Archive for July, 2007
There’s plenty of opportunity for self-storage facilities among the boating market. Whether it’s in the ocean or on a lake, every summer millions of boating enthusiasts take to the water for as long as daylight is available.
The opportunity arises, in part, because many cities and towns have passed ordinances saying that bulky vehicles like boats must be hidden behind a 7-foot fence so that they’re not visible in driveways or streets. However, a mandate like that leaves boat owners in a lurch. And with more people looking into the purchase of boats, the problem of storage will only get worse.
“If your facility is on the way to the lake, you’ve got a great opportunity with boat storage,” said Dean Brown, president of American Steel Buildings. “Boat owners can’t store at home. Docks are convenient, but they’re pricy and there’s limited space. A steel or metal building for boat storage could be the best of both worlds.”
According to Brown, boat storage isn’t too different from regular self-storage, and may even be easier in some cases. A nice boat can cost around $50,000 or more, so boat owners are going to be willing to pay well and on time for good storage and peace of mind.
“You can even offer little extras for the boat owners,” Brown said. “Give them easy hook-up, where all they have to do is call ahead and you’ll bring the boat out for them. Make sure you have security cameras in the facility and a guard on premises. That will help your customers feel like they’re getting more than their money’s worth.”
A boat storage facility can also offer protection from the elements, which boat owners would be unable to get at home with just a tarp to protect their investment. Although some clients might hesitate to lose the chance at an easy-access spot at the docks, Brown suggests offering 24-hour access to your storage facility so they won’t feel any inconvenience.
“Recreational boating is a big deal,” said Brown. “And as long as it continues, people will need a place to store their boats when they’re not using them. That’s a niche we can fill.”
Brown is correct. But like I always say, just because you build it doesn’t mean the boaters will come in droves. You have to get the word out about your new product in order to fill your facility with boating-related revenues.
July 31st, 2007
Today’s Internet threat environment is characterized by an increase in data theft, data leakage and the creation of targeted, malicious code for the purpose of stealing confidential information that can be used for financial gain, according to the latest Internet Security Threat Report from Symantec. The National Portable Storage Association, , a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry, is helping the storage industry fight back with timely alerts about e-mail scams.Symantec reports high levels of coordinated attacks combining spam, malicious code, and online fraud. During the second half of 2006, spam made up 59 percent of all monitored e-mail traffic marking a steady increase over the first six months of 2006. Over the last six months of 2006, Symantec detected a total of 166,248 unique phishing messages, an average of 904 per day, marking a 6 percent increase over the first six months of 2006. Phishing messages attempt to get the recipient to disclose personal information that bad guys can use to steal their identities.
“Part of the solution to malicious spam lies in software products, but part of the solution also lies in vigilance,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the NPSA. “The NPSA is keeping a close watch for e-mail scams that affect our membership and we have been successful in sounding the alarm and preventing the victimization of containerized storage vendors. The bottom line is this: don’t click on any links in an e-mail from a person or company you don’t know. You never know what’s malicious software could get installed on your site.”
Click here to read the rest of this release on FastPitch.
July 30th, 2007
OB Companies/Simply Self Storage is putting INSOMNIAC kiosks in several shopping malls across the country. The kiosks have been specially designed in conjunction with Simply Self Storage and will feature eye-catching signage to draw consumers to the self-service kiosk.
Simply Self Storage’s first INSOMNIAC kiosk was installed this month at its brand new state-of-the-art facility featuring three stories of heated and cooled units at University Mall in Pensacola, Florida. The second kiosk will be installed in August inside Castleton Square mall in Indianapolis, Indiana where Simply Self Storage is just finishing up completion of its newest facility. Both self-storage facilities are located adjacent to the malls and are joint ventures with Simon Property Group, an S&P 500 company and the largest publicly-traded U.S. real estate company.
