Choosing Software to Meet Self-Storage Business Needs

Self-storage software is continually evolving. And because ours is a unique market, it must be specific to the operation of the business. Whether you are new to the industry, shopping for your first program, or seeking to modernize an existing operation, the dynamics of the software world will have an impact on your business sooner or later.

The task can seem daunting. If you do not make a sound buying decision, you may be affected more than once over the next few years as the technology changes.

Begin by identifying what your business needs. Are you simply interested in tracking your store’s revenue? Or would you like to provide your manager with a useful tool to stay organized, print notices and automatically charge late fees? Maybe you’re interested in a more complex program capable of doing a wide variety of useful and time-saving tasks.

Build a list of features that you believe will accomplish how you want your operation to function. Start with the basics. How does the program take care of the day-to-day operations, such as taking payments, move-ins, move-outs, transfers and so forth? All of the bells and whistles in the world will not do you well if the program is cumbersome to navigate, and frequent tasks are not easy to perform.

If more than one person will be using the software, you may want to consider restricting access to certain areas of the program for different personnel. Your relief managers may not need to view financial data, but still be able to access vacancy information to rent spaces. Will you allow staff the ability to adjust rent or deposit amounts? Should your manager be able to change unit numbers and sizes within the software, or reconfigure the cycle schedule for late letters and notices? Settings that are tied to your lease—and state law—should not be easy to change.

Certain packages will accomplish certain functions slightly different than you expect. Do not necessarily rule these out solely for that reason, unless you feel they are crucial. No package will function exactly as you envision. Be aware that software sellers will try to tell you what is important based on what’s contained in their programs. If the software sales representative is telling you it should only function his way, then go find another vendor. What is truly important is how you want to run your business, not how they say you should.

Whatever your needs, it’s important to find the right program for your business and property manager. The needs of the business should take precedence. If you are successful with this match, the manager and software program will complement each other and your operation will be smoother and more profitable.