Any good commercial real estate property management organization will observe that since the global credit crunch, many of the financial institutions have stopped providing loans to the business investors. In this way, many businesses belonging to other industries are also suffering. The global economy has plummeted to significantly low levels and is not showing much signs of escalating in the coming times. But this does not seem to be extinguishing the hope of the assets industry optimists who feel that the industry has the capacity to withstand the adversity and recover well.

The commercial real estate property management organizations will appreciate the fact that banks and financial institutions have started attaching stringent clauses to the repayment agreements. The high interest rates of the loans are turning away the prospective purchasers of business assets. The economy forecasts look pretty uncertain and there is unemployment everywhere.

The stock broking industry is also undergoing a crisis. Added to this, tenants who are seeking places for business establishments want to hire for short periods of time, making hiring out assets a less profitable business for the investors. All these factors are making prospective investors significantly apprehensive about investing in business assets. As a result the availability of assets is increasing by the day. For example, storage facilities may look for a buyout if their investors want out. This is a good opportunity for someone in the position to find self storage and acquire ownership of a turn-key business.

The commercial real estate property management organizations might have realized by now that there are no takers for the assets that are available even if they are located in very good locations and have a good market worth. The buyers of assets are not interested in the hired accommodations business opportunity. On the whole, the capitalization rates have risen. Banks and financiers do not want to extend loans for purchasing sites. The equity buyers have doubts about the performance and worth of the assets. Assets with enhanced market worth are the ones that are being in demand at present.

The commercial real estate property management organizations feel that the sales will increase only when the financial markets start showing signs of definite recovery and the money lending policies of the financiers stabilizes. For the present, the assets investors are neither buying any new assets nor selling their existing assets. They are just conserving the assets that they have at present and they want to get through the crisis as soon as possible. A number of people are expecting the credit crunch to leave any room for financial recovery. The financiers are also expected to come up with more reasonable lending conditions with the necessary quality assurance measures to avoid such catastrophe in the future. The interest rates are expected to be reasonably priced so that the investors reconsider their decisions of drifting away from the business. However it will take a while before things are brought back to normal.

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

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You first must know about the real estate business and what it entails. Having an idea about what goes on in the housing and land market is essential in being a competent appraiser. Many real estate companies will have their own in house appraiser or they will sub contract one when a job is needed. You must also be good with numbers and spreadsheets because you are dealing with housing prices, loan rates, and mortgages.

Being able to compile and research land and real estate information is also a key component of this job. This is because most housing and land prices can be different depending on the neighborhood, area, or even city and town. It is important for the appraiser to be able to gather information about properties surround the land or home in question. Current selling prices, square footage and school districts will also play a big part in the appraisal.

Taking pictures of the property is also a job for someone working for real estate appraisal management companies. Pictures can document the exterior of the structure or home and the land that the property sits on. The interior is also included with emphasis on additions or any specialized features of the structure or home. The pictures are added to the report and kept on file at the office. Digital photography has been a huge improvement for real estate appraisal management companies because you can see the photos as soon as you take them, insuring that you have gotten the correct photo at the right exposure. You also do not have to wait for film to be developed or wait around for the roll to be finished to take it to the developer. This saves time and money for the appraiser.  

So after all of this information is gathered and the numbers crunched the person or business paying for the appraisal will sit down with the appraiser and go over the report. Before selling or buying many people utilize the services of real estate appraisal management companies. Another reason someone might need these services is when they are refinancing their home or land. The property must be appraised before anything else can be done. This is to ensure that the property has value for the current owner or future owner.

Real estate appraisal management companies usually charge a flat fee for their services. This fee includes all the above information and sometimes more information can be completed for additional money. Because of the expansive knowledge that the appraiser must have, they usually make an above average salary themselves. The appraisal then becomes certified and a copy can be obtained for your use. Some states require that real estate appraisers be licensed and registered. This is also for the safety of the customer because much of the information gathered is confidential and should not be shared with anyone not involved with job.

Storage Customers

Pennsylvania RV Storage

Key West Storage

July 2006 Self Storage Blog Archive

Food Storage

Self Storage Article Directory – Self Storage Locations by City

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

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So why do people go condominium versus an apartment. Well the most common answer to this is you own everything within the four walls and you do not have to do any of the maintenance outside your walls. You are putting your money towards your facility and eventually you will own your space. Now, what is above is not always true at all facilities. With some condominium property management companies, they require more of you as a tenant. With your signature, you will be agreeing to what part of the property you will take care of.

When you are looking for a condominium, if that is your home of choice, you want to make sure that you have a good condominium property management company managing your facility. Most condominium property management companies are listed on the Internet and you can do a full background check on them. When you sign the contract to own your condominium, remember it is just like owning your home but without having to do the maintenance on it. So let us talk about what you have to do in terms of living and maintaining the space and what the management company will have to do.

The condominium property management company is most likely in charge of maintaining the common elements and sometimes some elements that might be limited. Whereas you as the owner of the unit, are in charge of everything that is in the unit. Common elements are all portions of the condominium other than the units. Portions of the walls, floor, and ceilings/attic are considered part of the common elements. Any portion serving more than one unit or any portion of the common elements is a part of the common elements for definitional purposes.

