Category Archives: Family Owned Self Storage

Embrace the Cold & Protect Your Belongings!

Winter is here in Egg Harbor Township, NJ and it’s time to embrace the snow!  But with the change in temperature, it’s important to make sure your belongings are protected from the harsh weather conditions. That’s where self storage comes in! Our climate-controlled units ensure that your items stay safe and sound, no matter the weather outside. Plus, with easy access and flexible rental options, you can enjoy your winter wonderland without any worries. Don’t let the cold ruin your belongings – trust us to keep them in tip-top condition this winter! Stop in the office the next time you are in and leave a review with the managers in our testimonial book! Looking forward to seeing you out and about, in this chilly weather! Stay warm! Our office hours Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 3pm. Access hours remain Mon-Sunday 6am to 9pm.

Storage Inn Christmas Solutions

It’s that time of year again, and The Storage Inn is ready to help you make space for all your holiday cheer! Whether you need to store your Christmas tree and decorations, or just need some extra room for all those presents, we’ve got you covered. Our secure and climate-controlled units are perfect for keeping your belongings safe and sound during the hectic holiday season. And with our convenient location and friendly staff, you’ll be able to access your unit whenever you need to. So why not give yourself the gift of extra space this Christmas?

– sack full of toys and gifts

Some tips for the final pack up come next week! Proper storage can help extend the life of your holiday decor and make decorating next year a breeze. Here are some tips to help you store your holiday decorations like a pro. First, make sure to clean and dry all decorations before storing them. This will help prevent mold and mildew from forming. Next, invest in sturdy storage containers that are specifically designed for holiday decorations. These containers will protect your decorations from dust, moisture, and pests. Finally, label your containers so you know exactly what’s inside and where it belongs. Taking these steps will help ensure that your holiday decorations are ready to go when the next holiday season rolls around.

We want to thank our customers, new and established alike. Thank you for choosing our facility to store your belongings, we truly appreciate and value your business.

Backyard Party Season

Hello All! Summer is now here and it is time to let the backyard party season begin! I am having my in-laws over next weekend and we are having a big party in the backyard. I have to the menu ready to go, but setting up the backyard is going to be the biggest effort. We have a smaller yard so we have to be mindful about the equipment we are going to need keep our guests well taken care of. Things I’ll be pulling out of storage this week:

1.) Our lawn mower, weed whacker, and hedge trimmer. To be honest, the only time we ever fully manicure the lawn is when we have company.

2.) The Smoker- for the brisket AND the regular grill for the hot dogs and chicken!

3.) Sprinklers & Super Soakers for my son and my nephew, they are the only kiddos attending the party, so they get free reign of the supplies. Some of the adults are big kids at heart, I am sure there will be a war.

Oversize Flower Pots- so I can run to the local garden market and plant some red, white and blue flowers, VERY last minute, so my yard looks festive!

Canopy Tent, Tables & Chairs- Our relatives are all older and need to stay out of the direct sun, so we need to keep them in the shade and set up some fans. I have about 6 folding chairs, so they are going to have to bring what they have to help!

Large Camping Coolers- to fill with the beverages- I have about 10 kinds of soda in my trunk right now, and I need to keep them all cold.

So thankful that we have a place to keep all these things during the fall, winter and spring seasons! As always it’ll be so nice seeing the managers and yard support on my visit to my storage unit.  Happy Backyard party season from The Storage Inn.

http://www.thestorageinn.net

 

 

 

 

 

Getting our Grads Ready!

It is the end of May, and it is about time to watch our high school seniors walk across that stage. Those of you out that who may be the proud parent, or the gloating grandparent, or the sibling who is happy to get the bigger room once they move away to college… its finally time to celebrate. Our local high schools are submitting grades, ordering those caps and gowns, practicing ceremonies. Our families are planning the gifts to give and planning menus for the graduation parties that scheduled for a few weeks from now. Our seniors are considering saying goodbye to teachers and friends, and getting ready to head off to the unknown world… COLLEGE!

The most sought after gift for the grads will be cash, but some of the more practical friends and family may gift things for the dorm room! Come fall, they will need to outfit their dorm rooms, and with the all extra happenings of the summer, where will the grads keep their dorm room prep? We can always fit a small, several month rental for a storage unit that can house the college essentials until its time to pack up the family car and head to the university of their choice.

