BETCO Inc., a manufacturer of metal buildings and components for the self-storage industry, hired Bill Laughlin to its sales team. Laughlin will be responsible for sales in Southeast Texas, including Houston and the surrounding counties.

Laughlin also owns a manufacturers-representative firm based in Nacogdoches, Texas, which works in the Louisiana and Texas construction industries. Prior to launching his company, he was responsible for outside sales as a product and territory manager for Endura/Framesaver, a wood-door frame manufacturer in Nacogdoches.

Laughlin is a Houston native educated at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches.

Based in Statesville, N.C., BETCO produces self-storage roll-up doors and hallway systems and also provides refurbishing for existing buildings.

By Victor Green

Its true that many factors contribute to an organizations success, but in the end it all comes down to how your self-storage business is better or different than whats already available in the market. Do you provide a better service than anyone else? Do you offer something that improves your customer's business or life and makes or saves him money? The answer to onepreferably bothof these questions should always be a resounding Yes!

Below are some common sense tips that will help you become or remain the leader in your market. Though the knowledge may be "common," its successful application in today's business world is often rare.

Promote your business. The first priority is to clearly identify your audience. Who are your prime targets? Once youve determined who they are, prioritize them in order of importance. Your marketing budget should be spent in accordance with these priorities, rather than choosing advertising and publicity avenues based on price.

Consider every marketing resource. Then evaluate which will give you best value. Seek out promotions that enable you to measure response. Its important to know if your marketing expenditure is producing results. One way to measure response is by using coupon offers. Another is to use unique URLs to measure website traffic from a particular ad.

Service is the most important part of your business. Today, everybody wants to be treated as a special person. If you treat your customers well, your reputation will grow. This is the cheapest and most effective  form of advertising.

Relationships with repeat customers are important. Every effort should be made to make personal contact with your base whenever possible. Be honest, polite and attentive. Don't rely on e-mails or social media to do this work for you. Theres nothing better than doing business face to face.

Your staff will follow your example. If you portray professionalism and attentiveness, your staff will see this as the way you want your business to be run. If, however, you have a poor attitude, are a bad timekeeper, take extended breaks during the day, go home early or dress poorly, then your staff will assume this is how you want your business to be run. Never ask your staff to do something you wouldnt do yourself.

Think before selling your product at lower prices than competitors. Many new business people think this is the secret to business. But undercutting your competitors is only successful if it gives you a sensible return and a significant net profit. I call this vanity vs. sanity. Vanity is being concerned with your sales figure; sanity is being concerned with your net profit.

Build a relationship with all customers. Youve caught me. This is a repeat of the advice above. However, it bears repeating. You must develop a loyal customer base to maintain reoccurring sales revenue. Then, and only then, can you start to branch out secondary audiences and those farther out. If you dont build a strong relationship that produces repeat business, you will effectively have to start your business over and over again every time you sell.

Keep your finances in order. To manage a business successfully, its essential you have accurate up-to-date financial information. Each month you should produce a profit-and-loss statement, or P&L. If you don't have a P&L, youre effectively running your business in the dark.

Analyzing financial income vs. expenditure is crucial. Your new P&L will reveal all sorts of things. You can obtain sales trends by tracking periods of higher and lower sales, which will help you direct your advertising and publicity expenditure at these particular times. You can also study your overhead costs to see if they can be reduced. Every dollar of overhead you reduce goes to the bottom line.

Its easy to deal with success, but how do you deal with failure? Thousands of businesses fail for a variety of reasons. Most fail due to inadequate research, not clearly identifying a gap in the marketplace or determining their potential customers before starting out.

Every successful entrepreneur has had business failures. When I realized a company would not succeed, I accepted that the first cut is the cheapest and moved on. I had no problem in closing down businesses that were not going to succeed. Too many people let ego and pride get in the way and continue to run a business thats not profitable. Be ready and willing to cut the cord, and youll set yourself up to succeed.

Victor Green has a long record of founding and growing businesses in a variety of industries. Now retired, he lectures and mentors small-business owners and new entrepreneurs in conjunction with SCORE and the U.S. Small Business Administration. In his book, How to Succeed in Business By Really Trying!, Green shares more than 40 years worth of practical business advice. For more information, visit www.howtosucceedinbusiness.com.

Argus Professional Storage Management (APSM), a provider of third-party management services to the self-storage industry, has added six facilities to its management portfolio. The properties are in New Mexico and will operate under the U-Store-It brand name. They were recently purchased by Moneyball Investors I from CubeSmart, a self-storage real estate investment trust.

