Real estate development firm Diversified Cos. intends to build City Gate Self-Storage at 3803 White Lake Blvd. in Naples, Fla. The two-story facility will comprise 130,000 square feet in 1,000 climate-controlled units. The asset will be built by subsidiary Diversified Realty Development Co., with the nine-month project expected to be complete this summer, according to a press release.

City Gate Self-Storage LLC is a joint venture between Diversified Realty Development and investment firm Sefira Capital LLC, according to the website of contractor Gates Construction. The facility will be managed by CubeSmart, a self-storage real estate investment trust and third-party management firm, the release stated.

The developer has secured a $9 million loan through Orlando, Fla.-based First Green Bank. "This loan gives us the chance to open a new storage facility and generate new opportunities in the Naples area," said John Brennan, vice president of Diversified Cos. "As a managing member of City Gate Self-Storage, we noticed a lack of storage options in the Naples area and wanted to tap into this underserved market.”

First Green offers a range of financial services and options, including reduced loan costs for commercial projects that use solar panels or meet certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The release didn’t indicate if the City Gate facility will meet this criteria. Gates indicated the structure will be made of concrete and glass.

Diversified Cos. is a vertically integrated real estate firm that executes business through its affiliated companies Diversified Realty Development and Diversified Realty Co., which is responsible for leasing and management. Both entities are based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Diversified specializes in self-storage as well as projects in the aviation, medical, office and retail sectors.

Big Yellow Self Storage of Chester, Cheshire, England, a member of the Big Yellow Group PLC family of storage properties, is providing free storage space to the Chester FC Community Trust, the charitable arm of the Chester Football Club (FC), also known as “the Blues” or “the Seals.” The space, worth £3,000 annually, will help the team with its ongoing development of programs and initiatives, according to the source.

“We’re very grateful to Big Yellow for their fantastic support of the club. The free storage space will make a big difference as the trust continues to grow and develop,” said Jim Green. CEO of the trust.

Big Yellow Chester teamed up with Chester FC last month to collect toys during its annual Christmas Toy Appeal. Football fans were asked to donate items at Lookers Vauxhall Stadium in Chester. The gifts were then distributed to local children and family charities. In addition, club manager Jon McCarthy and team members delivered donations to the children’s ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital, the source reported.

“We have a tremendous link with the club, and as well as supporting the Blues on the [field], we wanted to help make a difference off the [field] too,” said Jeff Banks, business development manager at Big Yellow.

The Chester FC was founded in 2010 following the wind-up of its predecessor, the Chester City Football Club, according to Wikipedia.

Big Yellow Group operates 89 self-storage locations in the United Kingdom under the Big Yellow Self Storage and Armadillo Self Storage brand names, with most concentrated in Greater London. Its total portfolio comprises 5.3 million square feet.

Affordable Self Storage, which operates three facilities in New York, is seeking approval to build a new location in Greenport, N.Y. Owner Todd Bawright presented a site plan to the planning board last week. If it’s approved, he hopes to build the facility this spring, according to the source.

The 4-acre property at Fairview Avenue and Kipp Lane is north of the town. The self-storage plans include a 16,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled building. The facility will be built without a rental office and won’t require any permanent utilities such as water or sewer. The property has room for expansion, but Bawright has no plans to pursue additional development at this time, the source reported.

During the first board meeting, Sandra Kipp, a board member and the owner of Kipp’s Mobile Home Park, voiced concerns about the public using Kipp Lane, on which she resides. It’s currently a private, residential road.

"Mr. Bawright reached out to me over the summer and said the building was going to be on the east side, not the west side," Kipp said. "He said he was going to set it way back, close to the road."

About 100 feet of the road would be used for public access, said Bawright, adding the property will have low-traffic use. "It’s so low. When it’s full, there might be four trips a day. Once your things are in there, you only go over every now and then. It’s nice to have a business that can have that low traffic and still be serving the public, serving a need and paying taxes," he said.

