Self-Storage Operating in the PINK

All business owners understand what it means to operate in either the red or the black, but this month some self-storage operators are learning what it means to operate in the pink by participating in community efforts surrounding National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Individual facilities as well as industry vendors are getting involved to raise funds and awareness for organizations like the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundationone going so far as to paint her house pink!

Its good to support a cause, and a business often affords the owner an opportunity to reach out on broader level and reap greater charitable results than a single person could accomplish on his own. This is because a smart business employs multiple avenues to reach customers and prospects and communicates with them regularly and powerfully. A self-storage operator or supplier has at his fingertips all the tools he needs to do great community work.

Take, for example, AR&C Self Storage of Hamilton N.J., which helped to raise $3,500 for Susan G. Komen last month with its Pink Hope Big Event yard sale and family-fun day. The facility managers worked locally with Team Pink Hope, a group of Hamilton women who have participated in the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia 3-Day for the Cure Walk for each of the past three years.

Why Self Storage of Merrimack, N.H., launched a contest through which it raised $500 for the Erica Pombrio Foundation. Pombrio was a 23-year-old resident who died in 2009 after battling breast cancer. The foundation helps families affected by the disease.

Self-storage broker Joan Lucas of Joan Lucas Real Estate Services allowed Yoplait Yogurt to paint her house pink for the month of October to raise awareness in her community. Lucas has been a passionate supporter of the Denver affiliate of Susan G. Komen for nearly 20 years, helping to raise millions of dollars for local breast cancer research and education.

There are many other storage companies out there getting involved, collecting donations, selling pink-ribbon goods and promoting NBCAM to customers and community members. Its not too late to participate, and October isnt the only time for these charitable efforts. If you want ideas for how you or your company can contribute, visit the How to Help section of www.nbcam.org or the Get Involved tab at the Susan G. Komen website. There youll find information about how to donate, become an advocate, participate in an event and much more.

You can also check out the thread 'I Like It' Facebook Status / National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the Marketing forum of Self-Storage Talk. In it, community manager John Carlisle shares a fun viral social-media campaign women recently used to raise breast-cancer awareness on Facebook.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of NBCAM and the 29^th anniversary of Susan G. Komen. In 2007, the foundation had raised more than $1 billion for research and related programs and set a new goal of raising another billion by 2017. You and your self-storage operation can help it reach this goal through small but significant community steps.

If youre doing something special at your self-storage facility or other company to commemorate the cause this month, please share it here in the blog. Maybe its something as simple as a donation can on your counter or a pink-ribbon donation option during the rental process. Whatever it is, it can inspire others in the industry to join in the fight. Kudos to all of you.