THE STORELOCAL STORECAST

This is a free information & experience sharing initiative for the global self storage industry, and is our way of helping the industry navigate through these confronting times.

We’ve found it fascinating to hear varying experiences in different regions as operators have entered, and then settled into, the all-new trading and social environment. There have also been many common experiences, regardless of geography, which we can learn from.

This is a live scenario changing day by day for all of us and for each of our valued staff and customers – its time to lean in, learn, and adapt to what’s happening around us.

 

 

 

Episode 1 – The StoreLocal StoreCast

With Hans Pearson & Mark Greig

Watch the first episode featuring experience sharing from the Australian market with StoreLocal CEO Hans Pearson & National Head of Revenue Mark Greig.

We’ll be launching new episodes in the coming days, with our next episode featuring Rennie Shafer, CEO FEDESSA and SSAUK. Followed by Kevin Shee (SC Storage – HK) and Scott Jensen (Adigma Marketing – US), with more to come.

We hope you take the time to listen in and importantly, that you draw value from these shared experiences. Let us know your questions, any areas you think should be covered in future episodes, or any guests that you think should join the show.

Episode 2 – Lessons from UK & European Markets

With Rennie Schafer

You’ll find some real value from our chat with Rennie Schafer CEO of SSAUK & FEDESSA as he shares recent lessons from right across the UK & European markets.

In this episode, Rennie takes us through self storage trading in all UK & European markets during the COVID-19 crisis, touching on the effective management of staff, and getting ahead of automation and debtors. We hope you enjoy watching 10 minutes of ‘real time’ value, which you can apply to your own business.

Episode 3 – Insights from the NZ Market

With Keith Edwards

We’re delighted to be joined by Keith Edwards, CEO of All Secure Self Storage in New Zealand, in the latest episode of our StoreCast series.

Here, Keith touches on the importance of efficiently operating highly sanitised facilities and shares the steps he is taking to ensure staff and customer safety during the current COVID-19 crisis. We discuss how to handle the opening of a new site during the COVID-19 crisis, how to keep new and existing customers, as well as staff, informed about new regulations and procedures, and the importance and strength of strong industry collaboration between operators.

Episode 4 – The US storage market in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown

With Scott Jensen

In the latest episode of our “StoreCast” series, we sit down with Scott Jensen, CEO of Adigma, to chat about all things storage and the current state of the US market in the midst of a lockdown.

With a background in digital marketing and self storage, Scott talks us through the importance for storage operators to keep up to date with occupancy, churn and incoming rental numbers, and to be ready to adjust the marketing spend accordingly. As Scott says, “there is opportunity to learn in any situation, and to make our businesses better during this crisis”. We thank Scott for sharing his insights, tools and tactics, and look forward to catching up with him again soon for the “StoreCast” video series. Stay tuned!

Episode 5 –  An outlook on the Hong Kong market

With Kevin Shee

It’s been fantastic to have Kevin Shee, Co Founder and CEO of SC Storage, as a guest today on our StoreCast webinar series. With over 20 years of experience as a self storage operator, Kevin shares his extensive knowledge of the Hong Kong market, as well as offering advice on daily priorities for a storage owner and how to remain calm during a crisis. Some of the key takeaways from our chat with Kevin include how to monitor and improve cash flow, being price sensitive, and changing a compassionate angle on messaging. We thank you so much for your time and valuable insights, Kevin! We look forward to catching up soon for another episode of StoreCast.

Episode 6 – Expert health and safety advice from Australia

With Lydia Plims

“Safe business is smart business”. In this must-see episode of StoreCast, we receive expert advice from Lydia Plim, Managing Director of Safety Makers, a work health and safety consultancy and training business operating throughout AUS and NZ. Here, Lydia offers her top health and safety tips for sites from a self storage perspective, to ensure all staff and customers are protected and the correct guidelines are followed during this current COVID-19 environment. Thanks so much for participating in our webinar and for sharing your expert advice, Lydia!

Episode 7-  Updates from the Self Storage Association of Asia

With Andrew Work

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, storage has remained a strong and steady operating market in Australia. But how are our overseas neighbours holding up?
Today we chat with Andrew Work, Executive Director of the Self Storage Association of Asia, who provides a fantastic insight into the current trends and experiences in storage across the Asian region. Some of the key takeaways from Andrew include: online marketing experiences varies from different regions, the need for contactless move-ins is becoming popular (as is automated security), and that there is still work to do to explain to the market the benefits that self storage is bringing. Thanks so much Andrew for sharing your valuable knowledge about the Asian storage market with us.

Episode 8 – A building and innovation perspective from Australia and NZ

With Jonathan Layton

As self storage industries across the globe adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s highly important for us to promote strong industry collaboration between operators. Today, we hear from Jonathan Layton, Managing Director of Storco Storage Systems, and chat about the building, manufacturing and innovation side of the Australian self storage industry. Some key takeaways from this episode include: from an innovation perspective, we can expect more integration of office space and other types of spaces for business becoming part of a self storage facility. Coming out of COVID, self storage developers need to think about building facilities in the next 12-18 months. Thanks for your valuable insights, Jonathan! We look forward to catching up with you soon.

