Reviews are incredibly important to your business. They can improve your reputation in your market, convince someone to rent from you instead of a competitor, and even make you show up better on Google.
And what's the best way to get a review?
Ask for it.
It's that simple! Provide a good experience and then ask the customers to leave you a review.
You have to ask the right way though. If you're not sure where to start, we're here to help! Our review request scripts will do some of the heavy lifting for you to make asking easy.
There is no simple science to pricing your storage units, but there are strategies to help. Pricing your self storage units efficiently is key to generating revenue and keeping yourself and your customers happy.
When deciding on a price for each unit, it's important to remember that the difference of $10 could mean a difference of thousands of dollars per month or tens of thousands per year. So, how do you determine the worth of your units? What should you charge for them?
In this guide, we'll outline some of the most common pricing concepts and strategies with examples - and then we'll make the case for value-based pricing. Finding value in your storage units and providing more options for your customers can mean economic viability in the toughest of markets.
The self storage legal landscape is always shifting. What has changed so far in 2024? And what should we expect looking forward to 2025? We are digging into the most recent legal changes that could be affecting your business and helping you prepare for the coming year!
Featured Speakers: Scott Zucker
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Legal
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: October 17, 2024
Duration: 1:09:58
As a manager, you're focused on improving your facility and securing renters. But we often neglect to hone our greatest asset: our own skill set. Just like your facility gets upgrades and improvements, your own abilities and mindset can always grow.
As the face of your business, customers remember whether you inspired confidence, showed empathy, or even just had great. vibes. And that positive impression you made translates to five-star reviews, further securing more renters in the long run.
StoragePug is your partner in growth; we've compiled a list of 10 resources to inspire you to greater heights. Whether you're growing your industry knowledge, customer service skills, or self-discipline, we're sure our list of podcasts, books, and videos will give you new ideas that will elevate your manager game.
Download our list of Top 10 Resources to Make a Great Manager to keep your self-improvement journey rolling at full speed!
Everyone wants to increase occupancy at their facility, and not everyone can afford to spend thousands and thousands of dollars a month to do it.
So what other options are there?
We've put together a very detailed guide with our top 4 ways to (cheaply) increase occupancy at a self storage facility! With information sourced from expert operators and our own expertise and research, this guide provides hands-on ways to compete - often in ways that larger operators can't or won't.
Managers are on the customer service frontline, so how can you make sure you're equipped with all the skills you need to provide the best customer experience? We invited a customer service expert to share tips and tricks that any manager can use to create happy customers and drive more positive reviews.
Featured Speakers: Lee Creech
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners, Operators & Managers
Aired: September 26, 2024
Duration: 1:15:07
You should respond to every single review on your Google Business Profile. The friendly ones, the positive ones, the negative ones, and the crazy ones - all of them!
Customers are more likely to rent from profiles that regularly respond to reviews, and Google prefers business that respond to reviews too. If you're not responding to the reviews left on your profile, you're missing out on valuable marketing and SEO benefits.
But responding to reviews can be a pain. What do you say? How do you say it?
StoragePug has put together a list of 20 responses (customizable and free) to make responding easier.
Download our Review Response templates here and get all the benefits without the headaches!
Potential renters will make a snap decision about your facility within ten seconds of laying eyes on it - is this place safe? And if they decide that yours isn’t safe, you might never know, because that potential customer won’t even call.
There are tons of different security amenities you can add to your facility to make it safer. We’ve compiled a list of the 5 best security amenities, using advice from industry experts, data from the SSA, and input from real operators. The list dives into how easy it is to add each amenity, how much you can expect to pay, and how much customers care about each one!
Make sure your storage facilities are up to par with the 5 Best Self Storage Security Amenities!
Why and when should you upgrade your PMS and other software? Do you need all the tech bells and whistles at your facility? Or are you content with the software basics? We're inviting a panel of self storage software experts to discuss how to figure out the best match for your facility and what's on the horizon for storage software.
Featured Speakers: Jason Palmer, Alyssa Winkelman, Jack Colemanzo, & Steve Smith
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations & Technology
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: August 22, 2024
Duration: 1:21:57
Learning how to understand industry data and trends can help everyone, including independent operators! However, when there is so much out there, how do you make heads or tails of it all? Join us as we share how to get the most out of this data and use it to make better, practical business decisions at your facility.
Featured Speakers: James McLean
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: July 25, 2024
Duration: 51:54
Marketing flyers can help you reach the renters in your neighborhood - but only if they’re done right. We can help with that!
StoragePug’s own design team has put together customizable templates that can get you started building engaging flyers! Whether you’re using a Direct Mail campaign or just want something to hand out at the Little League games, our templates make it easy.
Download the templates, substitute your pictures and branding, and you’re good to go!
