Creating Wealth Through Self Storage

Two weeks ago I started this series (Episodes 487 and 488). I think it is critical for this year, given what we see in the current self-storage landscape. Effective revenue strategies are going to make the difference between well-performing assets this year and ones that fall behind due to pressures on operating expenses, as well as macro-economic pressures, which were outlined in last week’s epis...

Last week I started this series, Episode 487, which I think is critical for this year given what we see in the current self-storage landscape. Effective revenue strategies are going to make the difference between well-performing assets this year and those that fall behind due to pressures on operating expenses, as well as macro-economic pressures that were outlined in last week’s episode. In this...

In today’s competitive world of self-storage, reducing rates to match or beat your competition can feel like the smart move. There’s a lot of supply, and pricing algorithms are adjusting rates to keep up with what’s happening in a trade area. And consumers often think of self-storage as a commodity, so they’ll just go with the cheapest rate… right? Well, not always. In 2026, powerful revenue strat...

In 1995, I had an Acquisition Director for Storage Trust, a REIT at the time, tell me, “Basically, self-storage is a boring and slow industry. Not many changes.” That is certainly not the case in 2026. This industry is evolving, and evolving at a fast clip. Let me share with you what I see for the small self-storage investor in 2026. I’ll talk about where I see the industry going this year and how...

Here are some details, benefits, and specials about my premier training program, the Self-Storage Bootcamp. Watch this short video to see if this is for you. For more details and to register, please click here. https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/2026-q1-live-virtual-bootcamp/ To schedule a call with me to see if it is right for you, here is the link: https://markhelmcoachingcallsch...

I hesitated to make this video. I don’t want to sound alarmist or like I am trying to scare people. I’ve seen multiple market cycles over the years. But what I believe is approaching now is very different from anything we’ve seen before. Let’s talk about how what I see coming could impact you, your life, and your self-storage business. For information of the Upcoming Bootcamp: Bootcamp https://cre...

I was glad to see Ron Matejko’s article online about the Slate article on self-storage pricing tactics. I read the same article. Ron is an associate editor for Inside Self Storage. Let’s go over what is coming down the pike and how we are addressing it in the upcoming Self Storage Bootcamp in Jan. 2026. **Q1 2026 Virtual Self Storage Bootcamp Sign Up** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorag...

A friend of mine was telling me about an experiment that was conducted in the 1950s using rats the other day. I did some research and was absolutely fascinated by what I learned from it. Let me share it with you and some of the takeaways I think may be applicable to us in the self-storage business. **Self-Storage Turnaround Playbook** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/episode-476-...

Happy Thanksgiving – A Short History **Self-Storage Turnaround Playbook** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/episode-476-four-steps-i-use-to-revive-a-self-storage-facility-non-fb/ **Startup Checklist** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/episode-475-self-storage-startup-checklist-4-steps-owners-miss/ **Cap Rate, ROI & IRR Calculator** https://creatingwealth...

Let me introduce you to Rich Porter. Rich has probably systemized his systems for searching for self-storage opportunities better than anyone I know. He will show you in this episode what he does. He will also share his contact information in the event you want him to do this on your behalf or get on his email list to look at deals he finds. For those of you that want to set your own prospecting s...

One of the best things about owning investment real estate is the tax advantages it offers. Especially self-storage. Let’s discuss some of the benefits today. Given the high cost of construction and the current interest rates, a clear and well-understood tax strategy could be the difference between a go/no-go on certain deals. **Self-Storage Turnaround Playbook** https://creatingwealththroughselfs...

So if you are getting into the self-storage business, or if you have found a deal you are excited about, congratulations. But what if you don’t have enough to fund the down payment? You may be asking, how can I raise money to do this deal? Well, basically, you have two main ways to go: Partners with money Investors with money Let’s explore each of these approaches. **Self-Storage Turnaround Playbo...

When I first got started in the self-storage business, you could realistically get in the game with as little as 10 % to 15% down if you used SBA financing. How much does it take today? What is affecting how much money it takes to get into the self-storage business today? What strategies can we use to help us? Let’s discuss all that and more. **Self-Storage Turnaround Playbook** https://crea...

Every now and then, one can find an existing self-storage facility with a lot of potential upside and be able to negotiate a price that allows you to realize it. But you need to be able to see it when it is there and know what your upside can be to negotiate it correctly. You also need a plan, a step-by-step process to harvest the upside. Let me share with you the four steps I took in one project...

If you are getting into the self-storage business, or restarting in the business, here is a checklist and where I start with the people I work with. My experience is if you start here, your chances of success are much improved. You can also download the checklist below after watching this video. This is a great business, but your success is not guaranteed. This work greatly improves your chances....

There are four basic metrics I think every self-storage owner should be tracking. I track more than these four, but these four, I think, set an owner up to win at owning self-storage. If you are not currently always tracking these to the point you know them off the top of your head, or at least get to them fast, I promise you, there is gold to mine in your facility. Let’s explore them together, an...

Let’s talk about five mistakes see people making getting in the self-storage business today, especially people new to the business. Now I have made every one of them myself, so I will talk from experience. Let’s shorten your learning curve up. Here is a downloadable handout. **Five Mistakes PDF* https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/episode-473-5-mistakes-new-owners-make-in-self-stora...

Even seasoned storage people sometimes get focused on the wrong metric when analyzing self-storage. If you’re new to self-storage, it can be hard to understand all the financial metric slang and acronyms, and what one should really be focused on. Which one matters most? In this episode, we will peel back the facade and make these financial metrics understandable and give you access to using...

Last week we started a conversation about what I’m seeing in the economy, what may be coming next, and how that changes our self-storage strategy, based on research I dug into after hearing Michael Litt speak. As a CCIM in commercial real estate, our state chapter hosted Litt on “The Big Short.” If you remember the 2015 movie by the same name, it dramatized (and abbreviated) what his hedge fund di...

Some dots have connected in my mind recently that are reshaping how I evaluate self-storage trade areas moving forward. Surprisingly, this insight came from digging into the lives and current work of the people who shorted subprime financial instruments during the Great Recession—and what they’re focused on today. I also re-learned an important truth when designing my self-storage and investment s...

Let’s talk about the biggest issue I see today in leasing up new self-storage space is overspending for online marketing that doesn’t produce results. I see it happen far too often and have experienced it myself. Here are the steps, spaces, and things I put my attention on as I work with vendors and/or employees to design and execute a marketing strategy and budget that works. **Online Courses at...

Let’s talk about converting potential self-storage renters into customers. I had this conversation last Friday in our Inner Circle group and thought it may be good to discuss it in more depth in this episode. This is probably the most powerful tool our team has ever used to rent units. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** **5 K...

Let’s talk about the new tax implications for self-storage owners and take a look at the good, the bad, and the potentially ugly parts of the massive tax bill recently signed into law and championed by the current administration, at least from my perspective. I am only going to touch on a few items that I think most directly impact us as self storage owner/operators. I’m doing this because I have...

We are going to have to talk about insurance and self-storage, which may touch on politics. Part of our job as owners and entrepreneurs is to look at what is going on now, extrapolate some data, and then make predictions about the future to some degree so we can make moves today. And in my opinion, it doesn’t look good for insuring self-storage projects. In fact, it looks ugly. So let me ask you a...

Let’s discuss what features, what tech bells and whistles to add to your new facility or one you may be purchasing. I approach this differently than I did a few years ago. Let me explain. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** **5 KPIs we measure** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpages.co/top-5-kpi-ebook/ **My blog** Cr...