If there was ever going to be a year where broad speculation backed up by nothing substantial was going to be accepted it would be 2012. According to the Mayan calendar the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. Plenty of theory has been presented to back up the claim, but none of it has been widely accepted (although the movie 2012 paints a pretty bleak picture). [More]

The trouble that many industries have in the U.S. is that it is only a matter of time—and usually not that much—before any successful enterprise gets copied. Before you know it, the market is saturated and the task of making a profit gets a whole lot tougher. The self storage industry has found that when the going gets tough, they can just head to another country. [More]

Self storage has weathered the downturn in the economy surprisingly well and has gotten much attention from investors in the process. In fact, in the second half of 2011, self storage real estate is expected to see an increase in investor activity as banks sell off distressed assets throughout the Sun Belt, particularly in California and Florida, according to a new report from Marcus & Millichap. [More]

Although the recession still lingers, the economy is starting to improve, according to nearly 3,000 small business owners nationwide who were featured in the 2011 U.S. Bank Small Business Annual Survey. [More]

There are some aspects of the economy that tend to do well during prosperous economic times. Other segments tend to do better during not so prosperous economic times. There are a select few that can honestly say that they do well no matter what the economic climate is. [More]

Avondale Self Storage is among the 400 small businesses struggling to find a way to survive as New Orleans’ largest manufacturing employer prepares to close and leave the state with 5,000 jobless, a move that could cripple the city’s economy. [More]

The self storage industry is a $22 billion dollar business that is thriving in the United States, enjoying economic growth as the country faces an economic recession. Currently, low variable rates and limited day-to-day obligations make self storage a less demanding industry to break into than apartment rentals or running a laundromat. New businesses are opening every day and this industry that is 90 percent owned by entrepreneurs was named one of the best industries for starting a business in 2010 by Inc. magazine. [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]

In the second half of 2010 investors swarmed to the self storage industry, buying up businesses like they were on the clearance rack. And the 2011 outlook for the domestic self storage market has “bullish” written all over it. Niche investors and lenders are increasing movement to this sector as In the second half of 2010 investors swarmed to the self storage industry, buying up businesses like they were on the clearance rack. And the 2011 outlook for the domestic self storage market has “bullish” written all over it. Niche investors and lenders are increasing movement to this sector as capitalization or CAP rates continue to decline and new investors join the buying game. [More]