Self Storage Article Directory- General Information

Hialeah Florida

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:48:35 GMT

Welcome to Miami, 33012. Located in the southern, Sunshine State of Florida, Miami 33012 is a large and bustling town full of history, art, heritage, multi-culture, worldly ideas, a mixture of great food and don’t forget the nearby beach.

When searching for Miami, 33012 on Google Earth, the actual city that comes up is Hialeah, Florida. Not far from Miami, one might say that Hialeah is a mere suburb of the larger metropolitan Miami being only about 20 minutes Northwest. The Indian name Hialeah means “High Prairie” which the Indians saw when coming from the everglades. Today Hialeah or Miami, 33012 is known as the “City of Progress” and even in the “roaring 20’s”, Hialeah was the hip place to live. Even back then there was dog racing and jai alai amongst other things to keep you entertained. The great hurricane of 1926 was a total disaster for the cities building structures but the spirit and idea of Hialeah could not be drowned in the rain or water from the hurricane. Hialeah is not small; it is listed as the sixth largest city in the state (according to Wikepedia), with Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, St. Petersburg and Orlando (not in that order) being larger.

The city of Hialeah or Miami, 33012 is a great and trendy place to live in the northwest Dade County. The city of Hialeah website lists some of their activities throughout the year which are:

Turkey Trot
Art on Palm and Triangle Park Lighting Ceremony
Santa’s Snow Blast
Operation Calling Santa
Hialeah Youth Eggstravaganza
City of Hialeah Golf Tournament
Independence Day Celebration
El Sabor de Hialeah Hispanic Heritage Festival
Youth appreciation Day
Howl O’Ween Hialeah

They’re are 18 elementary, 4 middle and 2 high schools that are public and many private schools in the area for the choosing. The University of Miami, home of the Hurricanes is not far away if you are looking for a great college. Other zip codes for the area are 33010, 33013, 33014, 33015, 33016, 33018, and 33054 with the Area Code being 305. The current Mayor is Julio Robaina with a City Council of 7 members, all elected.

Miami, 33012 or Hialeah has a large population of Hispanic people. The city reflects the ideas and history of the Hispanic people that have become part of Hialeah’s history and the future of the city. This can be seen in the art, food, clothing, dialect, ideas and traditions around the city of Hialeah. Some of the delicious food can be traced to Cuban culture with black beans and rice, Cuban sandwiches, caserola de camarones (Shrimp casserole), Gazpacho Soup (bean soup), Paella (a seafood and rice dish), Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice), to name a few great dishes. To wash it all down, a mojito is refreshing blend of white rum, lime, cane sugar and soda water. The median age of Miami 33012 is 40 years old with females edging out the males by a slim margin. Average home price for the area is about $167,000 with many of the area homes having swimming pools in the backyard. Some northern folks might find it odd that many Florida homes do not have central heating systems to warm their homes. Because of the mild winter weather there is not a need for a central heater, rather some buy smaller floor models to warm the room if it becomes cold. It is more important to have a good air conditioner, which many Floridians will run year round.

Also while searching on Google Earth you can’t but help to notice a large stadium type structure, when the cursor moves over the area it comes up as Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as Hialeah Park, Hialeah Race Track and the Miami Jockey Club). The origins of this famous racetrack date back to 1921 when two men, James Bright and partner Glenn Curtiss thought that Hialeah had some potential for being a great city had the plans drawn up for the horse track. It had been hailed as one of the most beautiful racetracks in the world, and set the standard for many racetracks that would come later. The official opening of the track was in 1925, but was severely damaged by the great hurricane of 1926. Sold and reopened by Joseph E. Widener a well know Philadelphian horseman. When renovated the racetrack was even more beautiful than originally planned with a lake in the middle of the track stocked with live pink flamingos. Unfortunately since about 2001 the racetrack has been mostly unused. Listed as a National Register of Historic Places since 1979 and it is currently eligible for a National Historic Landmark listing. Even though most of the original structure remain, there is a grass roots campaign to try and save the park and the land from being re-developed.

