Growth within the self storage industry has risen so much that one mobile technology company has created new a new app for smartphones allowing people to get to their storage units even after hours.
PhoneSmart, a leader in the self storage marketing realm, is responsible for making kiosks resembling ATM machines that are installed at storage facilities. The products gave unit renters the ability to pay their bills and get into their spaces during times when the facilities weren't open. Although these worked well, the cost of installing the kiosks and maintaining them were quite pricey – ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
To combat the high costs, the company recently came up with a new app for smartphones, with its website claiming, "You have a self storage kiosk in your pocket." The new app is like having the physical kiosk right on your phone. Business owners from cities in America to areas like Toronto in Canada have the ability to reserve units for new clients, access billing records and rent out spaces without a third party or maintenance fees all from their phones.