In response to growing customer demand, Smartbox has opened a 3,150-square-metre mobile-storage warehouse in Mt Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand.

The company delivers a mobile-storage container to a customer for packing, then picks up container and stores it in its warehouse. Customers can access their belongings at the warehouse seven days a week, or can have it delivered to another location.

We are very excited about the big storage footprint of our new Auckland building offers, says company director Steve Phillips. This means we can now also offer a number of new services, including packing and loading a Smartbox, and a platinum removal service throughout Auckland. These new services will be available later in 2012. Smartbox also now offers custom, outdoor secure space for the storage of vehicles, boats and caravans.

The new facility, 10 Arthur Brown Place, is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to Auckland, the company also offers mobile storage in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

By Mick Handloser

According to the national Self Storage Association, there are approximately 7 square feet of storage space for every man, woman and child in America. Therefore, its physically possible that every American could standat the same timeunder the total canopy of self-storage roofing. If it were raining on that huge canopy, all of America would hope to stay dry!

Millions of people keep their valuables in storage, so its very important to keep these units safe from wet weather. Simply put, a facilitys roof must be properly maintained. Here are three tips to keeping your units and customers belongings dry.

Tip No. 1: The Visual Inspection

Before renting out your storage units, make a visual inspection of the interior. On your inspection check:

• The floor and ceiling for water stains
• The roller-door rubber gasket pad to see if its properly attached
• The batten insulation for moisture and sagging due to leaks

If its an interior unit, look in the hallway for evidence of leaks under skylights or HVAC duct work. Even if the customer insures his belongings, some items are irreplaceable, so make sure your inspection is thorough every time.

Tip No. 2: Keep Water Flowing Off the Roof

The self-storage industry uses many types of roofing. Some common roof systems are asphalt shingles, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin or Polyolefin), built-up roofing and standing-seam metal. A high percentage of storage facilities have metal roofs. These roofs are designed to shed water by means of gravity. If a standing-seam roof holds water for any period of time, it will eventually leak.

The best way to keep the water flowing off the roof is to properly install and maintain water-diverting flashing around all penetrations, at wall joints and any mechanical equipment on the roof. If water is flowing down the slope of a roof and the flow is interrupted by a pipe, debris, a skylight or a screw head backing out of the roof, then backflow is created and water could make it into the building. As long as the water is flowing, the roof will perform as it should. All these items should be inspected and maintained annually.

Heres an important note on metal roofs. All roofs are like living things. They expand, contract and move through temperature change and weather-related activities. Metal roofing expands and contracts, and this action creates stress on the fasteners and forces them to back out of the roof, creating a potential leak point. Annually, inspect the roof for fasteners that need to be addressed. Fix them by installing new rubber gaskets and either a manufacturer-approved sealant or target patch. This will keep the roof in good working condition.

Also, review the seams and joints for openings and separations. You can address these areas with an elastomeric-coating product that can move with the panels. Even this form of preventive measure needs to be monitored annually. However its a cost-effective repair option and will keep your customers items protected from water intrusions.

Before Tropical Storm Allison hit in June 2001, I moved my family to Houston. We put our belongings into a 10-by-20 unit while our house was being built. During the storm, the six-day rainfall in Houston amounted to 38.6 inches. The deluge flooded 95,000 automobiles and 73,000 houses throughout Harris County. The rain also caused a major leak in our storage unit. The damage was limited to the front of the unit where the gutter became overwhelmed and water rolled back under the eave and into the storage unit. This is a common leak issue in storage units.

Tip No. 3: Keep Gutters and Drains Clean of Debris

If the gutters fill up, then the water will overflow under the eave and into the unit. The biggest personal storage companies in America face a real dilemma when it comes to cleaning gutters. They need to be cleaned at least once a year, and these companies have millions of feet of gutter to clear. The work load to clean all the gutters in Americas self-storage can be daunting, but keeping the drains and gutters clear will prevent angry calls from renters.

One of the biggest issues with storage unit gutters is that most moving van drivers are amateurs with no experience driving a giant box truck. This leads to many crushed and damaged gutters in front of storage units. Another part of the prelease inspection should include a look at the condition of the downspouts and gutters around the units.