All the security hardware and tech options for your facility can quickly become overwhelming. Does your facility need all the latest security tech, or could you get away with the bare minimum? You can't take a one-size-fits-all approach to security. Join us as we dig into security basics and upgrades and show what facilities will benefit most from them.
Featured Speakers: Aaron Harwell
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations & Security
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: June 27, 2024
Duration: 1:01:47
Summer is busy season, and even seasoned self storage managers can get overwhelmed! Important tasks can slip through the cracks, or simply be put off “until things slow down.” Then before you know it, your fence is covered with weeds, the HVAC has stopped working, and you’re looking at a ton of problems all at once - and it’s still busy season!
This 3-Minute Curb Appeal Plan can help you stay on top of your facility maintenance and landscaping so nothing slips through the cracks. This download takes some of the most valuable tips from our Spring Cleaning Handbook and boils it down to the most important tasks your facility faces.
By prioritizing tasks or accepting that some just won’t get done, operators can make sure that the limited time and energy they have is spent on stuff that matters. Don’t waste time trying to keep the leaves off the roof if the grass hasn’t been mowed in a month! Organize, prioritize, and get more rentals through better curb appeal!
Spring is a time of renewal. In self storage, that means getting your property back into top condition and being ready for the busy season!
Our Self Storage Spring Cleaning Handbook is just what you need to ensure you and your storage facility are ready to entice renters during the summer months (and beyond).
Whether it's how to clean your facility's signage, what you should do about patchy spots in your grass, how to prep your HVAC for summer, or even ideas for new summer promotions, our handbook has it all!
Customer experience is important to every business! Happy customers pay on time, leave good reviews, and refer friends and family to your facility. So how can you make sure your customers are well cared for while storing with you? From billing to cleanliness and support to amenities, a lot goes into keeping tenants happy. Let us show you how to start!
Featured Speakers: Luke Westbrooks
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: May 16, 2024
Duration: 1:09:40
Some of the best marketing you can get is from local customers driving by and seeing that your facility looks well-maintained and taken care of. Because when they are looking for a place to store, you'll be the nice, clean facility that they pass each day on the way to work! Join us as we dig into tips & Tricks for turning curb appeal into a lead generator.
Featured Speakers: Jane Sauls
Moderators: Melissa Huff
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: April 25, 2024
Duration: 1:13:04
REITs breathing down your neck? Customers opting for bright lights and unreasonably low street rates? How can you fight against the massive marketing budgets of the biggest players in the industry?
Play to your advantages.
Small businesses are woven into the community - use that community to bring in new renters! Our 5-Minute Local Business Outreach Guide will show you how the experts connect with their communities to get referrals and build a strong local brand.
Win customers by playing where the REITs aren’t. Connect with local businesses, get referrals, and help each other thrive. This quick guide will show you the best ways to get started!
Self storage managers are an important part of the sales process, and a well-trained and equipped manager is an expert at converting leads into renting tenants. But how do they do this? Join us as we dig into the sales skills, strategies, and tactics that will help any self storage manager succeed!
Featured Speakers: Carol Mixon-Krendl
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Sales
Focus: Managers & Operators
Aired: March 28, 2024
Duration: 1:02:32
Self storage managers need to be good at sales for their facility to thrive - especially since demand is down across the industry! If you (or your managers) can’t convert a good percentage of your leads, your facility will struggle.
We reached out to Carol Mixon of SkilCheck Services and Kevin Mullis of Flying Storage Group to help us put together Sales 101 for Self Storage Managers! Their expert advice will help you improve your conversion rate and will make sales less stressful.
Sales doesn’t have to be scary. With a good plan, the right attitude, and plenty of practice, any manager can become a sales expert! Download Sales 101 for Self Storage Managers to get started.
It's tough to compete against bigger competition, so you need to find ways to set yourself apart. Getting back to the basics of grassroots marketing and focusing on what resonates in your local community can make you stand out from the REITs! Join us as we explored tips and tricks for marketing like a local.
Featured Speakers: Stacie Maxwell
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Marketing
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: February 29, 2024
Duration: 1:42:22
Sales calls come naturally to some people - but for the rest of us, they can be intimidating!
We’ve put together a fully customizable sales call script so you don’t have to go into the call unarmed. This simple script gives you something to reach for if you get lost in the conversation while giving you room to improvise and generate a real connection with your customer.
To build this lead follow-up script, we got in touch with real storage experts and asked them what they do to touch base with their leads! They helped us build this simple, quick, one-page download that gives you a starting point for all your sales calls.
Our script has different sections, reminders for questions you may want to ask, and recordkeeping spots so you can ensure you don’t miss anything. Click here to download our Sales Call Script!