The board also discussed the 10-by-12-foot digital sign proposed for the site at its Dec. 27 meeting. Planning board chairman Edward Stiffler asked Bawright to reconsider the sign’s size and type.

A perspective view of the property from U.S. Route 9 will be shown to board members at the next meeting to demonstrate the distance between the sign and the road, Bawright said. "It’s over 100 feet from the road, so we just want potential customers to be able to see the self-storage space," he added.

Bawright plans to submit site-plan revisions to the board before its next meeting this month.

Affordable Self Storage operates facilities in Hudson, Kingston and Rhinebeck, N.Y.

 

By Krista Diamond

Coming up with a marketing strategy for your self-storage business isn’t as simple as it used to be. After all, the industry has come a long way since the days of Yellow Pages and newspaper ads. The modern facility owner is expected to reach new customers through a growing number of channels, all of which are rapidly evolving. If you feel like you can’t keep up, it’s tempting to stick with what you know and dismiss new social media outlets as trends. Doing so, however, could cost you. Instead, why not grow your business by taking them seriously?

One of the most compelling—and confounding—new forms of social media is Snapchat, an app that allows users to share photos and videos that disappear after being viewed. Unlike the impermanent nature of its content, Snapchat has real staying power. Here’s how to wrap your head around it and use it as a tool to promote your storage operation.

What Is Snapchat?

Snapchat was launched in September 2011 as a mobile-photo and video-messaging app. It allows users to take photos or videos—called snaps—and send them to specific people or allow anyone to see them. Once someone opens a snap, they can view it for a maximum of 10 seconds, after which it’s deleted forever. Check out these statistics:

• There are an estimated 150 million individuals who use Snapchat every day, which is about 10 million more than Twitter (Source: Bloomberg Technology)
• Snapchat reaches 41 percent of 18 to 34 year olds in the United States every day, and that number is steadily climbing. (Source: Business Insider)
• From February to June 2016, Snapchat’s user base grew by 35 percent while other social media outlets merely remained stable. (Source: “Fortune”)

If you’ve been wondering how to target the younger millennial market (think college students rather than young professionals), consider that more than half of new Snapchat users are under 25. If these figures have inspired you to take out your smartphone and start downloading the app, you’re going to need to know what to do once it’s installed.

How to Use It

If you’re only familiar with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Snapchat can feel overwhelming. This is partly because it’s less user-friendly than older forms of social media. Let’s go over the basics.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, the first thing you’ll want to do is pick a username. Choose carefully, as you won’t be able to change this without getting a new account. You’ll then choose a password and enter some basic information such as your e-mail, birthday and phone number. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll receive a verification code you’ll need to enter so the app knows you’re a human being and not a robot.

From there, you’ll be able to find friends based on your contacts who have Snapchat. When deciding who to connect with on the app, remember that you’re using it for business.

To attract followers, familiarize yourself with your snapcode. This might sound like a foreign concept, but it’s actually quite similar to something with which you’re already familiar: a barcode. To see what it looks like, go to the ghost icon at the top of the app screen.

Your snapcode is unique to your account; no two users have the same one. You’ll be able to share it, and people will be able to scan it by taking a screenshot with the Snapchat app and start seeing your snaps. You can personalize your snapcode so it displays your company logo or desired image. To share it, go to the Snapchat website from your computer and log in; then you’ll be able to download the image and share it on your own website and other existing social media channels.