APSM worked with Moneyball to acquire the assets and assume their operation, bringing its number of managed facilities to seven. Principal Korey Hanson will lead the team responsible for day-to-day operation and oversee the portfolio.

APSM specializes in small markets. The company was formed last March as a strategic partnership between Argus Self Storage Sales Network (ASSSN) and Professional Self Storage Management LLC (PSSM). The management-services group works with ASSSN broker affiliates to assist self-storage owners with third-party management needs and help them enhance facility value.

APSM principals Mel Holsinger, president of Professional Self Storage Management and a 29-year self-storage veteran, and Ben Vestal, ASSSN president and a seasoned real estate broker, said they are expanding operation into second- and third-tier markets.

Based in Denver, ASSSN was formed in 1994 to assist owners and investors of self-storage. The firm has 36 broker affiliates covering nearly 40 markets.

Professional Self Storage Management, launched by Holsinger in 2003, manages facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas.

The city council in Comox Valley, British Columbia, Canada, last week approved the development of a new self-storage facility on a undeveloped site already zoned for light-industrial use. The land is located between the Island Highway and Christie Parkway along Marriot Road.

The 141 units will be split between five prefabricated single-story buildings. The development also includes a separate building for office space at the ground level with a two-bedroom apartment above and a deck looking out onto Comox harbor.

Although the citys planning staff had concerns about increased traffic near the facility, the proposed layout includes a 30-foot-wide landscape buffer between the road and the facility.

The council also raised concerns about demand for self-storage in the area, as there is already one facility nearby. The developer, Brook Petersen of Buckley Bay Beachcomber Ltd, assured the council members the high standards of the facility will make it successful. Plans for the development, which includes the potential for two additional phases, was prepared by architect Phillipa Atwood.

Austin, Texas-based self-storage aggregator SpareFoot recently awarded spare funds to Joyce Kim, the recipient of the companys first scholarship program.

In addition to $5,000, Kim, a junior psychology major at the University of Kentucky, received free storage space for the duration of the summer.

Kim is currently studying abroad in Chile at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. Prior to studying in Chile, she spent a few months in Peru tutoring children in English, reading and creative writing.

Nearly 90 applicants from around the world applied for the scholarship. Students ranging in age from 18 to 59 from countries such as China, Ghana, India, Pakistan and Tunisia competed for the grand prize. The applicants majors including everything from English to microbiology.

The choice was tough between Joyce and another well-qualified candidate who was dedicated to conducting research that could benefit those with Parkinsons Disease, said Rachel Greenfield, SpareFoots marketing analyst. We chose Joyce because of her service-oriented spirit and commitment to bettering not only herself, but also the lives of those around her.

In her scholarship application, Kim wrote, My passion is working to empower those who do not have the financial, cultural or academic resources to help themselves. This desire to help others has led me to become an advocate and a volunteer who strives to live my life for others. I aspire to become a non-profit immigration lawyer in a heavily immigrant-populated city, helping individuals escape difficult situations and seek the safety that every human is entitled to.

To be eligible for the SpareFoot scholarship program, applicants had to be full-time undergraduate college students in good standing at the time of the application and during the semester in which the prize is received. They also had to complete the Spare Funds Scholarship application on the companys website by June 1. The company chose a winner based on past academic performance, extracurricular involvement and the quality of answers to the prompts in the application.

The winning student received a check for $5,000 to be used for school-related expenses such as tuition, books, fees, etc., and reimbursement for rent paid on a self-storage unit if documentation is provided.

Founded in 2008, SpareFoot.com lists more than 5,000 self-storage facilities in its nationwide directory, which allows consumers to find, compare and reserve self-storage units online. Through multiple websites including SpareFoot.com, SelfStorage.com, Apartments.com and many others, SpareFoot helps self-storage operators find new tenants through a pay-for-performance model. The company is backed by Silverton Partners, FLOODGATE and Capital Factory.

LifeStorage, a Chicago-area self-storage operator, has opened its 18th facility in the Windy City. The newest location, originally scheduled to open in May, is a seven-story structure in the River North neighborhood of the city and features a Starbucks coffee bar and fireplace in the retail office.

