What is Self-Storage?
Contrary to the supposed meaning of the term, ‘self-storage’ is a shorthand for ‘self-service.’ Therefore, self-storage is a business organization that rents out storage units like lockers, storage rooms, outdoor spaces to individuals who usually store household goods and to small business organizations that store excess inventory and archived records, usually on a short-term basis, though the option for long-term lease is also available to renters.
Self-storage gives you something different from what you will get from full-service storage facilities, which is full access and control over your property in the storage space. You have all the freedom to dictate how your properties are being stored or arranged. This form of flexibility gives the self-storage a significant edge over other forms of management, which include full-service storage management.
Why use a Self-Storage?
Rented space are mostly secured with the customers’ locks and keys. This way, maximum security over these properties is ensured. Unlike the warehouses around, the employees of the rental organization do not have access to whatever contents in the space; therefore, storage operator’s liability is significantly reduced in relation to renters’ possessions.
More so, space is a costly commodity, and there are other million reasons why you might want to choose a self-storage. Many individuals and businesses are out there, running out of space to keep their properties safe and secure. Below are a few reasons why you might want to consider self-storage:
Moving temporarily to a new location and doesn’t want to haul your belonging with you
You are a start-up or small business owner that needs extra space to store excess inventory and archived records
Simply running out of space
Renovating your existing home
When you are often in transit
Regardless of the reasons why you might need space, just make sure the ones with proper management are selected for effective maintenance of properties. Self-storage industries will help to facilitate the ease of property storage.
These self-storage companies offer property owners a secure, safe, and well-managed space to store their valuables, and with a 24/7 full access and control. They can also offer insurance for the stored properties.
Types of Self-Storage Units
With all the descriptions given about what a self-storage is, you might want to picture what the facility might look like. Self-storage varies in types and sizes. Depending on the type and how much the property is, you might want to consider your choice of self-storage unit properly. The following are the four basic types of storage you can pick from:
Climate-Controlled Self Storage
Non-Climate Controlled Self Storage
Portable Container Storage
Information Management Service
1. CLIMATE-CONTROLLED SELF STORAGE
This is one of the four basic types of self-storage units you can find useful for the safekeeping of your properties. Climate-controlled self-storage is housed within all-enclosed buildings with multiple levels, and temperature and humidity are kept optimum for safe preservation. This way, the storage structures are prevented from the possible damage of properties due to climate, one of the edges this type of storage unit has over other types.
This storage system boasts a remarkable proper management in that all floors of the building is equipped with high-definition cameras to further enhance and monitor individual and business properties. Access is restricted to only authorized users, who may decide to access their properties whenever they wish.
2. NON-CLIMATE CONTROLLED SELF STORAGE
This storage unit shares some similarities, like availability access, with the climate-controlled self-storage, only that it may not be one hundred percent kept away from properties being affected by climate. But, interestingly, this type may be more affordable than the aforementioned type.
Being a type of storage that doesn’t regulate some climatic factors like temperatures and humidity makes it difficult to assure the proper safekeeping of properties. The damage to sensitive materials may be a major one when compared to other forms of self-storage. Examples of materials that can be stored in this type of storage without the fear of damage include outdoor furniture, sporting equipment, heavy tools, automobiles, etc.
3. PORTABLE CONTAINER STORAGE
Portable container storage is a type of self-storage unit that works differently when compared with the aforementioned two. This type of storage sees a ‘portable’ container, just like the name states, delivered to your home, office, place of property, or anywhere. Once the container is filled, all you have to do is call the self-storage company to come and pick it up and store it in their warehouse.
The advantage of this type of storage is that it eases you of the possible cost of moving your belongings or valuables to a self-storage company’s warehouse for safekeeping. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that the access to these valuables is limited once they hit the warehouse, and climate is not controlled, so you could be running a risk of having your properties damaged. On this note, this type of self-storage is ideal for properties that do not need a climatic control and frequent access.
4. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SERVICE
Information management service deals with only items that are limited mainly to paper files. It is similar to the portable container storage in that the related company drops by your location to collect the files for storage in their climate-controlled warehouse, and boxes returned to the customer upon request.
It is a great advantage to store paper files in this type of storage, because the facility is climate-controlled, which so reduces the possible damage to important files stored in the storage boxes. More so, absolutely no penny is spent on transportation as these files are picked up at your location and returned upon your request. There are no better ways of enjoying a service than to be served at your place of comfort.
Benefits of Self-Storage Management to Business Owners
Self-storage has fast grown into a prominent facility among people as it allows business organizations to move the items and good temporarily into a storage facility to free up some space in their office environment. At the same time, they are also assured of the utmost security over these properties.
This management serves benefits to both homeowners and business organizations, but business owners can benefit a lot from self-storage management because they will be able to lock some office essentials, items, and goods away for a short period, which may take months or a few years. The following are a few benefits:
1. Helps to Store Office Essentials
Business organizations cannot afford to lose their valuables, which are mostly data. Therefore, considering the significant effect of the possible loss of these data on the organization, there might be genuine reasons to lock these essentials away in a storage box in someplace safe, at least safer than the business environment.
With proper self-storage management, these valuables can be kept secure and safe from thieves and intruders. So, judging by the type of valuable you are willing to store and lock away, you have four types of self-storage to pick from, and all services are at affordable prices.
