All Posts By

Alex Castaneda

Jul 15
0

LAURA FISHER ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JOE SHOEN OF U-HAUL INTERNATIONAL

By | News

Laura Fisher, Co-Founder of Imperial Storage Solutions and host of Small Business Insights announces an exclusive interview with the business pioneer, Joe Shoen, President, Chairman, and CEO of U-Haul’s parent company, AMERCO.

Sugar Land, Texas, July 20, 2022: As a small business owner, Laura Fisher from Small Business Insights is on a mission to interview business owners from different industries to learn and share their success stories. Today, she has come across a true celebrity in the rentals industry; Joe Shoen, a businessman who has successfully disrupted the rentals industry, helping to cement U-Haul as an iconic brand that continues to expand after 77 years.

U-Haul is about helping all small businesses succeed and has built its authorized dealer network on that premise.  Tens of thousands of authorized dealers have grown their business as a result of their relationship with U-Haul, and Laura Fisher discussed this very concept with Mr. Shoen himself.

Joe Shoen joined U-Haul in 1973 and in the past 49 years works tirelessly in every sector of the U-Haul enterprise is truly what makes the rental company the leader in its industry nationwide. It’s only fair to mention how the remarkable journey of U-Haul has been putting over 186,000 trucks and over 128,000 trailers on North American roadways right now and more than 21,000 local dealers serving as rental locations (in addition to more than 2,000 U-Haul-owned and operated stores).   Mr. Shoen has put a comprehensive plan to attract more and more of these small businesses, making over 3k new partners each year since 2012.

The U-Haul Business Empire is very well positioned and is anticipated to grow more in decades to come amid the high demand for the services and network that U-Haul has provided the country.

Today, Joe Shoen still makes visits to many U-Haul locations, works around the clock, and takes calls from customers directly.  Mr. Shoen believes “service comes before profit, you’ve got to serve the customer if you expect profit.  You can’t tell the customer you need profit today – they want SERVICE.”

The remarkable part of someone like Joe Shoen, is his ability to personally address complaints and other issues from any customer.  In fact, to this day, you can call or email Joe Shoen directly.   After all, Joe mentions, “people just want to be treated decently and fairly, get value for their money.   Most people who have a problem don’t want to complain, they just want it solved.” And it is this motto that continues to put U-Haul and its subsidiaries on the map.

U-Haul with Joe Shoen’s guidance has successfully launched U-Haul University, with 65,000 learners online.  This program provides general business courses, which are available to those affiliated with U-Haul.  The access to a learning tool like U-Haul University has provided endless opportunities to thousands of business owners.  Joe Shoen mentions that “a motivated adult can learn just about anything, and if it has to do with their livelihood, they tend to be good learners.”

U-Haul has disrupted and forever changed the rental industry, a big contribution from its leader, Joe Shoen.

To access the full interview, tune in to Small Business Insights on Spotify, Apple, or Amazon Music. It is an episode you do not want to miss!  [Listen Now]

About Small Business Insights 

Small Business Insights is a self-made podcast crafted exclusively for aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, and small business owners. Its focus is always to learn from the success stories and failures other business owners from different industries have had to put them where they are today. Laura Fisher, SBI’s host with its legendary motto “you better be up to something,” has inspired many entrepreneurs and successful business owners to join the journey of sharing their stories and making a difference to impact others on the road to building a successful business.

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Jun 02
0

The True Power of Climate-Controlled

By | Storage Tips

Self-storage units are not just any space to store goods, there are options out there, such as climate-controlled.   Imperial Storage Solutions and other facilities have this, the really cool thing about Imperial Storage Solutions is the capacity, the budget-friendliness, and the cool fact that is run and operated by a local Fort Bend family and not your standard corporate office that can make things a little complex.  The facility has something called “Climate Controlled units”. Some people who are new to us may be asking, “What in the world is that?!”, “What is it used for?.”  The Climate Controlled units are storage units that have cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Let’s go over some of the benefits of having one:

Benefits of Climate Controlled Units

  1. You can store things that wouldn’t do well in hot, burning temperatures.  Such as candles, let’s say you have the cool candle business, can you imagine what would happen to your product in a standard storage unit.   Or let’s think about canned food. If you store foods for emergencies, for a rainy day, or even for distribution, you need to store canned goods at a safe temperature.  This is the option for you.
  2. Imagine storing items in the burning weather Texas offers, let it be in a climate-controlled unit.  I’ve moved my stuff around before, and man does it burn when you’re moving stuff in a non-climate unit during the hot summer.
  3. Preserve your belongings in a safe condition and for longer.  Climate-controlled units definitely give more life to your belongings, you’re able to preserve them without something going bad because of the heat or because of the cold.

I know you’re not thinking about getting a climate-controlled unit, but when it comes to getting storage space, make sure you think smart, and go for a climate-controlled unit, they sure come in handy.

 

May 26
0

Tips to Make Extra Space for Your Home This Summer

By | Storage Tips

One of the most liked seasons known as summer is almost here! The hot temperatures, the sun, and the time to spend with the family start next month. One of the goals this summer for many is making space, to better make use of the home when the kids are out of school, or just have space, a clean home.