The unit means a portion of the condominium designated for separate ownership or occupancy, the boundaries of which are described in the declaration. The boundaries of each unit are defined as the interior unfinished surfaces of exterior perimeter walls, middle of interior demising walls, floor, ceiling/attic below nine feet above finished floor, doors and windows of unit, any wallboard, plaster, paint, tile, wallpaper, etc. All spaces, interior partitions, other fixtures and improvements, within the boundaries of a unit, are part of the unit.

Now some of the elements are limited that you or the company might need to pay. Limited common elements could mean any air conditioning or heating units, chute, flue, duct, wire, conduit, bearing wall, bearing column, other fixture, whether located within or outside of the boundaries of a unit, which serve only that unit or are allocated solely to that unit. Any shutters, awnings, window boxes, doorsteps, stoops, porches, decks, balconies, entryways, patios, exterior doors and windows, other fixtures designed to serve a single unit, but located outside the units boundaries are limited common elements allocated exclusively to that unit.

So make sure, when you are looking to move into a condominium that you can still own but not have too much of the maintenance, make sure that you know what you and your condominium property management are responsible for. You do not want to end up on the short end of the stick you believe that you do not have to pay for something that is the condominium property management companys responsibility.

Storage Space 

North Carolina Car Storage

Lake Charles Storage

March 2007 Secret Shopping Blog Archive

Automobile Storage

Self Storage Article Directory – Wine Storage

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

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This is a highly specialized niche that this property management company has chosen to focus on. They have to constantly remain up to date on governmental policies and codes. This property management company works closely with the Federal Housing Administration so they are able to comply with all of the rules and regulations.

This property management company first finds a subsidized low-income government housing project that has fallen in disrepair. The buildings are falling apart, the area is crime-ridden, and the tenants live in constant fear. Drug transactions are commonplace, gunfire is frequent, and the police are constantly called to the area. People living in the housing units are afraid to leave their homes. They often will pack their trunk the night before they leave town and leave all of the lights and radios on, so no one knows they are not at home. Children are not permitted to play outside. These are the types of conditions that this particular property management company concentrates on.

This property management company informs all of the tenants of the new rules that must be abided by, or they are no longer welcome to live in the area. Guns and drugs are not permitted. Drug sniffing dogs are used to go through the housing units to detect any illicit substances. 

Then this property management company refurbishes the interior of each apartment. They get rid of all pests and rodents that may also be living in the buildings. They paint walls, lay new carpet, and repair holes in doors. The property management company puts in new and updated appliances. Furnaces and air conditioners are modernized and brought up to code. The property management company makes sure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.

Not only does this property management company work on the buildings, but they also work on the morale of the residents. The property management company puts in playgrounds and neighborhood gardens. They designate an apartment or nearby building as a community center. Adults are able to take classes in computers or child rearing or to attain their GED in this community center.  Children can get help with their homework or play games or have birthday parities in the center. This property management company knows that giving people a building to live in is just half of the battle.  The spirit and the self-esteem of the people living in the buildings are just as important!

This property management company knows that turning these dilapidated areas into a neighborhood where everyone is proud to live is a win-win situation for everyone. The value of that particular property and surrounding properties increases, therefore increasing property taxes. Less public funds are spent on the constant police and law enforcement presence. Drug dealers and other criminals know they are no longer welcome and take their business elsewhere.

This particular property management company does an excellent job of taken blighted and crime infested government housing units and turning them into places where people are proud to call home. And this property management company knows that helping to enrich the lives of the residents is just as important as fixing some buildings.  Reinvigorating the community is of the utmost importance!

SD Storage Units

Storage-Mart on Griffin Rd – Dania Beach, Florida

Wine Storage

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

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Both the apartment and the condominium property management companies are responsible for all of the maintenance and upkeep of everything that is outside of the buildings. This includes the actual structures, the yards, the driveways, the swimming pools, etc. 

As far as the buildings go the apartment and the condominium property management firms all need to make certain everything is neatly painted, the roofs are shingled, and the gutters remain free of debris. The yards need to be carefully landscaped, the trees trimmed, and the flower gardens weeded. Driveways, and the streets in the area if they are private, need to be patched and repaired, and cleared of snow and ice. Swimming pools need to be covered in the off-season and safe and clean during the summer months. But there are very different reasons for the apartment and condominium property management companies to be concerned with all of this attention to detail.

A rental company is concerned about their own investment, or at least the investment of the property owners for which they work. They are concerned with keeping the area looking nice so as to appease current tenants so they will continue to be good renters. The management company also wants everything to look great to attract new and responsible tenants to the building. 

A condominium property management company actually works for the people residing in the units. These people have worked long and hard to purchase their share of the American dream of homeownership, and they are relying on the condominium property management employees to help complete that dream. These owners purchased a condo so they would not have to mow the grass, rake the leaves, or shovel the sidewalks themselves.  They purchased their unit so they could watch someone else do it, the condominium property management employee! 

But, of course, these homeowners want to be as proud of their surroundings as if they had maintained everything themselves. Keeping up the grounds under the watchful eye of so many homeowners can be nerve-racking for a condominium property management company to live up to.  If the tenants become disappointed with the way their neighborhood looks, they can always band together and terminate the condominium property management company.

Pleasing curb appeal is vital to any type of multi-family dwelling. It is important to have a dependable and trustworthy apartment or condominium property management company to rely on.

