Cutting Costs to Improve Efficiency,Value & Bottom Line - Self-Storage Talk

Mel Holsinger · #1 (**permalink**) 24th June 2009, 06:52 PM

Hello Everyone,

I am presenting a seminar on cutting costs at the store level in December at the World Expo and would love to hear from some of you "Front Liners" on some things that you have done to reduce operating expenses WITHOUT cutting services and quality. I have a bunch of things that we have done at our stores but am always looking for new and innovative ways to improve the bottom line.

Thanks

Mel Holsinger

alley50 · #2 (**permalink**) 24th June 2009, 06:55 PM

We reduced our YELLOW PAGES with 99%

Mel Holsinger · #3 (**permalink**) 24th June 2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alley50

We reduced our YELLOW PAGES with 99%

with 99% of What? or did you reduce your YP by 99%. Sorry, I am confused. If this is the case that you reduced by 99%, I am curious as to what has happened with repsect to your occupancy? Are you in a large/medium/small market? Does your store have good street visibility? Are you doing something else to replace that form of advertising?

Thanks

alley50 · #4 (**permalink**) 24th June 2009, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mel Holsinger

with 99% of What? or did you reduce your YP by 99%. Sorry, I am confused. If this is the case that you reduced by 99%, I am curious as to what has happened with repsect to your occupancy? Are you in a large/medium/small market? Does your store have good street visibility? Are you doing something else to replace that form of advertising?

Thanks

We went from a half page advertising in yellow pages to the smallest size ad we could get.

We did this 3 years ago.

For 2 years our occupancy kept rising and/or stayed the same and we could not see any difference in having a BIG ad or a small one.... or.... any difference in call's made to us.

We kept good records of call's,walk inn's etc and made notes from clients were and how they found us over many years to compare.

End of last year we saw a decline in occupancy but not due to our yellow page advertising as we all know and experienced our current economy. We are in a large market (Metropolis Dallas,TEXAS)

We also have excellent street visibility and even better,soon one of the biggest gas stations in Dallas will open his new station next to our doors and we expect a HUGH benefit from that. To answer your last question. Yes we have put money into web conversion and web advertising (mostly for FREE)and also put in place a extensive community orientated program to have locals benefit from some of the recovered money.

Except from our little ad left in yp (just to have our phone number in there) ..No more big spending there but we will definitely increase some marketing tools for online and other local targets in the future.

I hope this answers you thread better than I did first time.
Mind you the name of our facility starts with a " W ",so we were always the last one to see in YP.

Believe me that doing this and making the decision was a BIG one but in the end was worth it. For my owner it mend that he nearly got our salary paid for by doing so.

Mel Holsinger · #5 (**permalink**) 26th June 2009, 01:09 PM

great, very interesting but obviously the results tell the story. Thank you for your input. I have two facilities in the Dallas area( DFW Self Storage) and one in the Fort Worth area, also goes by DFW Self Storage. We are like you, we do not have a big presence in the YP due to the cost but our stores in Dallas are in a primarily industrial area, poor visibility and not on major roads, we get most of our bsuiness from the web site, prior renters, drive by( in spite of this) and our neighborhood marketing programs.

Thanks for sharing your information.

alley50 · #6 (**permalink**) 26th June 2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mel Holsinger

great, very interesting but obviously the results tell the story. Thank you for your input. I have two facilities in the Dallas area( DFW Self Storage) and one in the Fort Worth area, also goes by DFW Self Storage. We are like you, we do not have a big presence in the YP due to the cost but our stores in Dallas are in a primarily industrial area, poor visibility and not on major roads, we get most of our bsuiness from the web site, prior renters, drive by( in spite of this) and our neighborhood marketing programs.

Thanks for sharing your information.

Your Welcome...if you are in the Dallas area feel free to say hello to us and have a cuppa.

Mel Holsinger · #7 (**permalink**) 26th June 2009, 01:21 PM

I promised you earlier that I would and I will take you up on that cup of coffee.

Thanks

Tall Terri · #8 (**permalink**) 28th June 2009, 05:37 PM

Everyone one promise to eat some UTZ potato chips for me- I miss them so!!! You can find them in ANY flavor in DC, Baltimore, and some parts of VA....

Jo-Ann · #9 (**permalink**) 29th June 2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tall Terri

Everyone one promise to eat some UTZ potato chips for me- I miss them so!!! You can find them in ANY flavor in DC, Baltimore, and some parts of VA....

That is too funny...We just bought 2 bags of UTZ potatoe chips over the weekend! I'll think of you when I eat them!

Mel Holsinger · #10 (**permalink**) 29th June 2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo-Ann

That is too funny...We just bought 2 bags of UTZ potatoe chips over the weekend! I'll think of you when I eat them!

I will have to try them when I am in DC. Ok guys, any more ideas for the cost cutting session? I just know that there are too many smart managers out there that I was only able to get one new idea.

Thanks guys, look forward to hearing from you.

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