PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Thankfully, spring is here.  As always, hope springs eternal.  We need that because of the uncertainty of economic times.  It should be noted that as compared to many other industries, the self storage industry is doing well. 

For us in Colorado, one of the big issues is real estate property taxes on both commercial and residential real estate.  COSSA has monitored the current legislative session to see how the legislature will address this issue in this year’s session.  As I write this letter, it appears that the outlook is not promising for a permanent fix this year.  Some people think it will eventually be decided by the Colorado voters in a state-wide referendum.  We will keep you updated on any developments. 

One of the things COSSA has been working on is an update to the Big Easy.  This is the prototype “lease” of the self storage industry which COSSA developed a few years ago.   (Disclosure:  this is not a sample lease that fits any or all facilities.  A purchaser of the Big Easy will need to have her/his attorney review the document to make appropriate modifications for specific issues to a particular self storage facility.)  All Big Easy updates are free.  The updates should be completed this summer. 

I want to encourage everyone to attend the fall meeting on Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, 7800 East Tufts Ave., Denver.  As always, we have a great program planned.  More details are available nearby.  I want to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors whose generous support help to make our meetings possible.

Also of note is the annual COSSA baseball game at Coors Field on Thursday, June 29th.  Bring your family and friends.  We would love to see you there.  It’s always a lot of fun.  See information below for more information.

Thanks for all your support of COSSA.

Jackson White, President

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RV STORAGE GROUP - IT'S OUR SEASON!

We all know there are many different seasons each year, and certainly everyone has their favorite you can be sure. However, for RV Storage Owners and Managers the best season of all is RV SEASON!

After a cold and snowy winter and spring like weather upon us, RV Storage operators should be experiencing a welcomed uptick in facility use and activity from both existing and new customers alike. The snow is melting, grass is turning green, campgrounds are opening, and the kids will be on summer break before we know it. Add it all up, and its officially RV Season.

This is the perfect time of year to think about ramping up your social media presence and advertising campaigns. Warmer weather means people are on the move, and with the beautiful Rocky Mountains in our back yard, Colorado is a hotbed for RV’ers.

Keeping your facility at or near capacity can be a challenge sometimes, and a focused social media and/or advertising platform can make all the difference. The attitude that “if you build it, they will come” is simply not the case in today’s more competitive landscape. Perspective customers have more options than ever before, and targeting “your audience” has become very specialized. Consider for instance, that the typical RV Storage user is often very different from a traditional self-storage user and thus, requires a very different target message to attract new customers. And what about your existing customers? Remember, unlike traditional self-storage where packing, moving, unpacking, etc may be difficult and time consuming, RV Storage customers can simply hook up their stored property (camper, boat, trailer, etc.) and move down the street to your competitor. How will you attract a new customer to fill the new vacancy?

Learn more about social media and advertising for RV Storage during our upcoming RV Storage Group Meeting Sponsored by The Storage Group.

In an effort to accommodate the large interest in this topic, as well as, to provide a more efficient and productive meeting, please consider submitting your social media and/or advertising questions here prior to the meeting.

Mark your calendars for May 17^th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM MST and plan to attend this interactive Zoom meeting with special guest Jeanne Dotson of The Storage Group.  In an effort to accommodate the large interest in this topic, as well as, to provide a more efficient and productive meeting, please consider submitting your social media and/or advertising questions here prior to the meeting.

If you have not already notified Maggie of your interest to be included on emails regarding the RV Storage Group, please send an email today!

The mission of the RV Storage Group is to focus on specific topics, ideas and trends generally applicable only to RV Storage Owners and Operators, and ultimately providing more value and a greater knowledge base to our Members.

Jeff Hopkins, Front Range RV Storage

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

   Friday,  October 13^th is the date for COSSA’s Annual Meeting and Tradeshow.  We are excited to announce our two guest presenters,  AJ Osborne  and Gary Wojtaszek.  

   AJ is the CEO of Cedar Creek Wealth, wrote the book, "The Investors Guide to Growing Wealth" and hosts the podcast "The Self Storage Income".

   Gary “Wojo” started  a family-run business focused on designing, building and operating premium class facilities.  What started as a small, family-run business is now a huge community known as RecNation! 

   And we can’t forget the State of the State of Colorado update from Ben Vestal and Adam Schlosser.  

NEW MEMBER BENEFIT

We would like to announce our newest member benefit for our facility owners and/or managers!  We are pleased to bring you a communication tool you can use to post questions and receive responses from other members and that is a Member Forum component on the COSSA website. 

Login to the COSSA website, click the Membership tab and select Member Forum from the drop down menu. 

Select the “Click Here to Submit Question” and complete the form that comes up with your information and the question you would like to ask.  The question will be sent to the administrator (Maggie), who will approve and post the question to the website.  Once the question is up there, those visiting the Member Forum page will have the opportunity to post a response to the question(s).  Responses will be posted and the person who posted the question will be notified that there is a response to their question.  Questions and answers will be anonymous on the website, but there is the ability to select “contact me directly”, when posting and/or answering questions. 

As questions come in, we will build on the Topics so if you have a question in the future, you can check the site to see if it has already been posed by someone else.  A couple of questions and responses have already been posted, so be sure to check it out and take advantage of this new benefit.

COSSA & COLORADO ROCKIES

Join us on Thursday, June 29 at Coors Field where the Rockies take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at 6:40pm.  We have tickets on hold for seats in the Outfield Box at $35.00 per ticket.  If you interested in attending, please let Maggie know by Wednesday, May 10th how many tickets you would like to purchase and I'll reserve them for you.   We will have a pre-game get together at the Viewhouse Ballpark location. 

 

TOY STORAGE NATION - June 16th Executive Workshop in Boulder/Denver

Looking for the next big thing in self-storage? Are you interested in operating a highly successful business? 

Well, the RV and boat storage market is booming with opportunities.

Prepare for your next business venture by attending the Toy Storage Nation Executive Workshop in Boulder/Denver, where industry thought leaders will provide detailed information on the exact steps required to own, invest, and operate an RV & boat storage facility.

When you attend the June 16 event, you will meet with industry experts who are experienced in building profitable sites from the ground up.  Workshop attendees will learn:

• how to scout out a perfect site                           
• operation tips for higher profits
• how to conduct a feasibility study
• key design considerations
• find lenders
• best marketing strategies & more!

This event will be held at the Omni Interlocken Hotel. Get more details, including the speaker lineup, and registration information here. Seating is limited.  Receive a $200 discount only available for members of the Colorado Self-Storage Association.  Email Maggie or call 303-350-0070 for the discount code.

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