Webster's dictionary defines vendor as: "one that vends - sells". So in our industry, the implied meaning of vendor in our trade associations is: "one that vends, or sells products or services to self storage operators." If trade associations exist for the benefit of it's core members (in our case, self storage OPERATORS), then "vendors" will be selling products or services to OPERATORS. In the case of aggregators, they not only sell services or products to self storage operators, they COMPETE against operators online for self storage consumers, trying to "capture" that consumer BEFORE that consumer dialogues with an OPERATOR so they can SELL that consumer back to the operator. We see this as counter-intuitive and counter-productive. Therefore we will actively petition all self storage trade associations globaly, to "re-define" or "more clearly define" the term "vendor", so as to exclude any vendor from receiving vendor classification or status (i.e. membership) if the vendor directly competes against self storage operators for the self storage consumer.
The ultimate goal is to see aggregators abandon the industry. To that end we will use education, our example, and alternative strategies to encourage operators to abandon the aggregators. To be successful, we need not convince every operator to stop using aggregators. If just a portion of operators stop using the aggregators, then revenue goes down for the aggregator. To remain at the current margin, aggregators will have to raise costs to operators, which in turn will have a detrimental effect to the aggregator and act as further incentive to operators still using them to part ways due to being cost-prohibitive. So, in essence we don't need to be 100% successful in convincing those currently using aggregators to drop them - just a partial "success" will do much to make the aggregator model unsustainable in this industry.
Copyright 2012 - SSAAA.org - The Self Storage Anti-Aggregator Alliance - All Rights Reserved
The Mission of this alliance has five goals. Please read an expanded statement of each below. It is for these reasons we exist and all our efforts will be expended on behalf of these goals.
MISSION
1) We will educate operators about the threat online aggregators pose.
2) We will encourage operators through our example to adopt a "non-use of aggregators" policy.
3) We will share with operators online/offline strategies that are good for both the operator AND the industry.
4) We will attempt to make the aggregator model so unprofitable that they abandon the industry.
5) We will petition all storage associations to re-define the meaning of vendor so as to exclude those who
Mission
We will post educational articles of three types: First, we will act as a repository for news stories from around the world referencing aggregators and their negative impact on various industries. To look outside of the world of self storage gives us a broad and balanced perspective on how other industries deal with aggregators. Many industries are a lot further along in their relationship with aggregation sites so we would be prudent to learn from the mistakes of others in hopes of not repeating them. Secondly, we will chronicle press releases from self storage industry aggregation websites which if read carefully, paints a picture of their ultimate agenda. And third, we will post testimonies from operators as it relates to their negative experiences with the self storage aggregators so other operators can be aware of the widespread issues now arising. All of the above will be listed under the LEARN section of our website and updated periodically.
We will post educational articles of three types: First, we will act as a repository for news stories from around the world referencing aggregators and their negative impact on various industries. To look outside of the world of self storage gives us a broad and balanced perspective on how other industries deal with aggregators. Many industries are a lot further along in their relationship with aggregation sites so we would be prudent to learn from the mistakes of others in hopes of not repeating them. Secondly, we will chronicle press releases from self storage industry aggregation websites which, if read carefully, paints a very clear picture of their ultimate agenda. And third, we will post testimonies from operators as it relates to their negative experiences with the self storage aggregators so other operators can be aware of the widespread issues now arising. All of the above will be listed under the LEARN section of our website and updated periodically.
A large part of our mission is to educate, and to this end we will strive. To best educate operators, we have assembled a "volunteer advisory group" made up of professionals of various specialties. These individuals have volunteered to offer exclusive advice and content related to how to grow your self storage business without the use of aggregators. There are experts from within the industry as well as without. These subject matter experts will share their expertise with alliance members on a rotating basis. These weekly, relevant articles will be only available to members of the alliance. There will be discussions of online as well as offline startegies you can use as a self storage operator to grow your operation. All discussions will be non-technical and of a nature so as to provide a solid base of knowledge from which you may draw from. It will be a tremendous resource for those who voluntarily agree to forgoe the use of aggregators. You may see the list of the current list of experts agreeing to volunteer their expertise and read a short bio for each on the EXPERTS section of this website.
compete against operators
Currently 31 facility members and 2,304,232 sq.ft. out of aggregator control