By Amy Campbell

With the advent of computers, ZIP disks and super-quick e-mail, many imagined the amount of paperwork generated annually would begin to diminish. Instead, today's litigation, company reports and priority memos require more paper than ever. While producing these documents is fairly simple, storing them is not. With office space absorbed quickly by desks, computers and copy machines, there's little room available for boxes and boxes of essential documents. More companies are turning to records-management centers to catalog, file and store their paper trails, which means the growing industry could be just the niche you've been looking for to generate, not paper, but profits.

A New Demand

One of the main reasons for the booming business of records management is litigation. "Many large corporations have gotten themselves into costly litigation due to poor or inadequate record keeping," says Tim O'Neil, president and CEO of O'Neil Software Inc., headquartered in Irvine, Calif. "You read over and over how large corporations have been forced to pay millions, which could have been avoided if they had followed proper records-management procedures."

Another reason records-management centers are thriving is simply location. Because office space is limited and costly, most companies don't want to waste precious space and money on storing boxes. "The records center does not require the same 'prime' real estate as that of its customers. It can invest in a less desirable location," O'Neil says. "Customers--law firms, insurance companies and the like--find it cost-prohibitive to store their records on-site when the record center can do it for less."

It also typically costs less to outsource the job than to have an in-house staff catalog, file, store and retrieve thousands of documents each year. "A commercial records center can do it more efficiently," says Steve Hyman, president of Florida-based DHS Associates. "The cost of hiring professional records managers is not cost-beneficial in most cases. And, if a person is sick or there is a lot of turnover, you may find yourself without a person to deliver records on a particular day."

There's also the "get it out of here" mentality, O'Neil says. "Many of the smaller and mid-size corporations that have not yet been stung by the threat of large and costly litigation just want their records to go away. They pick up the phone, call the first number they come to, barcode the boxes and out they go. As long as they have a list of what the record center has and it is out of their offices, their problem has been solved. It takes the headache away and they are more than willing to pay for it."

The market is appealing to self-storage operators because they likely already have a company storing boxes in two or three units. "At some point, that's not a cost-effective way to store large quantities of records," says Larry Borses, president of Lawrence Borses and Associates, a records-management consulting firm in California. Because storing boxes in a handful of units is not efficient--and doesn't provide someone who can catalog or retrieve files regularly--the company will eventually be forced to look elsewhere to fill its needs.

"Rather than lose them, it makes sense to cater to them by creating a records center where you can give the service they want and be more cost-effective, rather than just renting them units and units," Borses says. Adding records management doesn't mean a total overhaul of your existing facility, either. Borses says self-storage operators can begin with just one storage unit, adding more as the demand grows. "They're able to charge not only for the storage but services, deliveries and pickups; and they found this is a pretty nice business," he adds.

The Right Tools

Getting a records-management business off the ground requires the right tools--and plenty of capital. "The first thing you need is a big bank or an excellent relationship with a bank because the business is a cash consumer in the initial stages," says Lee Miller, president of Andrews Records Management and Andrews Software Inc. in Ohio. "Somewhere between 100,000 to 150,000 cubic feet of paper is where you begin to make some money, and it takes a little while to get that quantity within your business confines. After that, you're seemingly always confronted with the purchase of more racks and more building space so the need for cash goes on. At some point, it becomes a positive cash environment as opposed to a negative cash environment."

Whether you're thinking about converting all or merely part of your facility, you will need the right tools. One of the most important factors will be the height of your facility's ceiling. Although the industry standard is 40 feet high, many records-management centers run successfully with lower ceilings. You will also need durable cell boxes, mezzanine racks with catwalks or order pickers to retrieve boxes, and a quality software program to run the operation.

Following the Paper Trail

When Andrews Moving and Storage embarked into the records-management business in 1984, the company couldn't find a software program to meet its needs. So it invented one. "We decided we wanted it, and the only way to get it was to make our own. We wound up in the software business," Miller says. "We use the software we write every day. By virtue of doing that, we've fallen down and picked ourselves up enough times to pretty much know how it ought to run or which way it runs the best."