Southern Florida maintains a warmer climate and the Miami, 33012 area has a temperature range of 62 to 92 degrees. Don’t forget to add in the humidity, which make the air seem much hotter, stickier and wetter than it is. With the beach being not far from Miami, 33012 many folks will travel there for relaxation, fun, sunning, swimming, shelling, picnics, sunsets, boating, jogging, bicycling and people watching. The east coast of Florida has the Atlantic Ocean, which is cooler in temperature and the beach sand tends to be darker. The waves on the east coast are bigger than the west coast as there is a larger open mass of water. This allows there to be a main shipping port in Miami which provides goods to be shipped from the United States and for us to receive goods from around the world. The east coast location is also a prime target for hurricanes that develop out further in the Atlantic Ocean. South of Florida is Cuba and the water between is often a channel for the hurricanes to travel west. This has prompted modern builders to adapt their construction to help prevent total devastation in the event of a large hurricane. Stronger materials, better building plans and past studies have contributed to the erecting of better homes and businesses. This trend is also saving lives by providing shelter from the elements. Controlling the rainwater is also a vital step in maintaining the city because most of the state is at sea level leaving not much area for excessive rainwater runoff. Many cities in Florida have started using reclaimed or “recycled” water. This is generally water from your washing machine, bath water and other household water that is non-potable but is non-toxic either. This recycled water is used to water lawns, plants, irrigation and rinse outside structures. When this type of water is used, signs must be posted to alert those around that the water is not drinkable. People using this reclaimed water method sometimes use less abrasive detergents so that the impact on nature is lessened.

“All Ways Lead to Hialeah,” was one of the first slogans adopted by the city. Hialeah or Miami 33012 has accessibility to I-75 and I-95; two major interstates in the state and to the Florida Turnpike, the Sawgrass and Palmetto Expressways. If you prefer to fly you can choose Miami International Airport or the Opa-Locka Airport. Like sports? The area has a professional football team, the Miami Dolphins, a professional baseball team, the Florida Marlins (2003 World Series Champions), the professional basketball team, the Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers, the professional ice hockey team. With sports, beaches and sun, who could ask for much more of an area?

With its close proximity to Miami, Hialeah is a great city that offers many the option of living close to Miami and not in Miami. Hialeah or Miami 33012 is close to the beach, many recreational opportunities, sporting events, good schools, great warm weather and many different kinds of people. Miami 33012 is really a melting pot of culture, heritage, food, art, ideals, religion, and beliefs.

Big Coppitt and Lower Keys in Florida

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:40:14 GMT

The Florida Keys is an archipelago in the southeast United States with about 1700 islands beginning at the tip of the Florida peninsula and extending to the south southwest and then to Key West. The islands divide the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and define one edge of Florida Bay. The southern tip of Key West is just 98 miles from Cuba and the climate is defined as tropical.

The area is divided into 4 major areas, the Upper Keys, the Middle Keys, the Lower Keys and the Outlaying islands. Big Coppitt is a census designated place and an unincorporated community on an island of the same name in the Lower Keys. The name is said to de derived from “coppice” meaning thicket. Us route 1 (or the Overseas Highway) crosses the key between East Rockland and Saddlebunch Keys. In the 2000 census there were 1,108 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 38.5% were non families in the Lower Keys regions. All areas are considered to be suburbs of Key West.

The Keys are the exposed portions of an ancient coral reef and there is very little sand. The northernmost island arising form the formation is Elliott Key. The Keys have taken their present form as the result of drastic changes in sea level during the ice age some 130,000 years ago. There were several lines of reefs and the reef formed Key Largo limestone that is on the surface between Key Biscayne and Elliott Keys.

Starting about 100.000 years ago the glaciers began lowering sea levels an exposed the coral reef and surrounding marine sediments. By 15,000 years ago the sea level had dropped to 300 to 350 feet and the exposed reefs and sediments were heavily eroded. The acidic water dissolved some of the limestone and it was redeposited as a denser cap rock. This formed the foundation for the lower Keys.