Maine Storage Units

StorageMart Shermer & Willow Northbrook, IL 60062

Boat Storage

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

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A real estate broker management company is able to provide many unique services to someone selling their house or condominium. Initially someone from the real estate broker management company inspects the home and does a comparative cost analysis, better known as a comp. A comp matches up this home to others in the vicinity that have either sold recently or that are currently on the market. They compare the two properties according to square footage, the convenience of the floor plan, and how well each location shows to a prospective buyer. The real estate broker management company can then determine the most competitive amount at which to price the home.

After completing the comps and determining the price the next step for the real estate broker management firm is the most important, and expensive, part of the job – marketing the property. The real estate broker management company needs to get the word out to the public about the home. It is important to let the ideal buyer know that their perfect new home is now on the market!

A real estate broker management company has several recourses available to market a home. Obviously an attention grabbing For Sale sign in the yard is essential, but it is not enough. Having pamphlets attached to the sign in a waterproof display case will allow anyone driving by to immediately get some important information.

Newspapers and free booklets list many homes for sale. Pictures of the properties, the section of town where they are located and other pertinent information is all included in this printed material.  Many people make it kind of a hobby to peruse these on a regular basis. Newspapers are also used to advertise Open Houses.  An open house is a great way for a real estate broker management company to allow potential buyers to check out the home in person. Potential buyers are able to walk throughout the property. They can scrutinize the size of the closets, inspect the layout of the kitchen, check for mold in the bathrooms, etc. Many people feel more comfortable going to an open house than contacting a real estate broker management company and setting up an appointment. It also allows the real estate broker management company employee to greet many house hunters at once, while at the same time answering all of their questions. 

The Internet has become the most important tool for real estate broker management companies. With just the click of a mouse all of the information on the website can be entered, changed, updated, etc. This is a long and involved process when dealing with printed material. And the Internet is extremely convenient for anyone shopping for a new house. Buyers are able to surf the net from work, or at the coffeeshop or from home anytime, day or night. Shoppers are able to take a virtual tour of the property for sale without even getting out of their pajamas!

Using a real estate broker management company is a great way for a homeowner to get the word out about their house they are trying to sell!

HI Storage Units

StorageMart Rt 59 & Lake Street (Rt 20) Elgin, IL 60120

Furniture Storage

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

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In the same area, several thefts occurred just after the New Year holiday, with one in which reported a 70,000 dollar loss. Thieves broke into a locked storage unit, stole and damaged the self storage customer’s hobby storage items located at the property management business. 

The big issue here is that these self storage and property management businesses advertise and boast that their property is safe and secure, but what exactly does that mean. You can say that your food storage is safe and secure in a Tupperware container; cars are safe and secure because they are locked; computers are safe and secure because of virus protection. But the truth is food still goes bad, cars are still stolen, and computers still catch viruses despite all of the protection. Safe and secure if a very general term, but it convinces people that their storage is out of harms way. Using a rope to secure your boat to a dock will keep it safe from drifting out to sea, but anyone can untie a sailor’s knot and steal it. So if you are renting a storage unit, how do you know your possessions are as safe and secure as led to be by the property management business?

Find out what storage and property management businesses mean by safe and secure. One property management businesses definition of safe and secure may be simply a small padlock. Other definitions may include a fenced in well lighted property. Though these are nice features, the two police reports above took place on brightly lit fenced in self storage properties. But the customer’s storage unit was still broken into despite the property management business offering security. The truth is that self storage and property management businesses can offer more security then padlocks and bright lighting.

A state of the art self storage property should come with state of the art security features. So when you are shopping for a storage unit and the property management business says his property is safe and secure, ask him what exactly is involved. It should include video surveillance. Video surveillance not only keeps an eye on your storage unit, they discourage thieves from trying. A thief is more likely to rob a storage facility without cameras than one with cameras. No one wants to be caught on take doing something that will land them in jail. So they will find an easier target. Also check if they use pin pad access. Only paying storage unit customers have access to these types of property management business facilities. Some storage properties have alarms and motion sensor lighting.

Do yourself a favor. When you shop for a storage unit don’t just shop for the cheapest price, find a place where you will get the best value for your money. Paying a little more per month for extra security may save you money in the long run.

New Mexico Storage Units

Stellar Management Real Estate

Franklin location, 1138 New Highway 96 W, Franklin, TN 37064

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

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Categories for Entry include:

Energy Positive Designs/Structure
Gray Water Solutions
Sustainable Construction Materials
Urban In-Fill Strategies
Carbon Negative
Bottom Line Results
New Conveniences and Amenities
Wildlife/Natural Habitat-Friendly
Re-Used and Recycled Materials
Energy Positive

What can you do to make your self storage facility more Green? If every owner and property manager could make one change, it would mean a lot to the movement to be more environmentally aware. You can help the self storage industry become a leader in green construction and design. Making those small changes in you self storage property makes you aware about being more eco friendly; everyone can do his or her part to help the environment. 

Ideas like:
Solar panels
Vegetation grown on the roof for insulation
Reclaimed water
Composting areas for customers
Green building materials
Recycled materials for building
Wind mills for energy

Why you should submit your designs?

• The submissions remain your property so why not share
• Participants will receive free publicity for ideas and designs
• It’s a great chance to pass along your earth friendly ideas to the masses in the self storage industry
• Each category winner gets to promote his or her ideas for even more exposure

Are you ready to submit?

Send your 200-400 word summaries or description and the URL to Tron (see number below) and put green design in the subject field of your email. If you would like the official contest rules then call 866-639-1715 for information. Submissions remain the property of the designer, so share your ideas with us.