The market feels anything but predictable in 2024. What economic trends are on the horizon? How are various markets and regions performing? How will all of this affect the industry? We dug deep into national and regional trends and looked at prices, occupancies, and construction pipeline to help you plan for the rest of 2024.
Featured Speakers: John Chang
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Economic Trends
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Investors
Aired: January 25, 2024
Duration: 1:17:56
SEO is always evolving. In 2023 alone, Google pushed hundreds of updates to their algorithm - most of which don't matter for storage at all!
If you're looking to stay on top of your SEO game without spending days reading algorithm updates, we're here for you.
In our 6 SEO Trends for 2024, our SEO experts combed through all the 2023 changes and highlighted which trends actually matter for storage operators! For SGE, keyword strategy, and more, download our guide to the latest SEO trends.
Lessons and insights from our favorite self storage experts. At the end of each year, we like to invite some of our favorite experts to share their lessons and insights from the year and what they're dreaming up for 2024.
Featured Speakers: Jane Sauls, Nick Newcomb, & Ginny Sutton
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations, Marketing, & Trends
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: December 14, 2023
Duration: 1:17:45
So much business success comes down to the daily choices you and your team make. What do you prioritize? What's working? What needs to be better? In this part 2, we once again took a magnifying glass to the small tasks that make up managers' and operators' days to show how you can make them better.
Featured Speakers: Denise Bowley & Kevin Mullis
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: December 7, 2023
Duration: 1:20:05
Your Google Business Profile is one of your most important digital marketing assets. This one-page guide will help you set up your storage facility's Google Business Profile in just a few minutes. We. cover what you should do to prepare for starting your profile, how to actually set it up, and tips for getting your profile verified. You'll even learn some ways you can optimize your profile for the best results.
If you want a short and sweet guide to Google Business Profiles for self storage, you're in the right place!
A secure facility is one of the major benefits you can offer a tenant. Gates, cameras, lights, smart units - there is plenty of hardware and software to choose. In this session, we tackled the tools and technology as well as the processes and practices that operators are using to keep their facilities secure.
Featured Speakers: Scott Underbrink, Kristin Hesse & Jim Comeaux
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: November 16, 2023
Duration: 1:14:35
Even with more and more technology, your facility is still physical. Maintenance, cleaning, repairs, and upgrades - how do you keep up with it all? From fences and doors to roofs and hardware, our guest experts joined us to share their insights and best practices on the nuts and bolts of keeping a facility running smoothly and looking good.
Featured Speakers: Jackie Belau & Nigel Kreft
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners, Operators, and Managers
Aired: November 1, 2023
Duration: 1:06:20
Your Google Business Profile is one of your most important digital marketing assets. Learn what a Google Business Profile is, how to set one up from scratch, and how to take its optimization to 150%. We'll also cover the Google Search Engine Results Page, how it works, and why your GBP is your secret weapon to beat the competition - even the really big competition.
Whether you're brand new to the world of Google Business Profiles or you're looking to see where you're missing opportunities to rank high, we'll get you up to speed and ready to start winning leads.
There's a lot to keep up with in storage, but the legal side can be the scariest. Lien laws, auctions, problem tenants? There's a lot you have to keep in mind. In this session, we reviewed the latest state legal updates and discussed the trickiest legal sticking points of storage.
Featured Speakers: Joe Doherty
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Legal
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: October 26, 2023
Duration: 1:12:31
From move-ins and occupancy to conversion rates and marketing channels, your business produces a lot of data. It's hard to know what numbers to keep track of and, even more importantly, how those reports turn into actionable strategies. Join us as we break down the numbers behind every facility!
Featured Speakers: Alyssa Quill, Cherolyn Johnson Chiang, & Jeremy Rollwitz
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: September 21, 2023
Duration: 1:13:11
Your Team is the backbone of your operations - finding top talent, training them, and helping them grow is key to any healthy storage business. In this session, we explored the ins and outs of helping your team succeed and stay in sync with your business goals.
Featured Speakers: Sue Haviland & Terry Campbell
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: August 24, 2023
Duration: 1:05:01
Businesses make great self storage customers! They rent large self storage units, rent for longer, and even rent more units at a time. A single business customer can be worth five or even ten residential customers over their rental lifetime.
But businesses have different priorities than residential renters. They may be storing stuff they just don’t have room for - or they could be storing items necessary for their business to operate!
Commercial storage renters are going to choose self storage facilities that understand and cater to their unique needs. Businesses need to store inventory.
Dive into our List of top Commercial Storage Amenities to learn what your business renters need.
Even with more and more technology, your facility is still physical. Maintenance, cleaning, repairs, and upgrades - how do you keep up with it all? From fences and doors to roofs and hardware, join our experts as they share their insights and best practices on the nuts and bolts of running facilities.