Since we started, our business plan has been to provide unique, upscale and affordable self-storage solutions to the communities we serve, said Michelle Wight, LifeStorage director of operations. With the River North location, we've taken a classic Chicago structureone that visually, really speaks of the city's approach to architectureand molded it into one of our most gorgeous facilities yet.

The loft building was converted from office space. Situated near downtown, it has excellent visibility, according to company officials.

Features of the new facility include 24-hour security monitoring, daily access, all climate-controlled units, covered loading and unloading, covered parking spaces, and electronic-gate access.

To coincide with the grand opening, LifeStorage is offering a free rent promotion to new customers and will also host a Carnival at River North event in September. It's a getting-to-know-us event with facility tours, music, some light fare and tasty beverages, Wight said.

The company is also converting a 114,000-square-foot retail property in the citys Lincoln Park neighborhood that will serve as its 19th self-storage facility. LifeStorage was founded in 2002 by owners Jean Jodoin and Christopher Barry.

To closely manage the company's Southeast properties, Storage Post Self Storage has expanded its operation to include a regional office in Louisiana, near the Jefferson Highway. The new office will house operations and executive staff.

"Storage Post is built on a foundation of well-branded stores and a core corporate group that has many years of collective storage experience, along with engaged employees in the field and office," said Jack Chaney, chief operating officer.

Storage Post continues to expand its management team and portfolio, with plans to add additional self-storage real estate. The company acquired management or ownership of several self-storage facilities in the first two quarters of 2012.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Storage Post has locations along the East Coast and throughout the South, and is actively pursuing self-storage acquisitions.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. ~Buddhist proverb

Many of us enjoyed watching the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. For these events, the attention is traditionally focused on the accomplishments of the athletes. What often gets lost are the contributions of the coaches who have labored behind the scenes to help the competitors hone their skills. Even a super-star swimmer like Michael Phelps has a coach by his side to objectively point out areas that can be improved and keep him focused on skills he's already mastered.

Now we're starting to get into the new NFL season and baseballs post-season drive toward the World Series. As I watched NFL pre-season games, I looked at the number of coaches and assistant coaches working in the Washington Redskins organization. In addition to head coach Mike Shanahan, I discovered 18 offensive and defensive coaches and assistants. This made me reflect on our "athletes" in the self-storage industry, our front-line facility managers and assistant managers, and who they turn to for coaching.

During my 28 years in self-storage, Ive met a few owners who have admirably served that role for their employeesmotivating and inspiring, providing constant and concrete feedback, offering suggestions and direction to improve performance. The truth is those owners are rare. Self-storage is not always an owner's primary investment, and the variety of business skills necessary to be a successful manager are often beyond the knowledge of the folks signing the paychecks.

Ive also met a number of owners who understand the positive impact an employee mentor or teacher can make on bottom-line results. Its easy to identify these enlightened owners by simply looking at their operating budgets. There youll find a line item titled manager training. These funds are being used to send employees to state association meetings and conferences, or to allow them to participate in industry webinars or online training courses.

But where does that leave the majority of managers who still want to improve themselves and the success of the facilities they operate? Here are a number of low- and no-cost avenues to help you find that coach you need.

Self-Storage Talk

My first recommendation is to join the ranks of the more than 5,400 self-storage owners and managers from around the world who support each other via Self Storage Talk (www.selfstoragetalk.com), the official online community of Inside Self-Storage. As a moderator for SST, Ive watched folks who have years of experience become beacons of information. Their insights and practical knowledge, gained from years of time spent behind the counters at their respective offices, have created an invaluable dialogue.

Toastmasters

Even though forums are wonderful places to gather information and learn from one another, I still feel strongly that theres no substitute for face-to-face interaction. So consider stopping into a local Toastmasters meeting. This is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills. There are no instructors; instead, members evaluate each anothers presentations. Participants can also offer information on  various topics and develop skills related to timekeeping and grammar.

We spend all day interacting with customers and prospects on the phone and across the counter, so improving communications skills is a constant journey, not a trip with a destination. You can find a local group meeting near you at Toastmasters.org.

Chamber of Commerce

If your company is a member of the local chamber of commerce, keep an eye on its upcoming events. Chambers often offer inexpensive or sponsored business workshops you can attend. Your local Small Business Administration (SBA) office or Small Business Development Center will also host periodic programs. In addition, the SBA offers a variety of free online programs at http://archive.sba.gov/training/index.html.

Personal Mentors

Some self-storage managers like to circulate books and articles theyve read with others. Like the participants of Oprah's Book Club, they use their readings as a basis for personal interaction. It's another method to help each other learn and grow.

