Hello, my name is Rick and I’m a tech-aholic. I love technology. Words like optimization, data-mining and automation excite me. I’m one of those people who have a countdown for the next phone update. Sometimes, I type “u” instead of “you” when I write e-mail. With the time it saves me, I ponder the mysteries of life.

As the consumer-tech world continues its exponential growth, we’re faced with ever-new decisions. We’re also constantly “on call.” Social media, e-mails, text messages, apps and photos are all sending notifications of their importance and fighting to be No. 1 on our priority list. This overload takes a toll on our lives in one way or another. The individual who can tame these tech beasts is one who’ll have more control and less stress.

While tech is near and dear to me, so is my desire for a simplistic lifestyle. My drive to streamline has led me to examine my technology habits to ensure they’re the most efficient. Let’s walk through some steps to better organize your digital world, which will benefit you not only in your self-storage operation, but in all areas of life.

Control Your Inbox

Stop checking your e-mail first thing in the morning! Yes, check the facility account in case a customer is trying to reach you; but this is your most productive time of the day. You might feel productive when you open that inbox and delete 20 messages, but it’s really the opposite. That simple task is one that should be handled during a slower time.

My inbox is the bane of my existence. I receive so many e-mails that I rely on an organization method. First, I unsubscribe to all junk messages as they come. Second, I automate by using filters to send files to various folders. Third, I maintain four key folders labeled Today, This Week, This Month and This Quarter. This enables me to prioritize messages, responding or taking action as time permits.

Whatever e-mail service you’re using, there’s probably a better system. I love Inbox by Gmail. Even if your e-mail comes through your self-storage facility website, you can configure it to send to Inbox. The feature I use the most is the snooze button, which allows you to postpone a message to a chosen date, time or even location. For example, if I have several e-mails I need to examine when I get to a specific storage property, I choose the “snooze to location” option. Once I arrive at that store, the e-mails are waiting for me in that inbox.

Collaborate Better

When I receive an e-mail that contains a due date, to-do list or other request, I put that info into an organizational collaboration tool. It’s helpful if I’m part of a 10-person e-mail chain, for example, as by the time the discussion is over, the part of the message outlining my responsibility is long buried.

Apps like Google Keep, Wunderlist and Trello allow you to collaborate with team members on various tasks. They also provide a simple way to track info across multiple devices. You can set due dates, reminders and assignments, all of which can be updated and changed as projects are added to or completed. By using these apps, the need for e-mails is reduced and efficiency is increased.

Reduce the Paperwork

In life, we all suffer three types of death. One is “the final storage unit” in which we’re all buried. (Luckily, there are no auctions.) The second is death by meetings, and the third is death by paperwork.

Digital and physical paperwork occupy different kinds of space. The key is to keep both well-organized. For example, there are probably a few overflowing filing cabinets in your office. Most contain signed leases. If you haven’t switched to paperless yet, repent your evil ways and start! The old paper versions are taking up a massive amount of space.

I bought two USB thumb drives, scanned all my paper leases and shredded the hard copies. I placed a digital copy on each thumb drive and a backup in the cloud for redundancy. If I need a copy of a lease, I can easily print one.

Automate Your Work

Have you ever thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could do this automatically?” Welcome to the world of automation! My two favorite tools in this area are If This Then That (IFTTT), a free Web-based service to create chains of conditional statements, and Zapier, which allows users to connect the apps they use to automate their work and be more productive. These programs are designed for people who want to combine Web apps in a system of triggers and actions.

For example, I spend time at various self-storage facilities throughout my day and need to keep track of time. With IFTTT, a location trigger occurs automatically when I arrive at a site. It logs the start time in a nice, organized Google spreadsheet, and I can put it into payroll later.

Both IFTTT and Zapier offer thousands of ways to improve and automate every aspect of your work and personal life. If you fail to find an integration that works for you, make one! The sky is the limit in these great automation programs.

Begin the ‘Great Purge’

Every six months I institute the “great purge” at all my storage locations. It begins with picking a corner in your office. That corner is the starting point of a 360-degree house-cleaning, ending where you started. Every cabinet, drawer, nook and cranny is rid of useless junk.

Part of the purge is the computers we use every day. It’s easy to let old downloads, scans and programs pile up on your machine. These files create a digital wasteland you’re forced to wade through every day. Files should be organized, folders should be labeled, and there should be an easy way for someone other than you to find something they need.

We once lived in a world where there was a separation between our work, home and social lives. Today our lives are so blended with technology that it’s difficult to compartmentalize. Having a messy digital life and thinking it won’t ooze into your personal life is a fool’s errand. Now more than ever, it’s prudent to organize your digital world. Remember, you’ll always have the choice between taming the tech beast or having it become your master. Choose wisely.

