The U-Haul Self-Storage Affiliate Network features big advantages
Like a sports team that is always looking for an edge over its opponents, independent self-storage owners are constantly searching for a way to outpace their competition in what can be a very competitive environment.
Enter the U-Haul Self-Storage Affiliate Network (USSAN), which has provided WebSelfStorage, a 100 percent Web-based, fully-integrated management software for the independent self-storage owner for more than 15 years.
From a user-friendly software interface, to an increase in business, to the ability to run a more efficient operation, self-storage owners have many reasons why they’re thankful for this program.
Beechgrove Self Storage
For John Huffman, owner of Beechgrove Self Storage and U-Haul Dealership (002154) in Independence, Kentucky, the biggest advantage to being a part of the USSAN has been the increased business it has brought his way.
Huffman opened his business in 1998, and after joining U-Haul as a dealer in 2001, he became an Affiliate in 2006. Joining the USSAN has given his business a leg up over other self-storage businesses in the area. This increased demand at 002154 has allowed him to launch a second location, Buttermilk Pike Self Storage, which he hopes to open before the end of the calendar year.
“U-Haul is constantly sending customers in my direction,” Huffman explained. “Since I don’t have the resources to compete with the big storage companies, being a part of the affiliate network helps by creating awareness of my business.”
Huffman encourages any owners of storage locations who are unsure about joining the USSAN to think about the different possibilities that it will present.
“Anyone who is on the fence about this should realize that storage and U-Haul truck sharing go hand in hand,” Huffman detailed. “When someone rents a storage unit from you, there’s a good chance they’re going to need to share a truck with you, too, to move those belongings in, and I share trucks with customers when they move into and out of one of our storage units.”
Mountain Island Storage
Mountain Island Storage and U-Haul Dealership (042466) in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a relatively new business and owner Jill Puckett has used the USSAN to help launch it.
“I never had experience with any storage software before,” Puckett admitted. “We were going to be a U-Haul Dealer from Day One and the WebSelfStorage software was a natural fit, especially with the pricing offered to U-Haul Dealers. I like the fact that it is a one-stop shop where we can take reservations, run efficient reports and access it from any computer.”
Puckett noted that the software is user friendly and gives business owners a good overview of their storage units.
“I like the site map and how easy it is to take a reservation, take a payment and view a contract from the tab,” she added. “I also like how it gives information on occupancy, vacancy and delinquent accounts, which provides a quick snapshot of my business.”
KP Management
Kristine Partlow, owner of KP Management and U-Haul Dealership (038210) in Gillette, Wyoming, notes that not only does being a member of the USSAN benefit her, it benefits her customers, too.
“Customers are able to reserve their own storage units online, as well as pay their bill online,” Partlow emphasized. “I also enjoy the ease of credit card processing through WebSelfStorage. I struggled with merchant accounts and processing machines for years and feel that the services offered through this program are worth as much as the software.”
Gillette, which is known as the “Energy Capital of the Nation,” is a community centered around the coal, oil and natural gas industries. That means that many jobs in town are temporary, and storage units carry a heightened importance there. Partlow needs to run an efficient business in order to keep up with the competition and demand, and the USSAN allows her to do just that.
“Storage units and U-Haul are a big part of the temporary-work world and I know that having them paired together better serves our customers,” Partlow insisted. “The USSAN has helped keep our occupancies higher. My business has increased greatly and benefited a lot from the program.”
Have questions about the U-Haul Self-Storage Affiliate Network? Want to know how to get started with the program? Contact the USSAN Sales Team at 602-242-4181 or via email at saleswss@uhaul.com.