Creating Wealth Through Self Storage

When I first entered the self-storage business, “marketing” was all about how big a Yellow Pages ad you could afford. It was nothing to spend $25,000 to $50,000 a year on a half-page Yellow Pages display ad. Times have changed. Let me share with you the five key strategies I see to get on top of today to win the game of self-storage marketing. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://T...

I am sitting here in the last quarter of the year in 2024. As I look into the future, there are some really exciting aspects of our business, and there are some real risks. I am planning out my next few years for myself as well as working on what I can tell people I coach and work with. As I started writing down my thoughts to make them coherent, I realized this was an episode. Let me share with y...

I’ve made many mistakes in my self-storage career, but one of the biggest came early on when I purchased an existing facility that included a record storage business. Let me share what it is so you don’t do the same thing. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-thr...

Let’s talk about algorithmic self-storage pricing strategies used by many in the industry today again. I also want to share a warning about pricing strategies in the aftermath of some natural disasters like Hurricane Milton or the most recent hurricane, Helene. This could keep you out of “hot water.” **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple P...

Congratulations. You now own at least one self-storage facility. In the old days, we would just set up shop, get our operating system up and running, and turn on the lights. Those days are long gone. Let’s look at a way to run a competitor analysis so you can position your facility to win today. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcas...

Although I did not attend the most recent Self Storage Association convention in Las Vegas, I have been studying many of the sessions that occurred there. One thing I found very interesting was the presentation that showed the results of StorageMart’s Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of Net Operating Income over the past five years using the data from 75 stores. Let me share my takeaways from th...

Let’s talk about self-storage, technology, robots at storage facilities, and why in the world I ever made this episode. Hope you enjoy. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs we measure** https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.lpage...

We are going to discuss self-storage brand loyalty, self-storage revenue management, and customer value. And we are going to start with Netflix. It might not make sense now, but it will. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs we measu...

If you took a loan or purchased your self-storage facility around 2018 and it is time to refinance, you better understand where you will stand with a bank. I suggest doing this before calling a lender. Let me share the exercise I go through to develop my strategy BEFORE reaching out to lenders. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcast...

In the self-storage world, there is a lot of momentum towards fully automated facilities, no matter the project size. I am not here to say that is the wrong direction. I even am involved in one myself as a partner. But today, let me talk about a reason to consider the more traditional approach to self-storage management using trained managers. AND ITS NOT FOR THE REASONS YOU MAY THINK. **Online Co...

It seems like once a year or so, I get on a soap box and rail about sq. ft. per capita as the main measurement for self-storage supply demand calculations. This may be my last, because now is the time to rid ourselves of this benchmark as the main measurement because it more often than not, gives false data that has us owners make bad decisions. Let me share my experience over the last year or so...

I was thinking the other day, asking myself the question, “If I could only do one more type of self-storage deal, what would it be?” The answer was right there…instantly. It was…. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-through-self-storage/id1588425875 **5 KPIs we measure** ht...

Perhaps one of the best advantages of self-storage is the very few ongoing capital expenditures that are required. It is one of the main reasons I was initially attracted to this asset class. However, how does one plan for the capital expenses a project will have, and how much are they? Let’s discuss how I do it. Our goal is to never use operating cash flow to pay a capital expense. **Online Cours...

As many of you know, I helped start a small construction company in order to Resolve a problem I was having, construction cost being extremely high today. So far, we have been able to bring in projects 15% to 27% less than previous bids we received. We are also working for other small owners and developers as a third-party owner’s representative and/or general contractor helping them bring t...

I have said recently that it really takes something to buy self-storage or create a storage opportunity today. Usually it takes a lot of work. Yet, today, even with all of this being true for me, I am optimistic about the upcoming year. Why? Let me tell you why. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us...

Often, we deal directly with a seller when buying self-storage. Or often, with listed property, we see a shiny OM (offering memorandum) and everything looks great. Then we see the other due diligence documents, and the facility can lose some of its luster. I have often stated that I could look at a random daily “Management Report” and get a lot of information I need to generate an offer or start n...

The cost of capital is high today to do a Self-Storage or Boat & RV development today. Let’s look at a creative way to reduce this cost of capital and perhaps solve another problem for us smaller developers if we are using other people’s money and/or syndicating a deal today. Let me know your thoughts and other methods you may have used. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://The...

So, is the decade-long self-storage party over? Is self-storage still a good place for small investors to go in search of their dreams and goals? I’ll share what I think after contemplating the data from the big players after Q1-2024. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-thr...

Smitty is my partner in a self-storage company designed to take the small investor through the entitlement process for self-storage projects in an affordable way and then bid on the construction of the project in a competitive environment, ensuring clients get the best value possible. We feel this is a powerful way, in today’s high-cost environment, to give smaller players a competitive edge and h...

Self-Storage tends to attract lone wolves who want the freedom and independence this business can offer. But here’s the deal: no one can be successful by themselves. It takes a village. Or a team, in this case. Let’s discuss the basics of who I think are the players on your self-storage team if you are creating a self-storage project. I have the privilege of scaling a new company (Resolve) with a...

I had a few ah-ha moments at the recent Inside Self-Storage Convention (ISS) a few weeks ago. One of them was about the future of Boat & RV developments as a niche in the storage space. I heard a statistic that I’ve heard a few times before, but this time, something happened. I had a revelation and could see it all. Let me share it with you. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** h...

As many of you know, I attended the Inside Self Storage (ISS) Convention two weeks ago in Las Vegas. Not everyone could go, so here are a few takeaways in no particular order. In some future episodes, I will cover others in more detail. However, here are some higher view on some broader aspects of the self-storage space. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com...

Let’s talk about the physics of self-storage today. I finally figured out that REITs must have physicists on their payroll. Let’s look at how we can apply laws of physics, at both the Newtonian level and the Quantum level to our storage business. Enjoy. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...

Over the years, I have worked with many people who need to “raise investment money” from “investors.” I have seen many not succeed. I struggled some when I first got started, as well. Let me share the big reasons I see investors fail. **Online Courses at The Quickstart Academy** https://TheQuickStartAcademy.com/ **Listen on Apple Podcasts** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-wealth-thr...

There are two main organizations that put on seminars in the self-storage space in the US. One is the Self-Storage Association (SSA), and the other is Inside Self Storage (ISS). I love the SSA; it is a vital organization for self-storage owners. For people new to the storage space and small investors, I find the ISS very helpful. How the conventions are organized, the sessions offered, and what th...