We have gathered an excellent judging group from various fields. From green furniture design to real estate to property management, but all these people have a desire to promote the well being of our planet and to make sure that the earth will sustain many, many generations to come. StorageMart recognizes the need to be pro active in this fight to save our planet from its own people. 

We have already been given the thumbs up from the self storage industry as a whole for this project. Why not join StorageMart and all of the other concerned property managers and property owners in being green in 2008? Let us show the rest of the world how great the self storage industry is by committing to a more environmentally friendly doctrine.

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage, Self Storage finder.
 

Georgia Storage Units

Local Self Storage Units

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

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All along its path this storm has caused huge amounts of damage for property management teams to deal with, including Columbia, Missouri.  Buildings have been destroyed, towns have been flooded, and roofs have been blown off.  It is essential that all damage be assessed as soon as is safely possible.  (Fixing a hole in the roof during a thunderstorm is a ridiculous idea.  However, covering it with a tarp as soon as the sun comes out will prevent further damage until something permanent can be done.)

After the cleanup is done, take a good look around.  Is that huge tree leaning a bit too much?  Are the tiles on the roof of your shopping mall looking rather worn?  Do those shutters keep banging the windows on that apartment building?  Is the vegetation on that hillside above your self storage complex gone because of a California wildfire?  A good property management team works on repairing problems before too much harm can occur.  Remember, there will be another storm, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

CA Storage Units or CO Storage Units

Self Storage Article Directory. Visit our Advertising and Self Storage Marketing section. 

Storage Units
Storage Units Locations

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

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• Check with your city about local recycling programs. Many are free or are included in your trash pickup.
• Buy a container to store your recycling materials in. You will find it very easy to recycle when you have the area and container to do it in.
• Use your shredded paper for storing away household items or sending packages to relatives.
• Look into recycling your old cell phones that are in the junk drawer or that the kids are playing with. Many cell phone stores have drop off areas that you can put your old cell phones in so they do not end up in the landfill.
• Turn you thermostat down (cooler) a few degrees in the winter and up (warmer) in the summer to reduce your heating and cooling consumption. 
• Look for Green products at your local store.
• Buy local produce and shop locally for items that you need. This helps the local economy and the local farmer.
• Walk or bike to your destinations or keep your vehicle running correctly and your tires inflated to the correct psi to help with fuel economy.

Of course there are many things you can do to Go Green. If everyone can do just a little bit, it will help. See what you can do this year to contribute to the Go Green campaign.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

Storage Unit 

Self Storage Article Directory. Visit our Wine Storage section.  

Property Management   

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

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PhoneSmart will be represented on the Expo floor at their booth. Stop by and see us for information on call center services, secret shopping, training, Role Playing, and more. We would love to say hello, so stop by and visit with us for a few minutes.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS agent.
 

Storage Unit 

Self Storage Article Directory.  Visit our General Information Section

Property Management   

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

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The goal is to help the economy by keeping homeowners out of foreclosure as a result from the housing slump. Extremely high foreclosure rates would force people to leave their home and would have a rippling effect throughout the economy.

The self storage industry will be affected no matter which way the housing market rises or falls. But is self storage in danger of seeing a slump of their own?

Homeowners value their treasures and belongings such as wedding albums, family heirlooms and handmade crafts maybe more than they do the four walls they live in. After all, it’s those things that make a house a home. If they were forced from their home, those items wouldn’t be sitting in the dumpster. Families would look to self storage for safekeeping their belongings until things start looking up for them.

If President Bush and Mr. Paulson’s plan does keep Americans out of foreclosure, then those consumers would continue spending, and collecting more treasures. Families will find themselves needing extra space to store Christmas decorations and knickknacks and look to self storage for the answer.

It looks like self storage owners are still wise investors in an industry that has proven necessary for all walks of life by meeting humanity’s basic needs, shelter.

Written by, Sarah Little TQA Director 

Self Storage

Self Storage Article Directory

Property Management Blog

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

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As a phone rep with the PhoneSmart Call Center lately I have been doing marketing surveys for one of our self storage clients about self storage rates.  One of the questions is, did you use the print Yellow Pages while searching for storage?  100% of the people I have spoken to all have said, No!

I am amazed!  I’ve always assumed everyone uses the printed version of the Yellow Pages to find any kind of business or service.  When I was young that was basically our only option!

Then I got to thinking about it and I guess it makes sense.  Generations X and Y have all grown up with the Internet and cell phones.  It is natural for them to jump on the computer to Google an address or to call 411 for a telephone number.  And my age group, the Baby Boomers, can no longer see the fine print in the Yellow Pages.

So even though everyone still knows what a telephone book is, it is extremely important for all property management and self storage owners to make sure their phone number appears in both the print and virtual forms of the Yellow Pages!

Written by Ann Sheehan, Call Center Representative.

Self Storage 

Self Storage Article Directory 

Secret Shopping Blog

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

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The Inside Self Storage Expo is promising more than 350 booths this year with more sessions, more speakers and more vendors for self storage business persons. The Inside Self Storage Expo will be a hub of investors, vendors, owners, entrepreneurs and perhaps the iconic Elvis impersonator.

It’s definitely the place to see and be seen. You can find more information at insideselfstorage.com/expo or call 866-230-2311. Be sure to register early and receive a discount.

