Creating Wealth Through Self Storage

I have been threatening for months to release my new Fundraising Course. Well… It is ready. I am going to launch it with a live event. 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM Eastern time Friday & Saturday, August 18 & 19,2023. The course/event is called – Fundraising For The Small Self Storage Investor. If you need to use other people’s money to get in or grow your self-storage business, but it seems ov...

Im starting to see the distressed self-storage listings. I said they were most likely coming and I am starting to see a trickle of them, soon to be more. Let me share with you an example of what to look for and then go on a rant. **Fundraising Course Release Notification** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/self-storage-fundraising-course-notification/ **Online Courses at The Quick...

Online marketing has never been more critical than it is today. Especially if you are in lease up. Let me share how I approach it now, and hopefully somone will change my mind. **Fundraising Course Release Notification** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/self-storage-fundraising-course-notification/ **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **L...

A lot has changed since I first dipped my toes into the self-storage waters in 1995. Perhaps the most interesting and-fast paced changes have revolved around tech innovations. Not all tech innovations are right for your facility. Let’s look at innovations and tech upgrades we have used that made a difference. **Fundraising Course Release Notification** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpag...

Are you ready to hear what I think is critical to finding a good self storage site? I might do an episode on my philosophy of life, but this episode is not it. This episode is my philosophy of what makes a good self storage site and the demographic metrics I focus on and why. Some may disagree with this approach, but nonetheless, this is mine. Enjoy. **Fundraising Course Release Notification** htt...

We talk a lot about buying self storage in these episodes. Let’s discuss selling. In this episode, we discuss valuable insights to help you navigate the complex process of selling your self storage facility. There is a real art to this. I’ll cover the current market trends, assessing your facility’s value, implementing effective marketing strategies, and negotiating favorable dea...

There is one big benefit of having been in and around the self storage business for almost 30 years (in other words being old). You learn some lessons you did not and could not have known when you began. Let me share five lessons about self storage operations I have learned. Some of these lessons I learned the hard way. I share these with you in the hopes of shortening your learning curve and help...

If you live in Indiana, did you know the default time for being able to assess a late penalty and deny tenants access to their units has been shortened? Did you know Indiana, the time-period has been shortened between when somone is late and when a lien sale can be initiated? You would if you were a member of the Indiana Self Storage Association or the National Self Storage Association. Let me exp...

I just returned from a two week break from self storage and business I took as I traveled with my wife to Florida. I did no writing, and little real estate and calls. But I did continue my morning practices and realized just how much a certain practice has made a difference in my life and business. Let me share with you something that has had a big impact on my professional and personal life. **On...

Over the last three weeks, we have been discussing an overview of fundraising for small self storage investors getting in the business or growing their business from my perspective. This will be the last in this mini-series. I have organized this large and complicated world of fundraising into three main buckets, syndications, joint ventures, and funds. Today let’s discuss funds and starting a sel...

Over the last two weeks, we have been discussing an overview of fundraising for small self storage investors getting in the business or growing their business. I have organized this large and complicated world of fundraising into three main buckets, syndications, joint ventures, and funds (or private placements). But it does touch on the majority of ways I have seen self storage sponsors put deals...

Last week, I introduced self storage Fundraising 101 and discussed three main types of raising capital for self storage investments. I have organized this large and complicated world of fundraising into three main buckets, syndications, joint ventures, and funds (or private placements). Today, let’s look closer into the world of syndications. This is how I see most small investors do their first s...

As a small investor who raises money for equity in the deals I do and as a self storage coach who helps people get into the self storage business who often have to raise money, I have seen a lot of deals and deal structures. Of all the training I have attempted to systematize and create, “fundraising” has been the most difficult for me to organize and present in a digestible way. The &...

Last week, as a self storage person, not an economist, I shared my ideas on inflation. Inflation is the driver of what is happening to our economy at this moment in time. So if inflation is the train barreling down the tracks, what does the landscape look like, and what is in front of the train self storage wise. Let me share with you my ideas and the moves we are making.

Yes, I am a self storage person interpreting the economic data points and sharing how I see it fitting into our area of interest, self storage. Now depending on which news silo, you get most of your “news” from, you hear vastly different interpretations of economic data. I say it is almost impossible, if not totally impossible, to draw any conclusions about the economy that are not a reflection of...

In the world of self storage, fundraising for self storage, or any other worthwhile endeavors in life, one needs to know what to do, but the most important aspect to success is one’s mindset. One’s thinking. Most people are not present to it, but you’re thinking is actually the filter through which reality is experienced. That is why 80% of your success in fundraising, self storage, or any endeavo...

Last week I introduced the idea that no matter what the industry, or niche in any industry, the more I hang around people who are at the top of their game, the less they discuss tactics and strategies, and the more they discuss the breakthroughs they had in their thinking. Last week I introduced what I consider to be Mindshift Number 1. This week let’s look at Number 2. I am going to introdu...

No matter what the industry, or niche in any industry, the more I hang around people who are at the top of their game, the less they discuss tactics and strategies, and the more they discuss the breakthrough they had in their thinking. When it comes to fundraising for self storage, that is no exception. Let’s discuss the first of three Mindset Shifts I suggest if you want to raise money in the sel...

Do you know you can talk to the person you hire for a self storage feasibility report and ask them to focus on a few additional things before you engage them? At least I do. So far it has worked. Let me share with you some of the things I may ask for. -Online Courses at https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ -Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through...

As I discussed last week, I love doing self storage expansions. But sometimes, as I analyze an expansion, and I run a preliminary analysis figuring how much additional self storage I can get on the excess land and the numbers still don’t work very well. It’s not a deal we want to do. Let me share with you an idea that has made some of them work. -Online Courses at https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/...

Last week I told you I love self storage conversions. I also love self storage expansions. Like conversions, we have made a lot of money for our families, partners, and investors. I have also seen lots of people I coach and train do well with expansions. But I have seen and made some mistakes underwriting expansions. Let me share with you the three biggest mistakes I am seeing  NOW  in regard to u...

I love self storage conversions. They are a lot of fun and very rewarding, but … I have made and seen others make mistakes when doing conversions. Let me share with you three mistakes I have seen numerous times and have made myself. -Online Courses at https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ -Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id158...

2022 Holiday Message From Mark Helm -Online Courses at https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ -Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 -5 KPIs we measure and how we do it: https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/top-5-kpi-ebook/ -My blog: https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.com/ -Facebook: https://www.faceb...

I have written and talked a lot about buying self storage. I figured it was time I wrote about selling self storage and my number one rule for selling a project. Let me tell you and give a couple of examples of what I think is the number one rule for selling a self storage project. -Online Courses at https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ -Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/...

About twice a year, I get on my soap box and pontificate about using sq. ft/per capita as the sole and primary basis for determining self storage supply/demand in a market or trade area. It’s that time of year again. Let me share with you two examples and some other variables that I think effect supply/demand as much as supply in a given trade area or market. -My Training and Coaching at https://T...