Let's not overlook a the need to seek mentors who can help you with your personal and business growth. While you can certainly take advantage of all the avenues mentioned above, attendance at a national self-storage conference is the best dollar-for-dollar investment you can make in your business career.

Yes, the education sessions are important, and the tradeshow aisles are filled with some of the most knowledgeable experts in the business. However, whats truly unique is the opportunity to sit and talk with folks who have invested their lives in self-storage just like you. It's a great place for owners and managers to meet and share information. These relationships often grown into teacher-student connections.

Some owners go so far as to select an industry expert to serve as a coach for themselves and their managers. The insights provided can more than pay for the coachs fee through additional rentals and the ability to troubleshoot problems that emerge in day-to-day operations.

Jim Chiswell is an industry veteran and owner of Chiswell & Associates LLC. Since 1990, his firm has provided feasibility studies, acquisition due diligence and customized manager training for the self-storage industry. He can be reached at 434.589.4446; e-mail chiswell@earthlink.net; visit www.selfstorageconsulting.com.

By Katelyn Murray

As a self-storage operator, there are a number of free and critical ways for you to increase your facility's local exposure online. Using some very basic search tactics, your local presence and brand identity can grow online and attract more business. Here are five basics you should be employing to improve your presence in local searches.  

Local Level 1: Local SEO

SEO is short for search-engine optimization. A traditional approach to SEO uses keywords in a natural way to increase a websites visibility for search indexing by Google and Bing.

Using local keywords on your website helps search engines associate your business with a certain area, which in turn helps your customers find your service in their local vicinity.

For example, if you operate a self-storage facility in Amityville, N.Y., youll want to incorporate the words self-storage in Amityville, New York on your website, in addition to the surrounding cities you serve. Now lets dig a little deeper.

Local Level 2: Google+ Local

Even if you dont have a Gmail account, your business should probably have a Google+ Local account. Google+ Local allows you to list your business, get reviews from loyal customers and friends, and is returned in local mobile searches.

In addition, Google+ Local allows you to see a candid down version of what your customers really think when they're leaving reviews about their experience with your self-storage facility. You can also interact with them, respond to their concerns, and make your business that much better in the long run.

Local Level 2.5: Google+

Much like Google+ Local, Google+ is another important social-media profile to claim. Google+ is very much like other social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. The big difference, however, is Google+ signals are slowly impacting Googles search results.

For example, your potential customers likely search for products and services when signed into Google. When a user searches for self-storage in Amityville, Google returns active Google+ pages matching that criteria in its search results.

This means the more you do there, the better. So, if you use any social media to market your business at all, make it Google+. This is currently the only social network that has any bearing on your search-engine ranking over time.

Local Level 3: Claim Your Business on Free Review Sites

Claiming your business on review sites such as Yelp, Angies List, City Search and more is something every local business owner should do. Not only do customers regularly use these tools to find services in their local area, these sites allow them to leave reviews about their experiences with local businesses. This is another golden opportunity to publicly respond to reviews about your facility, good or bad. In fact, youll want to monitor these regularly.

At the same time, you should encourage fans of your business to log onto consumer review sites like Yelp and Angies List so they can spread positive reviews about your business. This lends you credibility and helps you connect with new customers.

Local Level 4: Social Media

Managing a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Linkedin can be a time-consuming task. However, these are necessary platforms your business must take an active local role in at some point. Getting your local search up to snuff demands that you be at least semi-active in social-media circles.

Not only does social media provide another channel for search engines and your customers to find you, it allows you to engage on a personal level with your existing and potential customers and build credibility by sharing content and your story. Now, heres where things get really great for your local visibility.

Local Level 5: Mobile-Friendly Website

Fifty percent of all local searches are done via a mobile device. If youre a local business, your website should follow the best practices in mobile Web design, which includes making your core info such as hours and address, easily accessible and dialing back your use of video and large images on your homepage. Some businesses even go as far as creating a mobile version of their website to cater to smartphones and tablets.

There are more opportunities for your business to arrive and thrive in local search. However, try and make the basics work for you, then adopt some higher level approaches into your marketing strategy. Youll soon be on your way to gaining more local visibility for your business online.

Katelyn Murray is a marketing manager with EZ Storage, a self-storage facility with three locations in the Boston-metro area including Framingham, Natick and Newton. For more information, visit www.ezstoragenow.com.