The main chain of islands can be reached by automobile on the Overseas Highway which is a 127 mile section of US Highway 1. It runs from Key West to Maine. ??The highway was built parallel to the original route of the Overseas Railway which was not rebuilt following the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. Before the hurricane road sections and highway bridges allowed automobile traffic to travel from Miami to Lower Matecumbe Key where a car ferry connected with another roadway section through the Lower Keys. After the hurricane some of the railway bridges were converted to carry highway roadbeds. In the 1980’s new highway bridges were built alongside but many of the original railroad and highway bridges remain and are used as pedestrian fishing piers.

The overseas Railroad was opened in 1910. Until that time the Keys were accessible only by water. When the Labor Day hurricane made landfall near Islamorada in the Upper Keys on Labor Day Sept 2, 1935 a reported 600 people were killed. The new bridges under construction to connect a highway though the entire Keys were turned into death camps for the World War I veterans working at the construction camp. The evacuation train failed and more than 200 veterans perished. The Overseas Railway was damaged so badly that the tracks were never rebuilt.

The Lower Keys and Big Coppitt were connected to the Middle Keys by the Seven Mile Bridge, one of the longest bridges constructed in the area. After the destruction of the Keys railway by the Labor Day Hurricane the railroad, bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge were converted to automobile roadway.

With the takeover of Cuba by Fidel Castro many refugees fled to South Florida. Key West had traditionally had strong likes with Cuba and large number Cubans settled there. The Lower Keys also attract Cubans fleeing repression and poverty in cub and stories of the “boat people’ coming ashore in the Lower Keys in not uncommon.

The climate in the Keys is closer to that of the Caribbean than the rest of Florida. The Upper Keys islands are remnants of large coral reefs but the Lower Keys are composed of sandy type accumulations of limestone grains produced by plants and marine organisms.

The natural habitats of the Keys are upland forests, inland wetlands and shoreline zones. Soil ranges from sand to rich decomposed leaf litter. Rain falling through leaf debris becomes acidic and dissolves holes in the cap rock where soil accumulates and tree roots find purchase. The Keys has distinctive plant and animal species some are found nowhere else in American. The climate also allows many imported plant to thrive. Some exotic species which arrived as landscape plants now invade and threaten natural area.

The well known a very sour Key Limes was apparently introduced from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The tree grows vigorously and has thorns and produces small yellow fruit.

The Lower Keys around Big Coppitt and Big Pine are home to unique animal species including the Key deer. They are protected by the national Key Deer Refuge, and the American crocodile. Dry Tortugas national park is one of the most isolated and therefore well preserved in the world. When the Spanish explorers arrived there was no fresh water to be found and the small humpbacked shaped islands looked like tortoise shell from a distance

Tropical cyclones present special dangers and challenges to the entire Keys. Because no area of the islands is more than 20 feet above sea level and water surrounds them nearly every neighborhood is subject to devastating flooding as well and hurricane winds.

Because of the treat from storm surge evacuations are routinely ordered. Evacuations depend on causeways and the two lane highway to the mainland. It is estimated that is takes 12 to 24 hours to evacuate the entire population of all of the islands

Life in the Keys is laid back and the hurricane bravado is a part of that atmosphere... The major industries are tourism and fishing. Ecotourism is also part of this with many visitors scuba diving in the area’s protected waters. Anew ferry now takes riders between Key West and Fort Myers due north on the mainland.

The Big Coppitt Key and No Name Keya areas are home to the Key Deer. This endangered species lives only in the Lower Florida Keys and is a subspecies of the White tiled Deer.

This deer can be recognized by the characteristic smaller size. Adult makes usually weigh for 55 to 75 pounds. The adult females or does usually weigh between 45 to 65 pounds, in contrast to the up to 300 pound Deer of the upper Midwest. The deer is a reddish brown to grey brown and the males grow antlers and shed between February and March. The antlers regrow in June. Key Deer can easily swim between islands. Living in close proximity to humans the Key Deer has little of the natural fear of man shown by most of their mainland cousins. The deer are found in resident’s yards and along roadsides where they much tasty pants and flowers. There are many car deer collisions and the deer are more active at night. It is not unusual to see them a dusk and dawn, on lightly inhabited No Name Key, Big Pine Key and big Coppitt. Some are so tame that they will accept food directly from humans but feeding the deer is prohibited by law.

