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Do you run an office?  Are you in charge of making sure that your workers are motivated and efficient?  Do you find that you are running out of good motivational ideas?  If so, then you have certainly found yourself the right article.  Indeed, this article is going to guide you in the direction of the managerial style that you have always wanted, particularly if you are running a self storage call center.  While it may seem like there is a ton of work and training that goes into being a good manager, there are a few, simple things that you can begin to do to improve your style overnight.  Just pay careful attention to what you are reading, and you are bound to improve.

First and foremost, reader, be sure that you are giving your workers strong incentives to succeed.  The last thing that you are going to want to deal with, here, are workers who are not motivated to show up to work with a smile on their face.  And really, it does not take all that much to show your workers that you appreciate them for what they are doing.  You can throw a picnic or a pot luck, as everyone loves a free meal.  You can introduce awards for meeting sales quotas, giving people a great reason to run the extra mile.  Heck, you might be able to get away with simply telling your workers that they are doing a good job.  Anything and everything is going to help, here, so make sure that you are not getting stuck inside of the proverbial box when you are coming up with ways to keep your workers happy.

Moving on, here, you are going to want to be sure that you have standardized your training process, at least somewhat.  If you are not giving your new hires a standard training process, then you are not going to be able to guarantee that they are all going to be on the same page when they hit the sales floor.  If you have the resources to do so, be sure that you hire a sales expert to serve as your trainer.  Get someone who has plenty of experience in sales, and be sure that they are at least somewhat familiar with your product.  When you have someone like this on your staff, then you are never going to have to worry about sending inexperienced people out into the field to represent your company.

Finally, reader, be sure that you are providing your employees with all of the ongoing training that they are going to need to stay on top of their game.  Be sure, here, that you are making use of your full time trainer, if you have one.  Be sure that they are conducting routine checks on your employees, spotting and addressing problems before they become a major issue.  Also, consider putting your sales reps through a graduated training program, giving them additional training every three to six months.  Truly, if you are ready to do these things, then you are going to some crazy improvements when it comes to your self storage sales figures.

It does not take a whole lot for you to guarantee that your workers are happy and successful.  All that it takes, reader, is a nice pat on the back, a few rewards, and ongoing training.  If you are ready and willing to affect these sorts of changes around your workplace, then you are never going to be left wanting for the improvements that you seek.  You have all of the power that you are going to need to bring these changes about.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

If you manage a variety of properties, then you are going to want to be sure that you have all of the property management software that you need to run your business smoothly.  If you are still managing all of your numbers by hand, then you are wasting a very great deal of your time, and you are not growing nearly as fast as you could be otherwise.  By switching over to digital data management, you are going to be able to bring your business around and make a lot more profit with what you already have.  If you do not believe me, then simply continue to read on, here.

Your property management software is going to be able to make your daily tasks go by without much of a hassle.  Indeed, if you are still collecting rent by hand, then you are probably wasting a ton of your time at the end of the month.  If you are collecting rent by hand, then you are probably losing track of a lot of your payments due to human error.  By switching over to a digital payment system, you are going to be able to make sure that you are not wasting a ton of your time.  Likewise, you are going to be able to make sure that you are not losing track of the payments that you are taking.  They are all going to end up in the right places.

Moving on, here, you are going to want to be sure that you are taking full advantage of the digital payment software that you are using.  You are going to want to be sure that you offer your tenants the option to pay online.  Indeed, if you are not letting them pay online, then you are only making the process harder for them.  When they can pay their bills online, they have no excuse when it comes to getting their rent in late.  They will no longer be able to complain about their late fees.  And the best part, of course, is that you are not going to have to handle all of the payments by hand.

The most important part of switching over to a digital property management system is that it is going to leave you with a lot more time on your hands.  With this valuable time, you can really begin to give your expansion efforts the care and attention that they deserve.  When your hands are tied just trying to get your bills paid on time, there is not much that you can do to improve your business.  Likewise, there is not much that you can do to improve the relationships that you are building with your current tenants.  If you are looking to expand, and if you are looking to foster long standing relationships with your customers, then you are going to want to be sure that you are putting all of this time to use.

Property management software is exceptionally important.  Indeed, if you are not using all of the right software packages, then you are not going to be able to bring your business to new heights.  All that you are going to be able to do, here, is cripple your business.  Of course, businesses do not stagnate, they die.  So if you feel like you are beginning to stagnate, then you know that it’s time for a serious change.

