Texas Self Storage Association Looks Forward to 2011
About the Author
Silvia Pendleton and her husband, Joe, own a self-storage facility in Granbury, Texas (a growing lake community outside of Fort Worth). Silvia joined the TSSA staff in February 2008 as Director of Marketing and Membership. Her prior work experience focused on marketing and association management. She brings her "owner's perspective" to TSSA and strives to share her experiences to assist members in marketing their facilities.
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Well, here we are looking toward the end of another year... another strange year that has brought challenges as well as opportunities to the self-storage industry. From all reports, Texas has fared well throughout these turbulent times and for that, we are thankful. Although we have heard from some members of their struggles with lower than usual occupancy levels, and higher move-out rates, overall they’re doing well.
TSSA has responded by offering educational sessions featuring marketing, sales and customer service topics – all in an effort to help members reach customers, close the sale and then hang on to them! We’re encouraged by the funding opportunities available through SBA and USDA. Not all of our members will qualify for these loans, but these sources have not been available to the self-storage industry before, and we’re hopeful that it is a sign of good things to come for our members.
The board of directors recently met to establish goals for the coming year. One of the goals is to help members be more profitable. This has always been an underlying part of our mission but it’s refreshing to have it in writing and to make it a priority.
As a way of accomplishing this goal and also fulfilling our advocacy role, TSSA is proposing a bill to modernize the lien laws. When the Association was first established in 1986, business was conducted in a very different manner than today. So we’re proposing language that will allow electronic notification to replace the certified mail notification. This represents a large potential savings to members and will allow them to lower expenses, and thereby be more profitable.
TSSA is reaching out to members through the usual social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But we firmly believe that face-to-face communication yields lasting business and social relationships.
We’re increasing the number of area luncheons across the state and bringing members together to network and discuss common challenges and sharing solutions. We already have a new luncheon organized in McAllen starting in January and the one in Houston is firming up the details but will also launch in January.
My friend Wayne Roycroft (StorMan Software) taught me an old Maori proverb:
Q) what is most important?
A) He tangata, he tangata, he tangata (translation - It is people, it is people, it is people).
It might be an old proverb, but it’s still true today; perhaps, more so as we immerse ourselves in all things electronic. We mustn’t forget the people and the personal connections.
So what will the New Year bring for TSSA and Texas? We’re optimistic and we know that our members are a special brand of entrepreneurs that will always make the best of any situation. TSSA celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2011. It’ll be a year-long celebration and we look forward to a grand party with great speakers and fun events at the Annual Convention and Trade Show on October 16 – 18, 2011 in Austin. Hope to see ya’ll there!
Regards,
Silvia Pendleton (Director of Marketing and Membership, Texas Self Storage Association).
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