Mating may occur at any time of the year but usually peaks during September to November. Key deer have a relatively low reproductive rate.

‘The range of the key Deer originally encompassed all of the lower Florida Keys where standing water pool exist but is now limited to a stretch of the Low3er Keys keys. The Deer only reside permanently reside in island s Of big Pine, Cudjoe, West Summerland, big Torch, Howe, Little Pine, Little torch, Middle Torch, No Name and sugarloaf. They also can be found on the other islands but are only there in the dry season where there is a lack of fresh water. The Deer use all islands during the wet season when drinking water is more generally available. Key Deer inhabit nearly all habitats within their range, including pine rock lands, hardwood hammocks, mangroves and freshwater wetland’s They feed on over 150 types of plants but mangroves and thatch palm berries make up the most important part of their diet.

Key Deer were hunted as a food supply by native tribes, passing sailors, and early settlers. The hunting of Key Deer was banned in 1939 but widespread poaching and habitat destruction caused the subspecies to plummet to near extinction by the 1950’s. The National Key Deer Refuge, a federally administered national Wildlife Refuge operated by the Wildlife Service was established in 1957. /

The population has made an encouraging rise since 1955 when populations estimates ranges as low as 25 and appears to have stabilized in recent years.

Conservation efforts include the establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge which consists of approximately 8500 acres on big Pine, No Name Key and several smaller uninhabited islands. Not all of the lands are protected as public lands. The refuge also provides for the control of feral dogs which often attack the deer and for the prohibition of feeding of the deer which lowers their resistance to natural cycles. These rules are poorly enforced and visitors come from all around passing through the forest areas to see the deer. Biologists have recently started transferring some Key Deer from Big Pine Key to other islands...

If you have had enough of an overcrowded and weary world, the islands of the Lower Keys are the place for a wonderful get away. At the end of the days after snorkeling or riding a bicycle through Key Deer country you can trade stories with the family land friends at one of the area’s tiki bars, RV parks, campgrounds, quaint resorts or licensed vacation homes.

The Lower Keys begin where the Florida Keys island chain takes a graceful westerly turn toward the sunset. Shortly after the famous Seven Mile Bridge it is a quiet region of small resorts, down home restaurants, single family homes, untrammeled wildernesses and rich history.

Tiny Little duck Key at mile marker 40 in the upper end of the Lower Keys boasts Veterans Memorial park. The sandy beaches, picnic areas, and pet friendly area make it a perfect family stop on the overseas Highway. Just a mile away at mile marker 39 is Ohio Key. Here you will find Sunshine Key Camping Resort offering a pool, family restaurant and other amenities. Nearby is the Bahia Honda State park and Recreation Area. The park has white sandy beaches and abundant wildlife. Bahia Hondas Key frequently makes the list of most beautiful beaches in America. /

Big Pine Key at marker 33 is the main shopping hub of the Lower Keys. However if you prefer solitude you need only turn onto one of the lovely side roads.

Explore the national Key Deer Refuge a large expanse of mostly underdeveloped pine land where the deer live or venture to No name Key if you are looking for off shore adventure. Big Pine is also the jumping off point for numerous snorkeling and dive charters.

The other islands of the Lower Keys are famous for home resorts, family oriented neighborhoods and easy access to the water. Big Coppitt Key is one of these and an easy drive to Key West... the lower Keys is an oasis in a ruhed world.

There are wonderful attractions in the Lower Keys all just a short distance from each other. At mile marker 17 on Sugarloaf Key business man Richter perky built a tower to hold bats in 1929. He did this hoping that the bats would eat mosquitoes... The Blue Hole on Big Pine Key is a sinkhole from the railroad days and has blossomed into a watery wildlife attraction in the heart of the National Key Deer Refuge. The Blue Hole harbors alligators, turtles and freshwater fish. There is an alligator observation area and trails.

