Given the current state of the economy, maintaining market share is more important than ever. That means taking a little more time with prospective tenants and placing a lot more emphasis on customer retention. The bottom line is this: Putting the customer first could mean the difference between someone choosing your facility or that of your competitor down the street.

The cover story of this edition of Mobile Self-Storage Magazine explores this very topic. Starting on page 10, you’ll glean some tips from mobile industry experts on what it means to offer customer-first service. In addition, our second feature looks at the portable container component of the mobile business and how it might fit into your business plan.

Columns in this issue look at two very important topics. First, “Scheduling Efficiency: Solving The Routing Puzzle” explores how tightening up your pickup and delivery schedule can save your both time and money. Second, “Selling Products For Mobile” offers excellent insight into how product sales can become an easy and profitable revenue stream for mobile self-storage operators.

In a down economy, sometimes we are forced to make cutbacks that we otherwise would not make. However, marketing is the last thing you should ever cut back on. Find out how increasing marketing, or continuing at your regular pace, will help your business survive tough economic times.

There is no doubt that the economy is having widespread effects on almost every type of business. While mobile self-storage is no exception, the sad truth is that even in tough times, people need to move; in fact, many need to downsize. And, as more and more consumers become aware of the mobile product and its benefits, mobile self-storage operators will continue to gain new business. The important thing in this type of an economic slowdown is to implement as many cost-saving strategies as possible. One such area to consider is delinquencies.