Stock N Lock Self Storage Centre, a new £2.5 million ($4 million) self-storage facility in Worcester, England, is offering move-in pricing specials designed to help customers save money on rent and temporarily avoid paying the United Kingdoms newly implemented self-storage value-added tax (VAT).

One promotion enables customers to rent a unit for 50 pence (about 80 cents) for the first month, while the Beat the VAT special eliminates VAT-related storage costs until next summer.

As of Oct. 1, U.K. self-storage operators must charge rental customers a 20 percent VAT as part of the governments revised budget plan. The new law affects self-storage businesses that previously opted not to charge the VAT and applies to those with annual net revenue exceeding £77,000 (approximately $124,000). The British government expects the self-storage VAT to generate more than $56 million by 2015-16.

Stock N Lock isnt using just its VAT special to entice customers. The facility also offers customer amenities, including a reception area with complimentary refreshments and WiFi, and free use of a conferencing suite in an adjacent office complex.

The bright-yellow, three-floor facility offers 44,000 square feet of storage space in 680 units. Packaging supplies are also available for purchase.

The property was developed by Lansdowne Rodway Estates, a local residential and commercial real estate developer.

Amazing Spaces Storage Centers, a self-storage operator with four facilities in Texas, recently donated $1,918 to the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston. The company began collecting funds in September for the annual Make a Difference Donation Campaign, which was launched by the Texas Self Storage Association (TSSA) in 2001. Amazing Spaces joined the effort in 2004.

The campaign encourages customers, associates, friends and families to donate money to the cause. Over the span of six weeks, Amazing Spaces raised $959. The company then matched the amount, donating a total of $1,918 to the campaign.

We are always so excited each year to help this wonderful charity that has been providing a wonderful service to children in our area since 1960, said Kathy Tautenhahn, vice president of Amazing Spaces.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a healthcare system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients ability to pay. Of the 22 hospitals comprising the hospital network, the Galveston hospital is one of only four that specialize in pediatric burn treatment, for which they are world-renowned.

Established in 1986, the TSSA is a non-profit trade association dedicated to enhancing the quality of the self-storage industry in Texas. It provides opportunities for members to increase their industry knowledge through education, research, discussion and the exchange of information.

Houston-based Amazing Spaces has locations in Houston, Spring, the Medical Center, and The Woodlands. In addition to traditional self-storage units, the facilities offer RV- and boat-storage, wine storage and more.

Bainbridge Self Storage and Bainbridge North Storage of Bainbridge, Wash., are running a food drive to support animals at the Kitsap Humane Society (KHS). The storage businesses are encouraging customers and the general public to drop off donations of pet food and supplies to assist the independent nonprofit of Silverdale, Wash.

Employees of the storage company heard rumors that the Humane Society is housing many homeless cats, dogs and other potential pets as the holiday season approaches and decided to help. We have the space available to collect and the equipment available to deliver," said self-storage manager J.M. Danielson. Our goal is to collect food and supplies like towels, blankets, kitty litter, kitten formula (and more) for the month of October.

Those who wish to donate can do so at 9300 Sportsman Club Road. All participants will be entered to win one of six prizes including a $50 Visa gift card donated by Mejia Landscaping, a $40 gift bag donated by Churchmouse Teas and Yarns, and a $25 gift certificate and bag of gourmet dog bones from Bainbridge Bakers. Three runners-up will win a twin pack of gourmet candy apples.

We are a small business that are [sic] proud of the work we do in and around Kitsap County with nonprofit groups, said Danielson.

KHS is committed to providing positive life-changing solutions to people and companion animals, according to Kitsap-Humane.org. Established in 1908, the organization depends on the kindness and generosity of the community it serves to care for animals in need. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of local community and business leaders. It is also devoted to educating the public on animal-welfare issues and how to better care for their pets.

Jackson Wilson, chief technology officer for Storage Post Self Storage, was honored as a finalist in the corporate category of the 2012 Georgia CIO of the Year Awards on Oct. 12. The awards banquet was held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta and was attended by nearly 700 local leaders.

