E-SoftSys Hires Jim DiNardo to Oversee Self-Storage Software Division

E-SoftSys, a provider of management software and other products for the self-storage industry, has hired Jim DiNardo as vice president of operations for its self-storage software division. In this position, DiNardo will direct large implementations, manage division growth, and oversee sales and marketing efforts to grow the company’s market share.

DiNardo has been in the self-storage industry since 1989. He was operations manager and partner of The Storage Depot until the company was sold to Extra Space Storage in 2004. Since then, he has worked as an industry consultant. He currently serves on the boards of directors for the national Self Storage Association and the Massachusetts Self Storage Association.

"We are delighted to have Jim on our management team,” said Kat Shenoy, president and CEO. “He's an industry veteran, with 22 years of self-storage operating and consulting experience that will be valuable in further enhancing our products and providing superior customer support and implementation services to our client base.”

E-SoftSys provides products and services including Self Storage Manager management software, which has been implemented by companies worldwide, and e-CRM, a customer-relationship management module designed specifically for multi-facility operators. The company also offers add-on modules such as an interface for INSOMNIAC self-storage kiosks, an interface for QlikView business intelligence and analytics, a tablet-based site-audit and walk-through application, and others. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, E-SoftSys provides 24/7 customer support.

Marketing Self-Storage to College Students at Self Storage Blog ...

It’s officially summer move-out season in college towns across the country. Students are a significant demographic of self-storage renters, and this is the best moment to target them. As they leave town, float between leases and move into new apartments, your facility should be their obvious storage solution. So how do you reach students to get their attention and their business?

Start by offering an exclusive student move-in special, for one month or the whole summer.  The discount doesn’t have to be deep, as the message is what really matters— your facility supports the student community and respects that their budgets are limited.

There are a few free ways to get the word out about your special online, by focusing on web resources students use the most. Update your listings on sites like Google Places, Yelp and SpareFoot to announce the deal. Post a Craigslist ad, and sign up to be featured as a Daily Deal on college classifieds site Uloop.

Offline, you’ll have to spend a little money to make money. We recommend printing branded, university-centric fliers to post on community bulletin boards around campus and at local businesses frequented by students. Think about places like coffee shops, used book stores (especially now that the semester is ending), laundromats and convenience stores. If you’ve printed enough fliers, you might politely ask employees if you can leave a stack on the counter or cash wrap for students to grab on their way out.

Don’t forget to consider university logo, mascot and name trademark licensing requirements when designing your flier— contact the university marketing department for details.

We’ll be back next week on the self-storage blog with more tips for marketing self-storage to the students in your neighborhood. What strategies have worked for your facility? Share them with us in the comments!

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