Your Cheat Sheet

Before taking your first snap, familiarize yourself with the app and learn how different features work. The best way to do this is by playing around with it. You need to learn the key terms and their meanings. Doing so will get you over the learning curve much faster than going in blind. Consider this your cheat sheet:

• Snap: The picture or video you send or receive in the app. In short, the main content that drives Snapchat.
• Snapcode: Your virtual fingerprint on Snapchat. Share this to encourage people to view your snaps.
• Stories: This section of Snapchat shows the photos and videos you’d like to share with your friends. Snaps that you post to Snapchat Stories remain visible for 24 hours. You can view your friends’ stories by swiping left from the camera screen.
• Snapchat score: This number is visible under your profile name and indicates how many snaps you’ve sent and received.
• Filter: This is an overlay you can add to your snaps. A filter can include a graphic depiction of where you are, time of day, temperature, how fast you’re driving and more.
• Geofilter: This is a special filter that can be accessed by allowing Snapchat to see your location. Geofilters can show your city, a special event you’re attending or even a business location.
• Snap lenses: These are animated special effects that you can add to video-based snaps by pressing and holding on a face while your camera is in selfie-mode.
• Chat: This is Snapchat’s messaging service. If you’re familiar with how messaging works on Facebook, you’ll pick up on this easily.
• Memories: This camera roll backs up your snaps. You can make this public or private.
• Inbox: This is where you’ll see messages, including text and snaps that have been sent to you. If a message is marked purple, it’s a video. Red means it’s a photo and blue means it’s text.

As soon as you feel like you’ve got the hang of the basics, it’s time to send your first snap. Take advantage of the filters, snap lenses and additional options that allow you to add text or draw on your snaps. Once you’re happy with your snap, you can add it to your story or send it to specific friends. If it’s a photo, you’ll be able to choose the amount of time (up to 10 seconds) that someone can look at it.

Snapchat as a Marketing Tool

Promoting your self-storage business with Snapchat is different than endorsing it through other social media channels. Unlike Facebook posts, tweets and Instagram pictures, the content you create on Snapchat doesn’t necessarily hang around forever.

Business owners often underestimate the marketing power of Snapchat based solely on the fact that snaps are brief and designed to disappear. While this seems like a disadvantage on the surface, in reality, it’s one of the things that makes Snapchat great for business.

Compare the simplicity of it to your Facebook feed, which is often cluttered with advertisements and sponsored content. Ask yourself: Would you rather have a Facebook post that potential new customers half-heartedly glance at for a second, or a snap that they actually look at and think about for 10 seconds? Because there’s nothing else on the viewer’s screen when they’re engaging with your snaps, you have their full attention. No amount of boosted Facebook posts can accomplish that for your business.

Putting It to Work

Now that you know how to use this remarkable promotional tool, it’s time to put it to work for your self-storage business. Decide on the tone of your content and make sure your snaps are cohesive. If you’re not sure what tone to strike, keep in mind that Snapchat is meant to be casual rather than professional, so feel free to have fun. Think about the customer you’re trying to attract. What kind of content do you think he would enjoy seeing?

Use a mix of photos and videos, and remember to keep them simple. Snapchat isn’t the place for advertising that viewers need to mull over. You have 10 seconds or less to make an impression, so err on the side of doing too little rather than too much.

Use Snapchat as a storytelling device with the stories feature. Customers are drawn to narrative-based advertising, so even just a series of snaps that create a virtual, narrated tour of the facility will be engaging. When doing this, highlight the basics, like what the inside of a storage unit looks like and security features you offer, but also use it as an opportunity to highlight something of which you’re especially proud. Did you just add RV storage to your facility? Do you offer a large selection of moving supplies? Show off what makes your business special.

You can also use Snapchat to offer specials, run contests or share coupons. Because snaps only last for 24 hours, doing this will create an urgent call to action that’ll prompt new customers to act fast.

Lastly, consider using a mix of paid and unpaid Snapchat marketing. Paid options include sponsored geofilters and lenses that allow your customers to post their own snaps, with your logo featured, when they’re at your facility. These typically start at around $5, making them a fairly inexpensive option you can easily tie to a contest or social media promotion.

If you’re willing to spend a little more, you can purchase a Snap Ad, which is a full-screen vertical video advertisement that users will see in between stories. This can also serve as a way to prompt customers to visit your website or go to an article you’ve written on a storage-related topic.

