Extra Space Storage Inc. has opened a new self-storage facility in Lady Lake, Fla., at 520 Highway 466. The property is the only multi-story, climate-controlled self-storage facility in the area, according to site manager Terri Friesner. The facility includes storage for residential and commercial use, 24-hour video surveillance, covered drive-up areas for loading and unloading, and more. The business is currently offering a move-in special: two months of free storage and free use of a move-in truck to residents within 50 miles of the facility (some restrictions apply).
 
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space owns or operates 786 self-storage properties in 33 states and Washington, D.C. The company’s properties comprise approximately 510,000 units and more than 55 million square feet of rentable space.

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An April survey of U.K. self-storage operators representing more than 200 single-store and multi-facility portfolios revealed local operators were resilient in 2009 and are “cautiously optimistic” about 2010. The majority reported stable rental levels throughout last year as well as an increase in rent-free incentives, occupancy levels and average length of stay. These operators are careful about expanding this year, with fewer planning to extend store sizes or add new facilities than last year.
 
The 2010 Self-Storage Operator Confidence Survey was administered by Drivers Jonas Deloitte, a U.K.- and Europe-based firm specializing in property consultancy, transaction and advisory services. The company wished to update its similar survey from 2009 and find out how its self-storage clients have performed during the past year as well as how confident they are about the year ahead. Participants ranged from small operators with one to five stores to large operators with more than 40 stores. Most operators’ facilities were in Southeast England (36 percent), North England (28 percent) and Greater London (17 percent).
 
The majority of respondents said their rental levels remained stable throughout 2009, although rent-free and other incentives increased. On a positive note, three quarters of those surveyed reported static staff numbers for the year. Most weathered the storm by concentrating on improving efficiency and working to maintain occupancy. For most, plans for expansion are on hold, though there seems to be a cautious optimism about the future.
 
Almost half of the respondents increased their marketing activities, focusing on online marketing, including website and search-engine ranking improvements. Other business changes mentioned by survey participants included cutting down costs, hiring staff with industry experience, introducing bonus programs for facility employees, and targeting specific markets. Many plan to increase rental levels and end the heavy discounting they used over the past year.
 
Only half of the respondents plan to expand their existing stores, and only a third intend to increase their number of facilities. Some who had hoped to expand find they cannot due to a lack of available financing.
 
To view complete details of the survey, visit www.djdeloitte.co.uk/?doc=38597.
 
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT), a Swiss Verein, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Drivers Jonas Deloitte is a trading name of Deloitte LLP, the United Kingdom member firm of DTT.

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WomenCertified founder Delia Passi, the keynote speaker at the Texas Self Storage Association’s annual Executive Retreat, highlighted the spending influence of women. During the event, held June 17-18 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Passia discussed the differences in gender buying paths and offered suggestions for improving the overall customer experience at self-storage facilities, with women’s preferences in mind.

According to a WomenCertified press release, census facts show that women make 83 percent of all consumer purchasing decisions, and a 2008 Pew Research study found women make or share responsibility for household decisions in 71 percent of homes. Women also happen to comprise a huge percentage of self-storage customers. 

 “Convenience is a major factor in a consumer’s decision to rent storage space, but safety, cleanliness and security are equally if not more important considerations, specially among women,” Passi said. “Customer service and care are big areas that many self-storage facilities can improve upon. My goal was to inspire these self-storage companies to achieve women’s expectations since they tend to have more particular preferences than men. In doing so, they can increase customer satisfaction across the board.”

Passi is the author of Winning the Toughest Customer: The Essential Guide to Selling to Women. WomenCertified a training and certification program with resources to help professionals across multiple industries increase sales among men and women through more effective communication, appreciation and an enriched customer experience.

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Self-Storage Talk: Communicating With Women

In this great industry, we mostly compete within a micro market. A store in California and a store in Florida are not competing on a daily basis with a store in Virginia. The business has matured at such a rate, however, that exploring national trends can be helpful in piecing together a competitive strategy to overcome and compete with the stores that strive to reach our same prospective tenants.