Comforters, Twin sheet sets, closet organizers, kitchen utensil kits, laundry bags, coffee makers, shower caddies, pillows, fans, power strips, lamps, towels, and a sweet new wardrobe. We wish all the graduates well, and hope their ceremonies are memorable, parties are full of excitement, and the summer is full of dorm shopping. If things get a little tight around the house, remember you can always come see us in both of our locations in Ocean City and Egg Harbor Township.

837 West Ave, Ocean City, NJ

2527 Fire Road, Egg Harbor Township, NJ

http://www.thestorageinn.net

 

 

We’re Singin’ the Blues – Berries That Is!

Blueberry Month at The Storage Inn

We’re Singin’ the Blues – Berries that is!

It’s July here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, and we are as busy as ever renting extra space for storage, moving trucks and moving vans, and helping people with storage packing supplies!

July also happens to be National blueberry month – how do I know this? We happen to be located just minutes from the blueberry capital of the world, Hammonton New Jersey.

Blueberries by the Numbers

New Jersey’s $79.5 million blueberry industry includes about 254 farms and around 8,800 acres, with about 7,594 of those acres located in Hammonton. 49 million pounds of blueberries per year are harvested in the Hammonton, NJ area. If you’re in New Jersey and looking for fresh blueberries, chances are you’ll end up in Hammonton.

Here are some benefits of our delicious local blueberries…

Blueberries are great for your bones

They’re tiny, but blueberries contain seven vitamins! Iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K.  While iron and zinc help to maintain the elasticity of bones and joints, vitamin K has been shown to prevent bone fractures over time.

They help with weight loss & digestion

Blueberries have a surprisingly high fiber content. In fact, adding one cup of fresh blueberries can add up to 4.2 grams of fiber to your diet with only 80 calories!  Getting enough fiber not only helps with regulating digestion and maintaining a healthy digestive tract, but it also helps you feel full and satisfied for longer which can help support a healthy weight and lifestyle.

 

Blueberries support your skin’s health

Your skin’s support system, collagen, relies on vitamin C to help prevent damage.  This damage comes from many things including air pollution and cigarette smoke. The vitamin C found in blueberries can help assist collagen in smoothing out wrinkles and improving overall skin texture so that your skin looks and feels healthy!

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants

Antioxidants are important. They help protect your cells against free radicals! In case you’ve never heard of them, they’re molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.  They can start a chain of harmful chemical reactions that hurt the cells in your body. Not to worry though, blueberries are actually believed to be the highest antioxidant-containing food of all commonly eaten fruits!

Blueberry boosts your brain

As we age, our memory tends to decline and conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia become more common.  In recent studies, however, blueberries have been found to boost cognitive function and reduce the likelihood of these diseases.  We can thank the dense concentration of flavonoids, a group of plant chemicals that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors.  This chemical has been shown to increase brain activity and blood flow to the brain which makes it a powerful weapon in the fight to treat Alzheimer’s.

Thanks for taking the time to read a few good reasons to enjoy our delicious local blueberries courtesy of The Storage Inn. I think I’ll stop on my way through Hammonton today and grab a couple pints! 

Happy Blueberry Month!

Storage Inn Camping Blog Post

June is National Camping Month!

The weather is beautiful and storage rental units are selling like hotcakes here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey!

As I was making my storage facility rounds, I noticed our resident scoutmaster Bob, pulling out camping supplies from the local Boy Scout Troop’s storage space. “That time of year” I shouted.  “Yep – National Camping Month!” Bob shot back.

This encounter got me wondering… is camping still just as popular these days as it was when I was a Boy Scout? 

Here’s what I discovered in my research! There are over 13,000 vehicle accessible campgrounds  in the USA and Canada.

Approximately 40 million people go camping per year in the USA!

The average campground stay is 2.7 nights.

Tents are still the most popular way to camp accounting for 69% of total campers.

More than 355,000 travel trailers, motor homes, and folding camping trailers are being sold each year in the U.S.

The number one activity enjoyed by campers is swimming.

The most expensive campground in the world is Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Vancouver Island, Canada. A  single night costs $3,900.

According to the most recent American Camping Report, a whopping 99% of camping participants said they were likely or very likely to camp the following year.