Featured Speakers: Jackie Belau & Nigel Kreft
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: July 27, 2023
Duration: 1:11:47
Maybe you don’t know a ton about the self storage industry. Or maybe you’re a storage pro who is brand new to investing! You’ve worked hard to get the chance to invest, but the wrong choices could shrink your money instead of growing it.
In this Beginner’s Guide to Self Storage Investing, we’ll go over everything you need to know to get started investing in self storage, whether you’re growing from one facility or stepping into the industry for the first time.
So much business success comes down to the daily choices you and your team make. What do you prioritize? What's working? What needs to be better? In this session, we'll take a magnifying glass to small tasks that make up managers' and operators' days and see how you can make them better.
Featured Speakers: Denise Bowley & Kevin Mullis
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners, Operators, & Managers
Aired: June 29, 2023
Duration: 1:21:54
What technology is next for storage? What new tech are operators using? More than anything technology should help us run our businesses better and help our customers more! From hardware to software, we'll dive into the latest trends in storage technology, learn how operators are implementing new technology, and hear what's on the horizon in storage tech.
Featured Speakers: Chuck Gordon & Raheem Amer
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations & Technology
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: May 25, 2023
Duration: 1:30:33
Whether you've just bought or you've owned for a decade, there are always ways to improve your business. But what does it look like to give your business an overhaul? From branding to operations, from technology to HR, we heard from some savvy owners about how they are revitalizing their businesses.
Featured Speakers: Adam Steckler & Drew Pearson
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: April 27, 2023
Duration: 1:17:30
It’s critical to stay on top of market trends. But when you’re busy running your self storage business, how much time do you have to perform extensive market research?
Your customers are constantly changing, and that means the way you view your business might need to change, too. Good research has frequently blown previously well-established industry knowledge out of the water.
What amenities matter to storage customers? Is the desktop versus mobile battle finally coming to a close? What else is there to know? In this eBook, we'll dive into the SSA's 2023 Demand Study and our own internal data to call out trends and expectations we're seeing from self storage customers in 2023.
"We've had it easy," is the sentiment from most seasoned operators. The last couple of years saw a flood of new storage customers and unprecedented growth for many. But what does your storage business look like when the industry cools off or when the competition has moved to town? In this session, our experts talked about where storage marketing is today, the foundational tools every operator needs, and which traditional tactics operators are reaching for again.
Featured Speakers: Stacie Maxwell & Heather McCombs
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Josh Huff
Category: Marketing
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: March 30, 2023
Duration: 1:15:45
Like many industries, self storage is modernizing – and so are our customers. Yes, demographics continue to shift, but regardless of age, modern consumers are experiencing amenities in other industries that affect their expectations of self storage.
As we settle into 2023, the market feels anything but predictable. How are different markets performing? What economic trends are on the horizon? How will this affect storage? Join us as we dive deep into national and regional trends, looking at storage prices, occupancies, and construction pipeline to make sense of storage in 2023.
Featured Speakers: John Chang
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Owning & Investing
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: February 23, 2023
Duration: 1:10:05
Search Engine Optimization gets your business in front of potential customers, but talking to Google’s bots can be tricky.
What keywords should I target? Do I need to worry about Voice Search? Are Pay-Per-Click ads worth the money? Why isn’t my business on the front page of Google?
In this guide, we’ll pull back the curtain and show what aspects of SEO you really need and which aren’t worth your time. Whether you’re just getting your website off the ground or you’re trying to finetune your ad placements, this guide can help you turn your web presence into rentals!
Marketing is a key ingredient of any successful self storage facility, but it can be overwhelming.
How are new customers searching for self storage? What are they looking for from the facilities they consider? And, most importantly, what do you, as an operator, need to be doing to get your business in front of more potential tenants?
In this eBook Guide, we breakdown all the self storage marketing tools you need – from digital to physical, from your website to Google. Whether you're brand new to the industry or you're a seasoned pro, this eBook is full of important self storage marketing information, guidelines, and best practices.
Lessons and insights from our favorite self storage experts. At the end of each year, we like to invite some of our favorite experts to share their lessons and insights from the year and what they're dreaming up for 2023.
Featured Speakers: Chad Lundberg, Jane Sauls, Nick Newcomb, Stephanie Tharpe, & Sue Haviland
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: December 8, 2022
Duration: 1:02:57
You've done all the work of getting a potential customer on your radar. What do you do now? Having good communication, follow-up, and sales training is crucial for your team. Join us as we talk about the best ways to follow up with your leads and communicate with your customers.
Featured Speakers: Carol Mixon-Krendl & Hailey Teal
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: November 3, 2022
Duration: 1:05:47
From operations to marketing to team processes, there are plenty of lessons that large, multi-location storage businesses have to teach us. Whether you're a fellow large operator looking to improve or a small operator looking to level up, we dive into how these big brands are making it happen.
