Gabfocus Self Storage Podcast

The future of tenant communication is video. Face time, snaps, zoom, google meet, and a host of other options have grown this tech in person to person communication, but we haven't seen it hit its stride in the self storage space... that is until Live Switch decided to enter our industry. It's not often we're blown away by a new piece of tech that enters the self storage space, but today is an exception. James Hatfield joins us to talk about the origins of Liveswitch, how it's already working with major organizations (Adobe, NFL, Department of Defense, etc.), and how it's changing the way we talk with our tenant and co-workers in self storage. And the best part of it all is the simplicity with which anyone can use this tech. Plus, we dive into some of the charitable work connected to Liveswitch (linked below) and think about the future of how this tech will impact self storage. *Live Switch is not a sponsor of this episode Guest: James Hatfield, CRO of Live Switch Charitable Organization from the episode: Inmates to Entrepreneurs Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff

Snakes, birds that attack, glow in the dark tenants... we've got a few fun stories from our recent travels to share on this lighter 4th of July special episode. There is never a dull day in self storage, and we are extremely thankful for the freedom to work in this industry and build our business. Despite the strange circumstances, tempermental technology, or aggessive animals, we wouldn't trade our time in this industry for anything. Enjoy the fun stories and feel free to share a few of your own with us. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions

Get ready for one of our most entertaining podcasts of the year. Aaron Harwell from SpiderDoor joins Tommy and Melissa to talk about self storage security. Aaron has experience both as a self storage owner and the owner of a self storage security company and talks about what has (and hasn't) worked for his facilities and what led him to the many unique solutions SpiderDoor provides. From lasers, to attack dogs, to gates, and just about everything in between, we hit on all the security you should look into for your facilities. Plus, Aaron reveals his top 2 must have security features every facility needs to be using today. Hosts: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff Guest: Aaron Harwell with SpiderDoor Brought to you by the teams at StoragePug and Lighthouse Storage Solutions

Up next in our series on "Dealing with Problem Tenants" are our business operators. This is a tricky category as many of our business tenants are our best tenants. They follow the rules, pay on time, and stay forever. But there's a difference between a business that stores with you and one that operates on your property. How can you discover this problem business before you rent to them? What are the red flags to watch for? As with the other types, so many problems can be avoided with an active manager and clear guidelines in your lease. We discuss all the angles of this important tenant type, plus give a brief update on StorageGives towards the end. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions

Theft is one of many security issues facing every self storage facility. Preventing it should be a top concern. Sadly, one of the sources of theft is our own tenants. For most of your renters, you have nothing to worry about. But what about that one bad apple? How can you "thief-proof" your facility? Better yet, how can you head off a thief before they ever become a tenant? Today, we tackle the next problem tenant on our list, the Thief. We go over very practical ways to prevent them from renting, recognizing them on the property, and keeping your property safe. From curb appeal, to police presence, to unit alarms (plus several funny stories), we explore this issue like Danny Ocean explores a casino. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions

Tenants are the life blood of our business. Most of the time, and with most of our tenants, the relationship is great. But every once in a while you get that one tenant... Today we tackle the first of many problem tenant types: The Complainer/Bully. This is the tenant who knows your business better than you do and always has a "helpful" suggestion. You may call this person a "Karen" or a complainer, but sometimes they take it too far. How do you deal with a tenant like this? How do you respond when a complaint turns into hostile behavior in person or online? Thankfully, there are several practical things you can start doing today to help deal with your problem self storage tenants. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions

There is a common denominator every self storage business shares that is often under-valued and under-utilized: the customer. Building customer loyalty is the final step in the sales funnel. But too often, companies are so focused on getting customers, they don't know how to truly enlist them to continue building their business. Today we gab about the customer and how to utilize them in your sales process. Yes, asking for reviews is a part of it, but there is so much more, from regular communication to referral programs to going for repeat business from past tenants. Take advantage of this free final stage in marketing and enlist your customers. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions

The self storage laws in Georgia were recently updated to include new provisions for non-monetary defaults and unsigned lease agreements. But along with these changes are best practices to protect both the facility owner and the tenant. While some practices are now legal, owners must be careful to implement them in the right way. We break down some of the changes, what this means for the industry, and how they can really benefit your business. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions

Increasing occupancy is top of mind for most self storage operators. Advice is plentiful, from upping your ad spend to dropping your rates. But what really works? Luke Westbrooks joins the webinar to discuss what has and hasn't worked for the portfolio under his care. You won't be surprised by the bottom line- it's all about the customer experience. Your customer interaction has a direct impact on their desire to rent with you or recommend you to others. The gabfocus team work through communication, move-ins, billing, collections, and more as they tackle this important topic. Hosts: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff Guest: Luke Westbrooks Brought to you by the teams at StoragePug and Lighthouse Storage Solutions  

After more lunches, sessions, trade show seminars, podcasts, and webinars than we we can count, we've finally cracked the code and figured out the most important thing in self storage. It's not your website, location, class, security, software, or curb appeal, although all those elements relate to it. At the end of the day, self storage is a business, and you can't have a successful business if you don't make money. So where does our money come from? *Spoiler Alert*...Customers. We often think about the customer experience, but have you thought about your actual customers? What do they want? What are they looking for? What can they handle? That's our topic for today as we unpack the common customer themes we've seen from dozens of operators and dozens more educational sessions. If you know your customer, you'll know how to please them, utilize them, and ultimately earn money from them. Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions