Posted by Brian Quick on Thu, Aug 16, 2012 @ 09:13 AM
Storage Auctions stink! Any way you look at it, there is a whole lot of pain involved in each one. Take away the hours of footage that is left on the editing room's floor, and every now and then, one guy gets lucky with a rare or valuable find at a storage auction. I'm still not convinced, some of these items aren't planted in the locker by the producer just to make good TV!
So I return to my original statement...STORAGE AUCTIONS STINK!
Lets take a look at the many reasons why I feel this way.
#1 ...This is someone's hardship. They have fallen on tough times and can't make ends meet to keep their items that are in storage. Often times, they are in the storage locker or container because they have already lost the house they were once in. No one who's contents that go to auction are just left behind because of choice to say "I don't need that stuff...Someone else can have it!"
#2...The debt owed is much higher than the auction makes. This is my pain, being the owner of such a company, people are expecting that everyone makes out in the auction of unpaid storage fees. In reality, .25 cents of every dollar are recovered nationwide, while in the North East, where we are, we barely recover 10 cents on the dollar on these auctions. So a $1000 debt turns into $100, not including the costs of processing the lien and auction.
#3...We get countless calls after a show airs asking when our next storage auction is. Again, these are NOT things we look forward to doing. It's a last resort and legally, the only way to get our container emptied so we can begin renting the unit out to another customer.
As a storage company, and in any other company, you have to understand there will be defaults on money owed. Some people just get into a bind and can't get out. Some people also think their entitled to a Harley Davidson in the garage before paying the people they owe. In either case, we have to reduce our exposure to these people by keeping close tabs on their accounts. Periodic calls to ask why we havn't been paid and to see if a weekly payment plan will work to resolve the issue. Sometimes $20/week sounds less than the $100/mo. As a consumer, if you can't pay your bill, contact the manager of the business and see what you can do to work things out. Not calling, or not answering calls is a worst case scenario and usually an automatic step towards the loss of your goods.
What America needs to do as a whole, from the top (President) down to the very bottom of the workforce is understand this simple rule "IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT!" And no.....You're not entitled to it because you had a bad day at work, or you think you'll pay it off another day. Learn to manage YOUR money. We can learn how to operate smartphones to find the local coffee shop, or ask it to remind you to empty the trash, but for some reason, we can't figure out how to manage your own money. If you spend more than you make, you're spending too much. It's a pretty simple idea. It's not our job to teach you this and when you lose your stuff in a storage auction, foreclosure or any other way, you'll learn the lesson the hard way. Hopefully, the US Government doesn't have their debt called in, or else we'll all be foreclosed on, but that is another topic and another blog.
Posted by Brian Quick on Thu, Mar 22, 2012 @ 02:53 PM
Wow. That is all we have to say about this past winter. From last year's record snow falls to this years record LACK of snow falls, we are still in awe of weather in New England.
It's Mid March, when average temps are in the 50's and we've been steadily above 70 degrees for the past week. We're not complaining, that's for sure!
All of this warm weather has started the daffodils popping out of the ground and the forsythia's showing their buds early this year. This also brings most of us out of our homes and businessess to see what we have "to do" for Spring clean up or Spring Projects.
Now is a great time to get a storage container to hold those household items, dormant inventory items or just things you need to go through. Clear out that valueable space in your building and help reduce clutter in the work place. Those snow Shovels, snow blowers, ice melts, plows don't help make you money in the summer, so get them out of the way. Our storage containers are perfect solutions for that.
We have consistently updating our storage equipment with new units and are ready for your storage needs. We can deliver same day if needed and have all sizes from 6' up to 45' containers to store ALL of your "stuff".
It's that time that we also have Sports Programs preparing for their on-field storage. As a test of the reach of "Quick Thoughts" we're going to extend a special deal for our sports teams looking for on-site storage of their sporting equipment.
Take $50 off of the delivery charge of your container for any 4 month or longer rental. Plus, we'll throw in an 8' length of 3 tier shelving units seen here: Click here to see Shelving
Just click on the button above to submit a quote request and we'll get back to you with your rates and availability
Offer ends April 30th, 2012. Must be a Sports group storing sporting equipment and mention this blog at the time of order.
Stay tuned for other specials coming in April for other customers as well.
Thanks again and have a Happy Spring!!!!
Posted by Brian Quick on Tue, Mar 29, 2011 @ 07:12 AM
The container industry as a whole has endured a drastic drop in production of containers, meanwhile as the economy has begun to recover, it is faced with an increase in shipping demand.
This phenomena is Economics 101; Supply and Demand.