In this article, you’ll find some key trends in the industry as a framework for defining the “direction” of future self-storage development.
 
A Brief History
In almost every market, there’s a strata of stores and operators. Not all competitors are created equally. The guy who built those 100 units in 1980—the genius he may have been 30 years ago—in most cases is falling behind the rest of the market in terms of site features and benefits, manager quality and curb appeal. Three decades ago, self-storage was uncharted territory, and first-generation owners took the risk of investing in a business that was somewhat unknown.

The developer who built that store in 1980 was the early innovator, laying the groundwork, and willing to risk mistakes for success.
By learning from what those first self-storage developers did right and wrong, the industry gained traction and form, and improved. Second-generation stores began adding more complex management protocols, better security features, and a different array of unit sizes.

From there, the industry began maturing by adopting newer technologies in management and security, studying tenants’ habits, adopting best practices borrowed from other industries, and attempting to perfect its approach to development and management. Originating with the risks taken by those early leaders, self-storage has flourished as a result of constant innovation.
 
Current Development Trends

What’s propelling new development trends? Customer demand. Your tenants want something clean, safe, secure, easy to access and dry. If you have good competitors, they’re trying to meet those demands. If you’re not doing things right, it opens up the door for a new store to come in and better serve your customers.

We know your tenant is dealing with some level of elevated stress simultaneous with needing storage. So your office, manager, systems, etc., must be professional and efficient. These considerations increase the cost of development, but they enhance the viability of the store from a sustainable economic perspective.

Using customer-demand traits as a guide, certain markets may have the opportunity to add additional services to their development. There is, and always should be, periodic buzz about “the next new thing.” Facilities with wine storage, mailboxes, shipping centers, band-rehearsal units, locker-style units, and other ancillary products or services have all had varying levels of success.

However, these may not be long-term development trends that work in every market. Kiosks also work in some storage, but may not in others. Likewise, management methods will vary. Some developers may build onsite housing, while others prefer managers to live off site. Developers should take a hard look at the needs in their market, and then find a way to meet those requirements.
 
Conversions on the Rise

As part of the feasibility process, developers must look at zoning and the buildable area of a parcel. Suitable land for ground-up development is harder to find today. Many zoning ordinances recognize self-storage as a particular type of use—perhaps a commercial zone, light industrial or industrial zone.

That 30-year-old store with beat-up doors, ugly colors, and weeds growing in the gravel driveways has prompted building and zoning officials to prevent additional ugly uses in prominent locations. Unfortunately, that dilapidated store down the street has set the expectations for what self-storage looks like.

However, a parcel zoned for industrial use might be in the right location and, at the same time, allow self-storage. Older industrial buildings are being converted into other uses including retail, apartments, condos, etc., as local industry has faded or relocated.

“We’re seeing more conversions,” says Terry Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for BETCO Inc., a single-source manufacturer of self-storage buildings. “Often, the conversion projects are closer to the denser populations, and adding floors to a smaller development site moves the potential income up enough to justify the initially higher land costs.”

Conversion projects vary from simple to complex. Not all old industrial buildings are up to local building codes. Asbestos might be present. Ceilings might be too low. The structure of the building might not support self-storage use. Signage may be limited. Access might be hidden or difficult for the storage user. Demolition may reveal bigger-than-anticipated problems. All these factors must be explored and quantified as part of the development/adaptive reuse of a building to be converted.
 
Developing a Multi-Story Facility

Why many self-storage developers opt for multi-story is easily understandable: It gives them more rentable space on a smaller footprint of land. But when no other competitor in the market is multi-story, the consideration becomes more complex.

The risk of being the only multi-story in the market is absolutely one you must consider. However, if the market favors that type of development, it can give you an advantage. You should carefully analyze the supply and demand and site location, and obtain an accurate depiction of investment performance to determine if multi-story is right for your site.