Roof leaks are like toothaches. When a toothache starts, its impossible to think about anything else until its fixed. When the water is pouring in the storage unit, the renter will not be able to think about anything else until the leak is addressed and his valuables are safe. Following these simple roofing tips will help prevent many of these leak issues before they become a problem.

Mick Handloser is a Registered Roof Observer (RRO), and a member of the National Roofing Contractors Association and the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues Inc. He currently manages the accounts in the south-central and southwest U.S. for RoofConnect, which offers national roofing services. To reach him, call 870.942.5613; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.roofconnect.com.

An Access Self Storage facility in Franklin Lakes, N.J., hosted a charity car wash this week to benefit the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge Inc., a no-kill shelter in nearby Oakland. The events guest of honor was Daniel, a beagle mix that made national news last year by surviving a mass euthanasia in Alabama.

The beagle was the only survivor among 17 dogs euthanized in a small gas chamber last October. No one is sure how he survived. The dog was subsequently adopted by a New Jersey family and has become a symbol promoting pet adoptions and responsible pet ownership. Joe Dwyer, who adopted Daniel, is a motivational speaker and dog trainer.

Dwyer has campaigned against inhumane forms of euthanasia hoping to enact Daniels Law, which would ban states from using gas chambers to kill animals. The law is being discussed in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

"Giving back to the community is a corporate responsibility, and it feels good, too," said Tony Apgar, manager of the Access Self Storage Franklin Lakes facility.

Access Self Storage operates 15 self-storage locations in New Jersey and two in New York.

LifeStorage, a Chicago-area self-storage operator, has acquired a 114,000-square-foot retail property in the citys Lincoln Park neighborhood that will be developed into the companys 19th storage facility. Life Storage Centers LLC purchased the site from Miami, Fla.-based LNR Property LLC. No financial terms were disclosed.

The building was previously occupied by a Circuit City electronics store. When the retailer closed the business in 2008, 31 percent of the property was left unoccupied. Currently, a local gym is the only business present in the building, leasing 10,000 square feet, company officials said.

Tentative plans for the property include LifeStorage self-storage solutions, potential office rentals and retail leasing. Storage facility features and services will include climate control, security and record-management solutions. The project will require interior and exterior improvements. No target date for opening has been set, said Christopher Barry, co-owner of LifeStorage.

These things take time, but this is a wonderful location, Barry said. We've been looking in this area for a while now, and the close proximity to some prominent retailers will offer us some really great exposure."

LifeStorage was founded in 2002 by Barry and co-owner Jean Jodoin.

Google Penguin is the code name used by Google for an algorithm update that went live on April 24, along with an additional update on May 25. Both updates were designed to combat websites that were violating Googles webmaster guidelines. Some of the methods used by websites violating these guidelines were link schemes, duplicate content, cloaking, keyword stuffing, etc. A basic analysis of the algorithm update appears to show it was designed to decrease search-engine rankings of websites that were using black-hat SEO techniques.

Google estimated the Penguin algorithm update affected 3.1 percent of English-based search queries, and about 3 percent of search queries in additional languages, with reports of much higher percentages in highly-spammed languages. The update on May 25 was expected to affect less than 0.10 percent of English-based search queries, according to Matt Cutts, a Google associate. Any webmaster who feels his website was accidentally affected and should be re-evaluated can use the Google feedback form.

What Does This Mean for the Self-Storage Industry?

This update once again proves how important it is to make sure your internal or outsource Internet-marketing team is following proper guidelines and industry practices. It can be very enticing to use methods not allowed by Google to rank higher in search results, and while the short term can be fruitful, the long term can be far damaging to your self-storage business.

The update did seem to affect a few of the larger self-storage operators when you view common self-storage search terms. Sadly, many smaller operators who were using third-party marketing companies might have been hit the worst.

You also need to know exactly what your Internet-marketing provider is doing for you and that it follows the Google Webmaster Guidelines and standard, acceptable industry practices. As Google moves to provide more relevant, less spam-like search results, we can expect more updates like Google Penguin.

