Self Storage Checklists – Your key to running a schmick facility [Template]

Let’s start with this intro: “I love lists”. As an organised person, I’ll create lists (paired with reminders) for just about anything – from changing the batteries in all the remotes every 6 months, to grocery lists, lists of TV shows to watch and lists of what to pack when I go away on Storman Training Roadshows.

At a recent training session, I had just finished covering a particular topic, when I said “…that’d be a good item to add to your fortnightly self storage checklist” – which caused one of my students to respond with “What else should be on my checklists?” – so I thought I’d do what any good writer does and create a blog about it for you.

Just like in personal life, I have a series of checklists for work, too – although I use a proper task-management system to manage them, remind me when things fall due – plus assign sub-tasks to other staff at Storman. More on that in another post, but for now – let’s take a look at checklists for self storage.

Why are checklists important?

When you run a business, there are certain tasks you need to perform regularly – and what better way to list those than in a checklist of some kind. But not everything on said list would need to be completed as often as the next task; which is where a series of lists comes in handy.

Self Storage checklists

In ‘self storage land’, there are many things you’d need to keep track of. Here’s a quick look at a few things that you might like to include on your checklist at work…

• Do a security / PIN audit: When was the last time you conducted a PIN or prox-card audit? Many managers fail to understand that these audits will allow you or your manager to discover patterns of access, duplicate PIN’s and holes in your security long before they emerge as a potential problem at your site. For example… Have you tried to gain access after hours to see what the actual response time is for your security company? Do you know how to copy that footage off onto a backup medium to give to the police if asked? What happens to your security if the power fails? How much footage is stored on your DVR before it starts writing over old data? Read more via Ben’s post, Security in Self Storage.
•  Do a camera check: If you have CCTV at your facility, have you checked to ensure all cameras are working – and do they point in the right direction? Walk around your facility with your phone or 2-way radio and ask your colleague in the office to make sure you can be seen on the TV monitors. Try the same experiment in the dark – can you still be seen well enough to identify?
• Check for upcoming Training: Your software is only as good as the person operating it. Invest in staff training and skill-up on the latest that your software providers, including Storman, have to offer.
• Visited the knowledgebase lately? Got a few minutes spare before home-time, or on a Wednesday morning? Skill-up on Storman by checking out our knowledgebase articles to see if there’s anything new to learn. It’s quick, easy and complimentary access to myStorman is provided as part of your Support & Updates Subscription.
• Look into your crystal ball: Storman’s Anticipated MoveOuts report is your guide to the future, as it shows you when units are going to be vacated. If you’ve got a stack of moveouts scheduled to take place in the next few months, then it might be time to ramp-up your marketing in advance – this will ensure regular cashflow and will keep the business running smoothly. Use our Coupon Code function to help you track the success of your marketing campaigns.
• Check your Promo Code usage rates: Speaking of promo codes (see point above), don’t forget to check their success rates every few months, so that you can plan your future marketing campaigns.
• Write a few blogs for your website: As a web designer, you’ll always hear me going on about the importance of SEO and a good website. See this post, this one or  this one if you’re keen to learn more. Regular readers will know that having frequently updated content is one of the best things you can do for your website… so write a blog for your website every 3 weeks or so. Post more frequently if you’re a good writer with lots of ideas.
• Change your passwords: Everything on your computer (and in Storman) is only as secure as your weakest password. We recommend that each Storman user use their own login & password, and that it be changed every few months. When did you last change your password? Check out my How secure is your password? post for more details – as well as some tips on creating complex (but easy-to-remember) passwords.

Download my free checklist