Featured Speakers: Guy Middlebrooks & Darren Kelley
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Large Operators
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: October 20, 2022
Duration: 1:10:53
From the costs to customer expectations, running a facility focused on storing boats, RVs, and other vehicles is very different from running a traditional self storage facility full of storage units. There's a lot to know to set yourself up for success. Whether you're new to storage entirely or you're a seasoned storage veteran trying to add vehicle storage to your portfolio, this Gabfocus session features experts and veterans in the field that can give you the perspective you need!
Featured Speakers: Terry Anderson, Barry Raber, & Greg Ellsworth
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Boat & RV
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: September 29, 2022
Duration: 1:08:51
Marketing is a crazy world, and there are tons of ideas about what works and what doesn't. This goes double for online marketing. The problem is that not every marketing strategy works for every industry or even every business in a given industry. Plenty of marketers who don't know the industry try to apply strategies that work in other industries but don't quite fit the landscape of self storage. Check out this Gabfocus to hear from marketing professionals that actually work inside the self storage industry!
Featured Speakers: Tommy Nguyen & Grace Totty
Moderators: Melissa Huff
Category: Marketing
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: August 25, 2022
Duration: 1:19:18
Self storage software promises left and right to make running your business easier. New customers will flood in. Billing will automate. Reports will make expanding your business a breeze. Is that how your software experience has been so far?
Plenty of independent self storage operators view their property management software as a necessary evil. That’s got to change if you want to remain competitive in a rapidly changing self storage market. Self storage software should help you work smarter, not harder.
Unless you're buying an existing facility with no plans for updates or expansions, then getting into the industry means some amount of construction. This is especially true for completely new builds. Thankfully, our expert panelists have the experienced take you're looking for when it comes to self storage construction. Listen in and learn about hurdles you'll face, timelines, and how important it is to choose the right team.
Featured Speakers: Nigel Kreft & Jeremy Rollwitz
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Construction
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: July 28, 2022
Duration: 1:27:17
Learn about accounting and revenue management in self storage, how to prepare for a recession, and a little bit about tax time. Without proper financial management, you can easily find yourself digging your business into a hole. See what our expert panelists have to say about keeping track of and even improving your self storage business's finances.
Featured Speakers: Magen Smith & Alex Erbs
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Finances
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: June 23, 2022
Duration: 1:14:21
Keeping your facility and your customers' belongings safe is one of your highest priorities. But, there are a lot of security features to choose from. Let's explore the range of security options, what matters most to customers, and what the future of self storage security looks like.
Featured Speakers: Kristi Adams, Kevin Alvarado, & Hayden Buettner
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: May 26, 2022
Duration: 1:15:36
The self storage market is hot! But how do you know where you and your facility, or potential facility fit into the market? In this GabFocus session, our experts provide insight on buying, selling, and even adding value to your facility as it is.
Featured Speakers: Kris Bennett, Jane Sauls, & Matt VanHorn
Moderator: Tommy Nguyen
Category: Development
Focus: Owners & Investors
Aired: April 8, 2022
Duration: 1:24:06
Your PMS is the hub of your self storage business. How do you know which features matter most for your facility? We'll explore the different PMS systems, what they do best, and how operators are using them to run their facilities.
Featured Speakers: Steven Jeffers, Brian Ward, & Erika Weidman
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations & Technology
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: March 24, 2022
Duration: 1:19:38
Self storage isn't slowing down! Find out what's on the horizon for 2022 and what that means for self storage owners and operators.
Automation doesn't always mean unmanned. From leasing to access control to communication, there are facilities implementing technology and automation across their business in all sorts of different ways. Find out how operators are navigating a modern world when they're adding automation, and when they're not.
Featured Speakers: AJ Osborne, Mason Levy, & Josh Parker
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations & Technology
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: February 24, 2022
Duration: 1:11:32
2021 has just about come to a close. We took a chance to catch up with some familiar faces, wrap up the year with some final thoughts, and to talk about what waits ahead in 2022!
Featured Speakers: Alonna Ross, Jim Mooney, Stephanie Winfree, Chad Lundberg, & Grace Totty
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners & Operators
Aired: December 16, 2021
Duration: 1:18:24
When it comes to marketing your self storage facility, there’s a lot to keep up with! Here are some of the top mistakes owners and operators make (and how to avoid them).
Hiring and hanging onto the right team is harder than ever. In this Gabfocus Session, we dive into how our experts find, hire, train, and retain the right people for the job.
Featured Speakers: Kraig Haviland & Sue Haviland
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners
Aired: December 2, 2021
Duration: 1:08:34
Technology should make your life easier, not harder, right? In this Session, we'll hear which tools and technology owners and operators are using to improve their processes, run their facilities, and grow their businesses.
