Registration opened today for the 2014 Inside Self-Storage World Expo, the self-storage industry's largest annual education and exhibition event of the year. The show will take place March 30-April 2 at the Paris Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas. Created for self-storage owners, managers, developers, investors and suppliers, the expo comprises four days of education, exhibits and networking opportunities.

The event will include more than 40 seminars organized into 10 educational tracks on Monday, March March 31 and Tuesday, April 1:

• Management Track
• Ownership Track
• Development & Construction Track
• Investment & Finance Track
• International Track
• Marketing Track
• Roundtables Track
• Game-Show Track
• How-To Track
• Limiting Liability Track

The expo will also include five add-on intensive workshops:

• Developers Workshop
• Legal Learning Live Workshop: Auction Edition!
• Management Workshop
• Owner/Operator Executive Workshop
• Social Media Mastery Workshop

Product and service exhibits, featuring more than 125 of the industry's top suppliers, will be open 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on March 31, with a cocktail reception in the exhibit hall. They will also be open noon to 5 p.m. on April 1.

In addition, the expo includes popular networking events including the Self-Storage Q&A and the Buyers & Sellers Meeting.

The 2014 show includes several new attractions including Software Roundtables, Add-On Profit Center Roundtables, the Social Media Mastery Workshop, a series of how-to demonstration seminars, a video-based seminar addressing solar self-storage and more.

Early-bird discount rates are available for the ISS Expo through Jan. 30. Using the discount, attendees will save $275 on the Premium Package, $150 on the Education Package, $50 on the Expo-Hall Package, and $150 on each of the shows five workshops.

Details and online registration are available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.

The Storage Business Owners Alliance LLC (SBOA), a buying group for the U.S. self-storage industry, announced it will no longer charge membership fees to facility owners who join. SBOA started in 2010 and has more than 3,000 members. The group enables smaller self-storage businesses to enjoy the benefits of bulk buying power.

We wanted to eliminate the membership fee so that self-storage owners would not feel inhibited from using the SBOA vendors and the terrific deals they offer, said Ian Burnstein, SBOAs president and co-founder. Our size of membership and strength of vendor partnerships have strengthened our business model to the point where we can waive the membership fee and continue to provide outstanding service and pricing to our members.

SBOA members can take advantage of pre-negotiated discounts on goods and services from more than 30 preferred vendors, including SBOA Merchant Services and SBOA Tenant Insurance. Members also save on items such as packing and moving supplies, marketing services, payroll services, UPS shipping and more. Savings range from 10 to 60 percent.

We enjoyed tremendous value from the SBOA with the membership fees in place, said Chris Potash of Self Storage Zone, a Virginia-based operator with 10 locations in Florida, Maryland and Washington, D.C . The removal of the fee will open up opportunities for others to enjoy the same benefits that we have enjoyed for more than three years.

The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) is offering two new programs and additional benefits for its members, including a charity-donation component. The CSSA has added a section to its online store that allows members to purchase business forms and other documents with printing options through Optimal Outsource, a company that serves the property-management industry with mailing and communications solutions. The second new offering is discounted pricing on moving supplies from New Haven Moving Equipment.

Among the new benefits available through the online store is a fully customizable employee manual designed to help owner members communicate information about working conditions, employee benefits and company policies to new and current employees. Free annual updates will be provided to members in good standing, according to the CSSA.

A forms packet with six documents operators can use for their business is also available for free to CSSA members. The packet includes a partial-payment receipt, facility receipt of legal documents, occupant release and conveyance form, a corporate resolution/authorization company trustee agreement, occupant release of interest, and occupant change of address form.

CSSA has partnered with Optimal Outsource to provide an online print solution for critical operational documents purchased through the store.

New Haven Moving Equipment will offer special discounts to CSSA members on boxes, tape, locks and other moving supplies. New Haven orders must be a minimum of $500 and will be delivered at no cost to facilities within 75 miles of the companys warehouses. New Haven has California warehouses in Los Angeles and San Leandro.