If you are skeptical about using software, simply head out onto the internet and find a few free trials of the popular packages.  Surely, you are going to be able to find something that you like, and something that is going to make it a lot easier for you to run your business.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

Some people just do not have the patience to call around before they make a purchase.  Some people just get frustrated with the entire process, and they give up before they have even started.  Of course, it is these very people who often end up wasting a ton of their money when they head out to make a large purchase.  Because they did not take the time that they needed to call around, they are now stuck paying whatever prices they happened to come across.  If you want to avoid such a fate and make sure that you are saving as much money as you can, then you simply have to be sure that you are shopping around in the correct sort of way.  Fortunately, this article is going to help get you moving in the right direction.

If you have never shopped around for self storage units before, then you are going to want to be sure that you begin by taking site tours.  You simply cannot know if you are going to feel safe using a facility if you have never seen it before.  Showing up in person and taking a look around your unit with your own two eyes is going to leave you with much more peace of mind at the end of the day.  Since you have seen your unit in person, you are going to know that there are no nasty surprises waiting around the next corner.

As you are taking a brief tour of your self storage unit, you are going to want to be sure that you are keeping your eyes open for all of the things that are going to affect the price that you receive.  You should double check and be sure that your door forms a firm seal with the ground.  Likewise, you should check and make sure that there are no obvious signs of water damage in your ceiling or in your walls.  The last thing that you are going t want, here, is to let tons of harmful dust and water to creep its way into your self storage unit. As you are checking around for these things, also keep your eyes open for large oil stains, or anything else that might harm your belongings.

You are also going to want to be sure that you keep your eyes open for the self storage security features that your property employs.  Simply put, if you are not renting a unit that comes with great, industry leading self storage features, then you are not renting a unit that is really going to protect your belongings in the long run.  Here, you are going to want to be sure that you are looking around for video surveillance cameras, door alarms, and access controlled gates.  You are also going to want to double check and make sure that your property offers high security disc and cylinder locks for your door, as these are typically going to work out a lot better than your standard variety locks.

At the end of the day, you have to be sure that you know what you are buying before you buy it.  It is all part of making sure that you are getting a good value.  Paying too much for your self storage unit is going to suck money out of your pocket, and especially in times like these, you have to be sure that you are not letting too much money escape your grasp.  By following these simple rules, you can be sure that you are not going to let too much money slip through your fingers.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

Are you sick and tired of living in a house that is stuffed with spare belongings?  Are you sick and tired of tripping over tables and chairs as you try to make your way across your garage?  If so, then you are going to want to be sure that you are looking into the self storage units that are in your local area.  Of course, by looking into self storage units, you are going to be able to set your cleaning plans into action.  Once you rent a self storage unit, you are going to be able to start clearing out all of that extra junk that has been getting in your way for so long.  But do not let your desire to clean trick you.  You cannot simply settle for the first self storage unit that you come across.  Indeed, you are going to have to be sure that the unit that you are renting is going to be able to keep your belongings safe.  Luckily, it is not going to be all that hard for you to find a unit that is going to keep your belongings as safe as they are in your own garage.

First and foremost, here, you are going to want to be sure that you are renting a unit that comes equipped with video surveillance cameras.  These, you might very well guess, are going to virtually guarantee that your belongings are staying as safe as possible.  When you know that your belongings are being watched over all day long, you know that you are not going to have to worry about a thing when you leave them behind.  They are in good hands.

Of course, you are also going to want to be sure that you are renting a unit that comes equipped with door alarms.  These are going to give your belongings even more protection when you are gone.  A nice, loud door alarm is going to scare away all of the crooks who would dare cross your path.

Now, just because you are going to be putting your items in a self storage unit that comes with security features does not mean that you are going to be able to ignore them after that.  Of course, you are going to want to take additional steps to make sure that they are safe while they are in the unit.  If you have not already done so, be sure that you are boxing up the smaller items, as you would hate for them to break while they are in storage.  Also, if necessary, be sure that you are breaking your furniture down to save yourself a little bit of space.  The last thing that you are going to want, here, is end up wasting money because you did not squeeze your belongings into a smaller space.

