How many angry customers call and they want speak to the owner of the facility. Sometimes I chuckle at people who think they have the opportunity to speak to the owner of the facility. They believe that we have a direct line to the owner and they will be readily available to speak to them on demand. People think they can come into the facility and wait around for the owner to come walking through the door. When the customer is angry or not happy with the management they believe they can snap and the owner will be there with bells on. Are they crazy to think this?

Some self storage owners like to be hands on and do whatever they can to please their customers. This could include having their phone numbers where customers can see them. If you walk to into some large scale retail environments you will see that the regional manager or even the store owner’s phone number and picture will be on the wall behind customer service. It is sure that if the customer does not like what they are hearing, they whip out their cell phones and expect to speak to the person in that picture. Some people are actually shocked if the person owning the store answers the phone. Why should they be shocked? Their number is up there for a reason. Is that reasonable in the self storage industry?

As an owner, they want everything in their company to run smoothly. Some owners decide to visit their facilities often just to make sure that everything is running in tip top condition. They do not want anything out of place and they want to make sure that their managers are running good businesses. You will find that some owners walk customers around the facilities and get behind the counter as if they were the manager. The customers do not always know that they are speaking to the owner of the company and are shocked to see them behind the counter.

It shouldn’t shock customers to know that they can get to the owner of some companies. They should not think that they can get to the owner of every company. They just have to use common sense. The larger the company, the harder it is to reach the person at the top. Usually they do have someone that handles customer issues that escalate to the corporate side of things. Customers do not need to be offended if they cannot reach the top if their situation can be taken care of. Also there is not a guarantee that the owner is going to be side with the customer in any case. The owner still has to protect their business and ensure that customers are happy at the same time. No one said their job was easy.

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

Even though self storage is a very lucrative business that does not mean that everyone is able to do it. Not everyone should just invest all of their hard earned money or their borrowed money into self storage. Why you may ask? There are several reasons that we will discuss in this blog, some of which are just opinions while others are fact. You can always take your pick. When thinking about investing into self storage you really have to do your homework.

First of all, why are you investing into self storage? Do you think that it is ubercool to sell people and empty space? Do you believe that you are able to help people satisfy their needs and come to their rescue when they are evicted out of their homes? Whatever your reason to want to invest and be a part of the self storage world, make sure that is a sound one. You do not want to invest that much money into the brand only to flake out on it later. When you get in to self storage you have to put your whole effort into it and not get discouraged if you are not making the money that you sought after right away.

Self storage is not something that you can just dump a bunch of money into and hope for a happy result. Self storage planning and owning is hard work and your time is money when you are an owner in self storage. If you are just getting into the business, many will tell you that you are too late. What they mean by that is many feel that the market is saturated and there are to  many hands in the pot. So if you put a self storage facility out there, you might not hit all of your occupancy goals because the self storage facility down the street is trying to capture the same market you are. This is business is just like any other business when it comes down to trying to capture the market share.

If you do not know anything about self storage or even real estate, you better make sure you have someone on your team that does. The moment that you purchase land and begin to build and you have not chosen the right cost for the real estate in conjunction with what the projected profit will be, you will be in a hole financially quickly. Just like a house, if you do not make a payment, you house will eventually be taken away. The first couple of months might not be what you expected and could very well be slow. Make sure that you think about the area in which you want to put a self storage facility on before you break ground. Some people found it a very good idea to purchase a facility that is already established and ready to go. They feel they can restore that store to its former glory. At least they feel they can turn a profit.

Be smart. If you really believe that you can open up a shoe store in a mall that has ten other shoe stores on the same wing and make money, you are mistaken. The same goes for self storage. If you are looking to put your facility in a market that has so many other facilities, think again. You are going to put so much effort into lowering prices, shopping your competition, making upgrades to your facility that might not be needed if you were in a different area of town. You can literally drive yourself crazy if you are trying to figure out how to close the doors of your competition. Be smart, they are trying to do the same to you. If you are going to invest in a self storage facility, do your homework. Really think about it. Many believe there are too many storage facilities out there, maybe they are right.