A portion of purchases from Optimal Outsource and New Haven Moving Equipment will be donated to Kure It Cancer Research, a nonprofit founded by self-storage industry veteran Barry Hoeven that is dedicated to funding kidney and other cancer research.

"We feel like this is the best time of the year to let CSSA members know about these programs and benefits since the holiday season is all about giving back, said Erin King, executive director of the CSSA. "We love helping our members, and we love helping Kure It.

"The CSSA continues to demonstrate their commitment to Kure Its mission with these programs and benefits, added Karen Jones, director of Kure It Cancer Research. "To have both Optimal Outsource and New Haven Moving Equipment willing to donate proceeds from their sales says so much about their dedication to a great cause. We are proud to partner with the CSSA and its members in the fight against underrepresented cancers.

The association also has a new Office Depot discount program available to members.

CSSA is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to supporting the self-storage industry in California. The group offers educational events, networking opportunities, legislative advocacy and more.

By Nancy Torres

This has been a busy year for the Latin American self-storage industry, which experienced significant growth, largely due to innovation. Facility development is no longer just about storage space and amenities; it's about being part of cutting-edge, mixed-use projects and being environmentally conscientious.

Unexpected Demand, Development Obstacles

Urbanism is well-known term in Latin America, relating to the fact that a considerable percentage of the population lives in metropolitan areas. Higher education, work opportunities and access to better health care are major drivers of this trend. For the past decade, this has been true in cities like Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and São Paulo. But in recent years, other cities have been experiencing the same phenomenon, such as Bogota, Guatemala City, Lima, Panama City and San Jose.

At the same time, residents who migrated to Europe or the United States looking for jobs are returning to their home countries due to the economic recession. Its interesting to see government-sponsored programs like the one in Peru that helps expatriates move back to their homeland. This programs include tax credits, moving subsidies and other benefits.

This creates fertile ground for self-storage development but also challenges in finding a location that meets all the requirements at a reasonable cost. The price for land in these metro areas can run from $1,500 to $3,000 per square meter, which poses hurdles for investors. This growth wasnt planned, therefore, the infrastructure is not at par to the development. Traffic is chaotic and utilities, including communications, are not reliable.

Micro-City Lifestyle Centers

Costa Rica is a good example of a new trend catching on rapidly in Latin America: micro-cities. These areas offer all the amenities of the big city but within a smaller community. Escazú, a neighborhood about 9 kilometers west of San José, is a great example of this type of real estate development.

The Avenida Escazú project is the best of its class. This lifestyle center aims to combine options for housing, work, entertainment, shopping and wellness all in one place. It offers retail, offices, lodging, residences, theaters, restaurants, medical services and, yes, even self-storage.

The executive team of Loq Storage Mini Bodegas, which operates in Avenida Escazú, decided to be part of this cutting-edge project from the beginning, negotiating a lease on the lower floor of the community parking garage. It was challenging, but the company was able to build a third-generation facility within its budget and in tune with the community's environmental efforts.

Mixed-Use Development

In Chile and Panama, theres another trend developing. These countries have seen an increase in mixed-use developments that include self-storage in business parks and shopping centers. A good example is Mi Bodega Self Storage in Santiago, Chile.

Due to land costs, any development in the area is vertical. The Mi Bodega project consists of 10 stories: The underground floor is self-storage; the ground level consists of retail space; two floors are dedicated for parking; five floors are office suites; and the top floor is a convention center. These types of facilities are being duplicated throughout the city as standalone projects or within business parks, which include showrooms, retail and office space. In Panama, new self-storage development is an integral part of shopping-center projects to offset the cost of land and provide an added value to tenants.