For a real adventure take an Ecotour. Beyond the Seven Mile Bridge the islands suddenly take a westerly turn toward the sunset. Starting at Big Pine Key there is suddenly more land than sea. For centuries powerful tides have whipped back and forth between the islands of the lower Keys. This has formed a ring of tine uninhabited mangrove islands and shallow grass flats.

Out in Lower Keys back country it is not uncommon to spot a pod of dolphins feeding in water seeming much to shallow for them if you paddle along the edges of the uninhabited mangroves you are almost certain to find blacktip, lemon, nurse, or bonnethead sharks. They are often cursing in inches of water looking for easy meals of Egrets, herons, kingfishers, and white crowned pigeons.

You do not have to take a snorkeling charter into the open water to find adventure. Big Pine Key is famous for its pines and the Key Deer.

Children are sure to enjoy such accommodations as the boondocks Grill and Drafthouse with Miniature Golf. This is the only miniature golf course in the Florida Keys. It is fun for the whole family and perfect for birthday parties.

The children can enjoy a full scheduler of eco tours, dive snorkel charters fishing trips and visits to area attractions. There are many excursions with free activities... Family camping is available at several locations including the Geiger Key marina and RV Park on Big Coppitt Key.

Nature abounds in this lush playground.

Brought to you by: PhoneSmart . Your quality assurance firm

Hialeah Florida

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:46:28 GMT

Hialeah, Fl, the “City of Progress” is located upon a larger prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. The name Hialeah is translated as “pretty prairie” or “Upland Parries”. The Seminole interpretation of its name, “High Prairie” the area is home to the Seminole Indian tribe. The area was discovered by Missouri cattleman James Bright and Glenn Curtiss who was a pioneer aviator.

The culture of today’s Seminole Tribe of Florida can be traced back at least 12,000 years. In the early day of its existence, the US government carried out a policy of displacement and extermination against the American Indians in the east US systematically removing them from the path of “white “settlement. Two legendary leaders Osceola and Abaca. Osceola masterminded successful battles against five baffled general. Murdered the US Indian agent, took punitive action against any who cooperated with the white man and stood as a national manifestation of the Seminole’s strong reputation for non surrender... though his exploits were not so well published Seminole medicine man Abiaka may have been more important to the internal Seminole war machine. He was a powerful spiritual leader who used his medicine to stir warriors into frenzy. For all of the resistance the Seminoles began the 20th centaury where they had been left at the conclusion of the Seminole Wars, in abject poverty and hiding out in remote camps in the wet wilderness areas of South Florida. The tribe has matured both politically and financially and the challenge of maintaining the unique Seminole culture while operating in the mainstream economy is the priority for them today. Until 1821 Florida was under the control of the government of Spain.

Entertainment was plentiful in Hialeah during the decade known as the “Roaring 20’s” The Spanish sport of jai-alai and greyhound racing drew visitors from far and near. Even the 1926 hurricane that nearly destroyed the city those who believed in the future of Hialeah could not be deterred.

Hialeah Park racetrack opened in 1925 and is one of the oldest existing recreational facilities in southern Florida. Racing drew spectators and competing stables from all around. When the facility was severely damaged by a hurricane in 1926. Philadelphia horseman Joseph Widener and Kentucky horseman Col Edward Bradley hired architect Lester Deisler to design a complete new grandstand and a clubhouse in the Renaissance Revival style. Beautiful landscaped gardens with native plants and a lake in the infield stocked with flamingos. When is opened again in 1932 it was considered one of the most beautiful in the world and became so famous for the flamingos that is has been officially designate d a sanctuary for them by the Audubon society. The track is gone but the flamingoes remain in this park which was once considered one of the world’s most beautiful racetracks.

The flamingo Stakes race was an important stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby for 3 year old horses. The well known cult classic horse racing movie “Let it Ride” with Richard Dreyfuss, Terri Garr, JenniferTilly had most of its principal outdoor scenes at Hialeah Park.

