Insurance is a big concern for self storage owners and operators - and for their rental customers. The Storage Business Owners Alliance (SBOA) recently announced that it is partnering with All Risks, Ltd, the largest independent wholesale insurance broker and program administrator for the self storage industry. Together, they formed the SBOA Property Insurance Program. [More]

If you aree an investor interested in purchasing self storage facilities, you would have a difficult time finding those that are for sale. You'd have to read lots of newspaper real estate listing or go to lots of real estate websites to see what was available. But now, there is a clearing house for listings of places for sale - all in one convenient location. It's like a one-stop-shop where you can see facilities that are available in your local neighborhood or all across the United States. [More]

During the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in New Orleans last week, self storage owners, operators, developers, suppliers, and other self storage industry members did more than just network and attend workshops. One group of attendees busied themselves raising money for the St. Bernard Project, to help with the ongoing needs of victims of Hurricane Katrina. [More]

More than 200 small- to medium-sized self-storage firms announced yesterday that they have banded together to form the Storage Business Owners Alliance (SBOA). The founders hope to use economies of scale to improve the buying power of smaller self-storage businesses. SBOA members will be eligible for discounts on commonly used goods and services such as office supplies; resale retail items such as boxes, tape, and scissors; credit card processing fees; and payroll processing. They can also participate in an online forum for SBOA members.

The idea for the SBOA came from three industry veterans, Morgan Hanlon, Ian Burnstein, and David Levenfeld. As owners and operators of multiple self-storage properties, the three saw a need for small- to medium-sized businesses to have an umbrella organization that would allow them to better compete with larger self-storage firms. [More]