Pledging to Be Green

The green movement seems to permeate all areas of development in Latin America. In Chile, self-storage operators pledge that their design, construction and operation will be in accord with the preservation of our environment, focusing on energy efficiency, waste management and biodegradable products. In Costa Rica, facility construction involves the use of LED lighting, energy-efficient office equipment, HVAC efficiency, and green walls and landscaping. Its beautiful to walk into a storage property and see that instead of asphalt in the parking area, they use blocks that allow grass to grow. There are ivy walls at the entrance and vines rather than cyclone fence.

Latin America never ceases to surprise me. Its an evolving region trying to find its own identity while adapting to European and U.S. self-storage standards. There are many challenges ahead, in particular related to land costs and government regulation. Nevertheless, the industry is doing well and growing strong.

Nancy Torres is director of business development Latin America for Janus International, a provider of doors and building components for the self-storage industry. In addition to cultivating business in the region, she serves as president of the Latin America Self Storage Association. Prior to joining Janus, Torres managed the construction of several self-storage facilities and spearheaded the construction process in Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.janus-intl.com .

Self-storage operator Got Storage of Victorville, Calif., has expanded its business amenities to include offices with work stations and shipping services. Targeted at small businesses, the new services are designed to help companies maintain control over their freight during the shipping process, company officials said in a press release.

Small companies are often under intense pressure to meet ever-more restrictive timelines in delivering their merchandise to customers, officials said. The use of online vendors and same-day delivery service providers means growing California firms must have access to facilities that enable them to store and ship their products effectively across the country.

Storage units measuring up to 16 by 45 feet include individual alarms and truck doors for seamless loading and unloading. Large vehicles also are accommodated with wide aisles, officials said.

The Got Storage Victorville facility also serves the communities of Adelanto, Apple Valley and Hesperia.

Employees at Joshua Self Storage Solutions in Joshua, Texas, who for the past year have volunteered their time to support the local Meals on Wheels program, recently expanded their efforts to include Ani-Meals, which provides food to cats and dogs in need. They now deliver provisions to people and their pets in Johnson and Ellis counties one day each month.

We're excited to expand this service to the community, said Whitney Patterson, director of development for the local Meals on Wheels. We noticed that some of our clients were sharing part of their meals with their pets, so we know that this is a real need for clients with companion animals.

It went wonderfully, added Joseph Sidawi, manager at Joshua Self Storage Solutions. We've been involved with Meals on Wheels for about a year now, and we believe in their program. We're all animal lovers here, and we've met people and their animals through deliveries before. It was really nice to be able to help the whole family.

Meals on Wheels has partnered with Joshua Animal Control, which stores the pet food at its facility and assists with pet-food donations. Joshua Self Storage Solutions employees deliver meals on the first Monday of each month.

The Ani-Meals program has been part of the local Meals-on-Wheels services since 2009, with the group expanding it to communities each year. Joshua is the eighth community to receive the service in Johnson and Ellis counties, Patterson said.

The Meals on Wheels serving Johnson and Ellis counties provides homebound elderly and disabled people in need with home-delivered meals, daily personal contact, and support for individuals and their families.

Joshua Self Storage Solutions has served the Joshua community since 2003. The family-owned facility offers 300 storage units, gate-coded access and 21 surveillance cameras for added security.

As self-storage operators, we all encounter day-to-day problems that can be daunting, but they neednt be. Whether the challenge is with a customer, an employee or a facility-maintenance task, all can be prevented or expertly handled with a bit of forethought.

I always do my best to address things "off season." It's thinking ahead and planting bulbs in the fall that begets glorious beds of blooming flowers at the first hint of spring! The same concept can apply to your self-storage business, employees and customers.

For example, plan ahead for that spring/summer direct-mail piece or ad so you have time to ensure it represents your company, philosophy and product in the best light. This will also provide the added bonus of more time to seek professional designers for a bit of polish on your ideas. Print houses can be quite slow in January and February, so ask if there are any special rates if you run jobs just after the holidays.