Rick Beal is the district manager and part owner of Cubes Self Storage in Salt Lake City. His goal is to help a historically slow-changing industry embrace new, innovative ideas. His professional motto is “Storage is a business of inches not miles.” He can be reached at [email protected]. Connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/storagerick. 

While the Inside Self-Storage Store is chock full of educational and informational resources, reading for pleasure can be an effective way for self-storage professionals to maintain balance in their lives. In the mystery novel “Hot Storage,” author Mary Mead creates intrigue through the perils of facility manager Marlena Montoya, who must hunt for the truth when two men connected to her property are murdered.

The story builds after Marlena finds cartons of drugs in a unit that was supposed to be empty. It all goes downhill from there, as a county task force puts an undercover cop on the payroll, one of the owners gets personal, and the local detective stays for dinner. When the two men are murdered and found to be connected to the Jade Beach facility, it falls to Marlena to hunt for the truth with an assist from Monarch Beach detective John Kincaid.

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U.K. self-storage operator Safestore Holdings PLC could be in hot water with shareholders over its remuneration policy—and not for the first time. Under a new bonus plan, CEO Frederic Vecchioli would receive £8.7 million in company shares, while finance director Andy Jones would receive £5.9 million in shares. Shareholders are expected to vote against the bonuses and could oust Claire Balmforth, pay-committee chair, during a vote next week, according to the source.

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., a voting-advisory service, has recommended members vote against the policy change during the shareholders’ annual meeting. In its report, the firm raised concerns about the “structure and operation” of the Safestore bonus plan, which increased from 100 percent of a director’s salary to 150 percent last July, the source reported.

Balmforth could be forced to step down from her role as pay-committee chair ahead of next Wednesday’s vote if it’s apparent shareholders have enough support to vote her out, according to the source.

The contentious situation is similar to last year, when Safestore executives backed away from a proposed bonus plan that would have awarded Vecchioli with up to 2.5 million shares after five years, worth £9.4 million at the time. Nearly 40 other company leaders would also have received pay bonuses under the plan. Shareholders approved an amended pay policy during a special meeting last July.

In its most recent financial-earnings report, Safestore reported total revenue for the first quarter of its 2018 fiscal year was up 9.8 percent to £35.1 million, with “like-for-like” growth for the group up 4.5 percent, using constant exchange rate, in France and United Kingdom. Same-store revenue in the U.K. grew 4.3 percent, while the company’s Paris business increased 5.5 percent compared to the same period in 2017.

Safestore operates 146 self-storage facilities, including 120 facilities it owns in the U.K. and 26 in France. Its storage properties comprise 6.27 million square feet of storage space and serve approximately 60,000 customers.

Source:
The Telegraph, Safestore Faces Shareholder Revolt Over Director Share Awards

Attic Self Storage, an England self-storage operator with two facilities in the Greater London Area, has created an interactive information guide to King’s Cross, a popular inner-city district of London. Created for tourists and those looking to relocate, the guide can be accessed via the operator’s website, under “community” in the top navigation bar. It covers local restaurants, music venues, parks and other places to visit. Complete with 360-degree imagery, it also features a map with pins for an enhanced user experience as well as details on new housing developments, according to a press release.

“When we first opened our new store on York Way, we were amazed at how much the local area had changed over the past few years,” said CEO Frederic de Ryckman de Betz. “We felt it would be useful to have a local guide for people moving to King’s Cross, Camden and the surrounding area as much as for visitors. We can’t wait to update the guide as this vibrant neighborhood continues to grow, and we hope you find it as inspiring as we did.”

Highlights of the guide include restaurants near Granary Square, a public plaza that features more than 1,000 choreographed fountains, and Kings Place, which contains two concert halls, galleries, a waterside restaurant and conference center. The map also spotlights Skip Garden, an urban garden in Lewis Cubitt Park, and a sculpture of Platform 9¾ at the King’s Cross Station, which pays tribute to the “Harry Potter” fantasy series.

Attic supports the community through several initiatives. Last summer, the company hosted an exhibit at its King’s Cross facility to showcase work by artists of Artbox London, a nonprofit supporting people with learning disabilities. The event’s success inspired the storage operator to keep the art on display permanently. 

The same facility also contains an outdoor, interactive art space on the side of its building. Last year, Attic partnered with two local art schools to launch Market Road Gallery, which allows artists to book time to paint on the 213-foot “canvas” on the back wall of the storage property.

