If you’ve got a lot of land, a good location by water and good timing, then building a RV/boat storage facility might be a good business move. Today’s economy has made land costs cheap, steel prices low and concrete readily available and low-cost. Construction crews are also itching to find work. All of these factors combine to create a good time to construct a profitable RV/boat storage. [More]

When self storage operators and owners, along with other business professionals, think of having a social media presence, two powerhouses come to mind– Facebook and Twitter. But rising in the social media scene is a site that aims more at the professional crowd – LinkedIn. Where Facebook became the preeminent “social network” site, LinkedIn is becoming the preeminent “business network” site. Self storage and other businesses should take heed as LinkedIn begins its meteoric rise. Setting up a business profile on LinkedIn could mean a big business boost. [More]

Self storage operators often consider renovating or expanding space to grow their business. One avenue that more operators are now looking into is boat and RV storage. Many developers and owners are adding to their existing facilities in locations and markets where it makes sense. A popular trend in the self storage market is the addition of bigger units. [More]

There are all kinds of sayings when it comes to money, spending money, and making money. A penny saved is a penny earned; time is money; money is the root of all evil; money can’t buy happiness (but it can buy a better class of enemy); a fool and his money are easily parted; money can’t buy love; money makes the world go round; and so many more. [More]

More self storage facilities in recent years have made the move to run environmentally-sensitive businesses by installing solar panels, switching to fluorescent lighting and offering recycling programs to customers. It is good for the environment, easier on the wallet in the long run and good practice when it comes to attracting a customer base that is increasingly more environmentally aware. Moving and self storage go hand-in-hand, so it is only natural that customers are also looking to the moving industry to embrace eco-friendly ways. [More]

Employees need to be encouraged to achieve success and evaluation of their performance by managers is crucial. It is important to remember that staff plays a big role in the success of your business and can mean the difference between a mediocre and stellar operation. How to handle employees and evaluate their work is a skill every manager needs to master. [More]

Some of the biggest names in the storage business, including Extra Space Storage, MiniCo, Storitz, and Mini-Storage Messenger, will be converging in Hawaii this summer to take part in PhoneSmart’s “un-conference.” While enjoying the unbelievable sights and sea of Kohala Coast, attendees will be given a unique opportunity to network with some of the top names in the business while attending custom-designed seminars. [More]

Typically when people think of self storage units they think about that creepy guy at the end of the street with all the stuff stacked on his porch; when you look through the windows you can see that there is stuff everywhere. Rumor has it that the house and property were once beautiful, but the current occupant just has too much stuff. [More]

Finding a new use for an unoccupied building that has recently gone out of business can take a lot of thought in this tough economy. But with the strength of the self storage industry still riding high, there have been recent conversions of buildings into self storage facilities. The latest is a roughly 120,000 sq. ft. retail building that used to house a Toys 'R Us in Green Township, Ohio, being redeveloped into self storage space. [More]

When a self storage client walks through the door do you know them by name and say hi with a smile? Having passion for your job and making an effort to connect with customers is just one area self storage managers should consider when trying to improve their business, according to experts. [More]