2. Protects Important Things from Fire and Water
Many businesses have seen sensitive and confidential documents gutted by fire, and some may be soaked and washed away by water. Yes, this might be an accident, which is a cogent reason to lock these essentials away to prevent the business organization from being undone by mishaps like these.
Therefore, businesses can invest in self-storage companies to help protect their valuables as their lockers, storage boxes, and containers are always airtight and sealed properly that they are hardly affected by anything. This is one of the investments that may be much-needed for a business organization to not run at risk.
3. Store Seasonal Goods
Some business organizations that major in seasonal goods like Christmas decorations, calendars, summer beauty products can find the use of lockers, boxes, and containers useful for securely storing their extra goods for a short time until the next season when sales arrive. This way, the organization can be sure of minimizing the risk of losing some goods to accidents, or even climatic hazards, before the sales season arrives.
4. Autоmаtе mаnuаl оvеrhеаd tаѕkѕ
The ѕуѕtеm аllоwѕ to automate mаnuаl tаѕkѕ, ѕuсh аѕ billing аnd іnvоісіng, ѕеndіng рауmеnt reminders, sending mоvе іn/оut nоtіfісаtіоnѕ and gеnеrаtіng reports. Additionally, ѕtоrаgе fасіlіtу mаnаgеmеnt ѕуѕtеm еnаblеѕ property оwnеrѕ to generate auction lеttеrѕ, rеnt аgrееmеntѕ аnd nоtісеѕ.
5. Monitor business реrfоrmаnсe
Storage fасіlіtу mаnаgеmеnt ѕуѕtеm provide buѕіnеѕѕ intelligence аnd rероrtіng funсtіоnаlіtу tо uѕеrѕ іn order tо hеlр them mоnіtоr kеу реrfоrmаnсе mеtrісѕ fоr thеіr rеntаl business. Wіth uр-tо-dаtе rероrtѕ, рrореrtу оwnеrѕ саn аddrеѕѕ сhаllеngеѕ and tаkе соrrесtіvе action in rеаl tіmе.
6. Enable сuѕtоmеr self-service
Thе system еnаblеѕ tenants tо easily rеvіеw available ѕtоrаgе unіtѕ wіth the help of a fасіlіtу mар. Wіth a tenant portal, clients can сhесk dues, сuѕtоmіzе storage plans, аdd аddіtіоnаl ѕеrvісеѕ and vіеw their dосumеntѕ. In аddіtіоn, thеу саn сhесk thеіr рауmеnt due dаtеѕ аnd tоtаl amounts.
7. Facilitate dіgіtаl рауmеntѕ
Storage fасіlіtу mаnаgеmеnt ѕуѕtеm fасіlіtаtеѕ сrеdіt саrd, dіgіtаl wallet and net banking transactions, whісh increases convenience fоr both the рrореrtу owner аnd thе tеnаnt. In аddіtіоn, advanced ѕоlutіоnѕ аlѕо аѕѕіѕt іn bаnk rесоnсіlіаtіоnѕ аnd tаx саlсulаtіоnѕ to hеlр рrеvеnt errors during annual tаx computations. Thuѕ, software vеndоrѕ are раrtnеrіng wіth banks tо іntеgrаtе payments wіth thеіr buѕіnеѕѕ ассоuntѕ.
8. Manage multірlе facilities
Storage buѕіnеѕѕеѕ operate іn a numbеr of locations wіth dіffеrеnt storage unіtѕ. Thе аvаіlаbіlіtу of thеѕе unіtѕ kеерѕ оn changing duе tо thе ѕhоrt-tеrm dеmаnd оf these ѕрасеѕ. Thеrеfоrе, trасkіng еvеrу unit’s availability bесоmеѕ tedious fоr property mаnаgеrѕ. The ѕуѕtеm сrеаtеѕ fасіlіtу maps thаt vіѕuаlіzе аvаіlаblе аnd occupied ѕрасеѕ tо hеlр рrеvеnt еrrоrѕ аnd thuѕ, maximize rеvеnuе.
Benefits of Self-Storage Management to Home Owners
1. Makes Home Cluster-Free
In most cases, house owners tend to employ the services of self-storage managers to avoid their homes from being clustered up by extra furniture, antique items, and garden or mechanical tools. To avoid storing these items unattended to, it would be better to lock away in a self-storage facility that grants you full security and access whenever you feel like.
2. Change of Residence
More often than not, people change their place of residence due to a plethora of reasons. In this case, there may be a need to store some household items in one of the four types of self-storage units for a short period.
This storage gives you room to get settled in your new home, decorate, plan your new settings, and picture what you want the new home to look like when the locked items come in. More so, people who work a transferrable job will definitely find storage units much-needed when the need to swap a place of residence for another when duty calls.
Conclusion
For people running out of space in their places of work and homes need not worry as proper self-storage management gets them covered. It is just one of the secure, sensible, and economical options of accommodating your extra goods and items. Seek our services today to enjoy the best of self-storage management.
Why You Should Choose Booking Ninjas
Booking Ninjas serves as a middleman between you and your customers. We eschew the need to build an online booking system from scratch and let you concentrate on giving your clients the utmost satisfaction they deserve.
With our advanced booking engine which allows you to manage reservations, update your rates, and tailor customer experience according to your whims, among other powerful features, Booking Ninjas is leagues ahead of our competitors in the game.
We also efficiently keep track of and handle all your transactions so you don’t have to stress yourself over them.
With us, your clients will always be left feeling secured, satisfied and smiling.
For more information, check out Booking Ninjas solutions.