The lower the supply the higher the price. The higher the demand, the higher the price. In the last year, the shipping industries have seen 75% increases in cost of the containers. This has recently been compounded by fuel costs that are up almost 25%.
Long gone are the times that empty containers are sitting hapless waiting for their chance at a return trip with cargo or sold as another use for buildings or storage. These containers are getting swiped up by the steam ship lines for exporting cargo.
This is great news for the steam ship lines as they are now able to get returning freight in containers instead of returning empty containers to ports. It's also a good sign for America as we increase our exports.
As a Portable Storage Container company, who specializes in using containers for commercial, residential and municipal storage solutions, it has caused a rapid increase in costs and therefore rates. Customer's who have acustomed to containers at "old" prices get shocked at the cost of containers.
At Mini Warehousing, we attempt to educate the customer and acknowledge the pain we are all facing. We strive to keep our costs down by closely monitoring internal costs as well as streamlined delivery routes. Most people are understanding, but some feel it's just business people trying to make a buck.
Businesses are in the business of making money, (most of the time) but we only do it in a fair way that provides a value to the customer for a service they need.
Most of our referrals for storage containers come from our previous customers. This is further proof of the value we provide.
Our equipment is kept up to date, with new equipment being purchased regularly. We offer accessories like container shelving and magnetic lighting to help you keep organized. We sell boxes and packaging supplies to help keep your valuables safe. We move loaded containers from one site to another to eliminate the pack, unpack, pack, unpack logistics of typical self storage locations.
Please call Mini Warehousing at 1-800-548-5408 for all your storage container needs.
Posted by Brian Quick on Tue, Sep 21, 2010 @ 03:25 PM
Storage containers make great tools for businesses, schools, and residents. But if you're not careful about being organized it can become more of a nuisance than a help.
In comes QuickLites to the rescue. www.quicklites.com. We invented this magnetic lighting system that is quick to install and quick to take down. The lights are a 4' double florescent, vapor proof light fixture that plugs into each other to accommodate up to 4 lights in series. The light kits all come with a magnetic light switch and double outlet combo that plugs into a standard extension cord. Now you have 2 outlets, lights and you didn't need to hire an electrician to get it done. And if you're renting the container, you didn't have to screw anything through the container roof.
Lights add so much value because you or your employees or co workers can spend less time rifling through the contents looking for something and more time getting what you need out of the container. It also adds an element of safety where people won't be tripping on anything hazardous.
So don't get caught in the dark again. Use QuickLites!
QuickLites are available for sale nationwide via Mini Warehousing. Please feel free to call or email.
800-548-5408
or info@miniwarehousing.com
Posted by Brian Quick on Tue, Mar 09, 2010 @ 08:29 AM
It's coming close to Spring time and we wanted to put an offer out on our blog to see if there is any response from the blog alone.
If you are reading this, and you are interested in renting a storage container, mention the Blog promotion and get one month free rental. Minimum 3 month rental term. Delivery and tax not included.
Rent for 2 months and get the 3rd free.
This promotion will run for March only.
Thanks for reading the Mini Warehousing blog!
Posted by Brian Quick on Thu, Dec 03, 2009 @ 08:10 AM
Mini Warehousing is proud to announce a charity project called Containers 2 Clinics. The project involves the use of storage containers being retrofit into a clinic where 3rd would nations can deploy them in remote areas to accomodate women and children getting quality healthcare in their community.
The link to their website: http://www.containers2clinics.org/
Containers to Clinics (C2C) is a non-profit, charitable initiative that seeks to improve the health of women and children by providing access to primary healthcare through networks of converted shipping container clinics.
Clinics are staffed by local health professionals in-country. C2C's approach to rural medical care is designed to strengthen the entire healthcare system of a country from the bottom up by building capacity to treat illness locally. C2C clinics focus on improving the lives of women and children through vaccinations, safe pregnancy and delivery, and health education. C2C's model allows for standard design and operations and for replication across regions.
The project is headed up by the founder Elizabeth Sheehan who has worked around the world in humanitarian efforts to increase the availability of healthcare to developing nations.
Mini Warehousing is proud to have been a part of this project. The clinics will be used to help some of the many people who are dying due to easily preventable diseases.
Recent WHO statistics were released which exposed the human cost to this lack of Medical care:
"Every day 1500 women die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications and just under twenty-five thousand children under the age of five die from diarrhea, pneumonia, and other preventable diseases."
We wish Containers 2 Clinics the best possible future as they tackle this great humanitarian effort.