PhoneSmart will have a booth on the trade show floor where you can find more info about our call center, sales training, secret shopping and sales solutions for your business. But you don’t have to wait until February to join PhoneSmart’s self storage success stories, call us today at 866-639-1715.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director

Total Quality Assurance Services is brought to you by PhoneSmart – A quality assurance firm .

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

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The retail industry has already made their plan of attack and, although the public may not be privy, they’ve determined what prices they’ll slash that’ll draw us to camp out Thanksgiving night in hopes of getting a bargain.

Several bargains are already listed on some websites with no affiliation to the franchises. I’ll admit that I’ve visited one such website several times this week. The site had links to what use to be the listings of some stores, however the links had to be removed because those stores sent legal notices for the website to remove the info.

As a business person, I can see the pros and cons of having your promotion listed too early – people may stop shopping in order to wait for the deal. But let’s be realistic here, how many people are willing to camp outside for hours to save a couple hundred dollars? Even if there are a lot of people willing to do so, the store will only sell a limited number of the sale items. So, there’s already a limited amount of people who will actually get the deal. Do these stores really think the rest of us, who missed out on the special simply won’t shop? That’s silly. We’ve probably worked ourselves up so much thinking about the coveted item that even if we miss the sale, we’ll still buy it. All it would take is a little suggestive selling on the part of a witty salesman to get me signing on the dotted line.

So what can the free publicity offered by these Black Friday websites really hurt? In fact, it can help in many ways. If I don’t see an ad for what’s on sale, I won’t waste my time in line, but I will be sitting outside your competitor’s door because I know what they’re offering.

Black Friday may not affect the self storage or property management industry directly, but don’t miss out on the small window of opportunity it brings. As much as I love snopping around for my Christmas presents, I love hiding them from my loved ones just as much. Some of us go to great links to protect the element of surprise – self storage is the perfect place to store larger gifts until Santa brings them home. You can do some suggestive selling of your own and remind tenants and new customers that self storage is a smart way to keep gifts, or even store decorations when it’s time to take the tinsel down.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director

Total Quality Assurance Services is brought to you by PhoneSmart – A quality assurance firm .

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

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The best part of all? While composting helps to fertilize the soil, it also helps to reduce waste in water treatment plants and landfills.  Instead of food waste being sent down the garbage disposal or autumn leaves hidden in garbage bags on trash day, it can all be composted and recycled into something productive.

For large scale operations such as restaurants and shopping complexes there are businesses that specialize in the recycling of these organic materials. However, composting for smaller scaled property management business such as mom and pop motels, self storage properties and small apartment facilities is perfectly feasible. It simply takes a little bit of know-how and commitment. Composting can prove to be a great learning experience for children, recreation for adults, and even exercise for the elderly. And, best of all, there is that feel-good feeling knowing that you have done a little something to give back to Mother Nature.
 
Composting, a great way to go green!

Written by Ann Sheehan

Total Quality Assurance Services is brought to you by PhoneSmart – A quality assurance firm .

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

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Let’s begin with some sales training courses:

Conference Call Sales Training: PhoneSmart’s sales trainer will lead your staff through a sales course via conference call. Your staff will learn the sales strategies and self storage sales techniques we use in our own call center.
 
Sales Training Packet: Includes 2 CD’s, one Leader’s guide, 2 Trainee workbooks, Role-Play game, and sales reference sheets. This is meant to be set up in a classroom-like setting or can be done individually
 
Training Seminar: We will come to your facility and train your staff on how to sell self storage
 
Role-Play Helpline: Your managers can call into our call center and speak to one of our highly-trained sales reps. They will Role Play sales scenarios and receive one-on-one training to meet their specific needs or concerns.

After a training course, we can manage your team’s success with monthly (or as often as you choose) services such as:

Shock Call: a secret shopper calls your facility and asks for something other than storage (boxes, office hours, etc). The call is graded only on a Pass/Fail basis. If the manager asks the caller if they also need storage, they Pass. If the do not, they Fail. Calls are recorded and sent to the client.
 
A Shock Call is unconventional from a Mystery Shop. It’s goal is to teach managers to ask every customer if they need storage. This shop was created out need in the self storage industry because many stores miss these rental opportunities.
 
Mystery Shop: A secret shopper calls your facility posing as a customer asking about storage. The call is recorded and then evaluated. The recording is sent along with the written evaluations, to the client. The evaluation contains Yes/No columns to which points are assigned and a total score is given. It also contains a “What Worked Well” and “What Could Use Improvement” comment section.
 
A Mystery Shop is ideal for maintaining and improving sales techniques and customer service over the phone.
 
Feedback Shop: A secret shopper calls your facility and poses as a potential renter, as in a Mystery Shop. However, at the end of the call, the shopper reveals herself and then begins an immediate coaching/training session with the manager. The call is recorded and the evaluation/ summary of coaching session is written to the client.

A Feedback Shop combines quality assurance and training by providing instant coaching so that managers are ready to rent a unit with the very next call.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Director

Total Quality Assurance Services is brought to you by PhoneSmart – A quality assurance firm .

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

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This week I have had numerous calls from inhabitants of Southern California. These people are heeding the voluntary evacuation warnings that have been given out by federal, state, and local authorities. (Of course once a mandatory evacuation is in place, possessions no longer matter!) These folks are trying as quickly as possible to load the trunks of their cars and the back of their pickup trucks with the few things in life that mean the most to them. I have had occasions where several different families have gone together to share one storage unit to protect their precious mementos and keepsakes.

