PODS Enterprises Inc., a moving and storage company that provides portable-storage containers, is preparing for what experts predict will be an above-average hurricane season in 2010.

The Florida-based company has ordered an additional 2,000 portable-storage containers from manufacturer Wabash National’s DuraPlate Products Group to further increase the company’s ability to assist communities in a disaster. Since 2005, PODS has mobilized over 20,000 containers to aid in recovery and rebuilding efforts in communities affected by emergency situations. 

“PODS franchises are located throughout the United States, which enables us to mobilize our portable-storage containers quickly when disasters happen,” said George Spowart, vice president of marketing. “Our rapid response team is trained in working with emergency personnel, authorities and damaged areas and is a large part of recovery efforts on the ground during disaster-related events.”

PODS’ 12-foot and 16-foot containers have been tested to withstand winds of more than 110-mph when partially loaded.

According to the U.S. Weather Service, forecasters predict that weather events during the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season in 2010, June 1-Nov. 30, will be higher and more severe than normal due to this year’s El Niño conditions.

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A new workshop titled “Excelling in Your Self-Storage Operation” has been added to the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in New Orleans. Presented by industry sales and marketing expert Brad North, president of Advantage Consulting & Management, the two-hour practicum is designed to teach self-storage facility owners how to build a dynamic team, create a powerful employee-training program, maximize profitability through operational effectiveness, and develop a work environment of higher productivity. The class will take place on Sept. 29, 8-10 a.m.
 
Topics to be covered during North’s workshop include: 

• How to hire and train the best facility managers and what to do to keep them motivated
• Creative ways to reinforce performance, including bonus programs
• Methods for evaluating personnel
• Key components of a successful training program and areas for ongoing training
• A comprehensive facility audit that produces long-term profit
• How to develop a positive work environment

Advantage specializes in facility management, feasibility, onsite sales, marketing and operational training for the self-storage industry. As its founder, North has produced video and workbook programs designed to help managers improve their sales and marketing efforts. He is a frequent contributor to self-storage publications, and a well-known speaker and consultant within the industry.
 
The ISS Expo will take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the New Orleans Marriott at 555 Canal St. in New Orleans. It will comprise three comprehensive tracks of educational seminars, several networking opportunities, product and service exhibits, and add-on intensive workshops. Show information can be found at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com. 

To connect with industry experts, speakers, suppliers and attendees going to the ISS Expo in New Orleans, read and participate in threads being posted to this dedicated forum of Self-Storage Talk: “Inside Self-Storage World Expo New Orleans 2010.” 

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Several boxes containing information from the Department of Juvenile Justice and Department of Social Services were discovered by an employee of M&M Storage in Lake City, S.C., after one of the facility’s units went into default. Audrey Tyner won the contents of the unit at auction, but returned the documents to their rightful owner, non-profit counseling agency Community Organized for Advancement Inc. (COFA).
 
COFA organizer Kelvin Williams called the incident a “freak accident.” He said the boxes had previously been stored in a room with the personal belongings of a person not associated with the organization. When the person moved his goods into storage, he accidentally grabbed the boxes of documents.
 
The documents, which are five to seven years old, are now secure. COFA is obligated to keep them for up to 10 years for insurance purposes. No personal information was taken from the documents while in storage.
 
Source: WMFB News, Boxes of DJJ, DSS documents discovered in storage unit

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A+ Storage of Nashville, Tenn., is helping a community organization affected by the region’s flooding by donating space.

Last week, the storage facility offered space to the Nashville Community Resource Center (CRC), which provides cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, clothing, toys and more to non-profit agencies and those in desperate need. The CRC office and warehouse were destroyed by the recent flooding.

The warehouse and office space provided by A+ Storage enabled CRC to resume operations. Donations of clothing, money and other items can be made at A+ Storage Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Executives from Sovran Self Storage Inc. sold thousands of shares this week after the company's stock traded at a new 52-week high.

On Monday, chief operating officer Kenneth Myszka sold 4,000 shares at an average price of $39.52 a share. David Rogers, chief financial officer, sold 10,000 shares at an average of $39.25. The next day,  CEO Robert Attea sold 20,000 shares at an average price of $39.50 per share.

Approximately 150,000 Sovran shares traded hands on May 10, with the price reaching as high as $40.09 per share. The average 30-day volume for Sovran is 170,000 shares. The stock closed at $39.55, approximately 5.3 percent above its previous closing price.
 
Shares of Sovran stock are currently trading above their 50-day moving average of $35.40 and their 200-day moving average of $32.47.
 
Sources:
 
GuruFocus.com, Sovran Self Storage Inc. (sss) COO Kenneth F Myszka sells 4,000 Shares 
 
Comtex SmarTrend, Recent 52-Week High Exceeded in Shares of Sovran Self Storage (SSS) 

Guru Focus, Sovran Self Storage Inc. (sss) Chairman of Board, CEO Robert J Attea sells 20,000 Shares, Sovran Self Storage Inc. (sss) CFO David L Rogers sells 10,000 Shares

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Investment Real Estate LLC (IRE) has launched a new website, Findmyselfstorage.com, to help consumers find self-storage facilities in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The site includes a unit-size calculator and other guides such as a space estimator, which gives users an idea of what items each unit size can hold, and a box calculator, which estimates how many boxes a person may need for packing and moving.
 
