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Whenever businesses hear the word “insurance,” they balk because they know that getting insurance can be costly, though for self storage insurance, it can be more affordable than you think. But every business, self storage facilities included, need some sort of insurance to protect their assets and profits from accidents, legal action, or disasters. Specialized insurance for self storage facilities, in particular, are useful tools in dealing with protecting your business against the three calamities listed above. Even if you operate your business as smoothly and as by-the-book as you possibly can, you will need specialized insurance to cover the unexpected event that eventually comes up. Knowing what kinds of specialized insurance for self storage facilities are out there and how they can help, will help you make the best decision in getting specialized insurance.

Every business should have insurance coverage that covers their basic and extended needs. And because every business, from car dealerships to hospitals, has different needs, so will the needs of your self storage facility. In fact, there is several specialized insurance coverage that self storage businesses should get. The three types of specialized insurance coverage that you should get are Tenant Contents Abandonment, Operators Legal Liability and Sale and Disposal Legal Liability. Each type of coverage is specific to the self storage industry, and cover specific aspects that can negatively impact the operation of your business. Specialized insurance can help you protect your business and your peace of mind.

The first type of specialized insurance protects your business from contents that tenants have left in your storage facility that need special handling to remove. This kind of specialized insurance covers cleanup and removal of environmentally sensitive materials, such as radioactive waste, or materials that cannot be discarded in landfills. These kinds of materials are not easy to remove and dispose of properly by anyone. In these cases, special vehicles, containers or equipment are required to properly handle these materials without exposing anyone to the health hazards they possess. Of course, not having these materials on your property to begin with can minimize the risk of having to deal with hazardous substances, but nonetheless, even if it’s written into the rental agreement, tenants have been known to violate the agreements and store contents in self storage facilities that are illegal or violate the rental agreement. That’s why Tenant Contents Abandonment, as the specialized insurance coverage is known, is important to have. Without it, you could be stuck with a very large bill that you may be responsible to pay for.

The second type of specialized insurance covers you from damaged or lost contents. If a tenant is using your storage facility and notices that his or her contents have been damaged or stolen while in storage, you don’t have to be on the hook. Anytime a tenant presents a legal lawsuit against your business, Operators Legal Liability can protect you by paying for your legal costs and damages to the tenants’ contents up to a certain amount. This is a good policy to have since you can never know if the tenant is telling the truth about damages to the contents that are being stored in your facility. But whether or not it’s true, your legal costs are covered.

The third type of specialized insurance covers you from rent that’s owed to you from a tenant. This is particularly useful when a tenant does not pay and you need to clear out the contents so you can rent out the previous tenant’s space. Sale and Disposal Legal Liability coverage makes sure that you are insured against legal action against you if a tenant claims that their contents were wrongly removed from the storage space. Of course, you need to follow your state’s rules on how to properly dispose of a tenant’s contents who has defaulted on the rental agreement. In the case that legal action is taken against you, this insurance will help cover your legal fees.

Specialized insurance coverage for self storage facilities are essential to the health of the business. By protecting yourself against lawsuits and damages, you are protecting the viability of your business. It makes good financial sense to protect your business with these specialized insurance coverages.

Scott Meyers, CSSM is the owner and President of Alcatraz Storage® which operates several Self Storage Facilities in the Midwest. Scott is a Certified Self Storage Manager (CSSM©) through the National Self Storage Association and has been a real estate investor since 1993. He was an instructor of the Landlord 101 course through the University of Indianapolis and now Scott Speaks to Investor groups nationwide and has students around the world, but mostly enjoys spending time at home with his wife and 3 young children in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Confused by a part of that title? For what it’s worth. To most of us, it’s a jumble of letters… To a member of Generation Y, FWIW is as clear as ABC.

Just communicating with Generation Y can be confusing enough; trying to reach them with promotional items can be downright mind-numbing. They are a canny and informed generation and have been first-hand witnesses to dynamic social and technological changes. Grasping what appeals to them can be complicated, to say the least. Here are a few rules to keep in mind when creating promotional products for Generation Y.

Rule # 1 – Don’t let them see you coming. You would think that this would hold for any marketing campaign, right? Well, Generation Y is savvier than any generation yet.  You have to be extra careful with them. They don’t want to feel, hear, or see the sell.

Rule #2 – Create a dialogue. The single, defining characteristic of generation Y is interaction. Whether through a social network or just texting on the phone, generation Y must be in contact and in conversation.  The best promotional items for generation Y are ones that engage them interactively. Give them a download card for a song that they can access by joining a music club on your site, for example. It has to be about interaction.

Rule #3 – Be Subtle about Branding. If you go the more traditional route with T-shirts, hats or other clothing items, there is one thing that is mandatory – make sure your promotional products for Generation Y look current. In terms of graphic design, current means subtle. No Gen Y-er wants a giant logo smack in the middle of their t-shirt. The design must be subtle. Why not place a smaller version of your logo near the hem of the shirt and off to one side? Indirect is best.

In terms of copy for your brand, current means brief. This is the generation who perfected the art of abbreviation through texting and online communication. Don’t get wordy. The shorter and more direct the message is, the more they’ll get it.