Records-management software has one primary purpose--follow the paper trail. "Our software is the foundation of the records center," O'Neil says. "It provides everything from the fundamentals such as barcode tracking of containers, files and tapes, to invoicing and such high-tech features as Internet access."

One of the most important aspects of records-management software is barcoding. "It allows you to automate your process so you can move items around the warehouse and the system knows where they are at all times. There's less room for human error," Hyman says. "It cuts down on labor. It cuts down on what are called 'no finds,' where they are unable to find an item for a client. It makes the whole process more reliable." Barcoding can even correct mistakes. "If they happen to scan a record and file it back in the wrong box, the system will even know that. And it will actually report a warning," Hyman says. "The goal is to get the file back in the box."

Equally important is access to files. "If the people who work for the company don't know how to find it or don't know how to index it, then it's a liability, not an asset," Miller says. "It's something they're spending money for, but they're receiving little to no benefit. The real challenge is providing tools to the customer that allow him to index the information on the front end and search, query and retrieve from those indexes."

One way to ensure employees have easy access is through the Internet. Most records-management centers now offer some kind of online service that allows customers to order, if not view, selected documents. "They can go to the website where the index is, find what they want and click on 'retrieve.' It automatically sends an order for service to our facility," Miller says. "The order is processed automatically and no one in our facility has to key the name, rank and serial numbers, or any of the box or file numbers. It automatically comes up as a service order. It is put on a pick list, selected at night and delivered the next morning--or immediately if it's an emergency."

Making Money

"The records-management business is extremely profitable," Hyman says. "Typically, once you reach an economy of scale, it's not unusual to see the profit equal up to 25 percent of the gross revenue, which is pretty high."

The records-management company makes money every time a file is handled. In addition to the storing charges, there's a fee to pull a file, index, examine, deliver or fax it. "They will sell the containers the information is stored in," Hyman says. "The cost for that is a couple of bucks with a 100 percent markup. Most of the commercial records companies offer what they call inspection rooms in their building where the client can actually have boxes pulled and they can come in and examine them. They charge for all of those services. For many of the rooms, they charge by the hour," he says. "They charge for indexing. It wouldn't be unusual to charge 25 cents for indexing every file in that box. So if you had 50 files in a box, it's 50 times 25. It's a very profitable business with really good margins."

Records management is also an annuity business. "It has the aspect of recurring revenue, which is something you certainly see in self-storage. In the moving business, you do have corporate clients that you may move over and over again; but with residential, you're always looking for new customers," Hyman says. "Whereas in the records-management business, once you've got an account, you keep it and it typically grows about 5 percent per year." For example, a client with 1,000 boxes will add about 50 boxes a year.

Although the majority of contracts run three to five years, most clients will stick with a records-management company longer simply because it's costly to pull files permanently. "There's financial incentive because they will have to pay $3 to $5 per box to take them out of storage," Hyman says. "Unless there's a compelling reason, most companies don't pull their files."

Do Your Homework

While there's no doubt there is a market for records-management entrepreneurs, there's more to the business than just buying boxes and barcodes. "You need an understanding of the records-management business," Hyman says. "You need to educate yourself on what are the issues in the records-management business so when you go in and talk to people, you have a knowledge of what it is you're trying to sell."

One way to learn about the industry is by joining a professional association such as the Professional Records and Information Services Management (PRISM), or the Association for Information Management Professionals. Both organizations offer members information about the industry, education and networking opportunities. PRISM hosts a semiannual seminar for people interested in launching a records-management business. "We're very involved with educational programming directed at people who operate commercial records centers, media vaults and imaging service bureaus," says Jim Booth, executive director for PRISM.

Like other business ventures, records management requires diligence and dedication. It's still a fresh concept that calls for creative marketing techniques. "One of the things that's different about the records-management business than, say, the self-storage business, is you put a sign out front and people drive by and you get clients," Hyman says. "Well, the records-management business isn't like that. You have to dedicate staff to marketing. Certainly, the Yellow Pages can be a source of leads, but it's a fatal flaw to think you're going to open up a records-management business and just put an ad in the Yellow Pages."