Whatever you decide to do, be creative. Ask other members of your staff to get involved by contributing ideas or starring in snaps in which they share self-storage tips with your customers. By highlighting your great facility along with your knowledge, you’ll teach Snapchat users that you’re an authority on the industry. Think of it as a way to demonstrate not just your expertise but also your excellent customer service. Before you know it, those Snapchat users will become your customers.

Krista Diamond is a staff writer for StorageFront, which allows self-storage customers to custom search and compare thousands of facilities. She’s a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and lives in Las Vegas. When she isn't writing about storage, she’s climbing mountains in the desert. For more information, visit www.storagefront.com.

By Jacquelyn Nash

A self-storage facility without a rental truck is like a dog without a bone! A dog will survive without a bone. However, when you give him one, he just naturally knows what to do with it. Similarly, a storage facility can survive without a rental truck, but it’s a natural fit for the business to have one.

Rental trucks help self-storage operators increase revenue, occupancy and brand recognition. It’s also simple to implement this service at any facility, large or small. Here are a few things to consider when creating a truck-rental program.

Truck-Rental Options

There are two options for offering truck rentals. First, you can rent a truck to anyone who wants to move anywhere in the country. This is often called a one-way rental. A customer will come to your location to rent the truck, but the vehicle won’t be returned to your property.

If this is the option you’re considering, you may want to dedicate a specific phone and computer to the venture. You’ll also need a designated parking area to house multiple trucks of varying sizes. One-way rentals offer a revenue stream, since you’ll receive a commission on each rental.

The second option is to provide local rentals. This is where you have a designated facility truck that’s always available to your customers. You’ll be able to set the rates for your moves and even brand the truck to match your facility.

Local rentals are an additional revenue source that doubles as a marketing medium, since you can advertise right on the vehicle. You can also offer free use of the truck as an incentive to anyone who moves in instead of a discount on the rental rate.

Buy or Lease?

If you’ve decided to add a local rental-truck business to your facility, the next consideration is whether to buy or lease. The benefits of leasing sometimes outweigh those of buying when you consider the advantageous leasing options provided by some vendors. There can be flexible options at the end of the lease such as purchasing the vehicle, extending the lease or turning it in. There’s often a set purchase price at the end of a lease that allows for lower monthly payments that are deductible as a monthly business expense. Accounting issues are also avoided when leasing because you don’t have to maintain depreciation tables and mileage records. Some of leases even offer unlimited mileage.

If you prefer to purchase your truck, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Dealerships may be willing to negotiate with you on price if you’re paying cash.
• Your truck will be an asset you’ll be able to depreciate. Plus, interest on your loan may be deductible.
• When shopping, make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Various features will affect the final price.
• Some important features to look for include a reinforced fiberglass box and a loading ramp.

Business Needs

There are some other important aspects to consider including insurance, the rental agreement, wrap design and marketing. Let’s take a look at each.

Insurance. Whether you buy or lease your truck, it’ll need to be insured. With the significant investment you’ve made, it’s recommended you contact a rental-truck insurance specialist to find out what programs are available.

When you call your insurance agent, let him know you plan on renting your truck to the general public. If the company can offer you this type of coverage, make sure your limits fully protect you above and beyond the value of the truck. This type of liability generally requires $5 million in coverage. Keep the age of the renter in mind when binding coverage. Twenty-one years of age and older is recommended.

Rental agreement. To provide a truck to the general public, you need to protect yourself by creating an agreement between you and the renter. Check your state’s regulations and guidelines when preparing the paperwork and submit it to your legal counsel. Also make sure your insurance carrier approves the verbiage.

These forms should be printed in triplicates of the document so you can provide one to your renter, give one to your insurance carrier in the event of a claim and keep one for your own records. There are some companies that have done the legwork on applicable forms in all 50 states, so check with your truck vendor or attorney for examples.