Held annually by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association (GCLA), the CIO of the Year Awards recognize technology executives in the state of Georgia who have demonstrated superior management of their company's information systems. The 2012 finalists were chosen based on the measurable impact they have in their organization within four categories: nonprofit, enterprise, corporate and global. The GCLA promotes industry growth and professional development for chief information and technology officers, and encourages discussions among senior leaders.

Wilson is responsible for the continuous improvement of Storage Post's technology infrastructure, including its business-intelligence platform, online strategy and department-wide system evaluations. He also has extensive experience with buying-behavior identification and online sales methods and is adept at implementing processes for faster communication between the company and its clients, according to a company press release.

"I'd like to congratulate Jackson on this exciting honor. He truly is a skilled and knowledgeable member of the Storage Post corporate team," said Jack Chaney, chief operating officer. "We believe that everything starts with our people, and that Storage Post is successfulespecially in our advanced technology programsbecause of the talent and dedication of our staff."

Headquartered in Atlanta, Storage Post has locations throughout Georgia (1), Louisiana (5), New Jersey (2) and New York (14). The company is actively pursuing self-storage acquisitions.

The four U.S.-based self-storage real estate investment trusts (REITs)CubeSmart, Extra Space Storage Inc., Public Storage Inc. and Sovran Self Storage Inc.have announced when and how they will reveal their earnings statements for the fiscal quarter that ended Sept. 30.

CubeSmart

CubeSmart will release its quarterly financial results on Nov. 8. An accompanying conference call will be held at 11 a.m. ET on Nov. 9. A live webcast of the conference call will be available from the investor-relations page of CubeSmart.com. The dial-in numbers are 877.317.6789 for U.S. callers, 412.317.6789 for international callers and 866.605.3852 for Canadian callers.

After the live webcast, the call will remain available on CubeSmart's website for 30 days. In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available through Dec. 9. The replay dial-in number is 877.344.7529 for domestic callers and 412.317.0088 for international callers. The reservation number for both is 10019646.

CubeSmart owns or manages 518 self-storage facilities across the United States and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of approximately 825 additional self-storage facilities.

Extra Space Storage Inc.

Extra Space will release its quarterly earnings on Oct. 29 after the market closes. The company will host a conference call at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 30 to discuss the results. Hosting the call will be CEO Spencer Kirk, along with Scott Stubbs, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Karl Haas, executive vice president and chief operations officer.

During the call, company officers will review third-quarter performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period for registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability.

The phone number for the call is 866.277.1181 for U.S. callers and 617.597.5358 for international callers. The conference ID is 16475739. The conference call playback, which will be available through Nov. 30, will be accessible at 888.286.8010 in the United States or 617.801.6888 internationally. The conference ID is 97425335.

The conference call will be available on the investor-relations page of ExtraSpace.com. Those who wish to listen online should visit the website at least 15 minutes before the event start time to register and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will be available online for 30 days.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 910 self-storage properties in 34 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico The companys properties comprise approximately 610,000 units and approximately 66.5 million square feet of rentable space.

Public Storage

Public Storage will release its third-quarter earnings on Nov. 8. A conference call is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the results.

For the live conference call, the domestic dial-in number is 866.406.5408. The international dial-in number is 973.582.2770. The conference ID is 40169788. The live webcast will be available through the investor-relations page of PublicStorage.com and will be accessible on demand until Nov. 23. For the conference call replay, the domestic dial-in number is 800.585.8367, the international number is 404.537.3406, and the conference ID number is 40169788.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage has interests in 2,068 self-storage facilities in 38 states with approximately 132 million net rentable square feet. Operating under the Shurgard brand name, the company also has 189 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet.

Sovran Self Storage Inc.

Sovran will issue its quarterly results after the market closes on Oct. 31. The company will conduct a conference call to review the financial results and discuss operations on Nov. 1 at 9 a.m. ET.