However, in the end, the hard work will definitely pay off. "You have all of the aspects that make a good business," Hyman says. "It's very profitable while you own it. It has an annuity benefit and it also has this payday at the end of the day because there's a ready market for selling records centers."

For more information on records-management operations, startups and marketing, see this magazine's monthly column, "Records Management," by Cary F. McGovern. Past columns can be accessed on the article archive at www.insideselfstorage.com. Other sites to visit include www.prism.org and www.arma.org. 

By Nicholas Jodhan

During the past three decades, the evolution of the self-storage building type from the traditional garden-variety, single-story facility to the more visible multistory building has given developers pause for thought in the design phase. This evolution has ushered in an era of new design criteria, leaving developers to consider aesthetic and functional aspects as never before. The following factors now play a key role in self-storage design:

1. The product has moved from industrial zoned parcels to business/commercial ones, making the self-storage facility a more integral part of the community landscape. This movement demands the addition of architectural elements, which meet the goals and vision of planning commissions.

2. The change from single-story facilities with exterior unit access to the new multistory properties with internal access makes life safety considerations a priority design criteria. In an emergency, customers must be have quick, easy access to safe exit passages, and sprinkler and alarm systems must adequately protect customers' stored belongings.

3. Although the gross square footage of these new structures has remained roughly the same (plus or minus 100,000 square feet), the vertical vs. horizontal configuration gives rise to considerations for access to units and management of internal foot traffic. Gone are the days of vehicular traffic movement and drive-up unit access as major design considerations.

The design challenges mentioned above are but a few that greet today's self-storage designers and developers. As storage facilities become high-rise structures, the need for an elevator becomes paramount. This article focuses on the challenge of elevator placement in the new facility type.

The elevator is to high-rise structures what the truck is to a single-story building. It is a vertical vehicle that must take clients to the upper floors as readily as the truck took clients to their drive-up units. Although multistory buildings do not offer drive-up access, designers can make it as effortless as possible to get to units on upper floors. To create a truly effective layout with well-positioned elevators, the designer of a multistory site must design with a few fundamental axioms in mind.

Site Configuration

Before we can fully understand the inner workings of a building, the selected site and desired building must be configured to conform to all site-related restrictions (lot coverage, setbacks, easements, servitudes, right-of-ways, landscape buffers, detention requirements, parking requirements, etc.). This configuration should be completed first because here is where we discover the criteria for exterior skin options and staircase exit location, as well as site-configuration limitations that force the office and lobby/ elevators into a particular location. A good designer will carefully consider the mandated parameters and should offer several layout options.

Code Compliance and Building Systems

Every municipality will be governed by several zoning, building, life-safety and ADA codes. Be they federal, national, state or local, these codes must be thoroughly understood and complied with during the design process. When laying out a multistory building, the designer must understand the building codes, type and system of construction being proposed.

This would allow the designer to lay out building grid lines and strategically place ingress/egress staircases that are life-safety-code driven. He will also be able to place any fire separation or demising walls through the building. The building's exterior could also now receive some additional evaluation that may or may not influence the interior placement of the elevators. Keep in mind that elevator function is suspended in fire-alarm conditions. Elevators are not considered a means of ingress/egress, so their placement is not typically code-driven.

Efficiency

Designing with efficiency in mind is another critical design consideration that can effect elevator placement. In the self-storage industry, individual property is valued on post lease-up (stabilized) net-operating income. Bearing this in mind, it behooves the designer to maximize the net-leaseable square footage of the building. If ever you examined the stabilized value of a facility at 72 percent efficiency vs. 78 percent, you would understand why designing with this objective in mind is so critical.

Placing the elevators in a location that affords maximized building efficiency should be the designer's prime objective. Because unit mixes are unique to each property, there is no standard placement of elevators. However, be aware this does not mean elevators should be placed haphazardly, but rather in a location that does not disrupt efficiency by causing a significant loss of leaseable space.

Elevator Types

The type of elevator selected can influence its eventual placement. For example, a hole pneumatic elevator requires that a hole be drilled on site to accommodate the piston. In some instances, these holes could be in excess of 60 feet. The site may have some locations that would prohibit such a hole, but others that would accommodate it. Pneumatic elevators also require rooms to house their reservoirs.

