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The self-storage industry is bursting with opportunities for entrepreneurs like you to grow their empires.

In fact, over the past 40 years, it's been one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S.[1] With an estimated 20% of Americans currently renting self-storage units, it's pretty safe to say it's an industry high in demand.[2]

But just because an industry is a great opportunity, it doesn't mean it'll be easy to get into and understand from the get-go. Then again, what exciting industry that is worth being in is simple to break into?

The good news?

You don't have to do it alone.

Sure, you can (and should) take a deep dive researching everything you can about the self-storage industry to make informed decisions that maximize growth, but you can get help to improve your knowledge, too.

After all, as they say:

"It takes a village to raise a successful self-storage business."

Ok, we might have paraphrased a little, but it's true! So let us introduce you to the people who can help you take your self-storage business to the next level: the self-storage consulting group and the self-storage property manager.

A self-storage consultant is an expert in the field who can help you analyze your business goals and give you research-backed ideas to help you keep moving your business forward. They can help you across all areas of your business or just work on a specific aspect of your self-storage business, depending on what you need.

For example, self-storage feasibility consultants are highly valuable when you're in the planning stages of your self-storage business, as they conduct market research and work out if your business will be profitable based on your location, vision, and funds. If you aim to secure a loan, these self-storage consultants can help you find the information that will give you the upper edge.

The benefit of using a self-storage consulting group is that you have a well-informed fountain of information to draw from that can help you fill in the blindspots that everyone inevitably has with their own business. I mean, we're only human, after all!

Asking for help is the sign of a true leader marching their team into success. To help you understand where to find your allies, we've created this article on self-storage consultants and 3rd party self-storage property managers.

Self-storage Companies

Let's start by focusing on self-storage consulting agencies.

Self-storage consultants make them sound stuffy. We like to think of them as your guardian angels that swoop in, take your self-storage questions, and get the answers you need.

After all, running a self-storage unit business is hard work, and it's difficult to keep up with everything alone. Plus, it's difficult to keep tabs on the broader market while still devoting your time and effort to your own business, especially if you own multiple self-storage businesses! It can feel like you're losing ground to the competition.

But the (not so) secret weapon of the largest self-storage companies in the U.S. is that they rely on self-storage consultants to help them make the best decisions for their business by either monitoring the market or assessing and making recommendations for your current business model.

The beauty of employing a self-storage consultancy group is that you can either choose a singular aspect of your business to focus on or do a complete assessment of your self-storage facilities.

Some of the key aspects your self-storage consulting group can help you with include the following:

  • self-storage feasibility
  • Market demand in your location
  • Marketing and target demographic analysis
  • Security analysis and enhancement (both digital and physical)
  • self-storage competitor analysis (including providing a list of self-storage companies in your area)
  • self-storage facility management software efficacy

From your self-storage consultants' findings, they'll give you informed recommendations that will help you implement changes that maximize the growth of your self-storage business.

In other words, they help you find ways to get more money in the bank - we told you they were your friends!

You can hire them as you need, or you can make them a long-term partner to your business. You can also decide whether to hire an "all-in-one" consultancy group or hire a specific self-storage consultant that fits your need. For example, if you need help with your marketing endeavors, you might choose to hire a self-storage marketing agency to focus on it.

Self-storage Business

We've looked at how you can hire self-storage consultants to work alongside you to find the best ways to maximize the growth of your business.

Before we look at 3rd party self-storage management companies, it's time to go back to basics.

We're talking self-storage 101.

You see, self-storage consultant groups and third-party management services can help you elevate your business, but you need to know the basics to start the self-storage party. And by party, we mean building the optimal self-storage business plan.

Consider this your mini stop at our self-storage academy.

When building your self-storage business, you have a lot of research to do and many important decisions to make.

Every comprehensive self-storage business plan should include the following:

  • An in-depth analysis of the local self-storage market, including self-storage demographics, competitor analysis, and profitability
  • A list of possible self-storage rentals in the area, as well as potential plots to build your own
  • Your payment plan: rent or buy?
  • How to secure funding:
    • Angel Investors
    • Business bank loans
    • Friends or family with deep pockets that want to invest
    • Small business grants
  • Self-storage facility management plan - your infrastructure
  • Employment
  • Security

We know it's a lot to think about, but these are the key building blocks to running a successful self-storage business. And just like a sturdy house, building a stable foundation will make all the difference in creating a structure that stands the test of time.

And the power of having a comprehensive self-storage business plan is that it takes all the guessing out of how to build a successful self-storage business. 

Plus, you can always hire a self-storage consulting group to help you build it! Remember, you don't have to go it alone if you don't want to!

3rd Party Management Companies

Self-storage consulting groups and 3rd party management companies have the same goal: to help you get the best out of your self-storage business and maximize your ROI. But the way they go about it is quite different.

Self-storage consulting groups work alongside you, giving you recommendations on how to improve.

But if you want a less hands-on role in your business, self-storage management companies are the way to go.

Self-storage management companies are specialists that take over the daily operations of your business. We're talking about everything from overseeing employees, ensuring your facility management software runs smoothly, and handling your marketing needs.

You pay them self-storage management fees, and they make the decisions for you - you can be as involved or hands-off as you want or need to be.

You pay them self-storage management fees, and they make the decisions for you - you can be as involved or hands-off as you want or need to be.

It can be a lifesaver for self-storage business owners that have families to look after, multiple businesses to oversee, or simply want more flexibility in their work-life balance.

The best self-storage management companies will use their expert team to ensure your business is always running smoothly by conducting regular analysis and using informed research to implement business-growing improvements.

That doesn't mean you must completely take yourself out of the picture when using self-storage management companies. You get to decide what kind of relationship you have with your management team and can choose how involved you want to be in the decision-making. It's all about allowing you the freedom you need when you need it and giving you access to experts that can help you in areas of your self-storage business you may feel less confident in.

Self-storage Management Software.

Running a self-storage business is a rewarding opportunity with great possibility for growth.

And these days, the digitization of the industry through self-storage management software means it's easier than ever to run an optimal self-storage business that attracts customers in their droves.

Through self-storage management software, you can:

  • Keep real-time inventory of occupancy rates
  • Implement high-level security protocols
  • Sign rental contracts
  • Invoice customers
  • Control your marketing campaigns

And so much more.

Self-storage consultants can help you find the right software for your company's size and needs so you know you're getting the most for your hard-earned money. You can find all-in-one software or create your own unique blend of area-specific software.

The choice is yours.

If you're looking for a self-storage marketing consultant group, look no further. 

At Adverank, we specialize in using PPC adverts to help self-storage businesses, just like yours, reach the right customers so they can fill their units and maximize their profits. Our team of experts offers round-the-clock insights on your marketing campaigns through a dashboard, where you have full control in making decisions on how you use your ads. 

We take pride in our research-backed analysis and will never do anything you're uncomfortable with. We understand the importance of making the final decision and empower you to make the right ones for your business.

Schedule a demo today and see how we can take your self-storage business to the next level!


[1] https://www.selfstorage.org/Portals/0/Library/Public Library/Preamble and Fact Sheet (2015) July 2015.pdf?ver=vtsrBGwfp8t9H9MGtsKBxQ%3D%3D
[2] https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/self-storage/self-storage-widely-used-among-renters-with-gen-xers-in-the-lead/