Self Storage Owner

24
Apr

For the last one decade or so, commercial mini storage sector has achieved tremendous growth. Earlier, renting out warehouses for commercial purposes had only a minuscule presence. Store house units were mostly rented out to individuals. The new business firms in this field always targeted single customers.

When the store house industry was established in 1970s, it was meant to provide an alternate rental space for individuals who do not have enough space in their homes or rented rooms to store all the things they collect or buy. These extra facilities provided great comfort to these individuals and more space in their residences. Slowly, as the industry expanded, new niches were introduced into the business segment. Commercial mini storage was a major business category thus introduced. It involved renting out store houses for commercial organizations to store their goods and documents.

For example, if a retail merchant of groceries does not own a warehouse, he or she can store the goods in the rental store unit. Also, if any commercial institutions like banks do not have enough space to keep certain documents, bank authorities can rent a place for safekeeping and safely keep them there. The financial documents are very important records and, according to law, these have to be kept for a certain period.

What Commercial Units Are Today

Renting out store units for commercial purposes has gained considerable popularity. However, it is still way behind hiring these units for personal purposes. At its initial stages many experts had written off this concept. They had argued that almost all commercial shops tend to get their own warehouses. They had also predicted that with the advent of computers, the number of documents in banks and other financial institutions would heavily come down. Their predictions were not far off the mark. However, the business of renting out commercial storerooms flourished against all odds. Now renting out commercial storing spaces is second in this sector only to leasing personal store units.

Tips For Starting Commercial Store housing

The location of the unit is important for this type of business. If the store house is intended for providing rental storing space for retail commercial organizations, it must be located at an easy-to-access place, with sufficient road frontage. The commercial organization will need frequent access to the store unit – sometimes, many times in a single day. So, the store house owners should be prepared to allow easy and trouble-free access to the employees of the commercial organization.

The store units for commercial purposes should be bigger than those for individuals. When you construct store house units, you have to create some rooms of a bigger size if you want to provide commercial storeroom facility. The rooms should have dimensions of 20 feet X 20 feet or greater.

Also, depending on the type of items to be stored, one has to provide additional facilities. If the client runs a bake house or a beverages shop, he or she might want to store some long-lasting food items. You should have sufficient temperature control facilities to preserve such food items.

There should be some discount offers in rent to lure commercial organizations. One cannot charge them as one charge an individual customer. They provide bulk volume business on a regular basis. So, if you are planning to provide facility for commercial mini storage , you should be prepared to wait a bit longer for getting profits.

Brought to you by :

Self Storage Articles : http://directory.selfstorageowner.com/

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
21
Apr

It is always a good idea to have a proper self storage business plan to grow or at least sustain your business related to storing and safekeeping. A proper business plan makes the backbone for any business and storing and cargo space business is no exception to this rule. If you do not know where you are going, chances are that you would not get there. It is well worth your time to create a long term and a short term view of your plans and goals. Once you have identified your key challenges, aims and the intended results, you will be more in control and able to respond effectively to market variables. While there are no strict rules about the contents of a business plan, there are some essential points to consider to be sure that your planning is exhaustive.

 

Objective – When you are making your plan, it is important to define your goals, preferably in measurable terms to benchmark your progress at pre-decided intervals. Many people also include a larger vision towards a long term goal from which the objective can be derived.

 

Problem Statement – In many cases, there are unique challenges that need to be addressed and their solution is the objective that you are prepared to achieve.

 

Market Analysis – No self storage business plan is completing without competitive and market insights, risks and opportunities. It is also important to include your target customer base and segments therein. The idea is to research in depth so that you have the necessary information to decide your own game plan.

 

Marketing Plan – Once you have understood the market landscape, you will be able to collate your thoughts on the products, services, pricing, promotion, distribution and other strategies for implementation. This section has usually most of the To Dos after the business plan is completed and ready for use. Ensure that you have sufficient resources to carry out your market strategy.

 

Financial Summary – Last but not the least you have to have a proposed business model with approximate numbers for projected revenue, expenses and profit. This will give you an idea about the profitability of your business and when. You may need to rework other aspects of the self storage business plan if this section does not exhibit considerable gains.

