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Greetings, %%Facility name%%. Welcome to our first eNews for 2011... and what a year this one is shaping up to be! If the workload in Sales is anything to go by, it looks like things are quickly picking up pace following the GFC of 2009/2010.

A number of our customers have also been in contact regarding facility upgrades and expansions - which is great to see. We hope that other parts of the world will soon follow suit, particularly some of our American customers, who were hit hard by the recession.

But back to the newsletter and we have some great tips & ideas, thanks to some of our great Guest Bloggers from around the world. The usual regulars are also back for another year.

As usual, if you have any comments, ideas or suggestions, just get in touch with me via andy@storman.com. Until next time, happy surfing! :-)

Regards,
Andy & the StorMan Software Team

Did you know that you can now leave your comments, ideas & thoughts on any of our blog posts?

To leave a comment, simply scroll to the end of any of our blog posts and complete the 'Comments' form... it's that easy! Reader Samson was our first ever commenter; you can read his comment on the Vicious Retail Cycle post.

Happy commenting!

This month we welcome our newest team member, Scott Bishop, who joins our Auckland office as Technical Support Team Leader. You can read Scott's blog here.

The Vicious Retail Cycle - by Andy

I recently took part in a discussion with friends regarding an alarming trend that they saw forming in some of Australia's larger retail stores. Said friends work in retail (some in Australia's largest department stores) - and it was certainly an eye-opener for me, as to what's happening out there in retail-land.

If you've been following Australian news lately, you'll know that Aussie retailers are really struggling this Christmas - particularly against an onslaught of overseas online retailers. The virtually one-to-one US vs. Aussie dollar isn't helping these matters; although, for online consumers like myself, it means cheaper access to a large range of goods - some of which you just can't get here... continue reading this blog.

Is there something you love about StorMan? A report that you can't live without? A feature that makes your life easier? What about a time-saving tip that you love using?

Let us know about it - and if we use it on our website's "One-line wonders" section (like these ones), we'll send you and a friend to the movies - on us. Leave us your one-line wonders via email here.

Have you ever used a piece of software on your computer or phone and wished there was an alternative program that does the same thing? Something easier or faster, for example? You're in luck - because one such website exists.

The "Alternative To" website provides a list of alternative software programs for many common Windows, Mac, Android & iPhone applications... and even websites.

For example... are you sick of the cluttered interface used by your computer's audio player? Find an alternative! What about that online photo sharing website? There's an alternative to that, too! In fact, there are literally tens of thousands listed.

Get started today, at www.alternativeto.net

This month's offer for StorMan eNews readers: Get 10% off unit upgrades! Looking to expand your facility and add more units soon? For this month only, get 10% off unit licence upgrades in StorMan!

This offer valid for uptake between 1st February & 28th February 2011 only. Must mention offer to receive discount. For existing clients only. For more details, please contact StorMan Sales via http://go.storman.com/contact/

This month we flashback to mid-2009, when Wayne from our Auckland office found a body on the side of the road. Read Wayne's blog here.

The human eye blinks an average of 4,200,000 times a year.

As many readers would know, a large part of the state of Queensland was recently flooded. Many of you would have seen images of these and the Brisbane CBD floods on the news. Although the StorMan office & staff members' homes were safe, thousands of Queensland residents weren't so lucky; with many homes & possessions completely destroyed.

In terms of the Self Storage industry, we were made aware of a number of facilities that were affected by flooding and have been on hand to assist them in getting back up and running in terms of their computer systems & software.

We wish to thank everyone who emailed us wishing us well & offering support when StorMan staff were working from home or friends' places to keep things running for everyone. We've put together a package on our website, featuring some of your wonderful comments, well-wishes as well as a few flood photos taken by StorMan staff & friends of either the city areas of areas near their homes.

Audio Formats

You've probably received a sound-file or two on your computer; be it downloading from a website or someone emailing it to you. You've also probably seen a few different audio file formats in your time - like .aiff, .wav, .wma, .w4a, .mp3 and .aac ...just to name a few.

So what's the difference between these formats and how do they work? Check out this handy guide for all the details.

A positive economy for 2011? - by Charlie Fritts (Storage Investment Management Inc.)

The past year in the storage industry has been quite challenging. The U.S. recession has changed many markets and the way customers and operators act. A higher percentage of customers have been shopping around more for the best price with some willing to travel beyond the normal market limits to get a great price. We've also noted an increase in customer willingness to relocate or threaten to a competitor for a better deal. Plus some customers are staying shorter periods than in previous years.

Storage operators have responded by offering more generous specials and often have reduced their rates across the board. The largest U.S. storage companies, the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) have often led the way toward heavy discounting across the board in the markets they serve. We suspect that some operators may feel the REIT's know more and are following suit with reductions that may not be needed, at least not as deep... continue reading this blog.

An 'Energex' electricity repair truck being used for... fishing?!

Have you got a joke or funny pic to send us?
Please let us know!

CAPTCHA stands for 'Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart' and refers to the often hard-to-read series of letters and numbers found on website contact forms and the like.

A CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing as an attempt to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. The process usually involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are supposedly unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human.

CAPTCHAs are often hard to read and those with a vision impairment often have to rely on audio CAPTCHA's, which are sadly not always implemented. A number of teams have been working on simplifying the CAPTCHA process, by replacing the distorted characters with photos of different animals and asking the user to click on, say, the photo of the cat. Other CAPTCHAs display a series of upside down and rotated photos and ask the user to turn them all upright before letting the user continue.

Read more about the CAPTCHA test at Wikipedia.

What letter is next in this sequence? M, A, M, J, J, A, S, O, __ ?

Answer to last month's brainteaser: Did you get '5000' as your answer? The correct answer is actually '4100'. If you don't believe it, check with your calculator!

Looking forward to 2011 - by Silvia Pendleton (Texas Self Storage Association)

Well, here we are looking toward the end of another year... another strange year that has brought challenges as well as opportunities to the self-storage industry. From all reports, Texas has fared well throughout these turbulent times and for that, we are thankful. Although we have heard from some members of their struggles with lower than usual occupancy levels, and higher move-out rates, overall they’re doing well.

TSSA has responded by offering educational sessions featuring marketing, sales and customer service topics – all in an effort to help members reach customers, close the sale and then hang on to them! We’re encouraged by the funding opportunities available through SBA and USDA. Not all of our members will qualify for these loans, but these sources have not been available to the self-storage industry before, and we’re hopeful that it is a sign of good things to come for our members... continue reading this blog.

Hi there - I'm Darran, one of StorMan's Technical Support Agents. Each issue, I'll trawl through the deep depths of the internet to find you a funky piece of software, hardware or other interesting technological trinkets.

Internet-enabled bathroom scale: Are you trying to lose weight but are too lazy to type your daily measurements into a spreadsheet? Let the internet scale do it for you! This hunk of glass and aluminium weighs you in kilograms, pounds, or stone and through biometric impedance analysis, the scale accurately measures your body fat.

By giving your scale access to the internet, it posts your every weight measurement sample to your own private custom web page that tracks your body mass and shows you your progress. View your results in tabular or graph form, even on your iPhone using the included iPhone app! Buy one here.

Nb. All 'Latest Gadget' information & imagery is sourced from online entities & supplier websites. StorMan generally doesn't endorse, own or test any of these products; we merely link to them as you might find them interesting or fun for your own use...