Camping can relieve stress and depression. When you raise your levels of oxygen, serotonin, and melatonin — which happens when you partake in outdoor physical activities — your stress levels will automatically decrease.

Camping is obviously still a huge family pastime – I know that I enjoyed it growing up.  So get out there campers! And, if you need a spot to store your camping gear, be sure to come see us at The Storage Inn.  One last tip from an ex Boy Scout and seasoned camper – Don’t forget the bug spray – Happy Camping!

Time to Tan !

Time to Tan

It’s late May here at The Storage Inn, and things are heating up! With temps in the high 80’s, and being located near the beach, we are abuzz with storage customers retrieving their summer storage items.

I have spent the past week watching beach chairs, volleyball nets, and barbecue grills being pulled from storage spaces.

Just today, one of our customers stopped into the storage rental office for a complimentary bottle of spring water, when I noticed a familiar aroma. It took me a few seconds, but then it hit me… suntan lotion!

“You smell like the beach!” I remarked.

“That’s where I’m headed!” she replied.

This encounter caused me to wonder. Why don’t they make suntan lotion scented candles? And what made humans decide that cooking themselves in the sun was a good thing?

So, I checked into the subject….

  1. Tan skin was not always popular. Ancient Romans even used chalk to whiten their faces! During the Renaissance and Elizabethan era, women would use lead-based white paints to get a pale porcelain complexion, and even drew blue veins on their skin to symbolize their “royal blue blood”.
  1. The “Cereal God”, John Harvey Kellogg, did more than just come up with Corn Flakes, he created the Incandescent Light Bath or the 1st sun bed. This prototype tanning bed was marketed to cure several skin conditions and was even shipped out to the royal family at Buckingham Palace.
  1. By the turn of the century, artificial sun lamps were used to help “cure” Tuberculosis. “A healthy tan” was born when Dr. August Rollier opened the 1st sun clinic in the Swiss Alps.
  1. Bronzed skin captivated the world in 1923 when fashion icon Coco Chanel returned to Paris with a golden brown glow from a Riviera yacht vacation. Four years later, Vogue featured the first tanned faces in their chic magazine!
  1. One of the first popular sunscreen products was invented for the United States military by Florida airman and pharmacist Benjamin Green in 1944. This came about because of the hazards of sun overexposure to soldiers in the Pacific tropics at the height of World War II.

6. Mid 20th Century marked the beginnings of bronzers. Companies like Max Factor brought beige-to brown tinted powders to the MGM film lot, creating a frenzy on the set of its 1963 classic, Cleopatra. Thanks to a liberal application of bronzing powder, Elizabeth Taylor became the beautifully bronzed Queen of the Nile!

  1. The 60s also gave rise to the first sunless tanner – Coppertone’s Quick Tan. DHA, the active ingredient in QT, was used in a drug for Glycogen Storage Disease. It was during lab tests with DHA that it was discovered that it had the ability to transform pale skin tones to a lovely shade of orange/brown in just 3-5 hours.
  1. In the 70’s an entire generation literally cooked their bodies in the sun using baby oil, tin foil, even vegetable shortening to achieve the darkest bronze tan possible in the summer months.
  1.  In 1986 the first SPF 15 was introduced, SPF 30 didn’t come around until the 90’s. Pale was popular once again when skin cancer and premature skin aging were linked to too much sun.
  1. Today, Americans spend upwards of 1.8 billion dollars a year on various suntan related products including sunscreens, oils, and bronzers.

Now you know that sun tanning was not always as popular as it is in the modern era.

We here atThe Storage Inn do our part to protect our staff from the sun with covered golf carts and uniform bucket hats.

As for me, I’m now wearing suntan lotion indoors just for the aroma! Happy tanning everyone!

 

The Storage Inn – Family Owned and Operated

The Storage Inn – Family Owned and Operated

It’s Winter here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and Baby, It’s Cold Outside! This is the time of year when our self storage customers like to chat and get warm by stopping into the Storage Inn office and packing supply store on the way back from accessing their storage spaces. Last week, one of our storage rental customers remarked that “the family atmosphere” here makes him feel comfortable stopping in, just to chat and warm up.

That was nice to hear and it got me wondering about family owned companies versus national chains. The Storage Inn is a local, family owned business – a fact that we’re very proud of. But what actually makes a “family owned” storage facility better than a national chain? I decided to put some thought into it. 