 

Executive Summary – As the name suggests, this section should be a brief summary that encapsulates the main points of the plan.

 

The act of writing down a self storage business plan enables you to think about common hurdles in a business and also indicates the financial viability of the business idea. If you cannot sell it to yourself on paper then chances are that you would not be able to sell it to a funding agency or a lender. It also allow you to see  loopholes, missed opportunities and other risks which then get addressed in the strategy section. There are no rules about what follows what. You can keep changing sections of the plan as often as you want.

 

It is always a good idea to research the subject in some depth. Try speaking to people who already have a successful business.  You could also try and search for sample drafts online. Alternatively, you could actually pay an expert for help but it is best to develop the self storage business plan yourself so that you own it completely.

 


Brought to you by :

 



[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
18
Apr

Self storage for sale is as much a science as it is an art. While everybody would like to see 100 occupancy to maximize rentals, the results are more often than not so. Ensuring the best possible utilization requires differential pricing strategies as also a robust prospect base. Some of the common sales strategies include

 

Relationship Management – The cost of keeping an existing customer is a fraction of the total cost of acquiring and servicing a new customer. Try and ensure that a large proportion of your sales are repeat business. Happy customers are always your best marketing engine as they give a positive word of mouth advertisement to your venture. It is therefore important to treat every customer as if they were an advertisement for your business. Small tokens, gifts and even seasonal discounts when you can afford them build goodwill at negligible cost to you.

 

Pricing – Many companies make the mistake of opting for standard pricing when doing self storage for sale . The only problem being that they do not work in the opportunity costs of keeping it empty till they find the often elusive buyer at the standard price. A back of the envelope calculation will show you that it is often wiser to rent out sooner at a discount than wait for a higher bid. Hotels work on the same principle. You can often saunter into a 7 star property and negotiate a great deal specially for a one night stay. The duty manager rationale being that something is better than nothing since the room is the hotels most consumable asset.

 

Customer RecordsSelf storage for sale also relies on a ready database of contacts that you can tap into when you foresee a space becoming vacant. Besides names and contact details, some detail on the requirements help you to focus on a smaller list and make the sales process more customized not to mention cost efficient. You can use the records for relationship management by sending season greetings or discounted offers by mail. If ambitious, you can even launch a loyalty program offering bigger discounts to regulars to reward patronage.

 

Differentiating Value Proposition – Given the highly commoditized market that exists today, it always works to have some kind of add-on or wow factor that can clinch the deal in your favor. Without that unique benefit, you are leaving the customer decision to chance and mainly location factors. It would be prudent to map competition offering by making a simple call. See if there are any gaps in service that you can highlight. Alternatively try to bundle a low value service for free like packing or transportation if feasible when trying to close the self storage for sale . This will give the customer a clear reason to choose you.

 

Develop A Self Storage for Sale Pitch – As soon as you expand and hire a team of people, the sales messaging that came so easily to you and your wife starts getting diluted. Ensure that all the frontline staff has a consistent sales message so that your brand develops a unique identity. Have mock sales sessions where they can practice answering questions and have a chance to internalize your carefully worked out value propositions.

 

While sales strategies and creative marketing is always a good idea, it is also important to ensure that the facilities are well maintained with the necessary security precautions and lighting. Hire friendly and helpful staff which will be able to deal with customer inquiries and complaints in a suitable fashion. Try to upgrade service offerings every now and then to keep your customers happy. If you do not innovate, someone else will. If you keep in mind these basic thumb rules, there is no reason why you should not be successful in offering self storage for sale .

 


Brought to you by :

 

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
11
Apr

A mini storage complex is a building that offers rental store units of identical or varying sizes. This is an important part of the success of the business and requires high investment in rental warehouse business. If you are an aspiring investor in this sector, there are two ways in front of you as regards getting a suitable store house. The first is buying an existing one, and the second option is constructing a brand new one.


 

Buying an existing store house is the easiest and least time-consuming option. One can start the business of renting out mini storage complex immediately. Also, many customers might know that such a facility exists. So, by default you get some customers, as well. However, there are some problems with this, also. The main problem is that the building may not be of your liking in terms of design, construction, and size. Also, the location may not be ideal. Then there is the problem of negative publicity. If the store house has a not-so-good reputation in terms of, lets say security or facilities then it is likely to haunt the building forever. So, one has to be careful and patient while purchasing an existing rental warehouse building.