Posted by Brian Quick on Thu, Oct 01, 2009 @ 08:30 AM
Containers for houses or offices have been quite the hot topic at Mini Warehousing. Recently, we have partnered with Stack Design Build, http://www.stackdb.com/harris.html in a project named Box Office 460. http://www.boxoffice460.com/
It's quite a great design that incorporates over 32 storage containers made into an environmentally friendly, energy efficient office building. There will be approximately 12 office/studio spaces available for lease.
Watch the timelaps video here:
This project and others like it have begun gaining ground speed. The change in thought needed to think with buildable modules is drastic from standard "stick built" structures. Stack Design Build and Mini Warehousing worked for months on issues that would or could come up with different methods of design ideas.
As in a lot of "Green" projects and practices, the costs savings aren't dramatic if any at all. Yet the gain is realized in natural resource savings and our earth's conservation.
Keep an Eye on Mini Warehousing, Inc.....More exciting projects coming!
See below:
By building The Box Office, 94 tons of upcycled steel will be put back into productive use.
This project will be a model of a small, green (energy-efficient, sustainable) building, using 25% less energy than a conventional new office building. The main goal of the design team was to engineer a well-insulated building, utilizing high performing windows and implement the most efficient HVAC system feasible for the project.
This building will be all-electric with no direct use of fossil fuels. All heating and cooling will be with small, decentralized, high efficiency air-to-air heat pumps. Also, typical lighting densities will be 0.6 watts/sf. One reason for the reduced load is the projects implementation of dual-source lighting; a combination of overhead lighting with daylight response sensors that measure the natural day light and task lighting. The site will reduce stormwater run-off into the combined storm sewer by 67% through the use of bio-swales (also known as rain gardens) which allow storm water to infiltrate back into the ground where, through phyto-remediation, the plants contribute to the filtration of the water. The Box Office will have comfortable indoor air quality due to the use of environmentally-friendly interior finishes (non-petroleum-based insulation, low VOC products and no products with formaldehyde, for example), filtered exterior air, and accessible operable windows.
Tenants will be able to take advantage of green lease conditions that will provide economic incentives to tenants to maximize energy performance of the green building.
Posted by Brian Quick on Wed, Aug 05, 2009 @ 07:24 PM
Mini Warehousing has partnered with Smart Pack Solutions to help our customers with their boxes and packaging supplies.
Click on our link Click here for boxes, to get your boxes, tape and bubble wrap shipped in one day to your home. No shipping charges and overnight shipping.
We help with kits for rooms that will help you figure out your needs for moving supplies. We also sell specialty boxes for garments and markers for labeling the boxes.
Packing your contents carefully and in an organized fashion will help with the packing and unpacking process. Hopefully, making the operation as pain free as possible. (We know that is not possible)
Please feel free to contact us by calling us at 800-548-5408 should you have any questions.
Click here to email us for more information
Posted by Brian Quick on Wed, Jul 08, 2009 @ 07:19 PM
Mini Warehousing has updated our website to help our customers with finding the information that they need most. Most important was to make the site easy to navigate, while being easy to load for any speed internet connection.
We aren't perfect, so if there is something about the site that isn't working, or you don't like, can you please send us an email to info@miniwarehousing.com so we can correct this problem.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to making your experience with Mini Warehousing as easy as possible.
Posted by Brian Quick on Wed, May 06, 2009 @ 08:47 AM
Spring is here, I think. I think we had more warmer days in the winter than the spring, but I'm sure warmer weather is on its way. As well as the Robins that have returned to my yard.
As we get ready for our spring cleaning and get ready to prepare for our emergence from our winter confinement, take a look at how Mini Warehousing Storage containers can help you with your spring projects.
#1 Looking to clean out a basement, garage, workshop or attic? We can deliver a container to your site, you can move it out of the area you are cleaning and use it as a holding area while you determine whether it is trash or it is valueable. The contents won't get showered on with the April showers. Once you've cleaned the area, you can now neatly pull the contents from the container and put them back into the original storage spot or into the trash.
#2 Spring Sports need storage too! If you have a Little League team, Pop Warner team, Soccer team, or LaCrosse team that has equipment, but no place to store it, our storage containers work excellent for storing the contents in a clean, dry, secure area. Our units are in new condition, so it will not be an eye sore to have them on your field.
#3 Time to put away the Winter! From Snowblowers and shovels, to ski's, snowmobiles and plows, our containers make a great storage solution to get these items out of the weather and into a secure storage container. They protect from animals making nests, rain causing rust and from the obvious threat of theft of any of these valuable items.
If you know someone with any of these issues, let them know of us and help us help them.
Happy Spring!
Click here to get more information!