The call can be accessed at 877.407.8033 within the United States or 201.689.8033 internationally. Management will accept questions from registered financial analysts after prepared remarks. All others are encouraged to listen to the call via webcast from the investor-relations page at UncleBobs.com. The webcast will be archived for 90 days. A telephone replay will be available for 72 hours after the meeting by calling 877.660.6853 and entering pass codes 286 and 400674.

Sovran, which operates facilities under the brand Uncle Bob's Self Storage, operates more than 440 facilities in 25 states, with a large presence in Texas.

Lock America International (LAI), a provider of locks and security components for the self-storage industry, welcomed back Ana Higareda as a customer-service representative, a post she held for more than 10 years before taking time off to raise her family. The industry has changed since I left. Its faster-paced and more challenging, and thats why Im excited to be back, Higareda said.

CEO Frank Minnella said hes pleased about Higaredas return to LAI.  Now we have someone who can devote all her effort and skills to this vital part of our business, and free up other staff for new ventures. Ana brings a lot of experience and a commitment to meeting the needs of our customers.

Serving the self-storage industry since 1981, Lock America offers security solutions for commercial, industrial and consumer companies. The company designs, manufactures and markets locks and security hardware.

By Jean Kelley

Any meeting you conduct at work is a reflection of you. What kind of image are you portraying? Professional, on-target and efficient? Or unprepared, unproductive and ineffective?

Unfortunately, few people receive formal training on how to conduct a great meeting, and this lack of training is apparent in conference rooms across the country. Between meetings that ramble on with no agenda and no action steps, to participants feeling bored and questioning why the meeting is even taking place, its no wonder so many people dread going to meetings.

To conduct a meeting that boosts your credibility and helps you achieve your self-storage companys goals, keep these 10 meeting tips in mind.

1. Do You Need a Meeting?

Before sending the meeting invites, define why youre having the meeting. Is it really necessary? Is there another way to accomplish the result? If you have a small department or group of attendees, perhaps a stand up meeting will suffice. In this case, you simply get everyone to gather in the hall, say what they need to know, and then everyone disbands within five minutes. Its a quick, painless and highly effective way to get a message out.

2. Set Expectations Prior to the Meeting

If a meeting is indeed necessary, create the agenda and send it out prior to the meeting so your staff is clear on whats going to be covered. If multiple topics are on the agenda, include a time allotment for each item. Also, list a meeting adjournment timeand stick with it. The more detailed you are, the more professional you look.

3. Facilitate Well During the Meeting

The facilitators job is to keep the meeting running smoothly, make sure everyone gets a say, and lead people through areas of conflict. Realize that no meeting runs itself. You need to lead people through each segment of the agenda and work for a resolution to each area of discussion.

4. Beware of Parkinsons Law

As you facilitate, keep Parkinsons Law in mind: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. The same is true for meetings. If youve set an hour for the meeting, chances are it will drag on to fill that time slot. To keep this from happening, announce at the onset, If we get through this agenda before the adjournment time, we all get to leave early. Make that the goal, not the posted adjournment time.

5. Allow Conflict

If the goal of your meeting is to solve a problem, then conflict is inevitable. Welcome it. A good facilitator will recognize when emotions get too high and will step in to keep the meeting on track. But dont strive to avoid conflict. Nothing gets solved without first having a conflict of ideas.

6. Assign Action Steps

In a perfect world, people would 100 percent self-manage. We dont live in a perfect world. Thats why the meeting leader needs to wrap up the meeting by summarizing the key points and then assign the action steps. Decide whos going to do what and by when. Also, determine how everyone will follow up on the action steps. Whos holding people accountable for doing what needs to get done? The more follow-up and accountability you have, the more likely you are to accomplish the stated goals.

7. Delegate the Meeting Responsibility

Just because youre a the self-storage owner or supervisor doesnt mean you have to lead every meeting. Delegate some meetings to others so they can gain experience in this critical skill. If you dont feel comfortable delegating the entire meeting, delegate a part of it thats focused on a specific topic. Give everyone a turn to develop their meeting prowess.

8. Know When to Lead and When to Participate

When you do delegate a meeting or attend someone elses meeting, resist the urge to take over. Of course you can be an active participant and state your opinions, but let the other person do his job and have the spotlight as the leader. He may not run the meeting exactly like you would, but its his meeting. Let his own leadership style shine.

9. Always Let People Out Early

Remember when you were a kid and the teacher let you out of class a minute or two early? Chances are you liked that teacher and didnt mind going back to his class.

Adults are the same way. The minute you start going over the stated adjournment time, people disengage and tune out. Instead, let them out a few minutes early. If youve followed all the other points mentioned thus far, an early adjournment should be possible. If your meeting topic still has loose ends, address those key items with the needed parties privately. Keeping everyone in the meeting to address final points that dont pertain to the group as a whole leaves people frustrated and borednot the kind of last impression you want.

10. Have Fun!

Meetings have a reputation for being boring and uninspiring, so give people a chance to leave with something other than the agenda. For example, if the meeting takes place around a holiday, put out some candies or small decorations. If the meeting topic is dull, hand out small hand clappers (hand-shaped noise makers). Tell everyone, If I say something good, pick this up and make some noise. Do what you can to make a dull meeting memorable and fun.

Make Your Meetings Work

Meetings dont have to be something people dread. When you implement these 10 tips for your future meetings, youll gain a reputation for being an effective meeting facilitator. And rather than being viewed as time wasters, your meetings will actually get things done.

Jean Kelley, author and entrepreneur, is the managing director of Jean Kelley Leadership Alliance, whose faculty and trainers have helped more than 750,000 leaders and high potentials up their game at work in the United States and in Canada. For information, e-mail [email protected]; visit www.jeankelley.com.

This year has been marked by the political rock and roll of the election season, and its difficult to predict what the rest of the year or 2013 will bring. No matter which side of the aisle you sit on, if you consider the debt levels on which the U.S. economy is embarking with no debt-reduction plan in place, its obvious were moving quickly into uncharted waters. Its also important to mention that Congress has received warnings in regard to the U.S. credit rating from groups such as Moodys.

In light of the turmoil and uncertainty our country is facing, Ill give you some thoughts on the self-storage real estate market that will hopefully provide some perspective for self-storage owners to consider.

The Market for Self-Storage Properties Today

The uncertainty of the economy, political leadership, interest rates and the current U.S. tax structure have had an impact (positive or negative) on the marketability of self-storage properties around the county, depending on your current situation. However, unlike the macro issues mentioned above, the adjustments to self-storage values have been more moderate and rational.

Self-storage facility prices per dollar of net operating income hit an absolute all-time high in about mid-2007. Buyers at that time would accept the validity of just about any projection and finance the project to the maximum allowed. The 2012 market has seemingly found equilibrium at levels that are 5 percent to 15 percent below the historic highs, although the spread between the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and the rest of the country is greater than that of the 2007 market. This has created opportunities for the entrepreneur who can operate in smaller markets with a lower expense structure, employ more hands-on marketing, and use todays technology to minimize the expense load.

The reality is most of the large deals done in major markets today are by investors and institutions with OPM (other peoples money). These institutional-type investors have access to less expensive capital than the entrepreneurial investor, and they don't look at acquisitions in the same way. For example, they don't evaluate an investment for protection of a current asset, protecting or gaining market share, the desire to enter certain markets, or the opportunity cost of putting or not putting the money to work today. All of this has led to a fluid transaction market where deals are being done in large and small markets nationwide.

What's the Big Question?

The real question is, what do interest rates, improvement in the economy and a change in the U.S. tax structure mean for self-storage owners and their property values? In other words, how do changes in the macro economy and the credit markets impact the value of self-storage properties and the owners flexibility?

By example, capitalization (cap) rates, the way in which self-storage and other commercial real estate is valued, and interest rates are inexorably linked. If interest rates go up, cap rates will ultimately go up as well, and vice versa. However, due to various market conditions, the link between the two is somewhat flexible as to the timing and magnitude. Think about the relationship between the two rates as being tied together by a rubber band that allows it to expand and contract somewhat, but the overall relationship remains strong and closely related.

