Thoughts From the Road

By Jim Chiswell

Anotheryear is here and, with its arrival, our expectations run high that we mightreally accomplish the goals we have set for our businesses and ourselves in theyear ahead. OK, so some of our New Year's resolutions will be forgotten in amonth or two, but those chiseled in stone are the ones we're really after.

Storage Executives in Print

Two self-storage executives appeared in the pages of two national magazinesat the end of 2000. One was industry veteran Dean Jernigan, the president, CEOand founder of Storage USA. The other was a relative newcomer to the business,Mark Hamister of Premier Self Storage.

The November issue of Fast Company--a monthly publication that setsout to chronicle how changing companies create and compete with new businesspractices (see www.fastcompany.com)--providedinsights into Dean's personal philosophy as the owner of the Triple-A baseballteam, the Memphis Redbirds. The excellent article, written by Geoff Calkins,spotlighted Dean's vision of what the ownership of a sports franchise could meanto a community. No one who knows Dean will be surprised to learn that his sportsenterprise has been organized as a not-for-profit foundation under therequirements of Section § 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The foundation contributesevery cent the Redbirds earn to Memphis charities. Congratulations to Dean onthe article, and on the drive that turned his vision into a reality for thebenefit of the people and children of Memphis.

Inc. magazine's October "Snapshot" feature provided a briefinsight into the business world of Mark Hamister. Mark, whose Premier SelfStorage properties are located in western New York, is likewise involved insports with a team in the Arena Football League, the Buffalo Destroyers. He isalso associated with the National Health Care Affiliates, which operatesassisted-living centers.

In the early years of our industry, many people thought of self-storage as afad development or simply as a "land-banking" play. Those days arelong gone. Every national article on leaders such as Jernigan and Hamisterenhances the visibility of our industry.

Who Put the Butts Out?

I know that phrase is not as catchy as that of the popular Baha Men's hit"Who Let the Dogs Out?," but it helps to make my point. No matter howproperly maintained a self-storage property is, it appears there is no escapingone item: cigarette butts. These non-biodegradable filter ends are everywhere.

Let me go on record by saying I think the government has gone overboard inits efforts to demonize individuals who choose to smoke. Yes, I sit in thenonsmoking section of a restaurant, but I still support the individual's rightto his or her own choice.

The one thing I have never been able to understand, however, is the smoker'snatural reaction to throw his cigarette butts on the ground or out his carwindow. My absolute favorite is watching the driver in the car ahead of medumping his entire ashtray of butts out the window while at a red light. Whodoes he think is cleaning up all of these little prizes?

I am finding a growing number of facility owners who are putting out the sign"NO SMOKING HERE," not only in the office, but on the entire property.You do have a safety issue to address: The protection of materials stored at ourfacilities must be a top priority. A no-smoking rule is a tough one to enforce,but it can make a world of difference to all your customers and the appearanceof your entire operation. It may be worth your consideration as you draft yourproject's new "Rules and Regulations" for the year.

Lock Check: Not Just Busy Work

Despite what some employees may think, the requirement of conducting a dailylock check of the entire facility is much more than your boss' idea of how tokeep you busy. Checking the status of every unit each day provides some valuableinsights into a facility's operation.

First, it helps you stay on top of any unexpected changes. For example, ifyou notice six rented units in a row without locks, guess what might havehappened? Can you say "break-in"? Or what about that last-minutecustomer from the night before? Perhaps he simply forgot to lock his unit.

Second, the lock check will help to verify your computer records in theoffice. It has never failed that when we visit a project where the managers arespending the bulk of their time in the office, there is a discrepancy betweenthe lock check and their office records.

Third, yes, it does force managers out onto the property. It is hard toexplain why you didn't see the corner of the back building is crushed if you areout every day doing a lock check. I urge you to require a regular lock check atyour facility. It can be some of the best management time spent each day.

State Association Summit

This February, the Inside Self-Storage Expo in Las Vegas will break newground. The tradeshow and magazine staff has designated a special time duringthe education agenda for attendees to meet with representatives from the variousstate self-storage associations. I am honored to be serving as the moderator ofthis new forum.

This special block of time will help newcomers and industry veterans get themost current information from the state level. This information could directlyimpact their business. The national Self Storage Association has been lendingits support to this effort as well. All across America, the movement to set upstate associations is growing. I have been an outspoken advocate of this formany years.

I hope everyone who is planning to attend the Expo will make a point toattend this State Association Summit on the night of Wed., Jan. 31. To those ofyou who do not yet have your tickets, I encourage you to call your travel agenttoday. I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas.

Jim Chiswell is president of Chiswell & Associates. Since 1990, hisfirm has provided feasibility studies, acquisition due diligence, experttestimony and customized manager training for the self-storage industry. Inaddition to contributing regularly to Inside Self-Storage, Mr. Chiswell is afrequent speaker at Inside Self-Storage Expos and various association meetings.He can be reached at 716.634.2428; e-mail [email protected]; www.selfstorageconsulting.com.