Multi-story developments push up the per-square-foot cost of a project, but can maximize the rentable space on a smaller parcel. The key consideration after the financial-feasibility analysis is making the units easily accessible. Spacious covered loading and unloading zones, multiple elevators and efficient hallway design are crucial elements in a multi-story project.

If you’re considering the development of a new site, converting a building to self-storage, or renovating an older project, let your analysis of the market’s customer demand bear strong influence on your design and development process. Set out to do things right—from planning to development and management—and you’ll have a higher chance of success.
 
Benjamin K. Burkhart is the principle in BKB Properties and StorageStudy.com, a self-storage consulting firm specializing in feasibility analysis, site design, and management training. To reach him, call 804.598.872; e-mail [email protected].

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If you’ve never before traveled to New Orleans, I envy you the thrill of experiencing the city for the first time. It’s unlike any other place you’ve visited, and I’ll tell you now: It’s a love or hate kind of encounter.

The town, with its rich history, culture and sensory stimuli, can’t help but inspire strong reactions in its guests. It’s hard to imagine anyone resisting its charms, but if you’re not yet an admirer, this article will point you toward some of the most enchanting sights, sounds and tastes of N’awlins.

Join us in the Crescent City for the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, and you’ll not only partake in the best education and exhibits the industry has to offer, you’ll enjoy one of the nation’s most culturally lush and alluring locales. Whether you’re interested in history, music, cuisine, nightlife, architecture, art or the supernatural, you will not be disappointed!

French Quarter

When people think about “The City That Care Forgot,” it’s generally the French Quarter that comes to mind. While the city has much more to offer than Vieux Carré (pronounced voo cah-RAY or voh care-eh, depending on who you ask), let’s begin with this traditional New Orleans temptation.

The Quarter comprises 78 square blocks, stretching from the Mississippi River over to Rampart Street, from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue. Immediate surrounding neighborhoods include Faubourg Marigny, the Central Business District, Iberville and Treme (now the theme of a popular HBO television show). You can easily walk from one end of the Quarter to the other―providing you have comfortable shoes―but be careful of uneven cobblestone in the streets. “Main drags” include Decatur and, of course, Bourbon Street. Here are a few key places, landmarks and tourist traps to check out: 

• Jackson Square―Originally called the Place d’Armes and renamed after General Andrew Jackson after the Battle of New Orleans in 1814. Here you can view the equestrian statue of Jackson and walk the lovely garden. Immediately outside the square, you can hop on a horse-drawn carriage tour, buy local art, or have your fortune told.
• Pirate Alley—The focus of much historical speculation and the current home of the Pirates Alley Café (a personal favorite). The lamppost at the intersection with Cabildo Alley is one of the most photographed in the city.
• Café du Monde―Home of the best darn coffee you ever tasted as well as sugar-coated, steaming-hot beignets (pronounced ben-yays), which are similar to a donut, but much, much better.
• Bourbon Street―Party central. ‘Nuff said. Tends to carry a pungent aroma from the beer and lord knows what else that has spilled in the street. Don’t let this deter you, however; you’ll be so distracted by the sights and sounds, you won’t notice the tang after the first 20 or so paces.
• French Market―This six-block, outdoor, riverside bazaar features goods of all types as well as great food and live music. The perfect place to pick up souvenirs.
• Carousel Bar―Nestled on the ground floor of the Hotel Monteleone, this is possibly one of the loveliest bars in the city, with a wild circus motif. Just don’t be thrown off guard―the bar does revolve.
• Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop―Now a tavern at the corner of Bourbon and Philip Street, this building was constructed before 1772 and is one of the oldest standing structures in the city. According to legend, it was once owned by the pirate Jean Lafitte.

Creole and Cajun Cuisine

Attempting to sum up the best of New Orleans cuisine is a ludicrous enterprise. The city is renowned for its cookery, and for good reason. If you’re a foodie, the local restaurants will do nothing short of blow your mind (and your taste buds). That said, below are a handful of gastronomical suggestions based on popular reviews and personal experience.