Rule #4 – Be Ethical.  Make sure that your promotional item reflects an ethical approach. Use recycled or organic materials whenever possible. Use sweatshop-free or free-trade production… and make sure it says so on your product. Members of Generation Y think of themselves as political and they want other people to see them as political, too.

Communicating effectively with Generation Y through promotional products can really keep you on your toes. By following these few ground rules, however, you’ll have a great base from which to build a productive dialogue with this new generation of consumers.

Written for the owner of http://www.prolinesupplyco.com/This article can be reproduced in whole or in part, providing this byline is included along with a followable link to http://www.prolinesupplyco.com/
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I also looked up “salesperson,” “saleswoman,” “salesman,” “sales clerk,” and my favorite, “sales talk.” The definition for “sales talk” was, “a line of reasoning or argument intended to persuade someone to buy something.” Whenever I do a workshop or teleconference, I frequently ask participants, “What are the words that come to mind when you hear the word, ‘salesperson’?” Invariably, I hear back words like, “manipulative,” “dishonest,” “unethical,” and “sleazy.” In the dictionary, however, when I looked up all of the above sales words, none of the definitions referenced “manipulative,” “dishonest,” “unethical,” “sleazy,” or anything particularly negative. The language in these definitions was actually quite neutral and several of them spoke of value. Unfortunately, in our culture, the words “sales” or “sell” are viewed with disrespect. The words no longer simply mean to persuade someone of the value of what you are offering. Instead they carry the baggage of images of untrustworthiness and deviousness. This is a misconception that does an enormous disservice. Far too often, network marketers buy into this stereotypical image of sales and see the activity of selling as negative and untrustworthy. They feel that if they are selling (or being perceived to be selling), they are doing something that is not quite right or that has the potential to be not quite right. It’s as if there is a line drawn someplace, but they don’t know where that line is or when they’ve stepped over it. It causes them to be cautious and careful and worry about how they are perceived. This anxiety puts them, in their own minds, at a disadvantage and on a lower level than their prospects and customers. This is a difficult place to be. And it stops many network marketers from taking action.

The reality is- network marketing is selling. Network marketing is persuading people to buy your products and persuading people to join your team. It is persuading them of the value of your products and your opportunity.

I looked up the word “persuade” in the dictionary. It said: “1. to prevail on a person to do something, 2. to induce to believe; convince” Again, nowhere in that definition do we find the words, “manipulative,” “dishonest,” “unethical,” “sleazy,” or anything particularly negative. As with the word, “sell,” the language is quite neutral. The bottom line: Network marketing is persuading and convincing people to buy your products and persuading and convincing people to join your team. That persuasion is based on value. If you cannot persuade and convince people to buy your products and/or to join your team, then you do not have a business. If you believe that selling is “manipulative,” “dishonest,” “unethical,” and “sleazy,” this belief will not support your ability to build a business. It is very difficult to sell (persuade and convince) while believing that selling (persuading and convincing) is wrong. It is time for network marketers to change their beliefs about the words “selling” and “sales.”

The truth is that most professional sales people are honest, ethical and believe in the value they have to offer. And most network marketers are honest, ethical and believe in the value of their products and their opportunity.

And that is what network marketers should focus on. Here are some questions that network marketers should ask themselves:

Do you believe in the value of your products?
Do your products provide a benefit to your customers?
Do you believe in the value of your opportunity?
Does your opportunity provide a benefit to your downline?
Are you doing the best you know how to ensure that your customers get what they need?

Are you doing the best you know how to ensure that your downline gets what they need? If you have answered “yes” to the above questions, then you are proceeding with integrity. If you are proceeding with integrity, then obviously you are not being “manipulative,” “dishonest,” “unethical,” and “sleazy.” You can persuade, convince and sell with your head held high. If you answered “no” to the questions above, then get out of the business. It’s not a fit for you. Find something else to do in which you can believe. The ability to persuade and convince is not something that everyone is born with. Some people have that skill more naturally than others. Most people, however, no matter what their natural abilities or what level they have attained in a company, can improve their skills.

The really good news is that selling is communication. Like any communication skill, selling skills can be learned and improved upon.

Improving skills is a process. It’s not something that happens overnight, but instead is something that builds over time and with study and practice. Because so many network marketers have negative beliefs about selling, it is difficult for them to gain the skills they need to persuade effectively. They are bombarded with the message that selling is a negative activity. They are also frequently told that they are not selling. If they are not selling, how do they persuade and convince? Because of these contradictions, the idea that there is skill involved or that they could learn and improve their persuasive abilities is foreign to many. They are paralyzed to take action and sell and they are unable to improve their skills. Even when they try to improve their persuasive skills, their belief of selling as being negative frequently gets in the way and keeps them from moving forward. What’s the solution? Let’s reclaim the words “sell” and “sales.” Let’s redefine the words to mean, “to persuade and convince with integrity.”

Let’s remember that value is inherent in the definition.

Then network marketers could understand that as long as they proceed with integrity and as long as they believe in the value of what they are selling, then selling is an ethical and moral act. This would free so many of the network marketers who are paralyzed by not wanting to sell. It would now be possible for them to align their positive intent with their positive action. It would make it easier for them to learn the skills they need to be effective in the business. Looking to the future, I envision a world where network marketers say with pride,

“I sell because I believe in my company’s products and opportunity.”

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