At the end of the day, you are going to see that it does not take much for you to clean up your home.  Now, if you are about to put your home on the market, then you should know that it becomes all the more important for you to do these things.  When you are sending people through your home to tour it, the last thing that you are going to want to do is make it look a lot smaller by failing to clear out your extra items.  If you can, be sure that you are renting a self storage unit and clearing out all of your stuff before you home even hits the market.  When you see those bids start coming in, you are going to thank yourself for taking the extra time to clean everything up.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

If you are shopping around for the self storage unit that is going to keep your belongings safe while you are gone, then there are a variety of factors that you are going to want to take into consideration.  Of course, the last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is rent a unit that is not going to do a great job at keeping your belongings safe while you are gone.  That, of course, is tantamount to flushing your money down the drain each and every month.  Fortunately, it is not going to take much work for you to get a handle on which kind of unit you are going to need for your belongings.  Collected, here, are several bits of information that you are going to find helpful as you are shopping around for that unit that fits perfectly.

First and foremost, you are going to want to be sure that you have taken a rough inventory of the items that you are going to be storing.  The last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is rent a unit that is actually too small for your belongings, as you are going to damage them when you try to cram them into a tiny space like this.  Be sure that you are renting a space that is big enough.  Do not worry about stacking your belongings all of the way up to the ceiling.  Worry about keeping them safe, and you will thank yourself for doing so later.

Of course, you are also going to want to be sure that the unit that you are renting is going to be able to meet all of the special accommodations that you are going to need.  The last thing that you are looking for, here, is a unit that is not going to be able to keep your belongings safe when the weather begins to change.

Thus, if you know that you are going to be storing a lot of electronics, antiques, or clothing, you are going to want to be sure that you are renting a climate controlled self storage unit.  These kinds of units are going to hold your belongings at a nice, safe 60 degrees Fahrenheit for the entire year, meaning that you are not going to have to worry about a thing when the winter cold begins to blow in.

Finally, here, you are going to want to be sure that you are taking the other kinds of units into consideration as well.  If you know that you are going to have lots of large, bulky items, then you might consider looking into some of the drive up units that you have at your disposal.  Indeed, these units are going to allow for you to pull straight up to your door and unload from there, meaning that you are not going to have to worry about lugging those giant things through any small, constricting hallways.  Of course, these units may very well end up running you a few extra dollars every month, but you are going to find that it is well worth it at the end of the day.  When your back is not sore from exertion at the end of the day, you are going to be glad that you spent the extra money for the convenience.

Really, when it comes down to finding the perfect self storage unit, all you are going to have to do is make sure that you are taking these factors into account.  So long as you are not forgetting about all of the simple things when you are calling around, you are not going to have to worry about a thing when it comes time to sign your lease.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

If you new to the entire property management thing and you still do not know how to keep your self storage facility running well, then you have arrived at the right article.  Indeed, all that you are going to have to do to become a great property manager is a little bit of research.  There is a lot to keep up with when it comes down to managing a self storage property, so you are going to want to be sure that you are keeping up to date with your research.

First of all, you are going to want to be sure that you are always secretly shopping your competitors.  Most obviously, you are going to want to be sure that your prices are in line with theirs.  Second of all, you are going to want to be sure that they are not offering amenities that make your property look bad.  You always have to be sure that you attract people with your prices and your amenities, as these are the things that most of your callers are going to ask about.

Second of all, you have to be sure that you are working on your sales skills as well.  As a property manager, you are going to be on the front lines when it comes to bringing in new tenants.  When people stop by for a tour of your property, you have to be sure that you are ready and willing to pitch your property.  You are not going to do yourself or your company any good if you are simply showing people units and then kicking them out of the door.  You have to show them the units, explain the benefits of your property, and explain why they should care about the benefits of your property.

Moving on, here, you are also going to have to be sure that you are venturing forth onto the internet.  Great property managers are always looking for new ways to reach out to customers both current and new.  If you are not using the internet to maximize the exposure of your property, then you are only doing yourself a tremendous disservice.  Do yourself a favor, here, and be sure that your property has a good web presence.

Finally, here, you are going to want to be sure that your website is nice and convenient for customers.  The first function that you are going to want to program, here, is a payment function.  If there is one thing that people hate, it is waiting on hold at the end of the month when everyone is trying to pay their bills.  By giving your tenants the option to pay online, you guarantee that they are not going to get as mad at the hold times.  Second of all, here, you are going to want to be sure that you offer incentives to use your website.  Often times, companies will upload website-specific coupons, meaning that you have to visit their website to access the savings.  This, of course, is a great way to encourage people to use your website and get your traffic numbers up.

At the end of the day, you are going to have a lot to learn when it comes to being a great property manager.  Just be sure, here, that you are ready and willing to do a little bit of homework, and you are not going to run into any problems at all.  You can be the master of your self storage property with a little bit of practice and a lot of dedication.  If those are not words of encouragement, then I do not know what are.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

If you are thinking about getting a self storage unit, then you are going to want to be sure that you are fully exploring all of your options.  Indeed, while a traditional self storage unit might work out well for you, you are not going to want to forget that there are other types of units out there as well.  If you have never shopped around before, then you are going to want to be sure that you have a firm knowledge of the options that are at your disposal before you commit to anything in writing.

