Storman Cloud software helps southeastern facility, StorageX, take the Monash Business Awards by storm.

The challenge:

Covid-19 causes a need to explore new industries.

StorageX is a testament to the concept of ‘from devastation comes innovation’, and a manifestation of their business savvy. The owners of the now-thriving self storage facility in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs were originally involved in the taxicab business – having built the largest passenger transport business in Australia, which was listed on the ASX (P2P Transport Ltd).

Unfortunately, Covid19 completely decimated this business as the need for passenger transport plummeted during Victoria’s extensive periods of complete lockdown. The challenges that beset the Katsiabanis family as a result of this led to them exploring new industries: extensive research was completed to determine the best use of their 1950’s warehouse site. Self-storage was identified as one of the potential uses, and StorageX was born.

From there, it was critical to Harry to find a software solution that would give him all the tools he needed to successfully manage his new self-storage venture.

the solution:

Enter Storman Cloud.

“Software is a critical element to a business’s infrastructure,” Harry explains. “To choose the solution that best suited our needs, we undertook an analysis of all self storage management software providers in the Australian market.”

What followed was an extensive vetting process – with Harry and the StorageX team combing through Google search results to find potential vendors, checking the Self Storage Association of Australasia’s vendor list, and finally undertaking demonstrations of both Storman Cloud and an alternative platform.

Ultimately, the decision was made to proceed with Storman Cloud.

“We found Storman Cloud easier to use and more user friendly than the alternative,” Harry tells us. “They were very helpful throughout the process, and could offer us a complete and seamless solution.”.

The challenge:

Covid-19 causes a need to explore new industries.

From there, StorageX has gone from strength to strength. “We found the onboarding process easy and very helpful – it took time to learn features of the software, and we continue to learn and improve,” recalls Harry. “The system is a complete solution: providing us with all the features and functions that are needed to operate a self storage facility. The reporting gives us a comprehensive analysis of the facility, providing real information to make informed decisions for the business.”.

The reporting offered by Storman Cloud, as well as the ability to easily send potential storers a link to convert a reservation into an agreement, are favourite features of the team. The information that the software provides them with for decision making, as well as their dedication to providing excellent customer service, has paid off with high occupancy and growth.

The hard work that StorageX has put into their venture has been recognised by others, too – with the facility recently taking out the prestigious ‘Rising Star Award’ at the Monash Business Awards. This award recognises the leaps that StorageX has made since the business’s inception in terms of service, innovation and growth, and is a remarkable achievement.

Harry also has some advice for those looking to enter the self storage industry. “Conduct as much research as possible, and engage experienced self storage experts,” he advises. “Once you’ve undertaken site analysis to ensure your market is suitable for self storage, become a member of the Self Storage Association of Australasia – and use Storman Software!”