 

These problems can be easily sidestepped if you decide to build a mini storage complex . It involves a time-consuming, laborious, and expensive process. However, the end product is worth all the effort and investment. This is especially advantageous if you have a property in a prime location, with easy access from the main road. Such a prime property would give you a head start in this business. If you own such a property, the investment for constructing a new warehouse will be much less than that for buying an existing store house.

 

Things To Consider Before Warehouse Construction

 

Before starting the construction of the mini storage complex , you need to do some research and analysis about the locality and the financial status of the inhabitants there. They are the ones who are going to store the items in the store unit. If they are affluent and well to do, money may not be a concern for them. They want sophisticated facilities and comfortable environment. You need to provide them with spacious rental store units and good facilities like advanced security and electronic surveillance, excellent climate control options, and neatly maintained and furnished interior and exterior. The complex for mini storing spaces must look modern and well designed.

 

On the other hand, if the area is crowded by lower middle class and poor people, you need to provide them cost-effective options, as price would be a major consideration for them. They always look for small units. Security and other facilities are important, but not clinching factors.

 

The most sought-after size of the rental units is 10 feet X 10 feet. This would be an ideal size for the unit in a middle class locality. In posh localities, one may opt for bigger sizes such as 10 feet X 20 feet. Opting for rental units of identical sizes makes the design and construction of mini storing complex easier. However, if you plan to provide storing facility to organizations also, you need to construct one or two bigger store units – for example, units with dimensions of 20 feet X 20 feet. Ideally, there should be no fewer than 10 to 12 store units in a start-up store house. If it is a multi-storied building, lifts should be placed in convenient locations.

 

Brought to you by :

 


[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
8
Apr

Mini storage owners have long been regarded as smart and successful investors. The business of renting warehouses offers many advantages. The initial investment is reasonable – not as high as that in related investment areas like real estate and housing market. The overhead cost and operational costs are absolutely small. And the investor will get a steady stream of revenue. What more should an investment opportunity provide


 

However, things are not as rosy and gilt edged as it appears. The recent sub-prime crisis and the resultant financial meltdown have hit all the businesses and industries hard. The rental store unit business was also not spared. However, the impact of the economic recession is not as severe in this sector as it is in some other fields such as real estate and banking. Store room owners can take a sigh of relief however they cannot relax by any means. The economic crisis has not shown any clear signs of subsiding. Things have been going from bad to worse. There is no reason to believe that the situation will not deteriorate further. The following are some of the potential challenges and tips to survive the possible

tough times ahead.

 

The Franchisee Option

 

If mini storage owners is feeling the heat of recession and is not getting consistently good business, he or she should think about taking the franchisee option. Many large rental storehouse businesses provide franchisee options in places where they do not have store houses. These options can be availed by both individuals and businesses. This will allow a struggling small organization to ride on the goodwill and image of a large organization. The large organizations will also provide technical and management helps for improving the infrastructure and marketing aspects of small businesses.

 

Also, the franchisee option allows store place owners to provide many value-added services. If the organization does not have sophisticated climate control facility, it can refer the customer to the storehouses of another large company where climate control facility is available. Also, the franchisee can offer logistics facility for transportation needs in association with the large company.

Innovative Advertising And Marketing


 

Traditionally, the preferred mediums for advertising and marketing of rental storehouse units have been telephone directories and yellow pages. Many people still instantly take telephone directories when they want to locate a store unit. However, web-based marketing is also catching up. There are some web-based directories of storehouses. People owning such facilities can advertise on these online directories as well.

 

The advantage of the online directories is that they provide location-specific search options. An increasing number of people are finding that searching on the internet for storehouses is an easier option. Moreover, many storehouses have their own websites. A majority of these websites provide online reservation facility also. That means customers can not only search the internet for store house units in their locality, but also reserve store units through the internet. By setting up an interactive website, owners of small scale storing facilities can tap the potential of the internet as a marketing medium.