Featured Speakers: Chad Lundberg & Victor Diaz
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners
Aired: October 21, 2021
Duration: 1:13:55
Every choice a customer has along their decision-making process is an opportunity to win them over or lose them.
For modern customers, their searching and buying experience with other brands and in other industries is getting easier and more intuitive all around them. Whether they realize it or not, they expect the same frictionless journey with self storage too.
Like any kind of process, the customer journey has distinct stages. To really grow your self storage business means to understand and improve your customers’ journey.
Here in 2021, your website and digital marketing choices are key to a successful modern self storage facility. But, what should you actually be doing? In this Session, we'll get practical and specific about the marketing tools and strategies every self storage facility should have in place.
Featured Speakers: Ken Turley & Josh Huff
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing
Focus: Owners & Managers
Aired: September 16, 2021
Duration: 1:11:51
Want to take your self storage business from one to two? What about five to ten? Growing means all kinds of new challenges and opportunities. In this Session, we'll hear from real owners and operators who have taken these leaps and what they've learned along the way.
Featured Speakers: Alan Lindsey & Jane Sauls
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Investors
Aired: August 12, 2021
Duration: 1:08:44
Coming into self storage fresh? We're here to help! There's a lot to learn, but we'll highlight the important parts of the industry, running a facility, and the most common challenges for new owners. AND, we were joined by Lindsey Self Storage's John Lindsey as he shares insights from the industry and his new book, The Sexy Side of Self-Storage: an Insider's Guide to a Necessary Commodity.
Featured Speakers: John C. Lindsey & Adam Armstrong
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners & Investors
Aired: July 8, 2021
Duration: 1:13:14
Running a self storage facility isn't easy! There's a lot to learn, and the true self storage pros never stop improving.
Part of what makes a successful facility is having good processes and resources for every occasion! We asked some of our Pug Pack to share the checklists, templates, letters, and resources they use to keep their facility running smoothly and their teams organized.
As a self storage manager, you're juggling a lot of responsibilities - customer service, marketing, sales, operations, and everything else. What does it mean to be a successful manager? In this Session, we'll discuss ways you can grow, how to handle common manager problems, and processes you can implement to make your life easier.
Featured Speakers: Mark Skrzypczak and Terri Wood
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Managers
Aired: June 17, 2021
Duration: 1:25:03
So, you have a tenant who can't or won't pay. What now? In this Session, we get expert insight on how to stop units from expiring, how to handle auctions when they do, and how to navigate your state's lien laws.
Featured Speakers: Alonna Ross and Brian Wofford
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: May 27, 2021
Duration: 1:16:16
As a self storage owner or operator, you want to do everything you can to grow your facility’s profitability, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to focus on.
Whether you’re trying to improve your cap rate or you just don’t want to leave money on the table, here are 7 ways to get even more out of your facility.
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Like any business, managing revenue for your self storage facility is essential and challenging. In this Session, we'll hear from our experts about leasing up, how they handle rate increases, what expenses they look out for, and so much more!
Featured Speakers: Grace Totty & Nick Newcomb
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: April 15, 2021
Duration: 1:23:18
As a self-storage operator, getting and keeping customers is probably what keeps you up at night. If you want to keep your facility full and your tenants happy, you need to understand how your customer makes decisions. You need to put yourself in their shoes.
Featured Speakers: Rick Beal & Magen Smith
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 18, 2021
Duration: 1:07:33
Whether there's a big REIT in town or your market is feeling a little crowded, dealing with competition is tough. How do you set yourself apart? How do you make sure new customers are choosing you without dropping your prices? In this Session, we talk about strategies and tools you can use to stay competitive - no matter your market.
Featured Speakers: Stephanie Winfree & Jim Ross
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: February 18, 2021
Duration: 1:08:15
Learn how to convert your web traffic into paying tenants!
The Importance of a Responsive Self Storage Website. Furthermore, 89% of people are likely to recommend a brand after a positive brand experience on mobile.
Payments: The first and most important step you can take that will maximize results by turning website traffic into tenants, is taking your storage facility online.
2020 has been a wild year, but Gabfocus has been a huge highlight! This one was a little different. Instead of having our speakers focus on one topic, we brought in as many experts as we could to share what they've learned this year and some good news from the industry.
Featured Speakers: Stephanie Tharpe, Jim Mooney, Denise Bowley, & Scott Zucker
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: December 10, 2020
Duration: 1:06:47
Our amazing hosts, Tommy Nguyen and Melissa Huff, have been guiding us through Gabfocus Sessions all year, so we thought it's time we hear from them! We brought in special guest hosts, Chad Lundberg and Alonna Ross, to turn the tables and make Tommy and Melissa share their expertise on Marketing, Operations, and all things storage.