First of all, you are going to want to know that there are many climate controlled units out there that you can take advantage of.  Now, you may not think that you are going to need a special climate controlled unit, but you may be surprised.  If you know that you are going to be storing antiques, then you are certainly going to want to be sure that you are looking into your climate controlled options.  Indeed, most antiques are going to deteriorate rather quickly if you do not keep them in an environment that is between sixty and seventy degrees year round.  Also, if you know that you are going to be storing electronics, then you are going to want to be sure that you are looking into your local climate controlled options.

Now, there are other types of units that you may be interested in as well.  If you know that you are not going to want to bother with the hassle of loading up a traditional unit or moving truck, then you might consider looking into portable self storage units as well.  If you rent yourself a portable unit, then you know that you are not going to have to deal with the hassle of moving your belongings very far.  Typically speaking, these units are going to be dropped off in your driveway, and you are going to be able to load them simply by bringing your belongings out there.  When you are done loading your portable self storage unit, the company will show up with a trailer and tow it off for you.  They can either deliver the unit to your new home, or they can store it safely at their own warehouse.  Either way, you know that your belongings are going to be in good hands.

Finally, here, you might consider looking into drive up units.  These units are going to allow for you to pull right up to your door.  Of course, if you do not want to deal with dragging all of your belongings through a hallway, then a drive up unit is going to be exactly what you need.  You can simply pull your moving truck right up to your door and quickly load your self storage unit with all of your belongings.  These units are going to be much more convenient than their indoor counterparts, and you can usually find them in climate control as well.

At the end of the day, you are going to have many options at your disposal when it comes to renting a self storage unit.  So long as you understand these options, though, you are not going to have to worry about a thing.  You can simply figure out what your needs are going to be, and call around knowing exactly what you are looking for.  When you find facilities that are not going to be ale to meet your needs, you will know to take your business elsewhere.  As you can see, the self storage industry is becoming more and more accommodating with each and every passing year.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

If you think that you are not going to need a self storage unit in the near future, then perhaps you should again.  Indeed, chances actually are that you can use a self storage unit in some way and you simply have not thought of it yet.  Of course, this is going to be the subject of this very article.  If you are wondering how customers typically make use of the units that they rent, then you are going to find this article rather eye opening.  Sit back, reader, and take a few notes as you make your way through this article.

The most common reason that a customer ends up renting a self storage unit is because he or she has a crowded basement or garage.  Sure, you might think that they could simply have a garage sale and save themselves some much needed money, but that is not always the case.  More often than not, people do not want to get rid of the items that are cluttering up their house.  That, after all, is why they ended up keeping them in the first place.  By renting self storage units ,these customers guarantee themselves that they are going to be able to have a clean home without getting rid of too many of their belongings.  No compromises are necessary when you are able to get your hands on a great self storage unit.

Of course, other people use their self storage units for radically different reasons.  It is not uncommon for people rent these units to store their cars.  Indeed, when you get a nice, safe self storage unit, you know that you are going to be able to use it to keep your vehicle nice and safe.  Once you pull your car into your unit, all that you are going to have to do is stick a powerful lock on the door and call it a day.  You are not going to have to worry about a thing when you are storing your car in a secure self storage unit.

Now, you are going to find that many people need to store the contents of their entire home when they are calling around for a rate.  This is not abnormal at all.  Of course, self storage units are a great thing to rent when you know that you are going to have to keep your belongings safe for several weeks or months at a time.  In fact, what you are typically going to see, here, is that storage customers rent for about six months when they finally decide to rent.  Imagine that.  A self storage unit can keep your belongings safe for as long as you need them to be kept safe.  Truly, that is convenience.

Also, you are going to come across a lot of self storage customers who use their units to store seasonal items that they simply do not need to keep around the house all year long.  Holiday decorations are a great thing to keep in your self storage unit, and you probably will not even have to rent a large one to make enough room for them.  If you have a lot of seasonal decorations in your basement or garage, you might want to begin looking into your local self storage options.