Founded in 2006, Attic operates a second facility in Bow, a district in London’s East End.    

Source:
Response Source, Attic Self Storage Launches New Interactive Guide to King’s Cross

 

Absolute Storage Management (ASM), a self-storage owner and property-management firm, recently celebrated its 15th year in business and added the 100th property to its third-party management roster, according to a press release.

ASM was founded in 2002 in Memphis, Tenn., by a three-partner team with 15 collective years of previous work experience at Storage USA. Its first managed property was in Montgomery, Ala. By 2004, it was managing 1 million square feet of storage space.

Today, ASM oversees more than 5 million square feet of self-storage in 13 states. It employs more than 250 people and has offices in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Jackson, Miss.; and Nashville, Tenn.

The company’s newest managed property is Melrose Storage in Nashville. The facility is owned by The Natchez Group, which focuses on self-storage development and investments in Central Tennessee and the Southeast. ASM also oversees the company’s other three storage properties.

The firm plans to enter new markets this year, including Indiana and Texas. ASM also has projects under development with joint-venture partners.

ASM holds an Accredited Management Organization designation from The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). To achieve the designation, the company had to meet specific standards, such as conducting business activities in compliance with IREM laws and regulations.

The self-storage industry is about to face a watershed moment. Since 2000, the estimated population of the United States has increased by about 44 million people, a 16 percent bump. Since 2010, it has increased an estimated 17 million, equal to 14 percent growth. Despite these figures, average rentable square feet of self-storage per person has declined approximately 3 percent since 2008.

When you combine these demographic changes with a decrease in the overall amount of storage available, it’s easy to see why the industry is experiencing overwhelming demand. It’s not magic, luck or individual genius; it’s just statistics.

Historically, self-storage rental rates and occupancies have never been higher. Revenue and expense management have been optimized with technology, and new competition has been relatively stagnant. This mixture has been positive for property owners, investors and managers, but there’s a hidden dark side that’s about to reveal itself in the form of operational complacency.

Self-storage, just like other industries, is subservient to supply and demand. With new development on the horizon, some operators are unaware or have limited experience in how to excel in a competitive market. The new market dynamic won’t result in everyone having 90 percent occupancy and customers appearing out of thin air. We need to go back to the basics. It’s time to invest in maintenance programs, marketing campaigns, sales, customer service and technology. It’s time to get back to fundamentals.

Maintenance

Take a walk outside and review the curb appeal and maintenance status of your facility. Dig deep into aesthetic and mechanical issues. It’s harder to market and sell a property to a potential customer if it appears to be falling apart. Ask yourself:

• What maintenance items need to be addressed?
• What projects are vital to promoting your facility to customers? Why haven’t these items been addressed until now?
• How are these items to be reported and to whom?
• What budget will be allocated to addressing these projects?
• Who’s responsible for hiring vendors, and what’s the procedure?
• What’s the invoice amount that may be approved by frontline staff? What’s the procedure if the invoice will be higher than that amount?
• Are there any bottlenecks in your operation that stall approval for maintenance and repairs?

If you don’t have a maintenance schedule, it’s time to create one. Make sure you’re using the plan and addressing tasks in a timely manner.

Marketing

Your next task is to review your facility’s marketing plan. If you don’t have one, put one together. It should take into consideration the programs you’d like to implement, the budget allocated to these programs for materials and training, and how they’ll be measured and distributed.

Review your facility’s website, pay-per-click advertising, Google listings and social media accounts. Set up meetings with your online-marketing company to ensure these items are designed and implemented correctly. Use these meetings to review your online reputation. If there’s an issue, address it immediately. Reviews are important and will only become more critical in a competitive marketplace. Finally, address any online inaccuracies in contact information, pricing or map placement.

Also, make sure you have a solid referral program and you’re promoting it to existing and former customers. Consider implementing other marketing strategies such as direct mail, additional signage and programs that specifically target local businesses like realtors, apartment complexes and movers. Once you have a complete plan, implement training with staff.

Sales

Next, it’s time to optimize your sales-training program. Have you allocated funds to improve it? Being open for business is no longer enough. You need to consider your plan to convert potential customers. Do you have a sales script or guide that outlines the sales process? If not, write one.

Have you trained your staff on how to show a unit to a potential customer as well as promote your property’s features, such as climate-controlled space? Does your facility have a golf cart so prospects aren’t forced to walk the property to see a unit?

Conduct a market study of your competitors to see if your amenities and gate hours are similar or better. Managers can use this information during their sales presentation. Find out what kind of pricing and specials your competitors are promoting online and for walk-ins. The sales process should also include the promotion of ancillary products and services such as locks, tenant insurance and packing supplies. If your business offers autopay and online-billpay capabilities, be sure staff mentions it to prospects.