On the other side of the self storage business I have talked with several different managers and owners. At one location the office was closed because the store employee could not get to work due to his own home being threatened by of one of the fires. The storage units were accessible to tenants but the electricity to the access controlled gate was sporadic. Another location wanted me to let current renters know that their facility was still in a voluntary evacuation zone, and that tenants were still able to come and retrieve their belongings. 

As of the writing of this property management blog all of our PhoneSmart clients’ facilities are still without damage. And as always, May God Bless the Firefighters and Police Officers!

Written by Ann Sheehan.

Thanks for reading our property management blog, a blog about the property management industry.

Self storage available at 5950 Southcenter Blvd, Tukwila, WA 98188

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

65201 Self Storage

Planning a move to Miami, Florida? Visit our partners at the Miami, Florida moving information center.

07093 Climate Controlled Self Storage

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

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Speaking of legs. You may have heard the bizarre story about Mr. Whisnant, who bought a smoker at a self storage auction. When he pulled what he thought was a piece of driftwood out of the smoker, he got more than he bargained for. Yes, a human leg had been safely stored in the smoker he purchased. Mr. John Woods’ leg had been stored in his smoker after it was amputated in a 2004 plane crash.

Mr. Whisnant gave the leg over to authorities, who then gave it to a funeral home. Mr. Woods now wants his leg back. Mr. Whisnant bid to keep custody of the leg he indirectly won at auction, however his bid was unsuccessful to win the bid with the funeral home. Mr. Whisnant has begun charging $3 for adults and $1 for children to take a peak inside the infamous smoker. He plans to raise the price if he persuades Mr. Woods to share the profits.

It’s no Haunted House, but perhaps just as spooky.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive

Thanks for reading our property management blog, a peak at life in the property management and self storage industry.

65803 Wine Storage

Rent storage at 8514 Liberty Rd, Randallstown, MD 21133

Are you moving to Miami, Florida? Visit our partners at Miami, Florida moving information center.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

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

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Shock Calls def. –when a call is placed to the site and the shopper asks for something other than storage. The manager should help with the inquiry and then ask the caller if they need self storage, craft storage or yacht storage.

Your self storage site is missing out on potential customers if your managers do not ask each caller who is not already a renter if they need storage. If people are calling your sites and inquiring about boxes, they might just need a space to store them. If people are calling about truck rentals they might need a storage unit to put the stuff they want to haul. And what does asking cost, not more than a few minutes of time that can be rewarded with that extra rental or two or three for the month.

Many of our clients are interested in the Shock Call to see how their managers are handling the day to day calls that come in. Getting the caller down to the site is more than half the battle, once there you can turn on you super duper self storage manager charm and get the rental. Call us today if you would like information about PhoneSmart’s Shock Calls at 866-639-1715 and ask for the TQAS department.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for reading our secret shopping blog, a inside peek at the secret shopping and mystery shopping industry.
                     

Planning a move to Kansas City, Missouri? Visit our partners at the Kansas City, Missouri moving information center.

60148 Self Storage

Storage available at 3277 Crompond Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.
www.storageconcierge.com

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

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Tron Jordheim, PhoneSmart Director and member of the National Speakers Association, will be hosting roundtable discussions on Using Call Centers To Create More Rentals. His sessions are always a hit and offer the perfect opportunity to understand this growing trend in the self storage industry. Take the opportunity to also talk with Tron about increasing profits by sales training offered by PhoneSmart.

Other roundtable discussion topics will include: getting started in self storage, financing the  business, buying and selling storage facilities, increasing profits by telephone, customer service techniques that work, credit cards and self storage, tilting abandoned vehicles, profiting from ancillary products, and 1301 exchanges.

The conference provides the ideal forum for meeting new vendors, owners, clients and more with exhibitors from across the country. The Resort also offers golf, pool and lounge areas so that you can network over tee time.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive

Thanks for reading our property management blog. We know the self storage and property management industry.

Rent storage at 640 SW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33130

Are you moving to Queens, New York? Visit our partners at Queens, New York moving information center.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

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

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What does this mean for the property management industry? More options. Maybe the next time you and your contractors are discussing development, green building design will be a major topic of discussion.

No one can really argue against working for the environment, however convincing owners and investors that green design is worth the initial cost can be difficult. The key is convincing project leaders, who focus on staying within budget, that green buildings can, in fact, make the money back over time in energy and other savings. The money committed by the USGBC will help discover just how far green designs can stretch a dollar.

Green buildings also offer the luxury of lifestyle benefits many large cities lose as high-rise buildings go up. Foliage and water often play an intricate part in green practices. The relaxing ambiance of Mother Nature will draw tenants to green living.

The money pledged by the USGBC will help developers in the property management industry move towards more efficient green practices in construction, renovation and operations, which will bring improvement to our health and environment on a larger scale.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive

Thanks for reading our property management blog. We offer sales training and quality assurance to the property management industry.

Visit our Self Storage Pod Cast

Rent storage at 1209 S. 11th St, Sheboygan, WI 53081

Are you moving to Miami, Florida? Visit our partners at Miami, Florida moving information center.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

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

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When it comes to property management it pays to think outside the grocery store. Converting and remodeling are tools that should be used more often in property management. Think of it as a big recycling project and save some money while you are doing it.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for reading PhoneSmart’s property management blog, a blog that shares information about the property management industry.