 

Better Customer Relations

 

The trust of the customer is the most vital ingredient for success in this business. So, improving customer relations is essential for increasing the business volume in these troubled times of financial crisis. A good, practical solution for bridging the gap in customer relations is to set up a call center facility. There are some professional agencies that provide efficient call center facility for mini storage owners . Choosing the service of these call center companies is an excellent option for connecting with the customers.

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
6
Apr

In these troubled economic times, a self storage startup could face many challenges. Remember that old adage. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. This is a time when the solidity of the business model and the adhesion to business ethics of the startup are tested. But, as they say, problems are opportunities in business as in life. Here are a few tips that may be helpful for those owners of storing places who are in distress.

 

See The Brighter Side


 

We are going through a historic economic recession stage, the magnitude of which can be compared to that of the Great Depression in 1930s. There have been reports that the economies of some South American countries are actually performing better than they did last year. But these are rare exceptions. On the whole, the ill-effects of recession are being felt all over the world. A self storage startup in the USA cannot escape the jaws of the financial meltdown, especially given the fact that the country has become the hub of the crisis.

 

However, the effect of recession in storing and safekeeping business is less pronounced than seen in some of the other businesses. For example, the real estate sector has seen a price fall of about 50 percent. The storing and safekeeping business has not reached a critical and unsustainable level. Anyway, the business has survived this far, that is, more than one year of recession. Like the Great Depression, this too will pass. So, developing a positive outlook is the first thing the owner of a self storage startup must do to overcome the hurdles of economic crisis. Glass should be always half full – not the other way around.

 

Smart Cost Cuts

 

Cutting cost has become the mantra of all companies. But how would you go about cutting the cost. One cannot compromise on security issues. Trust is the most vital factor for any store place organization. Downsizing may be an option. But most startup units in storing related business do not employ more people than what is absolutely necessary.

 

Check whether your climate-controlled units are bringing sufficient business to justify their operational costs. If not, you may switch them off. For the time being, you can reach an agreement with a bigger company to store wines or other things that require temperature-controlling facilities. Bigger storing and cargo space units anyway will have to maintain these features. You can re-start your own climate-controlled facility when the good times are back.

 

Increasing the revenue of a self store place startup is as good and as effective an option as cost-cutting. So, initiate steps to auction the contents of the storing units of defaulting customers. First alert the customer about the possibility of the auction. If they are not in a position to pay, you have no other option left than auctioning the contents.

 

Be Innovative

 

Always remember that the economic slowdown has affected every sphere of business in the country. So, many organizations will be looking for cost-effective storing options. You can provide a special long-term storing package for organizations. Even if you get only one or two orders, it would enhance the business in the long term. 

 

Embracing technology would be another innovative step to attract more customers. There are organizations that provide online reservation facility and call center support for self storeroom startup. Also, enroll your company in all the online storing business related directories. The number of people using these directories is steadily increasing.

 

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
30
Mar

The nature of storage sheds and buildings is a vital aspect of self storing business. The size, nature, and area of store room unit depend on the items that are going to be stored. For example, if you are going to provide wine storing, you do not need a very large unit. But you have to provide sophisticated temperature-controlling facility for keeping the temperature within the specified range for different types of wines.

 

On the other hand, if you are going to provide boat storing – that is, the facility to store boats or vehicles such as cars or trucks – you do need a larger area. But you do not have to provide many advanced facilities. Some boat storing units do not even have a roof. In fact, if the weather is fine, such units do not require one. However, there should not be any compromise in the security for any kind of store room sheds and buildings.


 

The above examples, hopefully, drive home the point that the size and nature of the store place units depend on the type of items that are going to be stored there. Normally, self store place owners do not allow storing of perishable commodities and inflammable or explosive materials. In reality, it is extremely hard to persuade the customers about the potential dangers posed by some of these items. On the one hand, you need to keep in mind the different aspects of customer satisfaction and word of mouth publicity. On the other hand, you need to worry about the safety hazards of certain items. Selecting sturdy and long lasting materials for the construction of self storing units can save a lot of   trouble later.

 

Different Types Of Storage Sheds And Buildings

 

The storing units can be classified based on the type of material used for construction. Mainly, three kinds of materials are used for building storing units, cement concrete, steel, and wood.

