By Amy Campbell

I have a confession to make: I hadnt planned to vote in this years presidential election. I know, I know, its my duty/right/obligation. You can pick any excuseI dont have time, I dont like any of my options and everyones favorite, My vote doesnt really count. Really, these excuses are just that ... excuses. So what changed my mind?

It happened when an off-duty police officer knocked on my door a few weeks ago. He introduced himself and held out a flier. The city of Glendale, where I live, is considering drastic budget cuts, including slashing jobs for police and fire personnel. After his short speech encouraging me to vote against the proposition, he went on to the next house. I perused the flier, then later got online to read more about it. I decided that night that not only should I vote, but that I must, that my voice can matter.

As a self-storage manager, you may feel like your voice isnt heard some days. Maybe ownership didnt ask for your input about a upcoming project, marketing strategy or even whether the facility needs a software upgrade. Regardless, there are likely going to be days when your voice is simply lost in the shuffle.

Nows your chance to sound off about an important topic affecting most self-storage managers: self-storage real estate investment trusts (REITs). ISS is looking for manager input for an upcoming article on the REITs. If youd like to add your two cents, simply complete the online survey. Youc an also copy the questions below and drop them along with your answers in an e-mail to me: [email protected]. While we would love for you to boldly profess your opinions by adding your name, we do understand if you need to keep that info private. So send me your name and facility name if you can, or at least your city and state.

Over the past couple of years, the REITs have grabbed up dozens of properties in a variety of cities. Theres no denying when one moves in down the street, competition heats up. REITs do have economies of scale you may not have as an independent operator and a brand name with which it's hard to compete. But compete you can if yours truly is the better choice. Heres a great article written by industry veteran Mel Holsinger, president of Professional Self Storage Management, that may help: 5 Ways for Independent Self-Storage Operators to Compete With the REITs.

REITs can also bring a lot of good things to your market including industry awareness and marketing power (yes, this can help you, too); They can even force you to step up your game. Just as the officer knocking on my door gave me a reason to vote, sometimes we all need a little kick to get things moving.