Phoenix-based MiniCo Inc., a provider of self-storage insurance programs, publications and other industry products, recently received approval for insurance-rate reductions in seven states: Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Agents are encouraged to submit applications for self-storage risks in these states. The approved rate reductions may result in lower premiums; however, each submission will be evaluated by MiniCo's underwriters on its individual characteristics.
 
To obtain a rate quote or insurance application, interested parties should visit www.minicoinsurance.com or contact Merle Harris, market development manager, at 800.528.1056 or [email protected].

Three different classes regarding self-storage development will be conducted at the Inside Self-Storage Las Vegas Expo, Feb. 20-23, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Each seminar covers a unique aspect of the development process and caters to students with varying information needs.
 
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, attendees can participate in the popular ISS Development Seminar. This full-day event is specifically designed to help interested parties determine if self-storage is the right business for them. Presented by industry consultant RK Kliebenstein of Coast-To-Coast Storage, the course covers all the critical aspects of developing a facility including site selection, feasibility, construction, site management and more. Separate registration is required for this event, co-sponsored by PTI Integrated Systems, Rib Roof Metal Systems, SBS Construction and U.S. Door & Building Components.

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, James Bratton of MST Constructors will present a one-hour seminar titled Storage Development: Step by Step. This tutorial will provide a quick overview of the steps involved in building a self-storage site. It is included as part of the expo Gold and Silver registration packages.
 
How to Invest in Self-Storage is a new half-day offering that focuses on the process of facility acquisition. It will take place on Thursday, Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. to noon. Also presented by Kliebenstein, this session will explain the essentials involved in purchasing an existing storage site. It will cover topics such as due diligence, how to determine the condition of a property, price negotiation and more. Separate registration is required for this event.

ISS has provided quality self-storage education via its magazine and tradeshows for more than 16 years. For information on seminar pricing and to register for the expo, visit www.insideselfstorage.com/expo/vegas.

Centershift, provider of STORE self-storage management software, successfully completed the installation of its product at more than 400 U-Store-It facilities across the United States. Implementation teams from the two companies worked collabortively to execute the mass rollout in a little more than two months.

As a result, U-Store-It is enjoying the benefits of its new centralized data model:

• Real-time access to operational performance across the organization.
• Shortened closing time on monthly financials.
• New techniques for managing and improving revenue.
• Automatic delivery of invoices and letters.
• Automated processing of recurring credit-card payments.

The new capabilies and changes are expected to produce an increase in revenue, improve operational efficiency and decrease costs.

U-Store-It is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. The company is one of the largest self-storage owner/operators in the United States. For more information, visit www.u-store-it.com.

Based in Salt Lake City, Centershift provides asset-management solutions that allow real-time access to business critical data over the Internet. For information, call 877.927.4438; visit www.centershift.com.

The application deadline for the annual Inside Self-Storage Scholarship Program has been extended to Nov. 30th. Interested parties are encouraged to apply for one of five $2,000 grants, good toward tuition at any accredited college or university.

The ISS Scholarship Program, initiated in 2001, encourages the educational pursuits of students closely affiliated with self-storage. Entrants are required to work in the industry or have immediate family members employed by self-storage or related companies. The scholarship funds, however, can be used to study any designated field.

To qualify, applicants must be at least 17 years of age; show proof of at least one-year affiliation with the self-storage industry; and plan to attend a college or university in 2007. Only one entry per family will be accepted.

Applications must be received no later than Nov. 30. All submissions should be typed or very clearly printed. They may be submitted via fax to 480.281.6038; by e-mail to [email protected]; or by mail to:

Inside Self-Storage Scholarship Program
P.O. Box 40079
Phoenix, AZ 85067-0079

The scholarship committee will select winners by Dec. 31. All recipients will be notified in writing by Jan. 30. A formal announcement will be made at the Inside Self-Storage Expo in Las Vegas, Feb. 20-23, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

For more information or to download an application, visit www.insideselfstorage.com/scholarships.

Self-storage operators in New Jersey, who had to start charging a 7 percent sales tax on storage rentals on Oct. 1, are feeling the pain of lost business and disatisfied customers. A recent article on PressOfAtlanticCity.com included an interview with Charles Sapienzo, owner of CNS Self Storage in Galloway Township, N.J., who said he lost 10 percent of his customers as a result of the new levy. He also had to get a second job to pay his property taxes. Customers are telling him they can't afford their self-storage rent with the new tax. Others want to leave the state altogether.

Other businesses are also feeling the burn, including health clubs, private investigators, tattoo parlors and massage therapists. The tax change is part of a new state budget passed in July.

For more information on how the tax is affecting storage operators, visit the website of the New Jersey Self Storage Association at www.njssa.org.

 

Sometimes an invention is so simple yet practical, people wonder why they didnt think of it first. Such a product is the Tiger Taco, an uncomplicated tool that quickly and easily secures carton flaps flush with the box side and away from the packing space. The device is a round piece of metal folded along its diameter to form a taco shape. It prevents the inconveniences associated with placing and removing items into a box. Like a third-hand, it allows someone quick access into the box space, reduces snags and cuts from the flap edges, and gives a true picture of the volume and contents of a box.

This is the single, most innovative packaging tool since the invention of the cardboard box, says co-owner and developer George Pauli.

For a remarkably simple application, there is an extensive amount of product development behind the Tiger Taco patent. The initial utility tool was an inelegant, elongated folded piece of scrap metal used for years by Pauli in his embroidery operation, where textiles are continually removed and replaced into boxes. In a moment of inspiration, Pauli and co-owner Chris Miller realized how the value of bringing it to a market where 25 billion boxes are used annually. From there, it was a matter of designing a memorable brand and refining the tool to provide the greatest utility in a high-volume production environment, Pauli says.

Where did the tiger name come from? I have a fondness for tigers, Pauli says. And theyre strong. Just like the tool.

Cool!

The Tiger Taco gives operators a new product to sell to customers, Miller says. The tacos point-of-purchase display combines hands-on experience with a wow, thats cool factor. Its great when a consumer has that eureka moment and gets how the Tiger works, he says. New storage customers as well as those coming in to pay a bill or purchase moving supplies will be drawn to the taco.

Owners can help market their facility by placing their logo on the taco for a minimal unit-order cost. The products irresistible POP drives impulse sales and adds appeal to even small retail areas. The Tiger Taco is now available on a limited basis through the companys website for operators who are willing to directly work with the inventors in a consumer-testing environment.

Our initial stage of distribution is designed to provide the self-storage market with the first taste of the tool in a closed market with a focused retail-consumer base, Pauli says. This gives us the ability to measure, refine and respond to their comments.

Depending on response to the initial distribution, unlimited fulfillment could be available before years end. POP kits of 24 are priced at $69.96. Recommended retail is $4.95 per unit. Tiger Taco Industries is an LLC owned by Pauli and Miller.

Its sole focus is on the development of the tool, with logical brand extensions. The product doesnt require an extensive management structure, so customer concerns are directly handled by someone who cares about your business, Miller says.

The Tiger Taco is manufactured in the United States using American-made materials and labor. We will continue this practice no matter what we do internationally, Pauli says. There are several logical brand extensions being developed for the Tiger Taco in the United States and in joint venture with our international partner. 

For more information, call 480.898.9800; visit www.tigertaco.com.