Another elevator type to consider is a traction elevator, which requires specific shaft heights to accommodate its gearing. In buildings with gable roof lines, placing this type of elevator directly under the ridgeline could eliminate any roof penetration and possible future roof leaks. Other features of elevators, such as dimensions, or single or double doors, would also have some impact on design considerations and could play a role in determining the best placement of the elevator.

Access

Give ground-floor access the next weighted value. There is a fair amount of design flexibility here. Elevators can be placed at the exterior wall with doors opening right onto a covered drive or they may be placed inside the building. Potential users of these facilities will view the access to the upper floors as an inconvenience if the ground-floor elevator access is too difficult. If the elevators are clearly visible and accessible upon entry, the general perception is that the upper floors are accessible as well.

Both location options offer particular benefits, such as convenient access, weather protection, security or efficient function. When elevators are set into the building, the distance from the face of the building depends on several design issues. If clients unload their stored items onto a cart and then into an elevator, incorporating a lobby/staging area into the design is a good idea. This gives clients enough space and time to get out of the elements, enter their access code and secure items on the cart before entering the elevators. Staging can range in depth, but 10 feet is a good practical number, particularly when there is more than one person trying to access the upper floors. Staging any deeper tends to be wasted space and can create unit-mix problems on the upper floors.

Internal Traffic

The next major consideration is foot-traffic movement. Obviously, there must be adequate width for people and carts to move through the facility aisles, but in regard to elevator placement, walk distance is the governing factor. Walk distance is measured from the elevator landing to the furthest unit from all accessible directions. Ideally, walk distance should not exceed 150 feet. In some facilities, that distance may be increased somewhat if the options for elevator placement are severely restricted.

There are several design criteria that must be considered in order to properly place elevators in a storage facility. The controlling factors must be balanced in a way that results in the best product. It is often a delicate balance to strike and a somewhat inexact science. Each property can have variations unique to that property. I suggest using double-sided doors, keeping all structural elements on a 5-foot design module, placing the elevators no more than 10 feet into the building and placing the elevators halfway along the longer dimension of the building. This will lead to the highest efficiency, creating the greatest investment value.

Nicholas Jodhan has been involved in the development of self-storage for the past four years, designing and developing self-storage facilities in several major cities in the Midwest, Northeast and South. He continues to develop creative ways of addressing the new parameters of the modern self-storage industry. Mr. Jodhan can be reached at [email protected].

By RK Kliebenstein

The first order in examining this market profile was to determine the proper etiquette regarding the name of the country. Is it England, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, the U.K.? Foolish as that question may seem, I did not want to offend my hosts.

London is a city of 5 million people. With that kind of population, in a land area of just a few hundred square miles, you have the first and foremost ingredient of a successful self-storage project: density! The second ingredient for success is small living and business quarters. If London makes you think of those tiny cars, it is for good reason. The streets are narrow and the houses tightly packed. Businesses are in very close proximity, and even when you get into the "country," the area closely resembles New Jersey (even down to the weather).

The biggest challenge facing self-storage developers in London is product acceptance. There is a need to educate the general public on the uses of self-storage. While he knows he needs more space, the average consumer does not know there are firms that specialize in solving his space challenges. But it's just a matter of time. Estimates show that self-storage spaces per capita in London are less than 5 percent of what they are in the United States. If that's not a market waiting to happen, I don't know what is.

There are some familiar faces in the London market: Shurgard (also making a big splash on the Continent) and a cousin company to Storage USA. The obvious absence of Public Storage and U-Haul is a mystery. (I attempted to contact U-Haul to learn of its plans in England and Europe, but I did not receive an answer. Maybe there is an answer to the mystery question they don't want to share.) In London, there are other big names such as Safestore, Access, Mentmore Abbey and Big Yellow.

Developers face the problem of finding good sites. The race is on, and acquisition guys are combing the streets looking for the next self-storage location. Conversions are the most popular, given the density and maturity of the real-estate market. One of the challenges is there just are not that many 100,000-square-foot buildings available for conversion. And three to five acres of available land? Fuhgetaboudit!

