This winter is gearing up to be a harsh one, so now’s the time to prepare for the season and year ahead. Check out the latest self-storage educational resources set for release to help ensure any hiccups in the weeks and months ahead don’t throw a wrench into your operational or facility projects and plans.

Tony Jones, ISS Store Manager, Contributing Editor

December 9, 2022

5 Min Read
Tighten Preparation for the New Year With These New Self-Storage Products

Many meteorological forecasts are predicting a particularly cold, wet, snowy winter for many areas of the country, so if you haven’t already begun readying your self-storage operation for the harshest season of the year, now’s the time to spring into action. The end of the year is always an interesting dichotomy between cheerful winter traditions and frigid realities. The best way to truly enjoy the former is knowing you’re well-prepared to combat or sidestep the latter.

Here at Inside Self-Storage, closing out the year is always jampacked with big annual projects in a race against the clock and calendar. At the same time that we’re finalizing the education program and building out content for next spring’s ISS World Expo in Las Vegas, we’re pushing the magazine through production, pushing out new content online and creating the ISS Store’s traditional winter product releases.

These products tend to be among our best sellers each year in part because they are umbrella pieces. They encapsulate a holistic, educational approach to tasks and planning, whether you’re a facility manager, self-storage owner, developer or investor. To help ensure the weeks and months ahead don’t throw a wrench into your operational or facility projects and plans, here’s a quick overview of the resources that are at the ready for you this season:

Self-Storage Maintenance Package

This week, we released our “Self-Storage Maintenance Package 2023: Monthly Task Calendars and Guide.” This is the eighth year we’ve produced the annual maintenance-calendar package, which is designed specifically for facility managers. It includes detailed, customizable monthly calendars outlining tasks by day, week and season, with items color-coded based on frequency. Each page also features a handy daily checklist.

The 2023 package also includes a 109-page digital book of expert maintenance advice, with several new articles added this year. New material addresses general site maintenance, preparing for summer and winter, signage preservation, rental trucks, outsourcing and more.

Package contents are available through a downloadable zip file, which includes 12 individual calendars in PDF and Microsoft Word formats. The customizable Word templates allow users to accommodate their particular schedule and needs. A no-fuss, PDF calendar is also included for those who wish to print the entire year without having to access individual files.

ISS 2023 Guidebook Series

This month will also mark the 13th release of our annual Guidebook Series, which has steadily increased in popularity since we first introduced the article anthologies in 2011. For the second year in a row, we needed an emergency short print run to hold us over until we could get the 2023 Guidebooks through production. Available in digital and softcover formats, the Facility-Operation and Building/Investing Guidebooks offer critical information and tips on self-storage ownership, facility management, marketing, building, investing, technology, add-on products and services, and so much more.

Next week will see the official release of the 2023 series. As always, the beefy Facility-Operation Guidebook offers a bevy of management and ownership insight via 11 categorical sections ranging from revenue management, sales, marketing and technology to staffing, career development, outsourcing and more. The very popular Building/Investing Guidebook, designed for those who want to establish or expand an operation, covers investing and real estate, finance, planning and development, and design and construction. Both thematic Guidebooks are the largest we’ve produced. A series package will offer a nice discount vs. buying both books individually.

Supply-chain and other factors continue to affect many industries, including the publishing sector. We’re working with our printer to secure as quick a delivery date for the printed books as possible, but circumstances dictate that we most likely won’t receive our full softcover allotment until mid-January. As a result, we’ll initially be accepting pre-orders for softcover purchases, with an expected ship date of Jan. 20. Of course, to get immediate access to this year’s Guidebooks, you’ll have the option of purchasing the books in PDF format.

Holiday Break

As mentioned earlier, the ISS team has been busily planning the 2023 ISS World Expo, which will take place April 11-14 in Las Vegas at our new digs at the Caesars Forum Conference Center. The show is coming together nicely, and I think you’ll be thrilled with the full slate of education seminars and workshops that we’ll have on tap, including a few new wrinkles.

The industry’s largest conference event of the year is also the stage for the store’s biggest annual product push with our full slate of expo education video. Though we were on a more traditional work and planning schedule this year, it’s been a long grind between moving the store to an entirely new platform, hosting and planning the show, and our usual, continuous flow of content through the print magazine and online resources.

To catch our breaths, find some much needed rest and spend quality time with our loved ones, the team will be largely shut down during the last two weeks of December. As websites do, the ISS Store will remain open. I’m happy to report that the new platform arrangement means shipping will remain operational through the holidays, and of course, all digital products will continue to be delivered automatically into your account library immediately upon purchase.

That said, please be aware that staffing shortages means there will be delays in responses to customer-service inquiries. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this causes and greatly appreciate your understanding and patience.

We look forward to providing more stellar products and service to you in 2023. In the meantime, please enjoy the new educational resources released this week and next, as well as the four newest Mastery video packages launched last month. We strongly believe these items will help you set a clear path for success in the year ahead.

I sincerely hope all of you have a joyous and enriching holiday season!

About the Author(s)

Tony Jones

ISS Store Manager, Contributing Editor, Inside Self-Storage

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