This weekend millions of children are salivating at the thought of forthcoming Easter baskets stuffed with colorful fluff, chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks and jellybeans. Why not? We all enjoy an indulgence once in a while. For self-storage professionals, ISS released three new treats this week. You wont even have to hunt for them, because Im giving you a map right here.
First, Inside Self-Storage officially launched its brand-new membership program, with three tiers of packaged benefitsplus a free packageto meet the educational, informational and operational needs of facility managers, owners and others. All the details are available through InsideSelfStorage.com; simply click on one of the membership links at the top of the website or jump right to the sign-up page. You can also refer back to my blog entry of March 11, which contained the pre-show teaser regarding this new launch.
Also this week, ISS initiated the industrys first-ever Best of Business choice-opinion poll, in which you can vote for your favorite suppliers across a broad range of product and service categories. Give us your choices at www.insideselfstorage.com/vote! Polls are open through June 30. Winners will be announced on the ISS website on Nov. 1 as well as in the November and December print editions of ISS magazine. To you vendors out there: Encourage your customers to vote for you! You can even download a Web ad to promote the poll voting on your own website.
Finally, the ISS website was expanded this week to include a convenient registry of self-storage lien laws. Weve made it easy for you to download, in PDF format, the self-storage legislation for your respective state. Youll find this wonderful resource at www.insideselfstorage.com/lien-laws.aspx. (Please keep in mind that while weve done our best to provide the most current lien-law documentation available, laws can change, and many self-storage associations are working to improve their local legislation. When in doubt, visit the website for your state legislature, or contact your state association or an industry attorney for guidance.)
Many of you are celebrating this week as part of a religious observance, be it Easter or Passover; but everyone in self-storage should rejoice in greater industry resources and opportunities. The goal is to streamline and simplify information and communication for facility operators everywhere. Feel free to contact me if you have questions or suggestions regarding these new programs.
Have a wonderful weekend, and may you be fortunate enough to cross paths with the pièce de résistance, le Cadbury Crème Egg. Mmmmmm.