Featured Speakers: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Moderators: Alonna Ross & Chad Lundberg
Category: Marketing & Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: November 19, 2020
Duration: 1:08:59
Technology is always changing. And, if we've learned anything, it's that it's better to be ahead of the trends than behind them. So, what's happening now? what's on the horizon? Join us as we discuss the latest and greatest tech and tools self storage facilities are using to keep their units rented, their customers happy, and their operations running smoothly.
Featured Speakers: Phil Murphy
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: November 5, 2020
Duration: 1:00:01
So, you're a new self storage owner. Now what? Lucky for you, there are plenty of resources to help! Hear from storage veterans what problems to expect and how to handle them like a pro.
Featured Speakers: Denise Bowley & Jane Sauls
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: October 22, 2020
Duration: 1:05:58
Knowing what to charge is one of the core decisions a facility has to make. How do you find the sweet spot? More and more facilities are trying out value-based pricing. In this Session, we dig deeper into the challenges around pricing, how value pricing works, and how it can be implemented into your facility.
Featured Speakers: Warren Lieberman & Jim Mooney
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: October 8th, 2020
Duration: 1:05:58
Whether you’re a new owner or you’ve had your facility for years, keeping track of your digital assets is key.
Nothing is worse than spending time finding photos or having to recreate designs you already paid for. Going through this checklist is a great way to make sure your digital assets are right where they need to be!
Since laws and legal best practices are constantly shifting, we're getting an update from our storage legal experts. Where do things stand? Are there any COVID-related updates storage owners or facilities need to know about? Are there any legal changes that have happened in the last few months that affect the storage industry? Join us for an update!
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Joe Doherty
Category: Legal
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: September 24th, 2020
Duration: 1:03:50
This Session, we hold our first Open Q&A - a full hour of attendee questions, discussion, and surprise guest experts. We cover everything from referral programs to avoiding auctions, from self storage associations to third part management. Check it out to hear what your self storage colleagues are thinking about!
Featured Speakers: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Marketing
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: September 10th, 2020
Duration: 1:09:49
In this session, Pete Whittingslow and Alonna Ross from StorageAuctions.com break down the ins and outs of switching your auctions from in-person to online, dealing with lien sales amidst COVID-19, and best practices for getting your units sold online.
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Alonna Ross & Pete Whittingslow
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: August 27th, 2020
Duration: 1:09:12
In this session, Stephanie Tharpe and Sue Haviland discuss how your management team is the front line of every facility. They tackle topics like manager training, evaluating performance, and how to create avenues of growth and motivation for a healthy, prospering storage facility.
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Stephanie Tharpe and Sue Haviland
Category: Self Storage
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: August 6th, 2020
Duration: 1:05:12
We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is especially true for modern marketing websites, Google My Business Listings, and social media.
Learn how photos and videos can support your marketing efforts and drive more rentals!
In this session, Bob Vamvas and Tommy Pug break down how to stay ahead of competition and the keys to differentiate yourself from the facility down the road. Panelists also discuss value-based pricing, important metrics to track sales, and how to keep your managers motivated.
Moderators: Melissa Huff
Featured Speakers: Bob Vamvas and Tommy Pug
Category: Self Storage
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: July 24, 2020
Duration: 1:05:12
There are so many tools and resources out there to choose from!
That's why we asked self storage experts for their favorites.
From survey software to SEO dashboards, these tools and resources cover the spectrum, and we hope they're useful to you and your team.
In this session, Cindy Ashby and Melissa Huff break down the fundamentals that every self storage manager should know. Panelists also discuss roles and responsibilities managers should possess, tenant relations, employee growth, and best practices to take ownership and set obtainable goals.
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Cindy Ashby and Melissa Huff
Category: Self Storage
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: July 16, 2020
Duration: 1:12:07
In this session, our panelists break down their favorite self storage tools they use for budgeting, training their managers, customer surveys, social media tools, competitor insights, call centers, customer text messaging, online visibility, and more! Whether you are a manager of a facility or opening one for the first time, Denise and Jess offer tools you can use to take your facility to the next level.
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen and Melissa Huff
Featured Speakers: Denise Bowley and Jess Casto
Category: Self Storage
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: June 25, 2020
Duration: 1:12:42
In this Session, John and Stacey break down the economic shift in the 2008/2009 financial crisis versus the current global health crisis. They discuss the current bidding landscape for self storage investors and why it’s still a great time to buy, as well as looking into self storage trends across the map.
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen and Melissa Huff
Featured Speakers: John Chang and Stacey Gorman
Category: Real Estate
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: June 18, 2020
Duration: 1:03:15
Our legal experts break down how to navigate the CARES Act, PPP funding, evictions, lien sales, and employee liabilities as an operator during COVID-19. Panelists share best practices for understanding each state's legal restrictions and regulations dealing with tenants as well as the benefits of e-signature for rental agreements.
