Poll: Tell Us Which Ancillary Money-Makers Work at Your Self-Storage Facility

Everyone who works in self-storage knows they're primarily in the business of renting space. That means the majority of income at any one facilty comes from rented units (or parking spaces), and without a strong occupancy rate, it's hard for a facility to be successful. But with a slower rental season (fall) just around the corner, and a very unpredictable economic landscape, it's important for self-storage operators to integrate ancillary forms of revenue. Diversification usually starts with retail sales because often self-storage customers will need to make small purchases onsite when they're moving in and out of their units: boxes, tape, wrapping materials, scissors, cleaning supplies, etc. It also could include services somewhat related to but separate from self-storage, such as selling copying, faxing and other business services. Or perhaps diversification means selling advertising space on the propertuy or allowing a cell-phone company to erect a tower.

Discussions and polls about add-on profit centers, and retail sales in particular, are occurring right now on Self-Storage Talk, the largest online forum in the industry and the official forum of Inside Self-Storage. In fact, the feedback will help generate an article in an upcoming issue of Inside Self-Storage magazine. To help us create the best content possible, please take a moment and vote in the polls below. All responses are completely anonymous. If you'd like to expand on your vote with comments, visit SST and post on the threads. You must be a registered member to make a post, but registration is free, easy and takes only a few minutes. Plus, voting in polls is just the beginning of what the forum has to offer.

So, cast your vote and participate in the forum. With your involvement, we can determine a few ways to make your businesses even more successful.