The Hialeah Park Racetrack was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and was determined to be eligible as a National Historic Landmark. The park closed to the public in 2001 but the facilities remain intact except for the stables. Since the closing citizens to Save Hialeah Park Race Track have worked to preserve it. They offer this quote “ the Park was once the most beautiful rack track in the world, it marks the beginnings of the city of Hialeah and its founders, features a unique central park area, and is a symbolic resting place for the horses that raced there and the millions of people who once cheered from the clubhouse and grandstand. Hialeah Park is the city’s most evident and only historical link with the rest of the nation. It deserves nothing less than to be completely restored and preserved” What the fans will miss the most is the ritual after the seventh race, the flight of the flamingos. The quality of racing in general in the area was adversely affected when Hialeah did not open up the backside to accommodate 1,000 to 1,300 horses from all around the country who were normally stabled there. This reduced the number of horses coming into the area to race.

From a population of 1500 in 1925 Hialeah has grown at a rate faster than most of the ten largest cities in Florida. Predominantly Hispanic, Hialeah resident s has assimilated their cultural heritage and traditions into a hard working diverse community. Citizens are proud of their ethnic background and strive to keep neighborhoods family oriented.

Nearly 92% of the populations are Spanish speakers The city was once proposed to be a playground for the rich but in 1959 Cuban exiles flooded in a finished building this working class community. Several waves of Cuban exiles streamed in after Castor’s takeover in Cuba in 1959. There were even more in the Freedom Flights, the boat lifts and the desperate boat people who in the late 1990’s set out in any possible conveyance to try to reach our shores. They have created a very successful economy and industry that has seen continued growth.

The city’s first slogan was “All Ways Lead to Hialeah”. From the beginning Glenn Curtiss and James Bright knew of the potential of the area but could not have imagined how important Hialeah’s location would be for transportation. Hialeah has access to every major means of transportation. The I-75 and the Palmetto Pwky direct economical access to the Opa Locka and Miami International Airports. There is Amtrak, Tri Rail and Metro Road station conveniently located with the city.

The Miami-Dade Public School System serves the city with 3 high schools, 4 middle schools, and 17 elementary schools. The Dade Christian School (Baptist) is the largest private school in the area and is a ministry of new Testament Baptist church.

Monsignor Edward Pace Hitch School, St John the Apostle School and Immaculate Conception School serve the primacy and secondary private school students.

Miami Dade College Hialeah Campus opened in 1980. In addition to academics there are many cultural and community events sponsored by the college.

The larges Santero Community outside of Cuba is in Hialeah, the Santeria World Headquarters. In a lawsuit between the Church of lukumi Babalu Aye v. city of Hialeah, the Santeria practice of animal sacrifice was ruled unconstitutional.

Telemoundo is the second largest Spanish language network. It is headquartered in Hialeah. There are several studios working taping programming, talk shows, news programs and telenovelas.

Hialeah is the densest city in the United State without a skyscraper. The city’s tallest building is 14 floors and is only considered a mid rise.

Sports enthusiasts can enjoy Major League Baseball. The Florida marlins and Minor League Baseball, the Jupiter hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals play and hour and a half north in Jupiter, Florida. The hammerheads are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the Florida Marlins, and the cardinals are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the St Louis Cardinals.

The National basketball League Miamian Heat, The National football League Miami Dolphins and the national Hockey League Florida Panthers are all within a small driving distance of Hialeah. The United soccer League is represented by the First Division Miami FC and fans of college football will enjoy the fact that nearby Miami is the home of the Orange Bowl

Hialeah restaurants and bars are a mix of traditional Cuban and international fusion food. Asturias features a unique menu that combines traditional Spanish menu items like tapas which are small plates of different appetizers that are eaten as a meal, with an American influence. Cantina Okeechobee is known for their delicious margaritas and fajitas. At Café Raul on Palm Avenue the Cuban coffee, sandwiches and pastries are extremely popular amount the locals.

