5 Challenges Self-Storage Facility Managers have to deal with
As a self-storage manager, you’re in charge of keeping your buildings in good shape, making sure they run at their best, keeping customers and employees safe, and staying within your budget. To keep your property running at its best, you will have to face a lot of challenges every day. We will give you some tips on how to deal with the most common ones.
Here are 5 areas to focus your attention on if you want to face your challenges before they arise:
Operating Expenses
Cost control is one of the most important tasks for all facility managers. Most businesses ask their workers to consider saving as much money as they can while still focusing on making more money for the business. If you don’t have a good handle on your operating costs, your facility might suffer a loss. Some simple solutions are to do an energy audit, inform your staff to be aware of saving energy, and negotiate with your vendors about prices.
Proper training for employees
As a manager, you don’t just have more work to do; you also have the responsibility of making sure the whole operation runs smoothly. Having good employees is the key to running a business well. Train your staff well so they can do their best work. With a full and thorough training plan, you won’t have to worry about their behavior all the time. You’ll have to put out fewer fires because your staff will be trained to avoid making mistakes. A good manager doesn’t try to control everything their employees do. Instead, give them the tasks they need to do and trust that they can do them.
Site Maintenance
Over time, your building and all of its equipment wear out, which can lead to breakdowns and downtime. Some machinery may need to be replaced in the long run, but a good budget plan for regular maintenance can help it last longer. You can also lower your maintenance costs by doing things like having your HVAC system checked regularly or having it cleaned by a professional. Almost 20% of your energy costs can be caused by machines that are old or not well taken care of. Keep track of accurate accounts and records of maintenance, so that you can find the information you need to figure out when and how to fix or replace your equipment.
Keep up with Marketing
Despite the fact that a well-designed, well-managed storage facility that is situated in a pleasant region will be very appealing to clients, you will still need to implement certain marketing strategies in order to keep up with the consistent flow of clients. To grow the number of customers, it is necessary to carry out successful promotional and sales activities, such as advertisements in the media, signs, or social media brand awareness.
Get more involved in your business
Participating in significant industry events can help you be ready when members of your community ask you for advice or knowledge on self-storage issues. You’ll be prepared for any inquiry or request for an explanation if you do this. You must thus keep up with self-storage market news and do your research. To stay active in the sector while expanding your knowledge base, use the following strategies:
- Participate in a Group
You may join a number of national and regional self-storage organizations to network with other experts in the field. Networking and connecting with other professionals will give you the opportunity to share effective facility management strategies. Social media is at your disposal when looking for these particular groups.
- Engage in trade shows
To broaden your expertise, make sure to consistently go to trade exhibitions, network, and learn more about storage facility marketing data, specialized operations, as well as the latest gadgets and up-to-date technology.
- Examine Your Market
You must research your market to keep up with the times if you want to run a quality self-storage business. Consider doing this by configuring a self-storage-specific Google Alert system, which enables you to get weekly summaries of industry news. To monitor the success of the storage facility business, you may also wish to track the stock price movements of self-storage REITs.
- Practical Tools for convenience
You must get a deeper understanding of the services and goods that is available for your facility, including the hardware and software. There are many different software options, which makes managing the facility simpler and more convenient. For instance, some software companies integrate gate software, insurance providers, and payment information.
- Research the Competition
By visiting their facilities and analyzing their tenant benefits, unit amenities, and customer service, be sure to be aware of your main rivals’ prices. It would be preferable if you continued to keep ahead of the curve by undertaking competitive research to alter your services as needed, even though your top rivals can change over time. If you offer additional facilities or high occupancy rates, you are exempt from having to match their promotions and discounts.