Customer Service

Customer service is another item that should always be a central focus. You need to think of it as a process. It begins in the office, which should be clean and inviting. Does your office offend any of the five senses? With a critical eye, consider any changes that should be made. For example, if the office is dark, displays peeling paint or smells musty, these are things that can be easily remedied.

Next, think about how customers are greeted. Managers should always stand, smile and offer a handshake. Also, present a bottle of water or cup of coffee to everyone who comes through your door.

Since most customers use self-storage because of changes in their life, it’s critical to show empathy and understanding. Someone who’s robotic in nature—just going through the motions of the rental process—will seem insincere. Rather, call the person by name and make eye contact.

Dealing with irate customers takes special skill, so it’s vital to have policies and procedures in place to handle these situations. For example, what’s the protocol if a customer becomes unruly? What freedoms are put on staff to appease a customer who’s upset about a rental increase or late fee? It’s important employees know these policies so they can act accordingly.

A self-storage manager with great customer service can make up for many facility flaws. Never underestimate the importance of this skill. Customer service can help swing the success of a facility one way or the other.

Technology

An increasingly competitive market means it’s time to install a tracking system. To do this effectively, you must dig deep and invest. You can’t leverage this technology by entering halfway or acting with passive interest. Information is great, but the ability to process it is the real difference-maker.

Self-storage operators too often make decisions with no information, partial information or just a gut feeling. For example, if you launch a direct-mail campaign, how do you know if it’s successful? Do you know how many potential customers are generated? Do you know how many of those leads are converted to rentals? Answers to both can lead to different conclusions.

If a direct-mail campaign doesn’t generate any leads, then maybe the design or mailing list was wrong. If it enticed potential customers but those prospects weren’t converted, your sales process may need to be adjusted. In addition, lead tracking allows you to calculate a return on investment for each marketing campaign. It also reveals holes in your training program and documents staff performance in real time.

The first thing college basketball coach John Wooden used to teach his players was how to put on their socks and shoes—not how to dribble, shoot the ball or rebound, but the importance of socks and shoes. Without these, his players risked major injury. Your facility should operate in the same way. It’s the simple, everyday things that will keep it successful. As operators, we must either get back to self-storage fundamentals, or the fundamentals will come back for us.

Matthew Van Horn is co-founder of 3 Mile Domination Self Storage Services, a full-service operations company specializing in self-storage management, marketing and consulting. He’s also co-author of “Self Storage Domination.” To speak with him about your self-storage operations, schedule a free 60-minute strategy session at www.3miledomination.com. 

A zoning request by Minify Self-Storage was rejected last week by the Maple Park, Ill., Village Board. The company, which operates a facility in DeKalb, Ill., sought a special-use permit to build on the former Spino’s Garden Center parcel at 18663 County Line Road. The 144-unit project would’ve cost about $1 million to construct, according to the source.

Board trustees Kristine Dalton, Luke Goucher and Brandon Harris voted in favor of the ordinance on March 6, while JP Dries, Chris Higgins and Bart Shaver opposed it. Board president Kathy Curtis broke the split decision. “It doesn’t fit in with our comprehensive plan. That was my feeling on it,” she said.

Several residents also opposed the project. “It is not a nice thing to have storage units in your backyard,” Elizabeth Tucker said. “My husband and I disagree with the whole thing and would hope the village would agree with us.”

Community members would like to see the site converted into something that would benefit the village. “I’m all for making the current property better than it is. I just don’t think self-storage is the way to go,” said resident Henry Hockey.

Minify’s facility in DeKalb contains 196 units and offers 24-hour access. The company also has a new location under construction in Genoa, Ill., that will open later this year, the source reported.

Source:
Kane County Chronicle, Maple Park Gives Thumbs-Down to Self-Storage Project

G5, the provider of Digital Experience Management (DXM) software and services to the self-storage industry, has launched its Intelligent Marketing Cloud service that integrates multi-channel marketing functions onto a single platform. Targeted at marketers of multi-family, self-storage and senior-living properties, the program uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to create a data warehouse designed to improve strategic decision-making, optimize campaigns, manage marketing costs and improve return on investment (ROI), according to a press release.

“Our vision is that all aspects of multi-channel marketing will be optimized using the vast amounts of data available through our platform, and taken to new dimensions using artificial-intelligence technology that delivers new experiences in real time, while improving our clients’ ROI,” said Dan Hobin, CEO. “Our clients will see continued improvements in real estate marketing as we expand our use of artificial intelligence throughout the real estate marketing cycle.”

