Storage Business Owners Alliance 32255 Northwestern Highway  Suite 280 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 USA Phone: (248) 254-9000 Fax: (248) 538-4327 Email: info@thesboa.com

Small to Medium Sized Self Storage Owners Form Alliance

More than 200 small- to medium-sized self-storage firms announced yesterday that they have banded together to form the Storage Business Owners Alliance (SBOA). The founders hope to use economies of scale to improve the buying power of smaller self-storage businesses. SBOA members will be eligible for discounts on commonly used goods and services such as office supplies; resale retail items such as boxes, tape, and scissors; credit card processing fees; and payroll processing. They can also participate in an online forum for SBOA members.

The idea for the SBOA came from three industry veterans, Morgan Hanlon, Ian Burnstein, and David Levenfeld. As owners and operators of multiple self-storage properties, the three saw a need for small- to medium-sized businesses to have an umbrella organization that would allow them to better compete with larger self-storage firms.

"The automated features of the SBOA website make signing up and implementing immediate savings as easy as possible," commented Hanlon. "The SBOA allows the owner of just one or a few facilities to enjoy the buying power of a major national company. We believe our members will find the discount opportunities to be extremely compelling."

SBOA has established relationships with vendors that carry prominent industry brands such as Site Link (software), StorageClicks (search engine optimization), Janus International (unit partitions and doors), and Michaels Wilder (Yellow Pages advertising). It has also established relationships with nationally known vendors such as Staples, ADP (payroll processing), Sprint, and Federal Express. Members will be able to save more than 25 percent on credit card processing fees through North American Bankcard, 42 percent on print subscriptions, and 10 percent on digital subscriptions to publications such as Minico’s Mini Storage Messenger magazine. Members will be able to receive a discount on web hosting, ink toner and cartridges, property maintenance and upkeep, and security equipment (including installation and service). In addition, members will be able to subscribe to a pay-with-rent insurance program for tenants through Minico, Inc. In the future, SBOA hopes to offer a cooperative program for property and liability insurance.

SBOA also plans to use its "strength in numbers" strategy to help members earn more income, by establishing a cooperative program for generating Internet leads.