A golden opportunity for communication and improvement

By Ann Parham, as seen in Inside Self Storage Magazine

How many times have we been driving around town and seen a “We Sell Boxes and Tape” hanging on a fence in front of a storage facility? This seems to be the most common retail items that we as an industry provide to our customers. It only makes sense that since we are in the storage business that we would provide containers to store stuff. But there is a whole array of possibilities for our industry to provide more than just “boxes and tape”. In an effort to not duplicate the list of great ideas that have previously been presented, here are few different ancillary services.

Boat/RV

Convenience is the key when thinking of extra service to the Boat/RV community. Offering access to water or wash racks, vacuums and propane make your facility more appealing to both boat and RV owners. If your facility is located near salt water, boat owners would definitely use the wash rack. Most RV owners would love to have an electrical outlet nearby and would be willing to pay an additional fee. A dump station on the storage facility would be a great convenience along with access to propane. A word to the wise: offering all of these services may entice people to “take up residency”. A watchful manager would be required to make sure that your facility does not turn into an RV park.

Business Office

More and more people are turning to home based businesses and require storage for their inventory. Many storage facilities are built with mini-offices that are leased on a monthly basis. Another option may be to build a small business office with in your facility that would offer phone, computer systems, Internet access, ATMs and a copier and fax machine. This would allow customers to use the office on an as needed basis and not require them to pay a monthly fee. Offering a notary public service may also be feasible in your area.

Pack and Ship

This service is not necessarily a new idea but can cover a large array of ideas. It can range from simply offering a drop box for UPS or FedEx to selling stamps along with shipping and packing materials. A full service packing and shipping store may require another employee depending on the volume of customers that utilize the service. However, during holidays this would probably bring increased revenue to your store.

Packing/Shipping/Storing

As our population gets older this type of service may become very lucrative. Storage facility owners can contract with a small local moving company to offer a combined service of packing up, loading up and unloading into a storage unit. This may be more appealing than using a large warehouse moving company since most people want to be able to visit their stuff from time to time. Although the service may be offered as a package deal, separate contracts would have to be signed to avoid legal and insurance issues.

Records Storage, Wine Storage, Trucks and Trailers

There are many great articles written about these types of ancillary services. They do require a large start up investment of cash, time and research but can be very profitable if placed in the right location. Charges for records and wine storage are usually by square foot and require specific rental units. Trucks and trailers can also boost your occupancy if you offer a free truck with move in but they do require extra time and effort on the part of your manager. Trucks have to be maintained and at times it seems that they spend more time in the repair shop than at your facility.

Literally thinking outside of the box is the way new services are offered at a storage facility. Researching your market and finding a need that just begs to be fulfilled is your first step. Then you must decide if there is a real return on your investment. Many times we jump into an idea without doing our homework. What works in one area of the county or even our own town may not work at your location. Remember someone had to have that original idea! Why not you!

Ann Parham is the president and founder of Bulverde, Texas-based Joshua Management Corp. Ms. Parham began her career in self-storage more than 20 years ago as the co-owner of NDS Construction. Joshua Management was created through a quest to provide comprehensive customer service to the self-storage industry. The company offers site management, employee training, financial reports, accounting, brokerage and marketing. For more information, call 210.477.1222; visit www.joshuamgmt.com .