The platform integrates marketing data across digital advertising and search engine optimization, as well as mobile, reputation, social media and other Web channels. “In this manner, both historical and real-time data are used to understand and predict customer journeys and campaign effectiveness. Campaigns can be updated and optimized continuously, rather than looking in the rear-view mirror on antiquated results from previous quarters,” the release stated.

Founded in 2005, G5 was recently named one of the fastest growing private U.S. companies by “Inc.” magazine and listed in Deloitte LLP’s “Technology Fast 500” rankings. The Bend, Ore.-based company is backed by private-equity investor PeakEquity Partners.

Source:
BusinessWire, New G5 Intelligent Marketing Cloud Delivers 2.5x Improvement in Marketing Conversions for Real Estate Property Management Marketers

The Box Self Storage Services LLC, a self-storage operator that owns more than 30 facilities in the Middle East and West Asia, has partnered with mobile-app company Yalla Pickup to offer its moving trucks for pickup-and-delivery transportation services. Based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yalla enables customers to book pickup and delivery of large goods. The company is expanding services targeted at commercial businesses for home delivery, fleet outsourcing and moving consultation, according to a press release.

“Our strategic alliance with The Box has added another feather to our cap as a unique startup,” said Elie El Tom, founder and CEO of Yalla. “From offering services to moving companies, individuals and businesses, we are now expanding towards delivery management, on-spot delivery and survey management. This will not only give us an edge, but propel us as a one-stop solution for individual and commercial goods transportation in the UAE. Through our services, we hope to build a fast and secure goods transportation system that not only provides timely service but also a seamless experience.”

The service expansion is the second phase of the mobile app. Yalla intends to increase its transportation fleet to 500 trucks across the UAE by the end of the year, with a goal of signing 300 business customers, El Tom said. Though the company serves only the UAE, it intends to expand to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2021.

“We have been associated with Yalla Pickup for nearly a year and are excited for the launch of the second phase of their app. It caters particularly to the commercial sector and will appeal to the digital needs of any business that requires transportation. The vision with which Yalla Pickup began and has grown is truly commendable, and we are happy to be a part of their success story,” said Wadih Haddad, founder and CEO of The Box. “Having a pickup and delivery service at the tip of our fingers is quite unique in this part of the region, and Yalla Pickup has broken that barrier. As a storage and transportation company, we understand the need for such services and have seen a growing need for convenient transportation in the market. It gives us immense pleasure to be in this with Yalla Pickup.”

The “last-mile delivery” service will cater to small businesses, such as stores and online retailers, that don’t have a transportation fleet of their own but need to deliver furniture and other items to customer residences. This differs from the delivery-management offering, which is tailored to businesses that outsource their fleets to other companies. The online platform will allow companies full visibility of their own fleet as well as hired vehicles, allowing customers to assign tasks to drivers and monitor their progress, the release stated.

The survey-management program similarly allows moving companies to assign a surveyor to a client’s site for a moving consultation to plan a move and see if any special needs are required, as well as check their arrival times.

Founded in 2007, The Box offers self-storage and moving services. It operates more than 30 facilities in Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE.

Source:
Zawya, Yalla Pickup Transforms the Transportation Business in the UAE Through its Digital Platform

Westport Properties Inc. (WPI), which operates more than 120 self-storage facilities under the US Storage Centers brand, has purchased Philly Self Storage in Philadelphia. The facility at 1910 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. will be re-branded as US Storage Centers, according to a press release. Near Interstate 95, it comprises 107,606 square feet of storage space in 1,545 units. Features include climate control, electronic-gate access and vehicle parking.

“This property is the perfect complement to our existing portfolio,” said Charles Byerly, CEO and president of WPI. “It is located in a high-traffic, heavily populated and underserved self-storage market. We are proactively looking for new investment and development opportunities that fit our growth strategy.”

The buyer and the seller were represented in the transaction by Nick Malagisi, national director of self-storage for SVN Commercial Real Estate Advisors.

WPI announced earlier this week that it has completed the development of its six-story property in Miami. Built in a partnership with The Feldman Cos., it comprises 166,256 square feet of storage space in 1,270 units.

WPI also purchased Magellan Storage in Commerce, Calif., in January. The 4-acre property is just off Interstates 5 and 710, and within 15 minutes of downtown Los Angeles.

Founded in 1985 and based in Irvine, Calif., WPI is a real estate investment company that acquires, develops and operates self-storage facilities as well as provides third-party management services. Its portfolio comprises 8 million rentable square feet in 15 states.