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What You Think of ISS: Results of 2007 Reader Survey
Inside Self-Storage recently conducted its 2007 Reader Survey to get feedback from those who use its many resources: ISS magazine, website, weekly e-newsletter, e-books, webinars and others. Participants came from a pool of more than 8,500 self-storage owners, managers, support staff, developers, investors, brokers, consultants and product/service suppliers. Following is a summary of the findings:
- Eighty-three percent of respondents said at least one person besides themselves read their copy of ISS magazine every month. Thirty-three percent said 3 additional people read it; 8 percent said more than five additional people read each copy.
- Seventy-five percent of respondents said they read every issue of ISS; 21 percent said they read the magazine frequently. Twenty-two percent spend more than an hour reading each issue; and another 35 percent spend between 31 and 60 minutes perusing each monthly edition. More than half of respondents said they skim the entire content, reading what catches their eye; 32 percent said they read the entire magazine from cover to cover.
- Over the past 12 months, 85 percent of respondents have used an ISS article for reference, discussion or ideas; 84 percent shared an article with others.
- While respondents receive competing publications in addition to ISS79 percent receive the Mini-Storage Messenger and 56 percent receive the SSA Globe77 percent said they would read ISS first if all three publications arrived in their mailbox on the same day.
- In the past year, 59 percent of respondents visited an advertisers website after reading a copy of the magazine; 39 percent requested information about a product or service they saw in an ad; 27 percent purchased or recommended one of those products or services.
Additional results will be published on the ISS website at www.insideselfstorage.com as well as in future issues of the magazine. To participate in the ongoing survey, send an e-mail to Teri Lanza, business development manager, at [email protected]. Participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of 10 copies of the ISS Factbook 2007, a $75 value.
SSIG Releases Winter Briefing on Self-Storage Asset Class
Cushman & Wakefields Self Storage Industry Group, formerly Self Storage Economics, published its Winter 2007 Business Briefing titled New Asset Class Gains Ground: Why the self-storage industry has been attracting a growing number of investors. The six-page document briefly summarizes the current state of self-storage and highlights market trends in the industry.
The survey is primarily conducted through phone interviews with U.S. self-storage investors, owners, developers, managers, brokers and bankers. The briefing highlights capitalization rates, financing, optimism index and other current data for the asset class.
For more information and to read the full report, visit www.selfstorageeconomics.com and choose Investor Survey from the left menu.
Facilities Collect Cans for Charity
Kevin Howard Real Estate of Portland, Ore., and the 54 self-storage facilities it manages throughout Oregon and Washington collected nearly 7,000 cans during the companys 16th annual canned-food drive last winter. Facilities offered tenants and new customers $1 off their rent for donations for up to 10 cans. More than 785 cans were donated with no rent credit.
Impact of Storage Facilities Concerns City
Concern that self-storage facilities pose a threat to public health, safety and welfare prompted the Simi Valley, Calif., council to adopt a 45-day moratorium on all new self-storage applications, reported the Simi Valley Acorn in January. The city will use that time to research the proliferation of these facilities in the community and their impact on the citys ability to provide potential professional and industrial-related jobs for local residents. Simi Valley has 10 storage facilities in operation one under construction and another awaiting approval from the planning commission. There is 6.63 square feet of self-storage space per capita in Simi, while the demand in Ventura County is only 4.38 square feet per capita.
Storage Businesses Give in the Holiday Spirit
The Giving Season Initiative, a holiday season fundraising effort led by Storage Investment Advisors (SIA), and its Indianapolis-based marketing firm, The Streetview Group, netted several thousand dollars in donations from self-storage industry organizations to support social services in Houston, Los Angeles and Indianapolis. One hundred percent of the money raised went directly to the agencies. The donations were raised through an appeal program directed to self-storage property owners and industry-related service companies. Storage Choice of Dallas helped by processing electronic contributions. SIA is a Houston-based investment real estate services firm.
University Recognizes BETCO Endowment Honoring Salesman Donnie Tart
BETCO, a manufacturer of self-storage metal buildings, two years ago established an annual scholarship endowment of $10,000 to East Carolina University, in the name of the late Donnie Tart, the companys perennial sales leader and an ECU alumnus.
The official recognition of the endowment by the university took place recently in a new sports complex on the campus in Greenville, N.C. In attendance, were Tarts daughter, Suzanne, his wife Sheryl (a sales rep for BETCO), and other sales reps Shannon Monroe (son of Sheryl) and Mike Gillikin, a close family friend.