• Commander’s Palace―Don’t miss this Garden District delight if you can help it; it’s simply superb. Make a reservation and request a table the Garden Room. The trip won’t be light on the wallet (boys, wear a jacket), but the turtle soup will make it all worthwhile.
• Bayona―My husband and I discovered this gem during our honeymoon. Chef Susan Spicer is nothing short of a magician. If you go, order the “Goat Cheese Crouton With Mushrooms in Madeira Cream,” and whatever you do, do not attempt to share it.
• Central Grocery―Home of the popular Muffuletta sandwich. (If you don’t know what this is, and you like Italian food, prepare for a piece of heaven.) Warning: These sandwiches are massive, so order a quarter to start.
• Po’ Boy Sandwiches―New Orleans is famous for these, and you can get them just about anywhere, made with shrimp, crawfish, oysters, etc. Positively dreamy. A few places I’ve had excellent versions include Café Maspero, Chartres House Café and Napoleon House Bar & Cafe.

Following are a few other establishments of which you may have heard and should certainly investigate. (Again, this is nothing close to a comprehensive list. Please don’t fret if your personal favorite is excluded here―tell your fellow expo attendees about it!) 

• Antoine’s Restaurant (www.antoines.com)
• Brennan’s Restaurant (www.brennansneworleans.com)
• Mother’s Restaurant (www.mothersrestaurant.net)
• Galatoire’s Restaurant (www.galatoires.com)

Seriously ... If you’re looking for something fantastic to eat, go out in the street and toss a pebble in any direction. There’ll be something delectable waiting for you where it lands nine times out of 10. Eateries are abundant in this city, and sometimes the best meal of your life is waiting at some obscure joint.

Garden District

The gorgeous Garden District, a distinguished New Orleans neighborhood, is only a short streetcar ride from the French Quarter and represents one of the most opulent collections of historic southern mansions in the United States. Developed in the mid-1800s by the “nouveau riche,” the area has been home to modern-day celebrities such as Nicholas Cage, John Goodman, Archie Manning, Anne Rice and Sandra Bullock.

If you make your way to this area―a feast for the eyes that will have you fantasizing about relocation faster than you can say “bayou”―wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a camera. You’ll see indescribably beautiful architecture; it will take photos to convince folks back home. A few stops you don’t want to miss: 

• Grab a coffee or tea at the Garden District Book Shop in The Rink, at the corner of Washington and Prytania Streets.
• Walk by the former home of author Anne Rice, at the corner of First and Chestnut Streets. This residence inspired the setting for six of her novels.
• Tour the notorious Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, with its above-ground tombs (closed to the public on Sundays).
• Be sure to see the famous cast-iron cornstalk fence surrounding the former home of Col. Robert Henry Short. Legend has it Short erected the fence to soothe his wife, who was homesick for Kentucky.

Rollin’ Down the River

Geographically speaking, two of the most inspiring elements of the city include the majestic Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. Enjoy strolling along the esplanade or, for a more on-deck experience, partake in one of several riverboat tours or cruises, many of which include food, drink and live music. A few suggestions: 

• John James Audubon Riverboat (www.steamboatnatchez.com)
• New Orleans Creole Queen (www.creolequeen.com)
• New Orleans Paddlewheels.com (www.neworleanspaddlewheels.com)

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Underneath its devil-may-care exterior, New Orleans is a spiritual city full of devout and sometimes superstitious folk. In a locale with such colorful and often traumatic history, ghost stories and legends abound. If the suspense of the supernatural excites you, you’ll find plenty to raise your hackles in this town. Enjoy one of many spine-chilling walking tours of the city including ghost tours, vampire tours, voodoo tours, cemetery tours and others.