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Scott Zucker and Melissa Huff
Category: Legal
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: June 4, 2020
Duration: 1:16:12
What is your True Demand at your facilities? This session dives into all facets of your self-storage facility’s demand, an essential component for any facility owner and manager to increasing profits and valuation of your current facility in any economic environment.
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Phil Murphy, Eric Thordsen, Paul Darden
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: May 28, 2020
Duration: 1:03:23
What are the major expenses of running a facility? How do you know what parts of your business to adjust? How do you best monitor your revenue? Check out this Gabfocus Session to hear how self storage experts and operators keep track of their bottom lines.
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Peter Spickenagel, Jim Mooney, James Appleton, Jim Ferguson, Denise Bowley, Scott Worden, Bob Vamvas
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: May 14, 2020
Duration: 1:12:05
What kind of impression do you leave on your customers? What’s it like renting from you? What makes them stay and what makes them leave? Check out this Gabfocus Session to hear how other self storage owners and operators focus on their customers.
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Jim Mooney, Sue Haviland, Jess Casto, Phil Murphy
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: May 7, 2020
Duration: 1:33:00
What are best practices to convert leads into paying customers? How do you keep track? What are the best tools? Check out this Gabfocus Session to hear how other self storage owners and experts are keeping their facilities full.
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Stephanie Tharpe, Chad Lundberg, Scott Worden, Holly Fiorello
Category: Marketing & Technology
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: April 30, 2020
Duration: 1:20:28
What are cost-effective ways to advertise online, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic? What tools are available to get more reviews? Should I use social media? Our panelists dive into the world of Google and share best practices for facilities large and small.
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Jennifer Perkins, Chad Lundberg, Jess Casto, Christina Alvino
Category: Marketing
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: April 23, 2020
Duration: 1:26:06
In this panel, Corey Ward, MSSSOA President, Meagan McCandless, MSSSOA Executive Director, and Joe Doherty, SVP, Chief Legal & Legislative Officer for the Self Storage Association discuss the latest lien law updates for Mississippi.
Featured Speakers: Corey Ward, Meagan McCandless, & Joe Doherty
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen
Category: State Associations
Focus: Lien Laws
Aired: February 24, 2021
Duration: 54:23
Watch SSASC's Winter Quarterly Meeting as StoragePug's Tommy Nguyen discusses the Top 5 technologies owners and operators are using in 2021!
Featured Speaker: Tommy Nguyen
Category: State Associations
Focus: Technology
Aired: February 25, 2021
Duration: 54:27
Inside Scoop with Janus International
In this SSAM virtual event, we discuss the following tips and tricks for identifying potential conversion opportunities.
Featured Speakers: Theresea Gallus
Moderators: Tommy Nguyen
Category: State Associations
Focus: Investing
Aired: March 3, 2021
Duration: 59:11
Are you offering No Contract Rentals? What about online payments? Come see what tools and integrations are out there to boost your efficiency and revenue while maintaining the safety of your team and customers.
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Stephanie Tharpe, Jim Ferguson, Jane Sauls, Phil Murphy, Scott Worden, Bob Copper
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: April 16, 2020
Duration: 1:16:01
Meet your hosts, panelists, and emcee. Get ready for an awesome time.
You can relive the entire, all-day event. Watch from anywhere at any time.
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 8:54
Tips to hire and train good people and the benefit of hiring right the 1st time!
Pros: Jim Mooney Jr and Bob Cooper
Peer: Stephanie Tharpe
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 31:08
Pros: Cindy Ashby, Jim Ross, and Denise Bowley
Peers: Ben Hendricks and Jason Lee
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 29:16
Pros: Pete Whittingslow and Alonna Ross
Peers: Stephanie Tharpe and Bob Vamvas
Category: Marketing and Technology
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 31:10
Self Storage Legal Expert, Jeff Greenberger, discusses topics such as photo ids, chip readers for self storage, and online auctions. Special guest Damon Emerson (Storable.com) joins to share his experience with tenant insurance and protection plans.
Pros: Jeffrey Greenberger
Peers: Stephanie Tharpe
Category: Legal
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 32:07
Pros: Tommy Nguyen, Scott Worden, Holly Fiorello
Peers: Chad Lundberg, Matt Clark
Category: Marketing and Technology
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 28:33
Pros: Jim Mooney and Cindy Ashby
Peers: Jess Casto and Phil Murphy
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 29:48
Pros: Lisa Maloney
Peers: Bob Copper
Category: Operations and Development
Focus: Owners
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 32:43
Pros: Cory Sylvester, Anne Williams
Peers: John Lindsey
Category: Operations and Development
Focus: Owners
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 30:28