“We believe shop owners and mall visitors alike will enjoy the self-service convenience of being able to rent storage units using INSOMNIAC,” said Kerry Richard, Vice President of Operations for OB Companies/Simply Self Storage. “We see locating INSOMNIAC kiosks inside malls as a key ingredient to our success in capturing new customers for our mall storage properties. We’ve been really impressed with INSOMNIAC and the OpenTech team and look forward to using the kiosk at other properties in our ever-expanding portfolio.”
This is a brilliant marketing strategy. The kiosks are a winner, but putting them in malls is really thinking outside the box. This is the kind of thinking that will take the self-storage industry’s reputation to the next level.
July 27th, 2007
There are more than 30 million RVs on U.S. highways. Unfortunately, there are no places to store them. Many cities and towns have passed ordinances against keeping RVs in driveways or parked on streets, leaving RV enthusiasts in a lurch. And with more people looking into the purchase of RVs, the problem of storage will only get worse.Because of this, a growing number of RV owners are looking to self-storage steel and metal buildings to keep their recreational vehicle safe, sound and out of the way.
“RV storage is a huge problem for RV owners, especially if they want quick access,” said Dean Brown, president of American Steel Buildings. “Self-storage facilities that offer RV storage are tapping in to a huge market.”
Brown is correct, but just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come. I am convinced that RV storage is a great opportunity in many markets, but getting the word out to RVers is critical. Brown suggested partnering with RV dealers to get the word out. Good strategy — for new sales. You still need to, however, find a way to tap into the existing market of RVs on the road in your region. If the market conditions are right, the sky is the limit - if you market your services. So what are you waiting for?
July 25th, 2007
The affordable housing debate is raging from coast to coast as cities recommend strategic plans to accommodate teachers, police offers and other workers whose salaries don’t keep pace with rising home values. Many of these initiatives, however, are long-term plans for a very immediate problem.The statistics are telling. For every 100 very low-income renters, only 76 affordable rental units are currently available, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. What’s more, for the 14.8 million U.S. households that make $10,000 or less per year, a year’s rent costs about 70 percent of their annual income, reports American Fact Finder.
“Construction costs are rising, despite the downturn in the residential real estate sector. And although home values are declining in some regions of the country, housing is still not affordable for many,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the National Portable Storage Association, or NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. “Portable storage containers offer an economical alternative to new construction.”
Indeed, so-called “container homes” are springing up across the nation. Portable storage containers are being transformed into actual hurricane-proof, fire-resistant homes with a “no termite” guarantee. The 32,000-pound containers, some as large as 20-by-48 feet, can be used as the framework of a beautiful new home. Call it 21st century recycling. The concept is finding acceptance in communities like St. Petersburg, Fla. and Atlanta, Ga., where multi-story dwellings are being built as a solution to affordable housing issues.
“Portable storage containers can be turned into a home in a matter of days, sometimes a single day,” said NPSA Operations Manager Joel Rathbone. “I’ve heard estimates that these container homes can run about 65 percent of the total buildout cost of a traditional, bricks and mortar or cinderblock home. Once again, portable storage finds a new use for a new challenge.”
July 24th, 2007
“Transformers” is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer – and the DreamWorks-Paramount Pictures film has plenty in common with portable storage.The Transformers movie is based on Hasbro’s Transformers Action Figures. As its name suggests, Transformers are robots that have the ability to transform themselves from one object to another. In the Michael Bay film, for example, a yellow Camero transforms itself into a guardian robot to protect Sam, the story’s teenaged protagonist. Another Transformer morphs from a cell phone to a Decepticon, an evil robot clan with hopes of taking over the world. Transformers, in essence, can transform into electronics, vehicles, animals and other objects.
If you are still wondering what that has to do with portable storage, the answer is simple: Portable storage units can transform from a large steel box to many other practical commercial, educational, government and industrial uses. In other words, portable storage isn’t just for storage anymore. Indeed, portable storage can be transformed into classrooms, air conditioned office space, makeshift pharmacies, informational kiosks and much more.