Planning a move to Brooklyn, NY? Visit our partners at the Brooklyn, NY moving information center.

Storage available at 910 St Thomas Road, Granite City 62040

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

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

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We’ll be there to unveil our newest secret shopping and sales training services. I know the self storage industry can benefit greatly from our innovative products. I can’t reveal the details just yet, but I’d place your bets on PhoneSmart this year! Because honestly, we aren’t a gamble, we’re a sure thing. 

If you’re finding yourself out of time at the end of every day and then you remember you needed to go over sales training with your managers, let PhoneSmart become your Sales Training Management Company. We will customize our services and mold them together to train and coach your facility managers on how to sell self storage.

PhoneSmart is taking mystery shopping and sales training to an entirely new level. Our telephone secret shops have evolved into an intense training tool that is sure to have your managers renting more units. Come see us at the show and be sure to stop by our booth and allow me to shake your hand.

Written by Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive

Thanks for reading our mystery shopping blog. We’re on the cutting edge of sales training and secret shopping.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

Self Storage Owner — Where Self Storage Owners meet Self Storage Customers

We have storage 1891 N Columbia St, Milledgeville, GA 31061

Planning a move to Miami, Florida? Visit our partners at the Miami, Florida Moving Information Center.

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

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Research conducted by UCLA reveals that almost 88 percent of all internet users in the U.S. use email. Approximately 90 percent of those who use the internet at work use it to access business email.

There are a few rules, if you will, to keep in mind. Written word is often subject to interpretation. The largest part of speech is tone and body language. With those things removed, it’s important to be clear and precise, leaving little room for misunderstanding. We can all think of a few examples in which the meaning changes completely depending on the way words are spoken. Therefore, it’s important to set the right tone for your email.

Here are a few rules about email etiquette, otherwise known as netiquitte:

• Use please and thank you.

• Set a respectful, approachable tone (avoid sounding demanding).

• Address your recipient appropriately. Use Mr. Mrs. or Dr. (when appropriate) until your relationship has become less formal. If they reply or write you signing only their first name, you can assume it’s acceptable to address them on a first name basis.

• Don’t use emoticons or smiley faces until the relationship has become less formal.

• Avoid using all uppercase because it can seem as if you’re shouting.

• When possible, be brief and don’t ramble. If providing an explanation or background information is necessary, then by all means, include it. It may be appropriate to apologize for the wordiness at the end of the message.

• Don’t use shorthand such as U rather than you, 2 instead of to or too, plz instead of please. However, abbreviations such as FYI, Mr. and Mrs., etc., and inc. are acceptable.

• Spelling is important and typos can sometimes confuse or change the meaning of your words. It can be even more important when sending numerical data. Read over your email before you send it.

• Take a look at your email address. If it’s not a company issued address, think about what it’s saying about you. What would prospects think about sexymomma@isp.com? Try using an email address with some configuration of your name, like your first initial and last name or your last name only, etc.

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive and Blog Editor

Thanks for reading our mystery shopping blog. We provide sales training and quality assurance to the self storage and rental industry.

Rent self storage at 400 Olmos Dr, San Antonio, TX 78212.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

Are you planning on moving to Brooklyn New York? Visit our partners at Brooklyn New York moving information center.

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

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Exhibitors from the industry that may be represented include:

Acquisitions, Accounting, Security, Facility Management, Advertising and Marketing, Appraisal and Valuation, Architectural Services, Boat and RV storage, Brokerage, Building Components, Business Consulting and Management, Computer Software, Credit Card Processing, Design and Construction, Development and Site Selection, Doors and Partitions, Energy Conservation and Environmental Equipment, Facility Maintenance and Repair, Fencing, Financing and Mortgages, Gates and Access Systems, Insurance, Internet and Web Sites, Kiosks, Locks/Door Hardware, Manager Employment Services, Manager Training, Mobile and Portable Storage, Moving/Shipping Supplies, Records Storage, Roof, Roofing, Coatings, Tenant Screening, Training Materials and Manuals, Truck Rentals and more.

As usual, PhoneSmart will be in attendance for the conference. We will have representatives there ready to talk about sales, training, call center, mystery shopping, and Total Quality Assurance Services. If you would like any of this information before the conference please contact Tron at tjordheim@phone-smart.net.

Compiled by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

Thanks for visiting our property management blog, a peek inside the property management industry.

Find storage at 2290 Greenbriar Rd, York, PA 17404

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Would you like to see your blog about the self storage, property management or secret shopping industry posted here? Contact Sarah Little for information on how your blog could be chosen to appear on our site.

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

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Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive and business blog writer.

Thanks for visiting our property management blog, a blog that brings new ideas to the self storage and property management industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent a storage unit at 38-01 47th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

Find your next car storage, boat storage or self storage at your StorageConcierge – Your premier national and local self storage search engine and free quote provider.

Have a self storage, property management or secret shopping blog you would like to share? Contact Sarah Little for information.

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

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Tron Jordheim has been a speaker at our Inside Self Storage conferences since 2001. He has developed into one of our key presenters. His seminar sessions are well attended and always get great reviews.

