The Official Newsletter of the Nevada SSA
THE SUN
2020-Q1
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Networking
Renew your Membership
NVSSA 2020 Annual Meeting Postponed
Call for NVSSA members
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Education
Operations
Online Auctions
Emerging
Technology
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Legislation
Joe and Daniel are your Voice
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Resources
COVID-19
Meet Kim
Emergency Preparedness
Charity Storage
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COVID-19 Updates for Nevada
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The national SSA is providing a large amount of resources and information related to COVID-19 and the self storage industry. As a managed state by the SSA, NVSSA members have access to the latest information,
visit the
SSA News
page and view webinars on the
Public Library
page.
Please also read the letter from Tim Dietz, SSA President and CEO, that provides resources and information related to states of emergency and pricing restrictions
here
.
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Need Legal Help? Ask Jason
A NVSSA member benefit is access to the Nevada based attorney,
Jason Sifers of McDonald Carano.
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To take advantage of this member benefit please email Erin King at eking@selfstorage.org. Once your membership has been confirmed you will be connected with Jason.
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Understanding Motivations For
Self Storage Theft
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The self-storage industry has been booming with business! With prosperity comes some additional trouble and responsibility. My business as a self-storage auditor is where I discover a lot of dirty secrets about the self-storage business and employee propensity to embezzle. Especially the fact that the business model in self-storage lends itself to being very susceptible to fraud by the employees. We generally have very few people working at the store, which makes theft much easier for employees. Most storage owners don’t have enough monthly checks and balances. And, the owner is rarely proficient in using the storage software.
As a self-storage auditor, I have noticed that there has been a noticeable increase in the amounts stolen from self-storage properties by employees. Last year, my company documented more employee thefts totaling over $40,000 than any proceeding years. And, there were other disconcerting issues:
- Most storage owners did not have any employee dishonesty insurance.
- Owners that did have a large amount of theft didn’t make an insurance claim. So, statistically speaking, the insurance companies don’t even know the actual extent of employee theft.
- Not one owner pressed criminal charges against the employees, even with theft of over $70,000.
- Several owners did not terminate the dishonest employee with documented theft.
- Terminated employees quickly found jobs at other storage properties.
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Carol Mixon-Krendl
SkilCheck Services, Inc.
Carol has written over one hundred articles for the Mini-Storage Messenger, Self-Storage Journal, Inside Self-Storage, Insider SSAA, Behind Closed Doors AZSA, Units and Directions magazines.
She has traveled around the world speaking and educating people in the self storage industry. She is the author of 12 industry related manuals, including an Operation and Policy Manual sold by the Self Storage Association. Carol has developed and managed over 200 properties in 9 different states.
Carol has been active in the Self Storage Association for over 20 years. She is on the Board of Directors of the California Self Storage Association for 7 years and is currently serving on the Arizona Storage Association’s Board of Directors.
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Renew Your NVSSA Membership
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If you have not renewed, please log into your member dashboard to renew online.
Benefits and communication will be suspended soon.
We've provided you with resources to help log into your member dashboard to renew online or print and pay by check.
Click here
to view the video tutorials on our YouTube page to help you renew.
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Kim Robinson is working for the NVSSA every day. NVSSA members will likely hear Kim's helpful voice when calling into the association. Need help logging in to renew your membership, having trouble registering for the NVSSA annaul meeting, questions about publications, Kim is working for you!
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Kim Robinson
Membership and State Management Coordinator
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POSTPONED: NVSSA Annual Meeting
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The NVSSA annual meeting and education day have been
postponed
. We are making efforts to reschedule at a later time. The latest meeting information will be posted on the state website.
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The Move from Live to Online Auctions
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By now, every owner, operator, and manager in the self storage industry knows online auctions are an option they have for their lien sales. However, best estimates indicate only about 30-40% of the facilities in the industry are utilizing online auctions. While this number is growing every year and all but one of the REITs are now using online auctions in some capacity, the majority of the industry has yet to embrace this new technology. Why is that? Why are some people doing online auctions? Are online auctions better? How do online auctions work and what are some of the frequently asked questions?
