Self-Storage Can Be Tricky – What to do When You Are Stuck!

Whether you are new to self-storage or you have been investing for years, there will come a time when you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of what you have to do. This might be because you have acquired a new property. This might be because you went to a training class, and you want to implement every good idea today. This might be because you are brand new and trying to get started and don’t know where to start. No matter the reason why you are overwhelmed, the best way to fix it is to take a day.

Sometimes, the best way to get focused is to step back and evaluate what you are doing. Start by looking at your marketing. What are you doing for your marketing? Which things are working? Which things aren’t working? Maybe you should cut back or cut out the things that aren’t working and focus more on the things that are working. There is no point wasting precious time on things that don’t work.

Look at other aspects of your investing. What is working and what isn’t? Do you need to cut the things that aren’t working, or do you need to tweak them so that you are not wasting your time? If you genuinely don’t know what to do, then it is time to seek out a mentor. A seasoned mentor can give you advice on what areas you may not need to focus your time on.

Next you need to sit down and make a list of everything that you are doing and everything that you are trying to do. Think of absolutely everything. The list may be half a page and it may be 20 pages long. If you are on the shorter end of the list, you might need some training, or you are already very organized. If it is on the 20 page end of things, then you need to go through and label the items.

Start by creating a sorting system. Things that take priority and have to be done this week get a 1. You can only have up to 5 items that are a 1. If you are able to finish all 5, then you can add more to your list, one at a time. Since you only have 5 items that you can label 1, you might want to really look at your list to choose which 5 items they are. If you know that there is no way that you can get 5 items done off of your current list, they are just too time consuming, then choose one. That is why there is a maximum of 5.

Now you are going to set up the “2 section”. This section is for things that you want to get done in the next month. Realistically, you can only have up to 30 items in this section and you won’t get them all done. There are just a few extra items in case you are able to get more done than you anticipated. This is to keep you from having to search for items again every week. This way you only have to sort your list once a month.

Now you are going to set up the “3 section.” These are items that need to be accomplished in the next 2 to 6 months. They are important, but you know that they can take a little bit of a backseat. Do not put your marketing in this section. Your marketing is the fuel that runs your business. If you put your marketing off, you are putting off starting your business.

Now you are going to set up the “4 section”. These are things that can wait at least 6 months. These might be ideas that you have for growing your business once it has taken off. These might be ideas for taking you to the next level. These might be branding ideas after your conversion is finished. These are things that don’t need to be done today.

Finally, you have the “5 section.” These are things that don’t need to be done in the next year. Are there really things like that? Yes, there are. You might get a great idea for something that you want to do for your business. Maybe you want to put your name on a local little league team. However, you don’t even own a property yet. This is something that can wait.

As you sort your list, it will help you get organized, and it will help you focus on the things that matter today! You want to find ways to buy more self-storage facilities, keep your current self-storage facilities occupied and find more investors. This is the best way to continue to grow your portfolio. Take the time to get organized. Step back from the chaos and get it under control. As always, happy investing.