Backlink Techniques

There are two backlink techniques that go against the Google webmaster guidelines that all self-storage operators should also understand. They are:

• Paid text links. Paid text links are against the guidelines because theyre considered a way to manipulate PageRank, a link-analysis algorithm. A paid text link is when someone pays a website owner to place his link on his website for a specified cost. Obviously, if youre selling or buying a text link solely to promote to that websites audience, you need to make sure the hyperlink contains the rel=nofollow attribute to stay within the guidelines.
• Blog-comment spam. Does your Internet marketer or marketing company comment on blogs to help boost your search-engine rankings? This practice was also addressed in the Google Penguin update. The update appeared to go after blog backlinks that appeared spam-like and always contain exact match keywords.

If your self-storage marketer or marketing company is using the above practices, you should instead follow the industry standards and methods allowed per Google's webmaster guidelines to build backlinks. Just because your website wasnt hit for using these techniques on this update doesnt mean it wont happen on the next!

You want to make sure your internal or outsourced marketers are following white-hat SEO techniques. For example, a professional search-engine optimizer will try to always improve the usability of a site for its visitors. Hell also always try to have unique, quality content thats directly related to the sites main topic. The speed of a website can also be useful, not only to users but by search engines.

When you build a website that has educational content and is useful to visitors looking for information on that subject, the net results will be improved search-engine rankings and natural inbound links. Remember, the goal is to build relevant, quality links to your website. The best way to do that is to provide something someone would want to share with others!

Stephen Sandecki has been in the self-storage industry for more than 15 years, focusing on digital marketing, technology and Web development. He’s the chief marketing officer at Store Space Self Storage. To reach him, call 702.753.4780; e-mail [email protected].

 

StorageMart, a self-storage company with more than 130 locations across the United States and Canada, has rewarded two of its Facebook fans each with four tickets and a parking pass to attend an upcoming Kansas City Royals baseball game. The social-media giveaway was part of a summer-long promotion.

The recipients were chosen at random from nearly 200 entrants who registered via StorageMarts Facebook page by answering the question: What would you do with the extra space gained in your home by renting a storage unit?

StorageMart officials said the company will continue to give away Royals tickets throughout the summer, as well as tickets to attend FanFest during Major League Baseballs All-Star Game festivities next month. The All-Star Game will be played July 10 at the Royals Kauffman Stadium.

In this issue:

• Adding Boat/RV Storage: Before expanding their business to include this unique offering, facility owners must consider storage type, space requirements and design.
• Increasing Profit: A boat/RV-storage operator's revenue relies on meeting and exceeding consumer expectations.
• Upscale Amenities: Adding elements such as wash bays and dump stations to a boat/RV-storage facility can bring in more tenants.
• Addressing Unpaid Rent: Operators of boat/RV-storage facilities can use these legal avenues to recover rent or reclaim a unit when a tenant fails to pay.
• Generating Solar Energy: Follow these guidelines to help the planet and make more money with solar installations.
• Getting Started in Mobile Storage: Operators looking to build a standalone business should consider franchises.
• Limiting Liability in Mobile Storage: Two important aspects to consider in this venture are your rental agreement and insurance coverage

Staying updated on state and federal regulations regarding self-storage just got simpler thanks to a partnership between two online organizations that track legislative activity. Civic Impulse and LegiNation are now exchanging bill data between their GovTrack and BillTrack50 websites to enable more thorough and transparent access to government information.

LegiNation created BillTrack50 to track state bill progress, while Civic Impulse developed GovTrack to monitor federal legislative activity. Self-storage operators, developers and investors can now use either site to track legislation that may affect self-storage policies and procedures, including the handling of lien sales and sales tax.

Federal and state bills can be accessed on both websites for free. An upgraded version with advanced tracking and sharing features is available for a subscription price through BillTrack50. The sites present bill text, status and summaries by using the sites search functions. Searches can be done by keyword or more exact information, such as legislator names or bill numbers. Tools to help stay informed of legislative activity, such as e-mail alerts, are also provided on both sites.

Karen Suhaka, president of LegiNation, said the combined data will present a more accurate picture of the political landscape across the nation, making it is easier to identify state and federal policy trends.

Several states, including Rhode Island, South Dakota and New Jersey, have recently explored sales-tax legislation relating to self-storage. Similarly, Florida, Kansas and Rhode Island recently updated their lien laws. Sixteen states have updated their lien laws since 2008.

Self-storage operators can obtain copies of current state lien laws from the Inside Self-Storage Lien Law Registry.