Wrap design. Hire a professional designer to create a branded message for your “mobile billboard.” Long-term 3M film, known and trusted worldwide, is highly recommended. Ask for a UV over-laminate to protect against scuffs and chemicals.

Take the time to perfect your design. This truck will be representative of the facility image you want to portray to the public. Your graphic design should include your logo, phone number, website, location and some of the amenities you offer at your facility. With all of these characteristics, you’ll have your own rolling billboard generating daily leads for your facility. Trucks get 600 visual impressions for every mile driven.

Marketing. To get the most from your investment, your truck should be mentioned on all facility marketing materials, including your business cards, fliers, website and other advertisements. Always have your truck spotless, since it represents your business. If your truck is kept clean and in good working order, future customers will assume your facility is clean and well-kept as well.

Another helpful tool is to create fliers that notify businesses your truck is available for commercial use. You could even give discounted rates to companies that have better visibility than your facility. If they allow you to park your truck at their business, you’ll have more visual impressions every day.

Now that you have an idea of what’s involved in starting a truck-rental program, you can see it’s pretty easy to implement. There are several companies willing to simplify the process for you. Call a truck-rental specialist to learn more about its programs and what they can do for you.

Jacquelyn Nash is an account executive at On The Move Inc., which offers a complete truck-rental program that includes a vehicle, insurance/license, graphics, and all the products necessary for this ancillary profit center. For more information, call 800.645.9949; visit www.onthemovetrucks.com.

Public Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust, has acquired Broadview Mini Storage in Broadview Heights, Ohio. The property at 9100 Postal Drive comprises 47,650 net rentable square feet of storage space in 319 units as well as 38 outdoor parking spaces. Situated on 5.7 acres, it was built between 1997 and 2000, according to a press release from SkyView Advisors, the real estate firm that brokered the deal.

The buyer and the seller were represented in the transaction by Ryan Clark, senior vice president, and Jay Crotty, managing partner, of SkyView.

“Broadview Mini Storage was a high-quality, family-run asset in a desirable southern suburb of Cleveland. The deal demonstrates the ongoing strength of the market for stabilized self-storage properties in Ohio,” Clark said.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,319 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 152 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 218 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 12 million net rentable square feet.

SkyView is a boutique firm specializing in self-storage acquisition, development, facility expansion and renovation, refinancing, and sales. Based in Tampa, Fla., the firm also has offices in Cleveland and Milwaukee.

The William Warren Group (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, has named Clark Porter as chief financial officer (CFO), effective this month. He’ll replace Kent Christensen, who’s retiring but will remain a financial partner and active investor, according to a press release.

Porter is also president of WWG, where he manages lending/banking relationships and oversees the capital structure of acquisitions and new developments, according to the company website. Prior to joining WWG, he was employed at WSGP Partners LP, a merchant bank focused on the acquisition of financial institutions. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California - Berkeley and an MBA from the University of California - Los Angeles.

Christensen, who’s self-storage career spans 17 years, served as senior vice president of Extra Space Storage Inc. since its inception and as CFO from 1998 to 2012. In his 13 years with the real estate investment trust (REIT), he played an instrumental role in its growth, initial public offering and operation as a publicly traded company, the release stated. Christensen joined WWG in 2012, helping to expand its corporate infrastructure and doubling its asset base during his tenure.

“Kent had a wonderful career both at Extra Space Storage and at The William Warren Group,” said WWG CEO Bill Hobin. “The company is sad to see Kent go, but happy for him and his good fortune to be able to retire at a young age and take advantage of the opportunity to pursue other interests.”

Founded in 1994 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG acquires, develops and operates more than 100 self-storage facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, South Carolina and Texas.

