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There’s a reason the self-storage industry is still alive and booming in the 2020s. It’s a service that is always in high demand.

People are moving around a lot more, going wherever the wind takes them. At the same time, we’ve also seen a shift in the number of people looking to set roots having traveled for work their whole lives and now being able to work remotely from home instead. Do you know what all these people have in common? They need a safe place to stash their worldly possessions during those times of transition and beyond. It’s a great time for the growth of the self-storage industry!

And for those that have embraced industry modernization and invested in automated self-storage, they’ve seen a huge return in profits. In fact, by embracing new technology, including property management software, marketing strategies and real-time access information, many companies have been able to build a highly profitable automated self-storage franchise.

So, what exactly is automated self-storage?

Well, it’s basically a self-storage facility that runs on its own using cloud-based technology and software to ensure everything keeps working as it should. Your customers are able to book, secure and access a storage lot in your facility without having to deal with intermediate service reps. They can literally access what they want at the click of a finger. Not only does that mean your customers have more freedom to access their storage solutions as soon as they want and need to, but it also means you can redeploy your staff to take care of the bigger tasks that take your facility from meh to amazing!

Automated storage facilities harness the benefits of cloud-based control systems to oversee every function needed to keep the place running.

The revolutionization of the self-storage industry thanks to automation is nothing short of incredible. You’d think relying on cloud software might make your buildings and data less safe, but it’s actually the opposite. 

Having all your information in one place means your company can track everything that happens from one place. You can see who’s coming in and out, who’s paid you (and more importantly who hasn’t yet). You can easily track your profits to make sure your company keeps growing and input all the information into accounting software so you avoid the historically inevitable headache of taxman season!

And most importantly, you can provide a five-star experience for your customers without the five-star price tag. Self-storage management software puts the power back in their hands and lets your customers feel safe. 

People often underestimate the importance of making clients feel in control of their storage solutions. After all, it’s their stuff in there. So embracing technology as a way to remove any barrier to access will enhance the customer experience and ensure positive testimonials and repeat business.

Self-Storage Management

An automated self-storage facility can only run properly when it’s managed correctly. 

As part of your own self-storage management team, you’re holding up your end of the deal, but, of course, you need the software you’re using to do the same. Think of it as your employee of the month. In essence, using self-storage management software ensures you have complete control of everything going on in your business without having to stretch yourself thin trying to chase after every department in your office. It’s all right there in a simple report, just a click away.

Self-storage management boils down to the same goal as almost every business. Making your customers happy. To create the best experience for your customers, you need to make sure everything is seamless, from finding a lot to signing a contract to accessing the storage space. And the only way to do that is to use storage unit software management that works together and integrates every element to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.

Having the right software means you’ll have a real-time view of how many storage lots you have available, billing and payment details for all your customers, a view of how marketing efforts are going and so much more.

As a result of using self-storage management, you can accurately monitor your profits and make informed moves to make those margins even bigger and build an automated self-storage franchise empire. 

Management is also vital for improved customer service. We all know the struggles of waiting in line to talk to a customer service rep just so we can sign a contract. If the person in front is taking too long (you know how it is, there’s always that one person with a million questions that didn’t bother to do any research on their own and uses the rep as their own personal Google search) it makes us less likely to stick around unless we’re in desperate need. And by that point, your customer is already going to have a bad impression of your service. But if you can put the power back into their hands by being able to control every element of the process from an app or web page, your customers are going to have a much better experience. 

But of course, storage software companies aren’t here to replace human workers, just enhance the work we do, and together, it can give unparalleled customer experiences.

Best Self-Storage Software

It’s all well and good knowing how self-storage management software is going to revolutionize your business.

But how do you go about finding the right software for you and your needs?

The best self-storage software will allow you to:

  • Manage bookings and contracts online
  • Automate and streamline payments
  • Help you keep track of your profits
  • Provide security solutions for your facility
  • Provide you with easy-to-understand analytics
  • Improve customer service
  • Improve your marketing efforts

Usually, this means finding the right combination of property management, finance, marketing and self-storage software cost for your business.

Here are a few key features to look out for when choosing the best self-storage software (honestly, they’re a godsend!).

