Self Storage Association Membership Benefits

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The "Value Proposition"

Data & Information

The new quarterly SSA Facts & Trends Report is quickly becoming members’ favorite benefit of membership. It’s jam-packed with industry data and information that’s most important to owner/operators in the industry. SSA has the new F.O.C.U.S. (the Financial & Operational Characteristics of US Self Storage study) online as well as the 2007 Self Storage Demand Study. Direct members receive F.O.C.U.S. first notice on all future data releases, and receive substantial discounts on both studies. These studies are revolutionizing the way owner-operators and managers look at this industry and how they market to their residential and commercial customer base. If you haven't read these SSA data studies - you better hope that your competition hasn't read them either! The data changes decade-old perceptions.

Advocacy & Government Relations

SSA is working effectively to stop the Defense Department from building monopolistic self storage facilities on 200-plus US military bases and to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from regulating the self storage industry. Our Washington office staff executives have worked on Capitol Hill and have many strong contacts in the Administration and in the federal regulatory agencies.

Networking & Meetings

SSA holds two huge national conferences and trade shows each year. Our Spring Conference is held in various locations while our Fall Conference is held in Las Vegas. More than 4,000 owner-operators attend SSA conferences each year. These are the best national meetings in the industry, designed specifically for people who've already made a major investment in this industry - like you! Our trade show exhibitors state that "91% of all attendees are qualified buyers," a statistic that is unparalleled in the industry. As always, SSA direct members receive substantial discounts on their registration fees.

Communications & the SSA Globe Magazine

SSA members receive the SSA Globe magazine; audited monthly circulation is 16,800 SSA direct members, affiliated state and regional association (indirect) members and facility managers. Also, SSA direct members receive the bi-weekly Globe Online, keeping SSA members totally up-to-date and plugged-into what’s going on in the industry. SSA dues-paid facility manager receive the monthly Facility Managers Memo, an electronic "best practices" newsletter. Team One members receive a special Team One Briefing aimed at issues important to our Small Facility members.

Executive Education & Employee Training

SSA direct member registration fees offer hundreds of dollars in savings for executive education and employee training programs each year. SSA offers the popular Family Business Management and Succession Workshop each year for self storage business owners and their successors, to address their concerns in governing, managing and passing on the family business to successors. Exclusively for owners and investors in SSA member facilities, the annual Owners-Investors Course is a graduate level course where attendees learn from intensive case studies and financial analyses delivered by successful leaders in the industry. The Annual Winter Executive Workshop combines first-class industry education for advanced operators with world class accommodations at nationally known ski resorts each January or February. District managers and owner managers with more than one property will want to take advantage of SSA's new Regional Supervisors Program on facility management offered in sequential segments in advance of SSA's semi annual conferences. For learning anytime, anywhere, with no travel expense, SSA’s new Online University includes downloadable conference sessions and webcasts as well as a structured, interactive learning site for education on management topics and attainment/renewal of the prestigious SSA Certified Self Storage Manager (CSSM)© designation.

Rewards & Benefits

The SSA has assembled a "Value Proposition" that is unequalled in our industry. The Association can easily provide you with ten times more benefits than you provide in dues -- if an individual owner-operator takes full advantage of all SSA sponsored programs and discounts.

Technology Tools

Annually, the Self Storage Association (SSA) administers an Operational Characteristics Survey that collects operational data on the features and characteristics of self storage facilities from its members. The data collected from this survey is then published as a comprehensive resource to facility owners, operators, and others interested in this industry. The results of the survey are compiled in an online version of various reports called the F.O.C.U.S. Online Reporting System. Members will find valuable data including: operational and financial data and trends not routinely available from other sources and key result areas organized by region and area type that is cross-tabulated with other operating practices and characteristics of reporting facilities. Reports include:

Rent History & Board Rates
National Averages
Trended Figures
Regional Revenue and Expenses

Click here for more information or contact Anna Atherton: aatherton@selfstorage.org

SSA has become the recognized "innovator" in the self storage industry. For example, SSA wholly owns ODE*SSA 2.0 a powerful, customized national facility database that SSA direct members can access online. They can "drill down" into SSA's exclusive data depot to explore customer demand (both residential and commercial) in a 1 to 10 mile radius around any facility in the United States. It's strictly an SSA member-only benefit; and it's the most inventive technology tool in our entire industry. Also, the state-of-the-art SSA Web site now has an online job board called the SSA Career Center.

Research and Studies

SSA continues to outpace the entire industry in terms of generating new research and cutting-edge information programs. Three years ago, no one knew exactly how many facilities there were in this industry or how much inventory of rentable space there was...now SSA knows with great certainty. There are some 52,000 "primary" facilities in the industry today (and we know the latitude and longitude of each and every facility via SSA's potent National Facilities Database). Self Storage is now a $22.6 billion dollar industry (in terms of gross sales) -- much larger than even the record music industry or the US motion picture production industry. Collectively, the industry represents 2.2 billion square feet of self storage space -- a land area of more than 78 square miles -- or the equivalent of three times the size of Manhattan Island, under roof. SSA direct members get first notice of all upcoming research and new studies at special introductory prices before they are released to the entire industry.

Association Relations

The SSA now represents some 6,000 owner-operator firms -- both direct members and (indirect) members of the international and state associations that are now formally affiliated with the national SSA -- and a total of some 20,000 facilities in the US, Canada and 22 other nations. SSA is working together with its affiliates on key government relations issues, revenue-sharing ideas and other programs of great importance to the affiliates. SSA brought this exceptional coalition to the table and now virtually the entire organized industry is not only talking -- but working - together for your company's benefit and for that of the whole self storage industry.

Membership Services

SSA is known for, and prides itself, on its responsiveness. If you do not believe it, give SSA a call and ask a question. You will get a timely and helpful response. We believe in same day/one day service. Like more than 6,000 companies you will find that SSA dues are the best investment in your livelihood that you will make this year. SSA is doing something right because it enjoys one of the highest membership retention rates in the entire Association Management industry!

Publications and Content

SSA generates several new books, manuals and studies each year. Recently, we've published Security for Self Storage as well as our newest publication Mixed Use Development. To explore all the books and studies available, visit our Online Store.

Legal Resources and Information

SSA direct members (only) receive six copies of the Self Storage Legal Review each year – a detailed legal newsletter that is a major benefit (valued at $295/year). It’s chocked full of legal information and reviews of court decisions as well as legislative initiatives and regulatory actions across the nation. Also, SSA members can tap into the Self Storage Legal Network for a small fee to receive detailed legal information in response to their specific questions from SSA’s hand-selected panel of expert attorneys who specialize in self storage law. We’re also in the process of publishing Annotated Lien Laws for each state (we currently have 13 states completed) available to SSA members only for only $20 each.