Facilities in the new IRE online network offer indoor and outdoor storage as well as units in a wide range of sizes. Users complete an online form that specifies their storage requirements, and property managers from the designated area contact them as soon as possible. Minimum rental periods and some personal information are necessary to validate a reservation. Most facilities in the network accept cash, checks and all major credit cards. Some offer automatic monthly and online payments.

IRE offers self-storage brokerage, construction and property-management services in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.

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A naval officer stationed in Iraq, recently found out her self-storage unit at Atlantic Self Storage in Jacksonville, Fla., had been cleaned out by thieves.

Naval Petty Officer Leslie Bailey had stored all her belongings in the unit, according to her mother. The items stolen include a TV, jewelry, appliances, clothing and furniture. The facility reported a dozen units had been burglarized.

Source:  News4 Jax,  Sailor's Items Stolen From Self Storage

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As online reservation networks deliver increased profit, self-storage facilities are balancing opportunities to improve the bottom line with the possible risk. If you’ve held back on joining an online reservation network until now, how do you choose one that fits your business and keeps your data safe?
 
There are many benefits to offering online reservations to your potential storage customers. Statistics show that 56 percent of online reservations occur during normal office hours, and 52 percent of customers reserving a unit online are choosing a 10-by-10 or larger. It has also been shown that when an online reservation is secured with a small credit card deposit, the move-in rate is typically 95 percent or higher.

What this means for operators is valuable customers are now choosing to reserve online over calling or walking into a facility. To stay competitive, you need a plan to service these customers.
 
Find Your Fit
If this is the year you aim to boost your profile and increase your profit with online reservations, take some extra time and make the best choice. When done correctly, online reservations can be a seamless, easy way to gain valuable new tenants. There are currently three online models from which to choose, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at each.

Real-time online reservations. These networks, provided by reputable partners, are convenient and secure. It’s important they’re able to display your up-to-date live inventory along with unit features and specials to the consumer. This way, your potential customer sees accurate information about what you have available. The customer then has the option to reserve a unit via the Web. Typically, the self-storage operator is only charged when he receives a secured reservation.

What’s the downside of promising return rates? Depending on what property-management system you’re using, there may be some limitations on processing reservations in real time. It’s best to check with both your management-software provider and your online-reservation partner as to what limitations might exist.

Lead-generator reservations. If you go with a lead-generator model, only you can make it profitable. A facility may receive either qualified and exclusive leads, or a lead that goes out simultaneously to multiple storage operators. If you want to compete, you have to be responsive. Lead generators can either charge you a flat monthly advertising fee or a pay-per-lead system. With either cost model, cost per rental goes down with every lead converted.

There are two questions you should ask: Will you be able to convert truly qualified leads at an acceptable rate? Second, if you’re receiving leads shared with competitors, is it worth the investment? Shared leads convert at a much lower rate. To determine whether you’re paying for quality leads resulting in confirmed reservations, closely track your conversion rates and your average cost per conversion. This will give you a good idea of how well the site is working for you.

Bid process. In this model, the customer gets to name his ideal price on storage, then area facilities bid to win his business. If you’re ready to compete for your customer on price alone, the bid process may be the way to go.

With this kind of model, you need to ask: What kind of customer do I want to attract? Make this choice understanding that your company may have to offer the lowest price to attract the customer, and even then you may pay for an extremely price-sensitive customer who moves out at the first opportunity. Bottom line: The emphasis on the lowest cost means you may miss out on the best customers.
 
Security First

As you sift through your options for an online-reservations partner, beware of new companies popping up online. If a company seems to appear almost out of nowhere, it may go away just as quickly. Approach your online-network decision as a partnership and choose a company you trust to access to your database.

Once you’ve checked into a company’s track record and verified trustworthy references, you’re ready to ask some tough questions to protect your data, such as:

• Who is accessing my data? 
• What are they accessing and how?
• Do they have the proper security measures in place? 
• Are they storing credit card data?  If so, is the process secure?

Important Safeguards

An online reservation involves being able to show available units with their features, prices and current specials to prospective customers. It allows customers to commit to a rental by putting down a small deposit online, securing the unit until they can come into the facility to complete the purchase. The process doesn’t require access to existing-customer information within your system. If a network requests access to that information, it’s a red flag, as it’s simply not necessary to process an online reservation.

Your management software may already have controls in place to restrict access for your online partner. If controls are not built in, it’s even more important you have a trustworthy and proven relationship with your online-reservation partner

While digging into all the pros and cons of online reservations may feel like homework, it’s well worth your time. It’s important to grow your storage business with online partners that meet the needs of your operation and customers. When you identify an online partner, make sure the security of your data is a top priority. With guaranteed peace of mind, you’ll be ready to maximize your profit with online storage reservations.
 
Megan Eckert is executive vice president of USstoragesearch.com, which provides service to more than 12,000 member facilities and 2.8 million storage units nationwide. The company’s online marketing program allows owner-operators to put their facilities in front of potential tenants looking for storage in their area.  For more information, call 866.880.0742; visit www.usstoragesearch.com.

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Police in Buffalo, N.Y., are investigating a break in at a local self-storage facility.

According to police, at least two men broke into Spare Room Self Storage around 9 p.m. Sunday. The men burglarized more than 15 units, stealing tools and generators.

Police are not releasing many details about the incident, but have recovered some of the stolen goods. Anyone with information can call the Buffalo police tip line, 716.847.2255. All information is considered confidential.

Source:  WIVB.com,  Cops Seek Self-Storage Facility Crooks

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