One of the fastest growing and leading firms in London is Safestore. Chairman Philip Lewis was kind enough to share some thoughts with me on the London market:

RK: Mr. Lewis, please describe the current state of affairs of self-storage in London. Can you particularly address occupancy levels in mature stores?

Lewis: Although self-storage has been in London since the 1980s, it was originally located in back-street industrial property, and it is only in the last four to five years that the new operators have started to develop self-storage in high-profile, main-road sites. Naturally, the potential customer base is huge and quite sophisticated, so most operators are looking to expand in the Southeast, within the M25 motorwary network, although others are looking further afield.

Typically, sites are about 40,000 square feet or larger, and although one or two new developments are taking place, the majority of sites are in older buildings that have been refurbished. A number of well-branded operators are in town, including, of course, Shurgard. At Safestore, we have a number of mature sites that have been open for three or four years--particularly Notting Hill Gate, Fulham and Acton in western London, plus Alexandra Palace in northern London, where occupancy levels are comfortably over 90 percent and we have an opportunity to push up our rates significantly.

RK: What are rental rates like in London?

Lewis: Typically, in our good London stores, rentals are comfortably more than 20 pounds per square foot on an annual basis. For example, a 50- or 100-square-foot unit earns about 75 to 122 pounds per month. Elsewhere in the U.K. rates are not as high, but we are managing to achieve averages of about 17 pounds per square foot across our portfolio of 21 stores. [As of June 15: 20 pounds = $28.05; 75 pounds = $105.17; 122 pounds = $171.08; 17 pounds = $23.84.]

RK: Tell us about Safestore. How big a company is it? How did you get started? What are your future plans?

Lewis: Safestore is one of the fastest-growing self-storage companies. I joined the company about a year ago, having spent most of my working life in the direct real-estate business. Location is one of the key criteria for growth, and finding the right real estate is a fundamental part of our expansion program. I would urge you to look at our website, www.safestore.co.uk, to find out more about the company.

We have 31 assets, 21 of which are currently trading, and the remainder are due to open over the next 12 months. In general, we own most of our buildings freehold, but we have now started to look at a few leasehold opportunities, and anticipate the portfolio will comprise of two to three freehold and one to three leasehold properties as we develop. Our minimum requirement now is for sites of at least 35,000 square feet of net self-storage accommodation in central London areas, and up to 40,000-45,000 square feet a little further out of town.

As a publicly quoted company, we have a number of interesting shareholders. The largest is Soros Real Estate Fund, controlling 25 percent of the equity, followed by a range of blue-chip U.K. institutions and private investors. It is our intention to become one of the largest [self-storage companies] in Europe, with a current target of having 50 stores trading by the end of 2003. We have already acquired our first building in continental Europe, in Paris, that we hope to open in the next few months. We'll then look closely at other countries as the business grows.

RK: I understand you have announced a couple of strategic alliances to grow your company. Can you tell us about them?

Lewis: In addition to our organic expansion, we have also tied up a number of alliances with quality operating partners. First, we concluded a transaction last year with National Car Parks, the United Kingdom's largest car-park operator, to develop self-storage inside their car parks, primarily in central London. Subsequently, we tied up a further joint operating partnership with Moves, an extremely well-branded removal business based in London. Through that company we do pickup and delivery, and removal business. We are just about to announce a free pickup service for Safestore customers as well as use of the Moves vehicles, which are now jointly branded Safestore/Moves.

Our most recent success on the joint-venture route was a tie-up with Railtrack's subsidiary, Spacia. Railtrack is the United Kingdom's principal railway company and also one of the largest landowners in England. We have already identified a number of sites to operate jointly in London and the Southeast, and this should provide us with much quicker access to available land and buildings to speed up our expansion program.

RK: Can you give the American operators some advice about getting involved in the London market? Should they get involved and, if so, how should they approach the market?

Lewis: Self-storage is gathering pace in the United Kingdom, and two American operators are already here. Shurgard and Access (which is a subsidiary of Security Capital) are developing alongside a number of domestic companies, and we expect there will be significant growth over the next three to five years. We have consulted with a number of advisors in America and intend to recruit from the United States, particularly for sales, marketing and staff training to ensure we stay well ahead of our competitors.