Episode 9-  Self Storage: Past, Present and Future

With Jonathan Perrins

We’re delighted to welcome Jonathan Perrins, Director of Universal Self Storage Funds Management, onto our StoreCast webinar today! With over 30 years of experience, Jonathan shares his insights on the global storage market, as well as offering powerful advice on how to move forward from this COVID crisis. Key takeaways from our chat with Jonathan include: storage has dramatically developed into a consumer/retail business – start and end with the question of “what does the customer want?”, and generally, across the board, self storage has once again remained a resilient sector in this current crisis. If you take one thing away from this webinar, let it be this: “the whole self storage experience needs to be customer-focused, rather than an owner-focused.” Thank you, Jonathan!

Episode 10 – Onwards and Upwards

With Ben Cohn

We’re delighted to have Co Founder and CEO of TAXIBOX, Ben Cohn, join us today for a new instalment of our StoreCast webinar series. Here, Ben shares his learnings on how TAXIBOX has managed its way through what has been a pretty interesting 2020, as well as filling us in on the emerging trends he’s noticed within the self storage industry. Thank you for your insights, Ben!

Episode 11-  Arising Opportunities in Australia

With Brendan Legg

It’s been fantastic to have General Manager of Storage Choice, Brendan Legg, join us today for a new instalment of our StoreCast series. Here, Brendan chats to us about opportunities he sees within the Australian storage industry, as well as sharing some marketing and discounting strategies.

Episode 12 – The Future of Design & Construction

With Javier Rezzonico

We’re passionate about sharing our insights and covering a wide range of topics with industry experts in our StoreCast webinar series. Today, we catch up with Javier Rezzonico, Managing Director of STORCAD, to discuss all things design and construction. Thanks so much for sharing your learnings with us, Javier!

Episode 13 – Self Storage Valuation and Investment Trends in Australia & New Zealand

With Linda Sharkey and Ross Perkins

This episode provides in-depth discussion about all things self storage valuation and investment, pre and post COVD-19. We’re pleased to be joined by two leading valuation experts Ross Perkins (m3 Property) and Linda Sharkey (Urbis) to share their learnings and insights across the self storage market. We discuss the comparability of cap rates with other property sectors, and the likelihood of further compression, the income resilience of self storage, discount rates, and the premium commanded by nationwide managed portfolios and platforms. You will also get a sense of optimism of what’s to come as we emerge from the unusual conditions of 2020. A wonderful chat with some very knowledgeable sector experts. We hope you enjoy this episode and take away some real value – I know we did!

StoreCast Episode 14 – Family, Fitness and Self-storage

With Grant Hackett

StoreCast Episode 14 features one Australia’s most iconic sporting champions, former Olympic and World Champion swimmer, Grant Hackett. Out of the pool, Grant has built an impressive business career as well. In this episode of StoreCast, Grant talks about the importance of positivity and maintaining a winning mindset while adjusting to life in the extended Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown, where he maintains his role as CEO of an ASX-listed investment firm while juggling family, fitness — and of course his self-storage investments! He attributes his success in part to the learnings of key thought leaders and shares his current top sources of personal growth. Some great lessons here for business owners in all sectors.

StoreCast Episode 15 – SSAA Expo Special Edition: Exploring the future of self storage

With Ben Cohn

The latest StoreCast episode has just landed and it’s one you won’t want to miss. Captured for the recent Self Storage Association Asia Expo, in this episode, our host, Hans Pearson, sits down with Ben Cohn, CEO of Taxibox, Australia’s leading mobile self storage provider. After living and working overseas, Ben talks through how he saw a gap in the Australian market for mobile storage and took a leap to launch Taxibox when the time was right. Idealistic and ready to take self storage into the next generation, Ben chats about the challenges and opportunities that the industry has experienced as a result of the changes brought about by COVID. Some interesting and thought provoking lessons to consider for those who are wondering where the self storage industry could be heading in the future.

StoreCast Episode 16 – SSAA Expo Special Edition: Self Storage Security

With Jason Keane

Watch another insightful interview in the latest episode of StoreCast, as we chat with Jason Keane, General Manager of Sentinel Security. In this episode, Jason talks about the evolution of self storage security and the requirement to adapt to changing customer and facility operator needs. With a future outlook, the question of where storage is heading on global scale is also asked, with an emphasis on the partnerships that are beginning to form with other businesses such as service stations, coffee shops and car washes in a multi-use scenario.

StoreCast Episode 17 – SSAA Expo Special Edition: Working with Family & Lessons Learnt in 2020

With Thomas Whalan

StoreCast makes its return this year, with our first episode for 2021. Captured last year for the 2020 Self Storage Association Asia Expo, our host, Hans Pearson, interviews Thomas Whalan, former Australian Olympian and CEO of Rent a Space, a growing Australian self storage business. Thomas, works alongside his father, Richard, who founded the family owned and operated business after discovering the self storage industry on a trip to the US many years ago. The two chat about international regions experiencing growth within the industry, working with family, and the changes in consumer behaviour that Thomas has noticed as a result of the global pandemic. Thomas’s deep focus on teamwork and leadership provides valuable lessons for all businesses.

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