[A blog spot by ISS Managing Editor Elaine Foxwell.]

I thoroughly enjoy being of service to others. I'm involved in several community groups, including one that puts on a large annual event attended by up to 600 people. But sometimes being of service boils down to helping a single individual with a surprising new situation.
 
This happened last week. A dear friend who lives in another state called me for some advice. We have one driving passion in commonour horses. She raises Clydesdales, I raise Thoroughbreds.
 
She and her husband, a contractor, had just moved to a small town in northern Idaho. Another member of her family, who is considerably wealthy, wanted her husband to build him a self-storage facility in the same town.
 
And here I found I could be of help. Now, intellectually I know ISS is a goldmine of information for those in our industry, from the seasoned executive to the absolute newcomer. I say "intellectually" because, most of the time, I'm speaking with the long-term professional who's very familiar with the nuances and intricacies of the business. But emotionally, I wonder how much help I really provide. Until my friend called.
 
What started as sending her a few back issues of the magazine and last years Buyers Guide quickly escalated. I found myself telling her about all our online services that are a real boon to someone in her positionliving in a small town with a population of less than 7,000. Heck, she's only one hour from the Canadian border! Moose and deer amble through her front yard. And right now, she's snowed in. 
 
So I went on to tell her about our Self-Storage Training Institute, webinars and other online services. Through the magic of a cable modem, critical information is available to someone like her and her husband, who are definitely not near big-city resources. They may even come to our Expo in Las Vegas next week! 
 
So thanks to my friend, I've gone from intellectually acknowledging the value of my part in this great industry to actually realizing how it applies to an individual. The feeling of satisfaction is immeasurable. 
 
And if you havent registered for the show, you can do so at www.insideselfstorage.com/expo. 

[A blog spot by ISS Editor Drew Whitney.]

 
Who isnt a big fan of the Internet? Ive come to trust it as a resource and huge convenience. No matter how remote I am, I can access resources for work, find old friends, and make purchases for anything under the sun.

Unfortunately, all is not to trust, though; and Ive come to use caution when hopping on the Web, making sure I dont leave a trail for untrustworthy purveyors to misuse my personal and financial information. More than once, Ive left a site if I get the slightest feeling of insecurity. My identity has already been compromised and a bank account depleted. Yes, Im on guard.

Thats why when Rachel Friedman, print campaign manager at News and Experts, submitted an article about customer privacy. It struck a chord with me. News and Experts is a nationwide news service providing expert resources to the media via its website. Heres what Rachel had to say:
 
Privacyits getting tougher to maintain, especially with identity theft on the rise. With this in mind, growing numbers of Americans are making demands on businesses to treat their personal information with secrecy. According to a Harris Poll sponsored by Microsoft, 60 percent of Americans said theyve decided not to support a store because of doubts about that stores privacy protections. What is surprising is it isnt just marketers who are trying to access personal information. The government has drafted private industry for data collection duty in the war on terror.

So how can businesses keep customers personal information under wraps when the U.S. Patriot Act allows the government to collect copious amounts of this sort of information? Jacqueline Klosek, an attorney and author of the new book The War on Privacy advises clients on issues related to data privacy and security. As a certified information privacy professional, Klosek says private industry faces a precarious balance, trying to simultaneously maintain consumer privacy.

Klosek routinely advises businesses to follow all privacy measures required by law. In addition to these measures, she offers the following additional tips:

1. Conduct an internal audit. Businesses should conduct an internal audit to understand: what data they are collecting, how they are using that data, with whom they are sharing that data, how that data is being protected and related issues.

2. Develop a privacy policy. Once the companys policies and plans for collecting and using customer information are clarified, these policies should be communicated to customers and clients through a Privacy Policy. It should clearly state how your facility can be contacted in regards to information and the types of third parties that will have access to such information. Also, be sure to follow all laws and legal requirements in this regard.

3. Be prepared. Anticipate the fact that your company could face a government subpoena demanding your clients personal information records. Prepare your policies knowing clients and customers expectations regarding the privacy of their personal information. This may help you to avoid making a strong privacy promise to consumers that governmental demands will not allow you to keep.

5. Seek prior consent. Its a smart idea to obtain prior consent from your consumers/clients about potential personal data transfers that could be subpoenaed by the government. The same holds true for other types of transfers, including transfers to business partners and service providers.

6. Conduct due diligence when outsourcing. Examine third-party service providers' experience with privacy and data security. Investigate privacy complaints the service provider has faced and make sure youre complying with all U.S. and foreign laws when outsourcing.

7. Protect your website. Its good practice to implement a web monitoring program that automatically runs privacy scans to ensure that the site hasnt been compromised and that privacy measures remain intact.

Protecting customers privacy is becoming a more cumbersome task with the advances in technology and the war on terror. Ironically, the erosion of individual privacy rights here and abroad occurs under the guise of enhancing national security, says Klosek. The surprising fact is that this so-called greater protection renders private citizens more exposed than ever before.

So, yesterday was Martin Luther King Day, and by pure coincidence, my husband and I watched Talk to Me over the weekend, a movie about Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene. Petey was a controversial radio and TV talk-show host who, after recovering from drug addiction and imprisonment for armed robbery, became one of Washington, D.C.'s most prominent media personalities. Among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in calming the capital's distressed residents after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Although Petey referred to himself as "just a con," he was a powerful voice on issues of race, politics and human nature.

I'm not a film critic, but I greatly enjoyed this one. I relish any movie that leaves me feeling charged up and hopeful about Mankind; it's a feeling I so rarely experience. After it ended, I made a comment to my husband, something about how inspiring it was to see a film that promotes the positive influence of media and tells the story of a man who rose from being a "miscreant" to a compelling voice of the nation. At which point, he made a joke about me being a voice for self-storage. I just had to laugh. You can't be a real voice for anybody let alone an entire industry when you have to employ the polite PC filter, as we in trade media must always do. I probably shouldn't even have said that.

Anyway ... if you haven't already seen the film, toss it on your Netflix list. Don Cheadle is brilliant in it.

On a somewhat related note, have you seen the news story about the Hollywood Self Storage facilty in Evans, Ga., with the divisive billboard? According to local news, the sign is creating quite a stir. It reads, "Today's special... Republicans half price... Democrats pay double." That's a bold move; but at least the facility operator isn't afraid to make his feelings known.

Some residents in town have complained that the sign is offensive. And maybe it is. But I say, if you don't like it, don't look at it. And that has nothing to do with my feelings in regard to one political party or another; it has to do with free speech and press. I ask myself, "What would Petey do?" He certainly wouldn't whine about an offensive sign. And he wouldn't shy away from posting his opinions for the world to see. So, Mr. Hollywood Storage ... I may not agree with your sentiments; I also don't feel it's appropriate to mix politics with your marketing; but I respect your right to be heard.

What do YOU think about it, blog readers? Is it unprofessional to use your business as a platform to air political sentiment? Or do you feel your business is an extension of yourself and should, therefore, reflect your system of beliefs? Let me hear you!