I am convinced self-storage will grow in the same way as other concepts that have traveled across the Atlantic: Health and fitness clubs, McDonald's, coffee shops, and toy and pet retailing have all seen tremendous changes over the last 10 to 15 years, and I see the same phenomenon happening in self-storage. We are excited about the prospects of Safestore.

RK: One final question for you: Which use is more proper? The United Kingdom? England? Great Britain?

Lewis: (Shrugs).

It's still a mystery, I guess.

RK Kliebenstein is president of Coast-To-Coast Storage, which is preparing to announce a strategic alliance with an existing firm in the United Kingdom that will bring feasibility-study services to the European market. The company is forming several relationships that will allow U.S. firms to gain access to European self-storage expansion. For more information, call 561.367.9241.

By David Fleming

I'd like to begin this month by thanking all of the people who have shown support for this column, which is written by managers, about managers, for managers. Your input is sincerely appreciated. This is intended to be used as an open forum, so if you have something you'd like to contribute, please do so. It can be a helpful hint, funny story or article on a subject pertaining to what we do. Whatever it is, send it, and we'll eventually work it in somewhere. For those of you who have sent me things, please keep in mind these articles are written months in advance, so don't think I've forgotten you. I fully intend to use the items I receive--whether in part or in full--in good time.

In past columns, I have spoken in length about particular topics. But in the interest of conveying a broader range of concepts, I'd like to borrow a style from a good friend and mentor of mine, Jim Chiswell. If you haven't yet, I recommend you read his column, "Thoughts From the Road," which appears in this magazine every other month.

Phone Skills

As a manager, your primary goal is to rent or "sell" units, and there are many different styles of sales technique out there. My style is short and to the point. After getting the customer's name and asking a few "qualifying" questions about what he needs to store and when, and if he's ever used storage before, I get straight to the point. I tell him about the features of our facility and what I recommend for a unit size or style (10-by-15 or 10-by-20, possibly climate control). I provide enough options so he feels compelled to visit to make a decision. Finally, I discuss price. I follow this by asking when he'd like to come visit our facility. If I can't get him to commit to an appointment, I ask if he would like me to mail, fax or e-mail a brochure. Most people want some type of literature, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to get his address and telephone number, "in case this comes back to me, or the fax doesn't go through." This allows me to follow up in few days or weeks.

I know there are some people out there who don't like this abbreviated style. I assume everybody is as busy as I am, most of them just want the price anyway, and at least I'm getting the important stuff in. My wife, Tina, on the other hand, has a very different sales style. She'll chat it up with anybody about anything. People just love to talk to her. After about 10 minutes on the phone, she'll hang up with the appointment made. Sometimes you won't even hear her discussing price. The point is, no matter what your style is, you need to make the sale.

All of your advertising is designed to do one thing: get the phone to ring. Your job as a manger is to convert those calls into visits to your facility. Once there, the odds are in your favor to make the sale. If you have ever been "phone shopped," you probably know how effective--or ineffective--you are on the phone. If you haven't been mystery shopped, ask your owner or area manager to do so. There are even companies that will be happy to do it for them (for a small fee).

The phone shop is an honest, independent evaluation of your phone skills. Don't take it as criticism. Use it as a tool to become a better salesperson. If you are sitting behind the counter like I am, you have probably noticed when you are renting a lot of units, some problems seem to disappear. The boss doesn't come around as much, the requests you put in get approved, your salary increases a little (or even a lot) each year. Maybe you can work a deal where, if your closing rate stays above 66 percent, the boss will send you out to the big Las Vegas expo. Who knows? There are endless opportunities in this industry for people who can sell.

Call Tracking

Are your phone skills improving? If you don't know for certain, you aren't tracking your closing rate. Tracking your closing rate is the single best way to know how you are doing on the phone. Simply put, your closing rate is the number of rentals divided by the number of calls in a set amount of time. For instance, 10 rentals in a week divided by 20 calls that week means you have a 50 percent closing rate for that week. The higher the number of rentals in comparison to calls, the higher the closing rate. The higher the closing rate, the better you are on the phone. The better you are on the phone, the more units you will rent. The more units you rent, the more money you make (hopefully), especially if you have some sort of bonus structure in place.