“The classic Transformers story line is just as relevant today as it was when the toys were first introduced decades ago,” said John Finnessy, CMP, Executive Director the National Portable Storage Association, or NPSA, a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of the portable storage industry. “Much the same, portable storage is just as relevant today as it was when it was introduced 50 years ago. Actually, portable storage is even more relevant because it’s evolved beyond containerized shipping to offer many innovative uses that save users time and money and make doing business more convenient.”
Click here to read the rest of this release.
July 14th, 2007
The sale of the Delta Self Storage portfolio in California demonstrates the Marcus & Millichap advantage: a national investor database and broker network that guarantees success. The portfolio sold for a combined $27.2 million, or $62.10 per net rentable square foot, with the cooperation of Marcus & Millichap brokers and financial experts in Florida, Seattle and Sacramento. The total net rentable square footage of the portfolio is a whopping 438,175.
The agents involved were Michael A. Mele, a Senior Investment Associate at Marcus & Millichap’s The Mele Group and Scott Rutherford, an Investment Associate at The Mele Group, Joel Deis, an agent in the Seattle office of Marcus & Millichap, Christopher Secreto, a Director and Financial Expert for Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation in Seattle, Michael Morgan, an agent in the Seattle office of Marcus & Millichap and Bobby Loeffler, Director of the National Self Storage Group at Marcus & Millichap in Sacramento.
Click here to read the rest of this release.
July 13th, 2007
Demand has slowly been increasing for climate-controlled self storage, according to Dean Brown, president of American Steel Buildings. More and more self storage locations are catering to affluent consumers and businesses with items that require controlled temperatures, according to an article in Construction Digital.
“We’ve had more and more of our clients asking about climate-controlled self storage,” Brown, who supplies steel buildings for self storage businesses, told Construction Digital. “It used to be about 10 percent of our clients asking about climate-controlled units. Now we’re seeing about 30 percent of our clients asking about it.”
It’s great to see other industries focusing more on self-storage. It’s even better that the stories aren’t about a steel crisis. There are many opportunities in vertical trade magazines to get your name in print. It’s just a matter of having a good story and a relevant target.
Click here to read the rest of the story on Construction Digital.
July 12th, 2007
A follow on to yesterday’s posting… When I said to “get involved” by posting on other newspapers’ comment boxes about self-storage stories, I got a comment on my blog. But the comment wasn’t relevant. It was merely an unrelated promotional message for a company, whose name I won’t mention. I deleted it because this blog doesn’t promote services, not even my own. That’s not true blogging.
I thought it went without saying, but it may very well be that we all need a little more education on the web 2.0 world before we can properly use it as a public relations tool. Here’s a quick hint: Don’t spam someone’s blog or post irrelevant comments on a newspaper’s comment box. You’ll lose credibility with the blog, the newspaper and everyone who reads it.
If you decide to comment for PR purposes, the idea is to add something to the conversation, a witty thought, a cogent comment. You’ll get credit by registering your name on the comment. No need for shameless, self-serving plugs, OK?
Hopefully, this will save some of you some red-faced heartache when an editor blasts you for irrelevant plugs… or quietly deletes it and puts you on the blacklist.
July 11th, 2007
Want some publicity for your storage facility? Then get involved in the web 2.0 world and start commenting on online newspaper stories about the industry — especially ones in your home town. It’s quick, it’s free and it’s effective. It’s called viral marketing. Why not give it a try? Social media is the wave of the future.
For all of you self-storage operators and consultants and real estate brokers in Arizona, here’s an article to get you going:
Click here to read: Can’t get a handle on clutter at home?
Just don’t say anything I wouldn’t say. In other words, tread carefully because if you don’t choose your words wisely they could come back to haunt you. It’s a balancing act. You need to know the ways of communicating in a socially networked web 2.0 world.
July 10th, 2007
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