You can see, here, that many people use self storage units for many different reasons.  If you think that you might need to use a self storage unit in the near future, simply call around to a few of your local properties and see if any of them can meet your unique needs.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

This may be a few days late for Auld Lang Syne and a bit early to be making a Christmas wish list for next December, but the self storage industry has behaved well and kept off the naughty list. Perhaps a New Year’s wish list is more appropriate a title, but if self storage owners could have their druthers, this may be a little of what they hope for in 2010:

Self Storage Investors

A rocky few years of commercial and residential real estate market has no doubt left the field of investors looking like a dried up river bed. And not only investors, but lenders closed their doors to new loan opportunities and tightened the noose for outstanding liens.

While the residential real estate market saw foreclosure and interest rates rise to a crippling high, the commercial real estate market likewise felt the same heat. However, self storage must have held an immunity idol somewhere inside a 5×10 storage space surrounded by tenants who kept renting.

Yes, self storage operators felt the loss of a few percentage points in revenue, but compared to other REITs over the past year, the storage industry was one of the only industries showing a profit and still able to draw lenders, however few and far between they might have been.

Charts and statistics can now support the past few years of the storage industry’s success, despite wavering real estate markets. This is promising and serious investors have their eye on self storage investment opportunities.

So, take heart, self storage owners. You may get your wish for 2010 and find a few more investors swimming in the pool this year. 

No New Taxes 

Some financial analysts and plenty of political bloggers predicted unfavorable tax changes for REITs after an Obama administration took office. Of course, on the other end, plenty of analysts and bloggers predicted tax relief for self storage owners and the like.

Only time will tell, but last year there were new tax benefits for self storage owners who could employ some savvy cost segregation methods to label their assets. But this technique was nothing new to storage owners looking to save on their taxable income and maximize credits.

Home Sweet Home Will Stay That Way

Residential real estate experts, or anyone with a search engine, can see that the band aid over a fallen economy has to be ripped off, and soon. A failed loan modification program has over 700,000 Americans in limbo with only 31,000 of the applicants successfully through the program and back on track, for now.

Banks will soon have to start processing foreclosure notices and the reaction could be dire for the self storage industry if tenants have to leave or become delinquent on their rental space.

On the other hand, Americans may react by holding their family memories together and keeping all the keepsakes and furniture that make a house a home in a storage unit until the are back on their fee.

Either way, families will be more aware of pennies leaving their pockets and self storage owners will be forced to pay attention to pennies flowing in and out of their office.

Self storage owners can expect change in 2010 and there is plenty of silver lining to the cloud, but a cloud there definitely is. However the self storage industry has a lot to hope for and wish for in the coming year.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

If you are looking into getting a Hillside storage rental, then there are a few things that you should know. First and foremost, you are going to have to know how to read through your lease, as you do not want encounter any nasty surprises down the road. Of course, you are also going to want to know how your facility operates with respect to its access hours and security features. Granted that you are willing to do a little bit of this research before you launch yourself into a commitment, you are not going to have a bad experience with your Hillside storage rental.

Before you commit yourself to a Hillside storage rental, you are going to have to be sure that you are reading through your lease carefully. Indeed, many customers and oncoming tenants neglect to read through their lease with an eye for details, and they usually end up upset in some way by the time their lease is up. Of course, by reading through your lease ahead of time, you can guarantee that you are not going to encounter any nasty surprises. As you are reading it, be sure that you are keeping your eyes open for late fees. While you may not plan on making any late payments, you never truly know what is going to complicate your budget in the future. As such, be sure that you know what your fees are going to be ahead of time. Likewise, be sure that you are familiar with all of the auction policies that your facilities use. Once again, you may not plan on having your unit go up for auction, but you are going to want to be sure that you fully understand the contract that you are signing, and all of its possible repercussions. Finally, here, you are going to want to get a solid feel for how your billing is going to work. Make note, here, if you are going to have to provide a certain amount of notice in order to have your final month of rent prorated. Likewise, make note of any clauses pertaining to security deposits and mandatory cleaning fees, as these are usually going to sneak up on you when you plan to move out.

Moving on, you are going to want to get a good feel for how your Hillside storage rental is going to operate. Be sure that you are familiar with your access hours, as you are not going to want to waste any trips to your property. Likewise, be sure that you are familiar with how your security features are going to work. If you have to input your gate code to deactivate your door alarm, make note of this before you accidentally trigger said door alarm. Likewise, make note of any and all emergency policies. If you ever end up stuck behind your gate, you want to be sure that you know who to call.

At the end of the day, your Hillside storage rental should not pose a serious threat to your mental well being. So long as you have read through your lease before you sign it, you are not going to have to grapple with any unexpected obstacles. With all of this in mind, go forth, reader, and rent a great unit.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.