To track your closing rate, all you need to do is mark down on a sheet of paper every time you take a sales call. Then mark down every rental. Divide them at the end of the day/week/month/year to get your respective closing rate. We have a form made up so we can track how many calls we get compared to rentals, what time of day the prospect called, and what our busiest times of the week are for calls and rentals. As my mentor would say, "make a game of it." If your closing rate is high (66 percent or higher), you are winning. If your closing rate is low (below 50 percent), you may need to change your phone presentation.

Improving your closing ratio is the single best thing you can do to create more rentals out of the call volume you have. You will also be able determine if you are getting sufficient call volume. You can have a 100 percent closing rate if you are only getting one call a week and you rent to that caller. In that case, you need more call volume--which means you need to talk to the boss about marketing, but at least you'll be able to show you are doing the best you can with what you've got. The results of a high closing rate are almost immediate and, I must say, gratifying. Remember all of the problems that go away when you are renting units? Improve your closing ratio and you'll make more rentals.

Lists

The most successful people in any business write down things they need to do. They know if they don't write it down, chances are they will forget it or forget to do it. After all, they didn't get to be successful without being busy. Making a list is one of the best things you can do to work more efficiently and effectively. It will not only help free your mind from that thought once you write it down, but it will help you prioritize what to do and when.

I have several lists. My "to do" list at work currently includes:

• Raise rental rates effective month after next.
• Write "rate increase" letter and mail 30 days in advance.
• Make a list of all the units I have removed walls from to make larger units.
• Ask boss if we want to change the unit configuration in the computer or leave it as is so we can put the walls back in if need be.
• Get our brochure into my computer so we can e-mail it to people.
• Create a customer calling card.
• Clean doors in interior hall of "A" building.
• Oil locks.
• Install a timer on canopy lights.
• Replace bad timer switches on interior hallway lights.
• Write next month's column.

As you can see, it's too much to remember. This is obviously in addition to my daily duties, and I may not get to this list for a week, when I have time. I would never remember what it is I need to do without a list. And each time I look at the list, I can re-prioritize. Writing this article, for instance, just became priority No. 1 because the deadline is just around the corner. Next I'll work on the rate increase, etc. I even have a pen and paper on my nightstand because sometimes when I'm drifting off to sleep, an idea will pop into my head. This way, I can write it down to put on my list tomorrow, and fall asleep without having to worry about forgetting it, which I'll most certainly do.

My list grows and shrinks. It is a constant work in progress. Sometimes I'll get a free day, jump on my list and bang out a bunch of things. Sometimes I'll get on a tear and write down a bunch of ideas. If I read them again in few days and an idea that seemed so great doesn't anymore, I'll cross it off. Or if it seems too big for the "to do" list, maybe I'll put it on the "projects" list, which currently contains items such as:

• Newsletter. Should be viable info for our managers and customers.
• Look into creating a customer lounge area. Telephone? Phone jack for laptop for reps? Conference table? Maybe in a climate-controlled 10-by-20?
• Create an office-supplies master list for future start-ups.

By making lists, I never have a slow day. I just go to the list and pick something. I may not be as successful as some people, but I'm working on it. It's on my list.

David Fleming is a manager and manager trainer for Premier Self-Storage Inc. of Amherst, N.Y., which plans to build 20 state-of-the-art facilities over the next five years. After having managed facilities in three states over the past 10 years, Mr. Fleming now resides in a Buffalo suburb with his two children and his co-manager and wife, Tina, who will also contribute to this column. Mr. Fleming has won awards from industry publications, including the Inside Self-Storage award for Manager of the Year. To contact the Flemings, call 716.688.8000; fax 716.688.6459; e-mail [email protected].

By Cary McGovern

This article focuses on the fast-start educational client symposium, which has proven to be a significant generator of new records-management business. Since the records-management sales cycle is long--six months or longer--a catalyst is recommended to get new business to move through it quickly. The client symposium has consistently worked well as a "pump-primer." When well-planned and diligently managed, it can be the most valuable start-up tool for a newly formed commercial records business. It can also act as a renewed marketing push for an established business. If you are already in the business of records management and want to spur new growth quickly, the symposium is something you should consider.