Keyless Entry Systems:

Having keyless entry systems means not only can your customers access your facility 24/7 but you can accurately track who is coming in and out through a combination of unique entry codes and CCTV. And to improve security further, you can change the unique access codes of every customer daily (or as often as you wish) by connecting with the customer’s phone number or email so they get an up-to-date code at every entry. Alternatively, you can use RFID or NFC to turn a customer’s smart device into a smart key. It also means you can easily control access when problems arise such as missed payments.

Social media and advert marketing integration:

Another key benefit of self-storage management software is the use of social media to market your facility. Automation has made it much easier to find your audience online and use a mix of PPC ads and social media posts to ensure the right people find you and book their next storage venture with you.

Automatic real-time notifications:

Through automation, you can instantly connect with your customers, and them with you, to let them know of any important information. For example, if you suddenly had a pipe burst, you can ping a notification to all customers’ phones and apps, and they’ll know right away that there is a temporary change in access.

You can also help your customers see how many people are in the facility at night, let them know where the nearest portable stairs and trolleys are, and give them complete peace of mind that they will be safe in your facility no matter what time of day (or night) it is.

Automated billing:

With self-storage software, you no longer have to chase payments. It’s all done for you. The software can easily track outstanding payments and in extreme cases give closure warnings. 

And if you have multiple facilities, this function is literally better than an ice pop on a boiling hot day!

So, now you're excited about some of the incredible features self-storage management software has to offer, who are the key players?

When it comes to property management, some of the top storage software companies include:
  • Storeganise
  • Unit Trac
  • Stora
  • Easy Storage Solutions

In terms of cloud-based finance and bookkeeping, many companies opt for platforms such as Xero, Sage or QuickBooks self-storage software.

And of course, when it comes to marketing solutions, we can’t help but do a cheeky self-promo because we fully back our product. Our Adverank software integrates seamlessly with your existing property management and financial self-storage software solutions to analyze your performance in real time in order to give you the best advice on how to use your PPC advertisement on sites such as Google and get the best ROI.

Kiosks

With all this talk of cloud-based software, you’d be forgiven for thinking there were no physical solutions to an automated self-storage facility.

Enter the Kiosk.

While most people prefer doing things online or through their cell phones, some people prefer an in-person experience. But if you’re hoping to cut costs you may not want to have an on-site customer service rep. And when you budget for self-storage kiosk cost, it’s a lot cheaper than you think!

By installing a self kiosk machine, your customers can access all the information and services they need on-site without needing any human personnel around.

This also makes it easier for curious passers-by to have a cheeky look at your facilities and potentially increase your sales potential by advertising public storage kiosk locations near your facility.

This also allows you to have a bigger proportion of your workforce working remotely across multiple sites at once where necessary.

Finally, your kiosk can be used as a marketing tool. By strategically placing it near the exit of your self-storage facility, you can ask customers for self-storage kiosk reviews of their experience using your facilities before they leave. Even just a star review is going to help boost the reputation of your company. And let’s be honest, by the time they get home, they probably wouldn’t bother leaving a review, this way it’s super easy for them to do so.

Fully Automated Self-Storage Facility.

Automation is the best thing to have happened in the self-storage industry.

For customers, it means having complete access and control of their storage solutions at a time when we’re all making big moves in our lives.

And for self-storage business owners, it provides the unique possibility to quickly scale your business into a lucrative franchise without having to physically split yourself across multiple locations.

With self-storage management software, you can easily leverage technology into a personalized solution that fits your business and adapts to you and your business as you grow. And as the world of AI integration continues to develop rapidly, the possibilities of automated self-storage solutions in the future are only going to continue contributing to the growth of your business.

Having a fully automated self-storage facility means having a built-in security guard, accountant, marketer and sales rep living right in your pocket. I mean, what more could you ask for?!

Let automated self-storage software solutions do the hard work so you and your staff can dedicate yourselves to making your business the best self-storage facility in your area.

And when you're ready to get some serious eyes on your ads and websites, we’re here to make your marketing wishes come true.

 

[1] https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/directory/140/self-storage-facilities-software/software

[2] https://uk.pcmag.com/old-accounting-tax/32761/the-best-small-business-accounting-software-for-2020  (updated on Jan 4 2023)