Here are some tips to get some extra space for your home this summer:

  1. Re-arrange your furniture to find a good layout. If you move around your furniture, you might be able to find a good layout that has even more space than the last one you had, giving you more breathing space, and feeling less cluttered.
  2. Clean out things you don’t need anymore. Like the spring-cleaning approach, you and your family, could make some space and clean out closets and other rooms, and whatever you don’t need now, donate it, or store it away. Doing this will increase your space efficiency.
  3. Most garages contain many things that don’t get used often. Ever since the COVID-19 quarantine, we have had gym equipment, old clothes, unused toys, holiday decorations, pictures, or things used for another season. The garages have become some sort of self-storage space. Instead of keeping them there until the right time, or until more clutter builds up, you should get a dedicated self-storage space to free up rooms and have a clean home.  Remember, a clean home means a clean mind.  A clean mind means room for great ideas and great times.

Get some space, clean your clutter, and get a self-storage unit. You can use it to fit new things for the summer or just to make your house look clean and feel good. Come to Imperial Storage Solutions and get started.

Apr 11
0

The perks of being a family company

By | Storage Tips

Family businesses are usually inherited from the next generation. This process may give rise to concerns among those associated with it because of the uncertainty of delegating decision-making.

However, the constant search for up-to-date companies may be a guarantee that allows permanence and growth. Everything is based on commitment, preparation, and appropriate strategies for continuous growth.

There are benefits of being a family company.

Increased longevity in leadership is an essential characteristic in a family business and retirement is the reason to take over the management of the business. This sustained leadership develops the identity of the work and ensures the continuity of the business strategy, a key reason to face crises.

The level of engagement is higher as the success of the business is the main breadwinner for the family and partners. To do this, it is necessary to prepare members about the activity they are engaged in and the optimal administration of the family business. This means that you need to have an early succession plan.

Flexible roles in the business can ensure operability and lower costs. Thus, in times of economic recession, they could reduce their wages and even contribute to capital, if needed.

The future is a factor that distinguishes them through patience and a broader perspective that extends into the longer term. Through this vision, decisions can be made less quickly, and planning and strategies are designed for a longer period of time when the benefits are more promising.

Consequently, a commercial boost can be achieved with the potential to ensure the success of generation after generation.

 

Apr 11
0

Do you know some storage features?

By | Storage Tips

The first thing to keep in mind is that organization and good warehouse design are essential to perform the following duties:

  1. Receipt of goods. In this first step, you need to do a thorough analysis of the products received in the warehouse. Such as the dimensions and weight of the load units, the frequency of arrival of each material, and the number of goods received in each dispatch.  To receive, prepare and stock any merchandise, the warehouse must have one or more docks or drive-up access to the receiving area, and another area to prepare for receipt.
  2. Perform immediate quality control. The main objective is to verify that the packaging matches the content. It is useful that everything is accompanied by a shipping list detailing the characteristics of the product received, which will help certify the quantity and quality of the shipment, along with the packaging resistance.
  3. Monitor and maintain control of inventory in stock. Perform a product count and capture data within a central system. This process ensures that all defects are dealt with immediately.
  4. Proper storage for goods. It is important to have the proper machinery to house the goods and the staff who handle the machines, tools, or even can load adequate volumes.
  5. Prepare shipment to other destinations. Having space to prepare orders with shelves or in a free area of the warehouse is essential because handling the machinery is easier and faster. Either in the rack or on the floor, this work increases the efficiency of the staff and facilitates the activity.
  6. Send orders as soon as possible. Avoiding delays and interruptions in the distribution chains is critical. The speed of execution of shipments is due to the good organization of the warehouse.

This is a brief explanation of some of the storage features because there may be others that enrich the correct operation and the advantages of storing your goods or products in a storage facility to increase productivity, have more space, and grow your business.

Feb 12
0

Groundbreaking Ceremony

By | News

Breaking New Ground…

Storage Facility initiates

construction for new Business Park.

Imperial Storage Solutions (formerly Voss Road Storage), a full-service storage and moving company based out of Sugar Land, Texas at the intersection of Highway 6 and Voss Road are pleased to announce groundbreaking news.

This phase one storage facility expansion begins January 2019; featuring 58,250 square feet of green solar-powered buildings including 3 new buildings and upgraded covered/uncovered parking on a state-of-the-art Tru-Grid driveway surface for all types of vehicles including cars, trucks, RVs, and boats and small document storage & valet storage building.

The move marks the next step in the company’s strategy to expand its operations on a 9-acre space and continue to offer a one-stop solution for Ft. Bend County businesses and residents in the recently named; Imperial Business Park.

The overall expansion includes 381,250 square feet of additional net rentable square footage space featuring climate-controlled units, (44) Class-A executive office spaces with three conference rooms and collaborative workspace, along with (14) 600 ft office/warehouse units and expanded parking spaces for vehicles from trailers to big rigs.

The expansion also highlights cold/frozen storage unit with natural gas backup generator capabilities.   The second phase is scheduled to completed 12-24 months after completion of Phase 1 which will include two additional buildings designed as multi-story climate only storage, additional executive office space on the upper floors and office/warehouse space on the lower levels totaling 171,000 square feet net rentable space.

A third and final phase is said to include a document & household goods valet storage warehouse and another expanded refrigerator/freezer storage situated on one acre within the property for additional customer storage needs.  The first expansion phase is scheduled to be completed by January 2020.  In addition, Imperial Storage Solutions has long-term plans to expand to a second location in Katy, Texas.