What Is It?

For many years, companies such as Xerox, IBM and other market leaders in the administrative outsourcing and management field have offered educational events valuable to their clients or prospects. These can be a very valuable to you, the vendor, as well. These events are well-planned, strategic marketing tools and generally have two principal goals: to educate the client or prospect, and move new prospects quickly through a lengthy sales cycle.

The event is usually a three-hour format presented either in the morning or afternoon. Some of my clients request both morning and afternoon sessions during the same day or next day in order to provide an attendance option for the participants. These symposiums are usually at a hotel, conference center, chamber of commerce meeting facility, or any place conducive to training and education. The topic typically focused on the current state of records management and the movement toward technology in the future.

The event must be of value to your clients and prospects or they won't attend. It must be carefully planned and the timing has to be just right for it to work. If you are not diligent with your plan, it may be a waste of time and money. I have conducted nearly 100 of these events and have had mixed success. Those that have been the most successful have followed a strict discipline and time line.

It takes about eight weeks to plan and implement a symposium event to get the results you want. The first two weeks are related to site selection, gathering your resources and planning the implementation process, which generally takes six weeks to accomplish. Each day during the six weeks, there are duties to perform. Each step leads to the next step and all are connected in a workflow process that should yield up to 50 percent of the invited guests in actual attendance at the event.

Plan the Work and Work the Plan

The Location. Pick a place convenient to most of your prospects. I know people who have tried beautiful locations that, though appealing, were just not convenient. The room should be suitable for adult education. It should be set up with tables for writing in classroom style--do not use an auditorium-style setup. The tables should be set with note pads and pens and should not be crowded.

The Materials. You should provide a printed copy of the presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint^™ "notes" format. The printed presentation should be formal and inserted into a folder with your sales and marketing materials, and business cards. It is advantageous to include an electronic copy of the presentation and materials on disk or CD. Everything should be in place before the symposium begins.

The Time. Timing is crucial. Depending on your prospect base, the timing could be different from industry to industry. Always avoid the beginning or end of any month since these are always busy times for administrative personnel. The seminar industry has determined that Tuesdays are the best day of the week for out-of-office educational events. Always avoid Mondays and Fridays.

The Schedule. As I mentioned earlier, it takes about two weeks to find a site and determine the time line. The next six weeks includes many activities and must be managed carefully and diligently. The most important ingredient is getting the prospects to come to the event.

Determining the Value. Value is difficult to quantify. It is important you put yourself in your prospect's shoes. You are attempting to determine what value this event has to him. If you are to get prospects to attend the event, you must provide one or more valuable skills, tools or resources. They must know they will walk out with something more valuable than the time they spend with you.

Educational Content. It is my experience that prospects want to know how to solve their records-management problems, what the future holds for them and how they can prepare for it. You may focus on problem solving, skill development, tool selection and resource identification. Remember that you are essentially presenting yourself as the "expert" and principal resource for them to look to for solutions to their problems. Your course content should be professional and current. Your clients and prospects should consider the presenter an expert.

Follow-Up. As important as it is to get your clients and prospects to the symposium, it is equally important to follow up with them. The "hook" of the symposium is the survey. Your primary goal is to get your client or prospect to commit to a survey or needs assessment. This requires quick-response follow-up after the symposium.

Once done, you will have accomplished several goals in the process of planning and hosting a client symposium:

1. Your prospects will have given you their valuable time, and they are now invested in you.
2. You will have presented your company as expert in the field.
3. Records management will be fresh in your prospects' minds.
4. You will have given your prospects something of value--information.
5. Prospects will be familiar with you and your company.
6. You have provided prospects with the next necessary step, the survey or needs assessment.

Regular columnist Cary McGovern, CRM, is the principal of FileMan and FIRMS (FileMan Internet Records Management Services), which provides all of the materials, resources and content expertise necessary to hold a client symposium. If you have questions about these or other resources, including information on marketing, starting up or operating a records- management facility, call 877.FILEMAN or e-mail [email protected].