Owning a self-storage business involves more than just budgeting and paying the bills. It also entails creating successful marketing programs, hiring and training staff, measuring performance, and much more. Self-storage owners looking to improve their operation this year will find information at this year’s Inside Self-Storage World Expo, March 30-April 2 in Las Vegas.
The Ownership Track on March 31 will include six seminars designed to help owners more effectively manage their business. The first session, at 9 a.m., focuses on the five mistakes owners make that limit their ability to dominate their markets and create revenue. Speakers Jim Ross and Matthew Van Horn, co-founders of 3 Mile Domination, will address manager training, marketing techniques, the facility website, customer conversion and revenue management.
In the 10 a.m. seminar, “Self-Storage Manager Motivation and Retention,” Stephanie Tharpe, district sales manager for A Plus Storage of Tennessee LLC, will discuss staffing. She’ll talk about how to know if you have a bad manager, create a bonus structure, implement pay raises and improve staff retention.
The 11 a.m. seminar, led by Alyssa Quill, co-owner of Storage Asset Management, will offer advice on creating an operations manual. Owners will learn how to create policies and procedures for their facility. Quill will also share a manual outline and insight for how to best use and maintain the new guide.
Owners unfamiliar with facility audits should attend the 1 p.m. seminar, “Self-Storage Facility Auditing: Does Your System Meet Up-to-Date Standards?” Led by Susan Haviland, owner and lead consultant for Haviland Storage Services, the session will explore the importance of the facility audit, when and how to conduct one, and what the experts look for when they perform an audit.
At 2 p.m., self-storage owners can learn about staff training. Frank Certo, director of property management for Guardian Storage, will highlight how to build a quality training program, including key points to consider. He’ll also discuss the importance of follow-up training.
The final seminar of the day, at 3 p.m., focuses on management reports. Anne Ballard, president of marketing, training and developmental services for Universal Storage Group, will identify 12 key reports and what owners should glean from each. Attendees will learn which reports to examine and how often, key indicators of foul play, and how to identify customers’ needs.
The expo’s concurrent education program, March 31 and April 1, includes nine tracks covering issues related to self-storage ownership, management, marketing, investment, finance, building, development, liability and more. Five add-on workshop options are also available, focusing on day-to-day management, development, facility ownership, legal issues and social media.
The conference and tradeshow will take place at the Paris Hotel & Resort. Discount registration rates are available through March 28.
Created for self-storage owners, managers, developers, investors and suppliers, the ISS Expo is the industry’s largest conference and tradeshow, comprising four days of education, exhibits and networking opportunities. The event focuses on strategies for generating revenue, best practices, current trends, and new products and services. Details and online registration are available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.