 

Today a number of existing houses and warehouses have been converted into store room units. These are made of cement concrete and bricks. These do not have any structural difference from normal residential buildings.

 

A majority of the specifically constructed storage sheds and buildings are made of high grade steel. Many steel manufacturers and marketers are eager to lend their support to self store room start-ups. The construction time required for making steel fabricated store place unit is considerably less than that of other types of buildings. Also, pre-fabricated steel frames are flexible and easy to handle. It is easy to make store place units of different sizes with this material.

 

Steel store place units last longer as well, which makes steel the most cost-effective material in the long run. If you provide proper maintenance to steel sheds and buildings, these can survive almost all types of commonly stored articles. You need to protect the frame from rusting with some good quality paint coating.

 

Wooden buildings have always been the traditional favorite of self store place owners. However, the main problem with wood frames is that they are not flexible and are easily affected by weather changes. So, nowadays, wooden buildings are rarely constructed for the business purpose by store place owners.

 

If you want to start storing business, it is better to use a shed or building that you have at your disposal than constructing a new one – irrespective of the material used in the existing building. The best way is to expand the store place unit and location slowly and steadily.

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
27
Mar

Public mini storage buildings are the simplest and the most basic form of rental store units. These buildings date back to the 1960s. The concept of storehouses was not as popular at that time as it is today. In those days, the storehouses were large buildings or fenced compounds where a large number of identical and crude rectangular shaped store units were located. Later, the business of renting out warehouses for public use became advanced and sophisticated. Better security arrangements were installed in the units and improved infrastructure facilities were arranged.


 

However, even in the early days, security arrangements were not as efficient or technologically driven as they are these days. At present, one can find elaborate electronic security arrangements such as electronic surveillance, closed circuit television, and automated video cameras that record the movement of every person in the public mini storage buildings and property. A number of storehouses have stopped using the lock and key system, which was the predominant mode of safety for the stored items in the past. Today, instead of a key, a person gets a password. When the person keys in the password correctly on the touch screen, he or she is allowed entry into the store unit. However, only the store unit hired by that person remains accessible this way.

 

The Coming Of Age Of Public Rental Storehouses

 

Earlier, three types of actions defined the activities in public storing buildings open, store or take, and close. One could quickly and easily approach the unit, open it with the key, put or take some items, and lock it securely. It was as simple as that. However, in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, many firms started to face security issues.

 

Customer complaints about theft and damage of the items stored in the rented warehouses increased. When security became a real threat for the storehouse business, the organizations in this sector adopted stringent and advanced security arrangements.

 

With improved security measures, the rental storehouse industry lost its naivety and the old world charm. However, the security and other facilities became smarter. Better security facilities were introduced in public buildings. A major difference between the past and the present systems is that now one cannot just walk into a store unit and open it. The era of open, store, and lock activities are over. The renters now know that and almost all of them co-operate with the security arrangements.

 

However, not all storehouse facilities offer 24-hour access to the units. There are some organizations that provide round the clock access for free, while there are some others that offer any-time access for a fee. Organizations hesitate from providing 24-hour access because of the threat from burglars and anti-social elements. Keeping public storing building open at night without adequate number of security personnel make the units an easy target for burglary and theft. Providing security is a costly affair and that is why many companies charge a fee for round-the-clock access.

 

Over the years, there have been considerable differences in the store unit area, as well. For long, 10 X 10 feet store units were the most sought-after kind of units in storehouse business. However, recent surveys reveal that 10 X 20 feet units are as popular, if not more. As time moves on, new requirements emerge. So, the size and the facilities in public buildings keep on changing.

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
21
Mar

Self storage business is one of the few reliable investment options in this austere economic scenario. This is not to suggest that storing business sector is immune to the problems of financial meltdown and slump in real estate prices. When each and every sector of the economy is facing the heat, business related to storing spaces cannot alone remain bullish. However, the damage in storing space sector is limited when compared with that of some of the other sectors. This sector has not been as badly affected by the economic recession as, for example, the real estate sector has been.


