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
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.
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
There's the right way to set up Google Business Profile and a lot of wrong ways. When potential customers search for self storage, they seeGoogle Business Profile listings before they even see your website. Optimized GBP listings bring more visitors to you and start winning them over even before they get there. More interested visitors mean more units rented!
Learn how to set up your Google Business Profile listing for your self storage facility to maximize exposure, generate leads, and get more customers.
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
Pricing your self storage units correctly is a key ingredient to any healthy, revenue-generating facility.
A difference of $10 for each of your units could mean a difference of thousands of dollars per month and tens of thousands per year. So, how do you determine what your units are actually worth? What should you charge for them?
In this guide, we’ll outline some high-level pricing concepts and strategies, and then we’ll make the case for value-based pricing. In increasingly competitive markets, maintaining economic viability means finding as much value as you can from every unit.
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
Good marketing is a key ingredient of any successful self storage facility.
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 convince them you're the right choice?
In this extensive eBook Guide, we cover 7 major categories of marketing, 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 chock full of important self storage marketing information, guidelines, and best practices.
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
As a manager, your qualities as a business leader and storage expert are what make or break your facility.
You’re making decisions across a range of topics from marketing to sales to HR to maintenance. So, how do you do your best work and how do you get better at it?
We've gathered our Top 10 Podcasts and Books to help self storage managers take their storage expertise and business knowledge to the next level.
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
Moderators: Melissa Huff and Tommy Nguyen
Featured Speakers: Stephanie Tharpe, Sue Haviland, Cindy Ashby, Jim Ross, Denise Bowley, Ben Hendricks, Jason Lee, Jim Mooney
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: April 9, 2020
Duration: 1:12:03
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: Scott Worden, Peter Spickenagel, James Appleton, Jim Ferguson
Peers: Jim Mooney
Category: Operations
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 29:27
Pros: Tommy Nguyen and Christina Alvino
Peers: Jennifer Perkins, Chad Lundberg, and Jess Casto
Category: Marketing and Technology
Focus: Owners and Managers
Aired: March 17, 2020
Duration: 31:07
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