Once you’re in New Orleans, you’ll find plenty of tour companies to accommodate you, and the concierge at the expo host hotel can also assist in a booking. If you want to plan in advance, here are a few companies to consider: 

• Haunted History Tours (www.hauntedhistorytours.com)
• Bloody Mary Tours (www.bloodymarytours.com)
• Magic Walking Tours (www.neworleansmagictours.com)
• New Orleans Spirit Tours (www.neworleanstours.net)

They’re Playin’ My Tune

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, but the city reigns supreme in music of all types including blues, zydeco, R&B, bluegrass, hip hop, funk and heavy metal. Whatever your melodic fancy, you’ll find a seat with your name on it in one of the town’s hundreds of nightclubs. Following are a few suggestions to get you started. (Note: Snug Harbor not only offers acts like Ellis Marsalis and Charmaine Neville, its restaurant serves what is quite possibly the best cheeseburger on the planet.) 

• Howlin’ Wolf (www.howlin-wolf.com)
• Snug Harbor (www.snugjazz.com)
• Tipitina’s (www.tipitinas.com)
• One Eyed Jacks (www.oneeyedjacks.net)
• House of Blues (www.hob.com)
• Funky Pirate (www.tropicalisle.com)
  

More Where That Came From

What you’ve read here is just a sampling of the wonderful things to see and do in New Orleans. A quick Google search will uncover other treasures such as the New Orleans City Park (including Carousel Gardens, the Botanical Garden and Storyland), Audubon Nature Institute (including a zoo, aquarium, IMAX theater and more), and the New Orleans Museum of Art. You can take one of many boat tours of the Honey Island Swamp, or visit local plantations such as Oak Alley, Nottoway and Beauregard House. You can gamble at Harrah’s or visit Mardi Gras World.

Whatever your fancy, the Crescent City has something for you. Join us at the ISS Expo to get your questions answered, learn solutions for your self-storage business challenges, and enjoy one of the nation’s most enthralling cities. For more information about the complete expo program, visit www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.

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Quick N’awlins Pronunciation Guide

If you’ve never been to the city, you’ll quickly discover the locals have their own way of speaking. Don’t be pegged as a tourist with linguistic faux pas. This quick guide to common words and locations will help you be less obvious.

• Vieux Carre (The French Quarter) ― voo cah-RAY
• Tchoupitoulis ― chop-ih-TOO-lus
• Burgundy ― ber-GUN-dee (Not like the wine!)
• Marigny ― MA-ruh-knee
• Chartres ― CHAW-tuhs or CHAHR-ters
• Dauphine ― daw-FEEN
• Metairie ― MET-uh-ree
• Carondelet ― cah-rahn-doh-LET
• Toulouse ― TOO-loose
• Tulane ― TOO-lane
• Calliope ― CAL-ee-ope (Not like the instrument!)
• Conti ― con-TYE
• Iberville ― IH-ber-ville (Not "eye-ber-ville"!)
• Pontchartrain ― PONCH-ah-train
• Laissez les bon temps roullez! (Let the good times roll!) ― LAY-zay lay bawn tom roo-LAY)

Source: Virtualtourist.com

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About-Town Happenings While You're There

What: Thursdays at Twilight Garden Concert
When: Thursday, Sept. 30, 5-8 p.m.
Where: Pavilion of Two Sisters, City Park Botanical Garden

Stroll through the New Orleans Botanical Garden at twilight, settle in with a mint julep, and enjoy the finest musicians New Orleans has to offer. This popular music series offers jazz, classical, and Latin American music.

What: New Orleans Saints v. Carolina Panthers
When: Sunday, Oct. 3, Noon
Where: Louisiana Superdome

The New Orleans Saints football team kicks off against the Carolina Panthers. Go Saints!

What:Vieux Carré Matinées
When: Tuesday-Saturday, Sept. 28-Oct. 2, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Where: LePetit Theater, 616 St. Peter St.

