The #1 Mistake New Self‑Storage Developers Make (I learned the hard way)
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
When I developed my first self‑storage project, there was one piece of advice that would have saved me a tremendous amount of time and literally hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Don’t start looking for land until you have your development team on board.
Your team should include an engineer, architect, contractor, self‑storage expert, and lender, and ideally a mentor who’s already been where you want to go. Having a good mentor is one of the best decisions you will ever make.
Success does not happen solo. An experienced team brings insights, knowledge, experience, accountability, and resources that help you avoid expensive mistakes and move faster. Real‑world guidance can eliminate many missteps that might otherwise strangle your project with costly redesigns, delays, and change orders.
Without consistent deal flow, nothing else happens. Period. The right team dramatically increases your ability to find, analyze, and close profitable self‑storage deals, rather than chasing marginal sites.
A strong team also gives you the confidence to dominate instead of dabbling in self‑storage. You stop guessing and start moving through a proven development roadmap, from land selection and approvals to design, construction, and lease‑up.
How Storage Authority Helps You Avoid This Mistake
That’s exactly why the Storage Authority franchise model was built—to give you a ready‑made development and operations team so you don’t have to figure this out alone. From your dedicated Franchise Director to our Dynamic Ease Development Series checklists, you’re guided step‑by‑step from finding land through pre‑opening and beyond.
If you’d like a seasoned self‑storage team behind your first (or next) facility, your first step is simple: apply for a Storage Authority franchise (the application is free and non‑binding) and schedule a 30‑minute discovery call to see if we’re a fit.
As CEO of Storage Authority Franchising, Marc Goodin shares his passion, expertise, and unconventional wisdom with busy professionals to help them develop their own self-storage while they continue their careers. He owns 3 self-storage facilities that he designed, built, and manages. He can be reached at marc@StorageAuthority.com or directly at 860-830-6764 to answer your franchising, development, marketing, sales, and operations questions. His best-selling self-storage books are available at Amazon.
Marc Goodin
860-860-6764
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