Strategic Storage Trust II Inc. (SST II), a public, non-traded, self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) sponsored by SmartStop Asset Management LLC, has acquired 11 facilities in North Carolina. The properties comprise approximately 553,500 rentable square feet in 4,850 units, according to a press release. All of the assets are in the Asheville metropolitan market and previously operated under the George’s Stor-Mor or Mindful Storage brand names.

"Collectively, these 11 properties have averaged an overall occupancy of 95 percent during 2016 and require little capital expenditure," said H. Michael Schwartz, chairman and CEO of SST II. "The dynamics of this portfolio are a great balance to our existing self-storage facilities located throughout the U.S. and Canada."

The properties are:

• 3909 Sweeten Creek Road in Arden (67,500 square feet in 570 units)
• 21 Sardis Road in Asheville (44,600 square feet in 380 units)
• 40 Wilmington St. in Asheville (54,700 square feet in 480 units)
• 90 Highland Center Blvd. in Asheville (51,600 square feet in 450 units)
• 127 Sweeten Creek Road in Asheville (39,500 square feet in 330 units)
• 550 Swannanoa River Road in Asheville (36,000 square feet in 380 units)
• 600 Patton Ave. in Asheville (51,000 square feet in 420 units)
• 1130 Sweeten Creek Road in Asheville (103,200 square feet in 790 units)
• 2594 Sweeten Creek Road in Asheville (25,300 square feet in 210 units)
• 102 Glover St. in Hendersonville (47,600 square feet in 490 units)
• 1931 Spartanburg Highway in Hendersonville (32,500 square feet in 350 units)

"Asheville will provide a captive market for us,” said Wayne Johnson, chief investment officer for SST II. “Many of the properties have expansion land that we plan on getting underway immediately."

The SST II portfolio includes approximately 47,120 self-storage units and about 5.4 million rentable square feet of storage space. SmartStop Asset Management is the asset manager for 100 facilities in Toronto and the United States. Its portfolio comprises approximately 7.3 million rentable square feet. SmartStop also sponsors Strategic Storage Growth Trust Inc., a public, non-traded REIT also focused on self storage assets.

Westy Self Storage, which operates 15 properties in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, will begin expanding its facility in Stamford, Conn., next month. The 57,000-square-foot addition to the property at 80 Brown House Road will increase the existing building to 280,000 square feet and add 450 units to the current 1,700. The addition on the building’s south end is expected to be complete this fall, according to the source.

Established in 1999, the facility is open seven days a week. Customer amenities include three loading bays, a concierge service, moving and packing supplies, and truck rentals.

“This will create more availability to serve more customers and the growing demand that Stamford has created with their new apartments,” said Edward Arredondo, director of development. “Stamford is a growing city, and we’re a part of it.”

Stamford has the third-highest population in the state, with 130,000 residents, the source reported. The city is currently home to 12 storage facilities. A new property containing 1,100 units at 300 Stillwater Ave. is slated to open next year.

Founded in 1990 by The Arredondo Family, Westy Self Storage is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. It operates four facilities in Connecticut, four in New Jersey and seven in New York.

Storage Authority LLC, which operates self-storage facilities in Connecticut and offers franchise opportunities, has hired Garrett Byrd as director of franchising. Byrd will oversee recruiting and assist new franchisees in finding desirable locations. He’ll also help clients with pre-opening marketing, staff training and site operation, according to a press release.

“Garrett is a self-storage veteran with extensive experience in self-storage revenue growth, sales and marketing,” the release stated. “One of the reasons we hired Garrett is the huge success he has had as a self-storage manager. Just before we hired him, he took over a new, three-story facility when it opened. He had it over 50 percent occupied in five months—a huge feat given both the size and competition in the area.”

Co-founded by Marc Goodin and Scott House, Storage Authority launched its franchise model in 2015, offering existing self-storage owners and those looking to enter the industry the chance to build a business under the brand’s operational framework. The company also offers consulting services and facility-manager training.

Storage Authority operates two self-storage facilities in Connecticut. It lists Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas on its website as sites for future locations.