The Historic New Orleans Collection and Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré present Vieux Carré Matinées, a series of free films and tours celebrating Louisiana’s history and culture. The program opens with a brief tour of the nation’s oldest continuously operated little-community theatre. Afterward, participants can view one of 10 films, each addressing a different aspect of the region, including the Battle of New Orleans, Creole cooking and visual artists of the city. Free and open to the public.

What: Music Concert Garden Party
When: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 5-9 p.m.
Where:City Park Botanical Garden

Free and open to the public and sponsored by the Backbeat Foundation, this concert features Paul Sanchez and The Rolling Road Show as well as Seth Walker. A featured local chef or restaurant will serve up signature cuisine, and a full range of beverages will be available.

What: Art Exhibit, “Ancestors and Descendants: Ancient Southwestern America at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century”
When: July 24-Oct. 24
Where: New Orleans Museum of Art

The exhibition consists of 73 antique photographs of Native American subjects and 84 Native American artifacts, including Navaho and Pueblo textiles, pottery and jewelry. All materials were collected by George Hubbard Pepper, the first anthropologist/archeologist to excavate Pueblo Bonito in New Mexico, between 1895 and 1905.

What: Piano Lounge Night
When: Nightly
Where: Pat O’Brien’s, 718 St. Peter

Clap your hands and stomp your feet with Pat O's piano players! No cover. Be sure to try one of the bar’s world-famous hurricanes while you’re there.

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Police are investigating the discovery of a possible explosive device found Friday in a storage unit in Chico, Calif.

Managers at Bidwell Self-Storage found a crate containing an object similar to an artillery shell in a unit. The managers were taking inventory of the second-floor unit after the tenant became delinquent.

Police closed off the street leading to the facility just before noon. However, there were not immediate plans to evacuate the surrounding area. The Butte County Interagency Explosive Ordinance Disposal team was expected to arrive shortly to identify the device and determine if further action was warranted.

Source:  Contra Costa Times,  Police Investigating Possible Explosive Device in North Chico

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The U.K.’s Flexistore is offering college students a storage special that includes delivery of boxes, collection, secure storage and re-delivery when school resumes.

The special also includes everything students need to pack their belongings for storage including eight boxes, tape and a marker pen. The items are delivered to the student’s residence, then picked up by Flexistore and transported to one of Flexistore’s self-storage facilities.

Flexistore operates several self-storage facilities throughout the United Kingdom.

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A-1 Self Storage, an operator of self-storage facilities throughout California, is supporting HELPS International in its effort to provide no-cost vision restoration and facial reconstruction to impoverished communities in Latin America.

In May, a HELPS team from San Diego traveled to Guatemala to provide medical and dental services to those marginalized from proper healthcare services. During the 10 days they were there, the HELPS team provided more than 200 surgeries and 500 dental procedures.

HELPS International was founded in 1984 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that partners with individuals, businesses, corporations, local and national governments to alleviate poverty in Latin America. 

A-1 Self Storage has 17 locations in the greater San Diego County area and more than 40 locations across California. It is the self-storage division of the Caster Cos., a third-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Southern California since 1959.

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An automated self-storage facility has been included in the plans for a mixed-use residential and retail development planned for Coconut Creek, Fla.

Bel Lago Development has obtained approval from the community zoning board, and now plans will move on to the City Commission. The proposed site is just east of Florida State Route 441 on the north side of Wiles Road. The planners are hopeful the new development will create a new center of town feeling for the city.

Construction, proposed by The Pugilese Co., could begin as soon January 2011. Pugilese operates Safe and Secure Automated Self-Storage at another location in Coconut Creek.

In addition to the self-storage facility, the plans account for nine residential buildings with 270 rental units, a restaurant, a pedestrian plaza, a linear park containing artwork and a man-made lake.

Anthony Pugliese, president of the company, told the Sun-Sentinel that the original design contained townhouses and more retail space, but the plans were modified to lean toward less retail and more rentals because of the economy and the market.

Source:  Sun-Sentinel.com,  Cocunut Creek Looking to Develop Along Wiles Road

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