Tron Jordheim will be giving the seminar titled Five Easy Ways to Motivate your Self Storage Team. Jordheim will send participants home with tools to use to make staff people capable of making more sales and hungry to do so. Tron Jordheim said:

Self storage is becoming more and more competitive. Operators are experiencing higher start-up costs and higher operating costs. Consumers are becoming choosier about where they store. And the high costs of energy, gasoline and housing are leaving consumers less discretionary income for renting a storage unit. This all adds up to a real need for vastly improved sales and customer service performance.

Tron Jordheim has been teaching about and speaking about great sales and customer service performance since he was asked to lead peer to peer training sessions for The Great Bear Spring Water Company in 1987. Since Jordheim became involved in the self storage business as the director of PhoneSmart, an off-site sales force and sales teaching company geared to self storage, he has spoken at many national and state trade association and conference meetings. In addition to Jordheim’s appearances at Inside Self Storage events, Jordheim has lead sessions and presented keynotes for The National Self Storage Association, The Maine Self Storage Association, The New York Self Storage Association, The South Carolina Self Storage Association, Florida Self Storage Association, Texas Self Storage Association, Missouri Self Storage Association, Nebraska Self Storage Association, Wisconsin Self Storage Association and the California Self Storage Association, to name a few.

Tron Jordheim also spreads his message on improving sales and customer service performance through training, teaching and speaking engagements with corporate clients in the United States and Canada. You can view a few of his many letters of recommendation at his http://www.tronjordheim.com web site.

Tron Jordheim is also well known in the self storage business as the director of PhoneSmart, a subsidiary of StorageMart. PhoneSmart serves over 90 client companies representing over 600 self storage properties with off-site back-up sales support, sales and customer service auditing, sales training, and lead generation. More information can be found at http://www.phone-smart.info . PhoneSmart was founded in 2000 as a subsidiary of StorageMart. StorageMart is an international self storage company which operates more than 60 self storage facilities in North America. Information about StorageMart can be found by entering its on-line network from the http://www.storage-mart.net portal.

PhoneSmart has been an innovator in bringing top notch selling systems to the self storage business. One innovation has been in the on-line lead generating arena. PhoneSmart’s network of websites and on-line partners cast a wide net serving on-line self storage shoppers and researchers. You can see some of the PhoneSmart on-line lead generation network through its http://www.storageconcierge.com site.

PhoneSmart is still primarily known for answering missed phone calls from storage properties to act as a sales back-up for the on-site staff. PhoneSmart is often responsible for as much as 20% of a particular site’s rental, accounting for significant increases of revenue at a very, very reasonable cost.

The Reno Inside Self Storage Conference runs from July 24th through July 27th at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa at 3800 South Virginia Ave in Reno, Nevada. The Reno/Tahoe area offers plenty of indoor and outdoor entertainment in July to keep conference attendees and their families occupied with sun, fun and great self storage education opportunities. More information on the conference is at http://www.insideselfstorage.com .

Tron Jordheim will talk about creating a sales culture, learning great sales methods, getting inside your customers’ minds and then motivating the behaviors you want in your sales and customer service people. Tron said, “If you treat your employees like dogs, they’ll fetch you more business than you can shake a stick at!”

Jordheim maintains that training employees is a lot like training dogs.

If you make the work challenging and rewarding and use lots of treats and praise, you get a great response. Sometimes you have to put a correction on someone. But once the goals are clear and the ways of meeting the goals are well practiced, you can turn employees off the leash and they will hunt every time. Just make sure you hire for drive and trainability, though. Sales and customer service jobs are not for everyone.

Thank you for reading our property management blog and journal of the self storage property management industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

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

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As self storage franchises keep gobbling up more property, whether it’s to develop new storage facilities or remodel existing buildings into storage, these companies will find themselves with more and more on their plate.

Property management companies can help self storage operators take a load off their plate and protect their bottom line. PhoneSmart plays a role in the self storage industry by offering call center services to self storage property management facilities. Letting PhoneSmart handle those roll over calls and keep answering after store hours only means more business for these self storage companies.

PhoneSmart is no new trend to the self storage and property management industry, but it is becoming a larger necessity as self storage continues to grow.

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Executive and Blog Editor.

Thanks for reading our property management blog and inside scoop of the self storage industry.

Rent self storage at 9012 NW Prairie View Rd, Kansas City, MO 64153

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

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

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At PhoneSmart, we know that there is no one mold to fit every company. We strive to maintain an open relationship with our client companies in order to continuously meet each client’s individual need. We offer a standard form, as a starting point, but the secret shopping process is completely at the discretion of the client company. After all, who knows your business better than YOU?

Another important factor in beginning a secret shopping program is implementing that program. Whether you choose to use it for employee reviews or maybe you begin an incentive program, knowing how you will use your shops will make them more efficient. Knowing what your intentions are in using the shops will also help us aim toward that goal for you. For example, a client only wanting to monitor their employees while the manager is out of the office may not need as intense a secret shopping program as a client wanting to use the shops at a training tool to improve occupancy rate.

No matter what your goal, secret shopping will provide an unbiased, third party perspective into your business and help you get into the mind of how your customers feel.

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Executive and Blog Editor

Thanks for reading our secret shopping blog and inside view of the mystery shopping industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Storage is waiting for you at 3500 I-70 Dr SE, Columbia, MO 65201

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

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Written by Carmen Huff

Thanks for reading our property management blog and inside view of the self storage property management industry.

PhoneSmart is your offsite sales force and call center in Columbia, Missouri.

Rent a storage unit at 1200 Baltimore Blvd, Westminster, MD 21157

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

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