Change My Mind

No One Has Ever Done More With a hat.

"Congratulations to Anne Ballard on an illustrious career in self-storage. I was lucky enough to tour the hat closet at her final Christmas party in 2023. As you could imagine, it was an impressive collection! Anne’s willingness to share her wisdom through countless trade show presentations and industry articles is a model that we should all aspire to follow. Sharing best practices with one another makes us all better. Thank you for everything you’ve done for our industry, Anne!"

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It's Not Just About google Anymore.

"Cris Burnam’s presentation at the Fall SSA show got me thinking. While Google is still the big fish in the pond, there are new options emerging to find new customers where they are. Pay attention to how companies market to you, and figure out how you can replicate it for your business. The digital arms race has begun.."

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Self-Storage Data Can Be Better. It's Time For The Software Companies To Get On Board.

"Did you see the reader survey results last month Chuck, Mario, Kat, and other PMS CEOs? Over 85 percent of the readers said the data could be better. More than 55 percent would be willing to anonymously share their data with a trusted intermediary in order to get data back about their markets and the industry. Don’t you think it’s time you gave operators the functionality to make that choice? As the leading data provider in the industry for over 20 years, MSM knows how to get it done; we just need a little help from you. Reach out and let’s get this done."

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Every true crime documentary has a storage facility in it.

"You don’t notice storage facilities until you are in the business” has gone to the next level for me. I watch a lot of true crime docs; it seems like every one has a scene involving a storage facility. Imagine my surprise when my company showed up on Netflix!"

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John Lindsey is the second-best dressed person in the industry.

Business casual has gotten more casual at conferences every year. However, you can always count on John to bring it... Change my mind.

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In 10 Years, there will be 10 brands in self-storage.

You wouldn’t want to open a hotel today and call it “Mom & Pop’s Hotel.” You need to choose a brand.
The same will be true in our industry as well... Change my mind.

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If You Have less than 100 units, you have a hobby, not a facility

What is a storage facility? This is always a tricky definition when trying to count stores. I’d say you’re still in the industry with 100 units,
maybe just getting your feet wet, but anything less than 200 units (maybe 250?) and you don’t have a commercial-grade storage facility.
Change my mind.

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cli·mate /’klīmət/ adj. The weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period. “Our cold, wet climate”

You can control the temperature, you can control the humidity, but you can't control the weather. Weird we chose that adjective. 

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50+% Rent Increases Are Not good For Our Reputation. 

Just because the data says you can, doesn't mean you should. I know why we are doing it, but there has to be a better way. Otherwise we end up with a permanent reputation like used car salesmen or telemarketers. We aren't selling snake oil, why act like it?

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As a group, we are way too cheap. 

I see self storage operators trip over dollars to pick up dimes all the time. I've done it too. Just because something may seem expensive up front, the long-term benefits may often outweigh the initial investment. It's easy to NOT spend money, but it's not always wise. Change my mind!

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Santa Claus Is A Self-Storage Operator. 

He has to be. Where else are you going to keep 8 billion presents before Christmas?
There's definitely a facility at the North Pole. Change my mind!

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Green Is The New Orange. 

It's not just the facility count, but it helps. Cutting-edge, albeit controversial, revenue management practices, adoption of smart technology... Extra Space is the new leader in our industry. #wwexrd?

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Gross Potential Rent is a Myth. 

Lenders ask me all the time about what the gross potential rent of a facility is. I ask them what they want it to be. GPR is a relic carried over from the multifamily world into self storage. Self-storage leases are more fluid than multifamily, so GPR doesn't really mean much, just a picture in time. Change my mind.

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Phoenix Is The Capital of Self-Storage. 

I’m from Arizona, so you could say I’m biased, but in my experience, Phoenix has a dense population of industry vendors, leaders, publications, and operators. More so than anywhere else in the country. This makes Phoenix the capital of self-storage. Change my mind.

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