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

It takes a particular kind of person to work in the self storage business. Every day there are managers of self storage facilities that deal with the issues of the customers that they serve and attempt to find a solution for them. Sometimes you have to handle multiple issues in a day and that can be very taxing on an individual then they would need someone to help them with their stress. What are some qualities that self storage owners look for when they are trying to select the type of management they need for their store locations. They do not have the easiest task ahead of them.

In some retail environments the owner will just hire warm bodies that can smile and greet anyone that comes into their store or location. Then those warm bodies will hopefully keep the person interested enough until someone can come by to actually offer them some assistance. In some retail environments the responsibility of the manager is just to ensure that everyone entering the store has a person to help them. Well in a self storage environment, the manager could be the only one that is in the store that can help each person coming in. The self storage managers have to wear different hats in order to help their customers.

A self storage manager has to be patient and a good listener. They have to be able to get through stressful situations to find a solution for the customers. Being able to multitask as a self storage manager is a must. Sometimes you will have to find a way to walk a customer to their unit to ensure it’s ready to move and also try to get to phone when it rings. You have to ensure that the facility is clean while making sure that everyone is greeted. No one wants to shake your hand when you have trash juice all over it. A manager has to be able to treat each customer as they have spoken to them before and they are an old friend. Customers want to feel welcome and fell as if the manager is able to assist them.

The self storage manager will have many different things they need to do and not everyone has the skill set in order to do this. Self storage owners need to ensure they ask the right questions and seek individuals with the right background that can help the company move toward achieving their goals. Selecting the wrong kind of person could set that facility which will in turn set back the company.

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

All across the world, entrepreneurs are excitedly discussing the prospects of self storage business . It is a fact that investing in the warehouse industry can be a very profitable one. With low construction costs, management costs and a low failure rate of below ten percent, it is no wonder that this industry is drawing investors like never before. However, in spite of the obvious advantages – easy to start up, easy to maintain and low risk – one must be willing to devote lots of time, energy and money to get a stockroom business up and running.

Basics Of Research, Planning And Construction

Before purchasing a piece of land or activating construction activities for setting up a storing business , it is essential to carry out some research related to the storing industry. It is highly recommended that one hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study of the specific area. Even if the entrepreneur possesses ample experience in the real estate or stockroom industry, getting an unbiased opinion is of great value while setting off on a new venture.

One of the toughest decisions is choosing the right location. An ideal location is one that is situated along a major travel route and is quite good in terms of visibility. Other important factors to consider before planning on starting a storing business include the competition level in the chosen area and how good the customer response will be.

Another crucial aspect of the warehouse industry is the financing options available for prospective business owners. Loans for this industry are completely different and feature more complicated procedures than other permanent financing options. In addition, loans designed for the warehouse industry are strikingly different from the loans intended for traditional real estate.  While holding talking with a lender, it would be good to find out about the kind of loans they will be able to approve and if they can offer special loans for self storage business .

A lot of planning must go into the construction of a stockroom since the quality of units largely determines how successful the business will be. The right combination of units will be highly advantageous, while poorly planned units can be a drain on the profits. Other than the units, other construction details to be considered include placement of doors, driving space and lighting of individual units. A reputable builder with ample experience in the industry will be able to advise a first-time business owner on how to plan such details. To enhance occupancy rates of units in storeroom business and to avoid expensive renovations in the future, it is best to carefully plan a good building plan.

Significance Of Marketing Strategies

Very often, first-time business owners do not plan much beyond a grand inaugural function. They fail to pay adequate attention to vital aspects like staffing, advertising and the day-to-day running of the new facility. Marketing in particular is a very important aspect. In today competitive times, no business can survive with just a listing in the yellow pages or a big sign displayed out front. It would be a good idea to decide on an effective marketing strategy for the business to ensure that almost all units remain full throughout the year. This strategy has to be regularly analyzed and altered according to changing business requirements.

Good customer service is another factor of a successful business. The business owner must therefore be careful while selecting staff. It is best to employ experienced staff and then provide them necessary training. With proper preparation and planning, investments in the storing industry can bring in steady cash flow.

Brighton Storage : http://www.localselfstorage.com/Alabama/Brighton/Self-Storage/

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