Customer Service, Quick Response Time and Perks

The level of responsiveness and quality of customer service at a family owned business versus a national chain will often be better as they tend to have less management turnover. It’s comforting to see a familiar face or hear a familiar voice when contacting a family owned facility. The management team can offer a quick response to customer concerns, and take a personalized approach to helping storage tenants.

Here at The Storage Inn, we offer perks such as a resident security manager, free use of a moving truck, help loading or unloading your vehicle and we even have an “Office on the Go” for tenants who need to use a copier, fax machine, or free wifi.

Customized Options and Flexibility

Whether you’re a small business owner, professional, or apartment resident, your storage needs are unique to you. Family owned facilities can offer customized solutions without having to adhere to strict corporate guidelines.

At The Storage Inn, we offer a wide variety of storage space sizes, as well as outdoor space for vehicles, RVs, and boats. We even offer free moving truck and moving van rentals

Cleanliness and Security

Family owned facilities tend to take personal pride in cleanliness and maintenance of their properties. When you’re evaluating a storage facility take a good look at the property’s curbside appearance. You can tell a lot about the facility by how well it’s kept up!
 
Security is also an area where family owned facilities tend to excel. The Storage Inn offers 24 hour video surveillance, a fully fenced storage facility complex with upgraded security gate, as well as ample lighting for both indoor and outdoor areas. We also offer the added security feature of a resident security manager!

Access Hours and Storage Facility Location

While most national chain facilities offer 24 hour access, you must ask yourself  “do I need 24 hour access, and more importantly, do I want others being able to access the facility where my items are stored at all hours of the night?” At the Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, NJ we give tenants access from 6AM to 9PM. Our resident security manager is available for emergency access 24/7.

The facility’s location should also be convenient, but don’t sacrifice cleanliness, security, and personalized service for the sake of a couple of miles.

There you have it! So if you’re in need of extra space storage, consider your local, family owned self storage facility. There’s always room at The Storage Inn for one more family member!

Family Owned Versus Chain Self Storage

 

Family Owned Self Storage

Finding a storage facility that matches your needs can be a daunting task. Start by making a list of requirements.

Begin by using Who, What, When, Where, and Why to narrow your search for a storage facility. Answering these five questions will help you select the best storage solution.

1.)    Who Will I Deal With?

Weigh the options of a family-owned and operated facility versus a national chain. The level of responsiveness and quality of customer service at a family owned business may be better as they tend to have less management turnover. It is comforting to see a familiar face or hear a familiar voice when contacting your chosen facility.The management team should offer quick response to customer concerns, and take a personalized approach to helping tenants. Many locally-owned facilities offer perks such as a resident security manager, and yard support team to assist with your move which is a huge plus.

2.)    What Are My Storage Needs?

Whether you are a restaurant owner, office manager or Apartment resident, your storage needs are unique to you. Be sure that your facility offers customized solutions that fit your situation, The Storage Inn, a family owned business  in Egg Harbor Township, NJ offers over 45 different sizes, as well as space for vehicles, RVs, and Boats, .

Security should be a top priority for storage facilities. Facilities like The Storage Inn offer twenty-four-hour video surveillance and ample lighting is a must for both indoor and outdoor areas. Also ask if your facility offers premium security features, such as a resident security manager.

3.)    When Can I Access My Unit?

Your facility should have access hours that suit your needs. While most national chain facilities offer 24 hour access, you must ask yourself  “do I need 24 hour access, and more importantly, do I want others being able to access the facility where my items are stored at all hours of the night?” The family owned Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, NJ  give tenants access from 6AM to 9PM, with a resident security manager available for emergency access.

4.)    Where Is the Facility? Is it Convenient?

You may need to make a run to your unit from time to time. For example, the summer season is a popular time for Automobile,Motorcycle, Boat and RV owners to retrieve their vehicles from storage facilities. A local self storage facility should be a location convenient to accessible waterways or highways.

5.)    Why Should I Consider Self Storage?

This one is simple. You need a place to safely store your items, and using the criteria above, you should be able to find one that suits your needs..

Verdict – Go local, family owned if these 5 W’s are important to you!
By – Jerry Brown
1/28/16