Every day, our store managers talk to people who need storage or parking, or both. There are a lot of reasons people come to us needing storage—some of the most common are a death in the family, divorce, moving, home renovations, or a new child on the way.
Many are surprised to realize we offer a variety of storage solutions for businesses, too. In fact, 45 percent of my current occupancy is the business customer. Just a small sampling of the types of businesses that store with us includes: carpet cleaner, landscaper, deck builder, custom fundraiser, electrician, network cable installer, holiday decorator, plumber, home remodeler, custom-home contractor, kitchen equipment wholesaler, carpet sales rep, holiday light installer, and potato chip sales rep.
Self Storage is for Businesses Too
At our property, we understand what it takes to start a business and keep it running. I know this firsthand because my wife and I own a small portrait photography business and have for years. The cost of having our own building, paying for utilities, and keeping our equipment safe would be a large expense. Because of StorageMart, I can rent a small climate control unit to keep my equipment in and grab it as we need it.
Travis, owner of Metro Chem-Dry, told me the reason he does business with StorageMart and has for the last 17 years is the “…convenience of the facility from the interstate and that the management works hard to keep the place clean and fresh.” He went on to say, “Because our work vans are stored inside, they can be kept clean, and that says something to our customers when we show up on the jobsite.”
Many of my business customers are in the field for days at a time and can’t just pack up and leave their site or customer to receive a shipment, so I offer the convenience of receiving shipments for them. On average, 100 packages pass through our business office each week. Everything from a few boxes of network cable to a pallet of potato chips and spices are delivered to units throughout our property. Many of these shipments are delivered directly from the truck, but sometimes require us to offload by hand and on to a pushcart, then deliver them by hand to the unit.
Customer Testimony
A prime example of this is Robert Miller with MGTS. Mr. Miller and his team of three have been renting from StorageMart for over a year. “We have moved two times to new units and our latest move was the best by far. A new unit opened in a climate control area that gave us the ability to plug in our computer to create labels or complete invoices for our customers. We also receive several different shipments each week from special chemicals to wiring and they [packages] are placed in our unit and we receive a phone call or email that something new has arrived and has been placed in our unit. We can then visit our unit at our earliest convenience and grab what we need and head back out without any interruption to our daily business. It has literally changed how we do business.”
“Every so often, my shipping company will not contact me,” says Austin Kestersen of Custom Fundraising Solutions, “and StorageMart has taken it upon themselves to accept the delivery and make sure it is placed in my unit. I receive a phone call or email informing me of the delivery and the number of packages that arrived. The management team at my location has taken the time to build a relationship with their customers and their integrity has given me comfort again and again. I know that I am not just giving money away to a facility, but to a company that genuinely cares about me as a customer.”
Many of our business customers have made the comment to me that I feel like family. And, because I would do these things and more for my family, each one of them get the personal service they deserve. It doesn’t just happen for our business customers, but every single one of our renters.
Every facility is going to be different, but they all have the same goal in mind, “Easy. Clean. Service.” Our customers and others see this every day. Our move-in process is easy and hassle free. Then, with our wide, well-lit drive lanes and hallways that are clean give them the sense of peace that we make our rounds and find projects to complete. Last, our service just speaks for itself whether it be accepting a package or giving them a call when something is out of the ordinary.
If you own a business and have questions about a location, ask to speak to the property manager. Ask questions that will help you find the right facility for your type of business and the services that the location offers