Why Online Auctions?
Although generally slow to embrace technology, the self storage industry is finally doing just that. Property management software programs are now web-based. Operators are using tablets and paperless leases. Security for self storage facilities is now controlled by mobile devices you don’t even have to remove from your pocket or your purse. High powered kiosks are being used to cut labor costs. Conducting auctions online is only the natural progression of things. The single most significant piece of feedback I get from customers is “online auctions are so much easier.” That is what technology does. It makes our lives easier. Auctions are a very negative, time-intensive, liability ridden aspect of our industry. Why not jump at the chance to make the process easier.
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Cheli Rosa
OpenTech Alliance, Inc.
Cheli Rosa is an Auctioneer and Strategic Account Manager for StorageTreasures, managed by OpenTech Alliance.
She helps larger clients at StorageTreasures have successful auctions and increase debt recovery percentages.
Cheli regularly speaks at national and state self-storage association events and contributes to many industry publications. She served on the Board of the Florida Self Storage Association and has been in the self-storage industry for ten years. Her passion is helping clients figure out what they need before they know it themselves. She is a Mom, an avid reader, and a Pinterest addict.
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Joe and Daniel are YOUR Voice
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Joe and Daniel are working for
YOU,
the owner and operator.
They are your voice to keep the government off your back and save you money.
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Joe Doherty, Chief Legal and Legislative Officer
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Daniel Bryant, Legal and Legislative Counsel
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Joe and Daniel, along with dedicated member volunteers and state associations, have recently:
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- Sources of COVID-19 news and information for the self storage industry.
- Introduced 15 bills to modernize lien processes and allow for the sale of tenant insurance.
- Saved thousands of dollars for storage operators by eliminating costly mail and advertising requirements.
- Protected owners from runaway verdicts by creating statutory protection for value limitations.
- Cut construction costs for members by supporting less burdensome building codes.
- Defeated local and state self storage sales taxes.
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Is Your Competitor a NVSSA Member?
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We are stronger in numbers and a growing membership supports the Nevada SSA in furthering its advocacy work in the state, which benefits all self storage owners and operators.
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Please send this newsletter to 10 of your contacts.
Encourage your colleagues and competitors to join the NVSSA for 2020.
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Our Mission is to raise funds for charities throughout the United States, one Charity Storage Auction at a time!
Click here
to learn more and donate to your favorite charity.
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Leveraging New Technology
to Improve Operations
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More and more self-storage businesses are automating tasks in their facilities to improve operations, cut costs, and deliver a better experience to tenants. We expect to see this trend increase both in the number of facilities adopting automation, as well as the solutions built to help them achieve it. For some companies, this could mean moving towards unmanned facilities; for others, it could mean freeing up employee’s time to focus on higher-value activities (selling units/collecting payments/etc.). The most important aspect is to be sure that you have a clear goal for the technology or processes that you’re implementing to ensure that it serves as a benefit and not a distraction.
Creating a positive customer experience is becoming an increasingly important priority for all types of businesses and industries. For self-storage security, it means better protecting the tenant’s possessions while reducing pain points. Many inconveniences hindering the customer experience in self-storage can be resolved with technology solutions. For example, providing a tenant-facing mobile access control app gives tenants and facilities better visibility into unit-level activity while creating an easier way for tenants to access a facility or unit with a simple tap on their smartphone.
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Chadwick Macferran, PTI Security Systems
Chadwick Macferran is the Director of Marketing at PTI Security Systems, a global provider of access-control technology solutions for the self-storage industry.
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Featured Publication
Based on the impact emergencies can have on independent self storage operators, SSA created this manual to provide valuable, step-by-step advice on how to reduce your vulnerability to an emergency through preparation as well as practical things you can do to get your business back on track as soon as possible if you are affected by a significant emergency. It focuses on planning ahead and includes sample lists and forms that will help guide you through the steps necessary to organize a planning meeting and create a comprehensive emergency preparedness program.
Click
here
to order today!
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