Look ahead in your calendar of normal activities, duties or community events. See if you can save money and hassle by purchasing or planning early. For example, buying candy at the big-box store for a holiday event can be costly, and who among us wants to run out of candy? If you think ahead, there are tons of online bulk-candy outlets that will save you a bundle.

As we enter the time of year when folks like to make lists and think about the months ahead, I thought Id share some helpful hints for dealing with the daily, sometimes mundane things that cross our paths in the self-storage industry. Here are 10 pointers to minimize common operational problems.

1. Be Nice to Customers

Customers are your bread and butter, so always treat them nicely even if you have to plaster a smile on your face for that certain one or two who rub you the wrong way. The side effect is that just by wearing a smile, your day may improve and go by more quickly.

2. Admit You Don't Know

Most any problem can be resolved and theres no harm in simply stating, I dont know the answer, but I would be happy to find out and get right back to you. Make sure you truly do get back to the customer immediately or as soon as possible with an answer to the question. Keep in mind that not one of us possesses all the answers and its OK to be human.

3. Identify Staff Motivators

Know what it takes to make motivate your staff to accomplish day-to-day tasks. Some people are aural learners, some are visual, so respond accordingly with any tasks that need to be addressed. One may love a list of chores while another excels when you put a paintbrush in front of him. Another employee may just jump into action at a simple verbal request. Get to know and recognize each employees skill set to help determine how to manage your staff and your property effectively.

4. Keep It Clean

A clean property is a must for a discerning customer base. See trash when youre showing a unit? Then for goodness' sake pick it up! This achieves two things: Your property stays tidy and it shows the prospective tenant you dont like anything marring it. Anyone who sees you doing this wont be prone to leaving trash laying about when youre not looking. Also, excuse yourself to wash your hands before transacting business with a new tenant.

5. Apologize

Theres nothing wrong with saying these two words: Im sorrynot to admit guilt but to commiserate. Im sorry that special ended, but Id like to give you this bundle of boxes or a lock as a thank you. Or Im sorry (insert situation) drove you to needing storage, but let me show how easy and painless the experience can be. Im sorry, we dont have that available at the moment, but I would be happy to (insert your own ending here).

6. Mix It Up

Vary employee routines and give each person a fresh perspective on another's position by trading jobs for a day. You might be pleasantly surprised at the ensuing dialogue once people see things in a new light by spending the day doing someone elses job.

7. Open Your Mind

Be open to new ideas. Just because youve always done something one way doesnt mean theres no room for improvement. A good owner should occasionally engage employees and ask things like, Can you think of a better way to accomplish this task? or How would you handle this?

8. Be Pro-Active on Maintenance

As you make your rounds, youll likely see something that should be taken care of eventually, but are you pro-active? If the paving is looking tired and cracked, dont wait because winter is here. Start obtaining bids now and ask for any special winter rates if you commit now to resurfacing after the thaw. Dont wait until everyone else is in panic mode. Take a little time now and avoid stress in the springtime.

9. Try Something New

Do something out of your comfort zone. Whether its customer-, facility- or employee-related, just jump in and do something different.

10. Be Polite

Use the words please and thank you often, as these  little words make a huge difference. Always treat others in the same manner as youd like to be treated. A surly waiter or waitress can ruin an expensive dinner, just as your attitude can impact your self-storage customers' experience. If people around you arent happy, start by taking a look in the mirror to see what you can do to affect change.

While this isnt an exhaustive list by any means, its a start. Plan ahead for maintenance items, consider your staff when doling out assignments, and always remember to employ your best customer-service skills. Just following these tips will ensure a better-run facility, a happier staff and loyal customers. 

Gina Six Kudo is general manager of Cochrane Road Self Storage in Morgan Hill, Calif. She has more than 16 years of self-storage experience, and a strong customer-service and sales background. Shes also a moderator on selfstoragetalk.com, the self-storage industry's largest online community. For more information, call 408.782.8883; visit www.cochranestorage.com .