 

The main reason for this is that self storing business had become a part of the essential requirements of its customers. They consider the unit as an extension of their home. So, not many customers will, or can take out the items they have been storing in a unit. Most of them do not have any additional space to store these items too. There has been a slowdown in getting new customers. Also, the number of defaulters has also increased. Despite all these aspects, barring a few cargo space units (who have been plagued by crippling problems in security and infrastructure), most of the units are likely to survive the recession. The following are some of the main advantages of this business.

 

Low Operational And Maintenance Cost

 

The most attractive advantage of storing spaces and safekeeping sector is their low operational and overhead costs. The operational costs such as employees salary and maintenance expenses are very low. It is almost like constructing a house and giving it on rent. Store room site manager and security personnel are the only necessary crew members for a self storage business organization.

 

However, one should not mistake it as a low investment option. The initial investment can be pretty heavy unless you have an own property and units in a prime locality. Otherwise, for starting a place for safekeeping business, one has to get a property for lease or through purchase. Then one has to construct units, install various security measures, and provide other features like temperature control facilities. Once the units start functioning, there will not be much operational costs involved.

 

The Dynamics Of Demand And Supply

 

For years, the dynamics of demand and supply had been cited to claim that real estate sector would never collapse. It is because of the fact that the extent of the available land remains the same, or decreases, and the number of people who has demand for the land increases. However, as we know now, the real estate sector has collapsed spectacularly. Still, the demand and supply mechanism seems to be working well for storing space sector.

 

The real estate sector busted because of the mismanagement of home loans by some leading banks. They tried to maximize the profit from housing loan sector and paid the penalty. In a way, they murdered a golden goose. In self storage business , there is no such scope for a financial misadventure. The store room requirements of people increase all the time, but their available storing area (their home, in most cases) remains the same. So, demand for storing spaces is only likely to increase in the future.

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
19
Mar

Self storage purchase can appear as an attractive investment proposition for investors, particularly in the current economic situation. The financial meltdown has not dented the business of cargo space as has affected other closely related business areas such as real estate sector. Still, the business of storing spaces has slowed down some units are certainly facing a real crisis. Many owners of non-performing units are willing to sell their units , as they fear they cannot sustain if the economic situation does not improve in near future. So far, no economic experts are giving any hopes of economic recovery.

 

What this provides investors is the possibility of a self storing purchase at a lower price than what it would have been one or two years ago. Also, storing facilities are known as a relatively safe investment option, even in this climate of economic uncertainty. So, any investor who gets his or her risk-reward calculations right may choose to buy a cargo space unit. However, there are certain things to check before opting for such an investment.

 

Buying A Running Business Vs. Starting A New One

 

There are two ways to invest in storing space sector. The first is to purchase an existing running storing space business the second is starting a new cargo space unit. Each option has its own merits and demerits. The success of each of these options depends on the business climate of the particular location and the profile of potential customers.

 

If an existing business is running smoothly and the current slowdown in business is caused only by the global economic crisis, then buying a running store place unit can be a wise investment option in the long term. Even if there are minor issues related to infrastructure or security, these can be solved by the new investor quickly. In such cases, buying a running self store place purchase offers many advantages over starting a new one.


 

The existing business has a kind of image among the customers and they have a database of customers. However, if the image of the organization is not good and there is nothing much to write about the number of customers, then starting a new business is better than self store place purchase . If the existing business has some inherent problems and drawbacks such as lack of accessibility and space constraints, starting a new unit might be a good option.

 

The Importance Of Valuation

 

If you find the existing place of safekeeping and storing unit fit for purchase, you should hire a professional agency for evaluating the price of the unit. You must do this even if the price appears less than the market value. A lot of factors affect the price of storing space unit. The reputation of the organization, the number of customers it has, location of the store place unit, and the land price of that particular area are some of the influencing factors.

 

Only a professional agency can take into consideration all these factors and come up with a likely price range for the self storage purchase . One can find such valuation agencies on the internet. Also, the investor needs to understand the business strategies and trends in storing and cargo space  sector either by consulting with other place for safekeeping owners or by researching on the internet.

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

Category : Self Storage Owner | Blog
Sponsors
Local Self Storage Storage-Mart.com StorageConcierge.com selfstoragesocialnetwork.com SelfStorageblog.com selfstoragediscussionforum.com