking lot, office and more looking good! Check out the Self-Storage Maintenance Package 2020: Monthly Task Calendars and Guide in the ISS Store.
Another great find in the ISS Store is a new series, Self-Storage Mastery DVD sets, that offer tons of great info on digital marketing, facility design, investing strategies and risk management. Each set includes five DVDs, packaging choice seminars recorded during the recent ISS World Expo events, priced at $129.
Curious about self-storage around the world? Learn about industry challenges and triumphs in other countries including Canada, Germany, Norway, Hong Kong, Vietnam and more in the ISS 2019 International Digital Issue. The in-depth articles, written by operators, developers and vendors from the various regions, examine how the industry is evolving, investment opportunities, customer trends and market challenges. Many of the authors also provided photos of their facilities. Explore the industry through their eyes in this free resource.
As we hurtle toward the end of the month, we have a few more treasures to give you. Look for these great resources in the coming weeks: a new Guidebook series and podcast, plus the launch of the 2020 ISS World Expo website.
The 2020 Guidebook Series will be available in the ISS Store this month. The new set of publications cover all aspects of the storage business. The “Building/Investing Guidebook” and the “Facility-Operation Guidebook” are available in digital or softcover formats individually or in a discounted bundle.
Let’s face it, self-storage operators face some pretty crazy situations. There are dozens of threads on Self-Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community, about weirdo tenants, awkward encounters and some disgusting things that would totally freak you out if you had to deal with it at work. I recently spoke with Steven Jeffers, facilities asset manager for Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar, about how to handle these strange operational situations. Take a listen to the new “Sounds of Storage” podcast, which will publish on the ISS website on Dec. 18. Steven also offers a sneak peek of his upcoming ISS World Expo session, which focuses on this topic.
Speaking of the show, if you’ve never attended the ISS World Expo before, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a regular, you’ll find new things to explore. The biggest industry conference and tradeshow of the year, April 14-17 in Las Vegas, is packed with everything you need to know to develop, invest, manage and own a self-storage business. The education is outstanding, the expo hall huge, the networking unbeatable. Plus, it’s held at the beautiful The Mirage Hotel & Casino.
Early-bird registration rates will expire on Feb. 4. The discounts allow attendees to save $345 on the All-Access Pass, $190 on the Seminar-Track Package and $60 on the Expo-Only Package. You can also save $200 on each of the eight workshops. Registration opens in just a few weeks. You can keep tabs on the website or let us contact you.
As you prepare for a profitable 2020, take advantage of these amazing resources, most of which are totally free. There’ll be more to come next year as we continue to help you find success! Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!
