StorageMart Sponsors Blair’s Tree of Hope, Helping Children With Terminal Illness

By:
May 17, 2012

Columbia, MO (May17,2012) – Today StorageMart was proud to announce its sponsorship of the Inaugural  5k Run/Walk to Benefit Blair’s Tree of Hope.

The event will be held May 19, 2012 at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve in Rockford, Minnesota.  The aim is that the event will raise $15,000, with all proceeds going toward the Blair’s Tree of Hope mission to assist the families of children battling terminal illnesses.

Sarah Little, StorageMart Interactive Marketing Director, says of Blair’s Tree of Hope, “In my brief relationship with Kim Anderson, I felt the passion and belief she has in her cause. She’s an inspiration to me and blessing to so many families”.

Blair’s Tree of Hope has been a tenant at the StorageMart Hopkins, MN self storage property for some time now. The company states that they look for opportunities to become involved with the local businesses and charities that store with them.

This sponsorship is just the latest charitable effort from StorageMart.  The company works with national and local non-profit organizations in many of the markets in which it operates.  Additionally, StorageMart assists students pursuing higher education with its ScholarSmarts Scholarship Program.

About StorageMart
Headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, StorageMart is a full-service, self-storage company with more than 130 locations across the United States and Canada.  StorageMart Gives is the charitable arm of the company, striving to identify partner organizations in each of the company’s home markets.  For more information, please visit www.storage-mart.com.

About Blair’s Tree of Hope
Blair’s Tree of Hope is a registered 501(c)3, non-profit organization based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Founded in 2007 by Tom and Kim Anderson in honor of the memory of their daughter, the mission of Blair’s Tree of Hope is to “help the families of children who have been hospitalized with a life-threatening illness.”  For more information, please visit www.blairstreeofhope.org.

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Crazy Tuesday: The Black Friday Of The Storing And Moving Business Happens On May 29th

By:
May 16, 2012

Columbia, MO  (May 16, 2012) –When most people think of Memorial Day Weekend, images of backyard barbecues, trips to the lake or the Indianapolis 500.  For the self storage industry however, Memorial Day Weekend has become the busiest time of the year.  With school years ending, the end of May/beginning of June has become the most popular time for people to move, and consequently it has become the time of the year when storage units are in the most demand.  The upswing in business has become so pronounced in fact that many within the industry have taken to referring to the day after Memorial Day as “Crazy Tuesday” (much like the day after Thanksgiving Day has become “Black Friday” for retail businesses).

Tron Jordheim, StorageMart spokesperson explains, “Crazy Tuesday is when the season starts for the self-storage industry and when self-storage owners begin to see a profit.  Crazy Tuesday is the day where we have the biggest call volume of the year in our self-storage call center. We’ll have the largest number of website visitors to our website, and our locations will be very busy. Over the entire Memorial Day weekend, most truck rental locations will be sold out and storage places may also be sold out of many sizes of units.”

This increase in demand can leave some customers seeking storage at the last moment before a move scrambling for options when their preferred location, size or type of unit is unavailable.

Because of the increased volume in demand for not only storage units, but moving vans and moving supplies, Jordheim recommends the following five tips for taking some of the stress out of moving.

•    Plan you move in full ahead of time
•    Try scheduling your move on an off-peak weekend.
•    Begin staging your move ahead of time by making use of a storage unit.
•    Set aside a room in your home as your packing area, where moving preparation can be done at a reasonable pace.
•    Mark your packed boxes clearly to help make the unpacking process much easier.

Following these simple guidelines will help make the process of moving, which will never be entirely stress-free, go much more smoothly by avoiding the hectic atmosphere that has become Crazy Tuesday in the self storage and moving industries.

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Storage unit auction brings people from across Hubbard County

By:
May 10, 2012

Since the debut of the reality television show "Storage Wars," more people have become intrigued with the idea of raiding storage facilities in hope of finding treasures among the junk left behind by others. Recently, residents in Hubbard County, Michigan, were able to experience firsthand what it's like to participate on the program.

West of Park Rapids, dozens of people visited the DLI Storage facility in order to auction for some of the goods that have been abandoned by previous owners, according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune.

"Our lock stays on until it’s paid and clear," Cherie Lundberg, storage facility owner Dave Bitker's sister-in-law, told the news source. "Some units were behind 22 months. "We sent registered letters [to the renters before the auction began.]"

Everything from lawn equipment to electronics was auctioned off at the event. Storage units can be used to hold a wide variety of goods – much of which people do not have the room to keep in their own homes. Some storage facilities offer individuals the option to rent temperature-controlled units to properly protect their belongings as well.

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Eliminating clutter from your kids’ toys

By:
May 8, 2012

When it comes to keeping your household organized once you have children, you'll have to pick and choose your battles. One that you don't have to lose is the seemingly endless fight against toys, new and old.

There are a few ways that you can make sure your house doesn't look like a war zone when your kids suddenly have more than enough toys to use. First, TLC recommends taking inventory of the items you have. This can help you identify dirty or broken toys that should be thrown away.

Next, ParentsConnect.com suggests making household rules for toys. For example, when a new toy comes in, donate an old one to charity or another family member who could use it.

Finally, work with your children to help them understand the benefits of eliminating clutter. For example, keeping their room clean can give them more room to play.

When it comes to toys from grandparents and other relatives that you want to keep for sentimental purposes, consider renting a storage unit. A self storage facility can make sure that your valuables are properly kept in a safe location as your family grows. 

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Organizing and spring cleaning your attic

By:
May 7, 2012

If you're tired of your attic becoming a place that you dread using for anything other than storage, you might want to take the opportunity to spruce it up during spring cleaning. Here are a few ways that you can make your attic a more functional space.

1. Take inventory.

TLC recommends jotting down a list of everything in your attic so you can make note of what should stay or go when organizing the space. Even though it might take some time, doing so can help you make sure you don't throw away something valuable.

2. Rent a storage unit.

Consulting a storage facility can be especially helpful during the attic cleaning process. This will give you peace of mind, knowing you have somewhere off-site to store your possessions while weeding out the junk.

3. Clean and box accordingly.

Once you move your belongings out of the way, you can start to wipe down any windows in the attic and sweep the floors to make the space more hospitable. Box your items accordingly once you have them organized and label everything appropriately to make things easier to find in the future. 

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