The current low interest-rate environment has allowed the market to reach equilibrium and created an almost perfect environment for anyone thinking of buying, selling or refinancing. I know that sounds like a broker talking, but consider the following: Buyers can buy a great property and achieve cash-on-cash returns not seen in many years. Sellers today, on the other hand, can get near the highest price per dollar of income in the history of self-storage. And if youre considering refinancing, you can lock in an interest rate at the lowest rate in 50 years. The real question is: How long will this all last?

Second, self-storage values will most likely stay relatively the same in the coming year if the economy continues to improve. Its anticipated well experience a 10- to 25-basis-point compression in cap rates over the next year. This is largely due to the current interest-rate environment with most of this compression in cap rates being enjoyed by the B- and C-class properties as investors continue to chase yield. However, we just as easily could see a 10- to 25-basis-point expansion in cap rates if we were to experience an increase in interest rates after the election.

Lastly, a change in the U.S. tax structure could be devastating to the after-tax dollars a seller will receive when selling a self-storage property, and not because the properties will be producing any less income than the year before or the value of the property will be less than today. Im not an accountant and do not give tax advice, but I believe its worth your time to check with your accountant to understand the impact of an increase in capital-gains tax on your after-tax proceeds.

Clearly, any of these events could have a material impact on a buyers or sellers investment. My best advice is that if youre in the market today, its time to seize the moment!

Ben Vestal is president of the Argus Self Storage Sales Network, a national network of real estate brokers who specialize in self-storage. Argus provides brokerage, consulting and marketing services to self storage buyers and sellers and operates SelfStorage.com, a marketing medium and information resource for facility owners. For more information, call 800.55.STORE; e-mail [email protected] .

Storage Investment Management Inc. (SIMI), which manages more than 30 self-storage properties throughout New England, held its annual manager's conference and awards-recognition dinner at the Trumbull Marriott Merritt Parkway in Trumbull, Conn., on Sept. 20. The conference portion included roundtable presentations on self-storage marketing, SIMI policies and procedures, industry best practices, and other topics. Afterward, attendees enjoyed an awards dinner during each the company's top performing facility managers were recognized.

Awards were given for "Highest Volume of Merchandise Sales," "Best Budget Income Variance," "Most Improved Facility" and other categories. The 2012 manager of the year was Jess Benowitz, manager of Planet Self Storage in Clinton, N.J. The No. 1 ranked "power rating" went to Mike Melia, manager of All American Self Storage In Methuen, Mass.

In addition, SIMI recognized 11 employees for extended length of service ranging from five to 20 years. A 20-year award was given to Bob Barzelay, the company's director of management information systems.

Self-Storage, a horror movie from Woodhaven Production Co. and Verdi Productions, was sold to Screen Media Films of New York last week after the successful premier of sister film "Infected." The storage-themed thriller starring Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman and Michael Berryman was sold on its 90-second trailer alone. "That's how good this film is," said producer Chad A. Verdi.

Zombie story "Infected" premiered at the "Rock and Shock" annual horror convention in Worcester, Mass., on Oct. 13. It will hit select theaters on Oct. 25 and will have a worldwide video-on-demand release that will reach more than 100 million homes in the first quarter of 2013, Verdi said.

"Self-Storage" and "Infected" are part of a four-picture deal in the process of being signed with Screen Media, with the remaining two movies to be complete by the end of 2014. Upon the delivery of each film, Screen Media will acquire all worldwide rights.

"It's a win-win for both companies," Verdi said. "We are making films knowing they are already sold and have distribution while SMF receives a constant flow of films for their pipeline.

Verdi's goal is to produce all four films in Rhode Island, but recent events could prohibit this from happening, he said.

Directed by Tom DeNucci and shot in East Greenwich, R.I., "Self-Storage" is still in post-production and is expected to be released in March. It features DeNucci in the lead role of Jake, a night watchman at a highly secured self-storage facility. Jakes friends are home from college and looking to party, so he invites them to his work to indulge in a night of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. However, the characters find themselves trapped in an evening of pure terror. Also in the film are Eliza Roberts and professional wrestlers Tommy Dreamer and Thea Trinidad.