Shopping centers and malls abound in and around Hialeah. Westland Mall, just off the Palmetto Expressway, is a popular shopping destination. Anchored by Macy’s JCPenny and Sears, Westland Mall features nearly 100 stores. There are also cafes and restaurants like Crepe’s Land and Havana Madrid Restaurant, Just up the street from Westland Mall is the Miracle Mille Shopping Center, whose stores include Ross, TJ Maxx and Lane Bryant. Across the street there is Burlington coat Factory and Marshall’s. Other nearby shopping malls includes mall of the Americas, Dolphin mall and Miami International Mall.

On the southeastern section of Hialeah is the historic district called Deer park. This tiny section of Hialeah is unique because its street names were probably borrowed from the natives who lived in the area. Per-na-na and To-to-loche are but a few of the interesting names. Also, the streets are circular not grid like as in the rest of the city. Moreover there are several forms of the original Miami architecture within the neighborhood, most notably the adobe or Santa Fe style homes. All in all, Deer park is a unique and interesting section of Hialeah which should bee seen and admired.

The Amelia Earhart Park is named after the famous female flier who used Hialeah as a launching point for her fateful attempt to fly around the world... It is a great place to visit for family fun. The huge city park includes a country store, a children’s island, a picnic area, and two lakes full of large mouth bass, horseshoe pits, and even pony rides. Amelia Earhart Park also has the Bill Graham Farm Village. It is a famous feature of the park and people love to pet the farm animals.

To commemorate the courageous spirit of Amelia, a bike trail course was also created in the park. The bike trail has various obstacles for those who are brave enough to try them but they can be easily avoided for rider s who are not so very experienced. The Amelia Earhart Park is a great place to spend a day and is worth taking time to visit.

There are glass bottomed boats and b oats that float on air. There are mangrove creeks and a unique River of Grass—these are not your typical attractions. But then what is typical about the area? Local attractions capture the imagination and stir the soul.

There is excitement, surprise and magical memories for young or old here. Florida attractions include IMAX films to the high tech games at entertainment venues. The Richard Petty Driving experience is on scheduled dates at the nearby Homestead-Miami speedway. This is not for the fainthearted...

There are miles and miles of beaches beckoning sun seekers and nearby parks luring nature lovers to discover a fascinating variety of flora and fauna. In fact the area is the only place in the U.S. with two national parks. Everglades National Park is an untamed ecosystem unlike any other on earth, while Biscayne national park is the only living tropical reef within the continental U.S.

The Everglades also known as the River of Grass is readily accusable. There is a wide variety of wildlife, foxes, bears and migratory birds galore. There are manatee snorkeling tours that give visitors an unspoiled view of these large and docile creatures. Danger lurks in the Everglades. There are alligators and poisonous snakes.

Coming in from the airport on I-75 into Broward County the road will turn west to a toll booth to a section of road called alligator Alley. Less than halfway across Alligator Alley you will come to an exit where you can visit the Seminole tribe on
Seminole land you can learn about their tribe at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki museum.

In the Seminole language Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki means a place to Learn. The museum exhibits and artifacts show how the Seminole ancestors lived in the Florida swamps and Everglades. Big Cypress is the flagship museum on the Big Cypress and here a visitor can be introduced to the culture by the film, “We Seminoles.” There is a self guided tour emphasizing food, chores, transportation and stories followed by a visit to the Living Village to watch Tribal members make Seminole arts and crafts.

Or at the Billie Swamp Safari you can take airboat rides and swamp buggy tours. taste alligator meat or spend a night in an authentic thatch Seminole dwelling called a chickee. You may want to note that this exit is the only place where you can buy gas along alligator alley. The Seminole tribe of Florida employs more than 2,000 non Indians and purchases more than $24 million dollars in goods and services each year. The tribe has more non contiguous reservations than any tribe in North America.

A bit further west is at the town of Immokalee is the corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary operated by the Audubon Society. This is a real gem and worth the trip. A 2.25 mile boardwalk takes you through several southern Florida habitats including cypress swamps, pine flatwoods and wet prairies with alligators and water birds.

Hialeah has something to offer for nearly every taste and will fill every longing for adventure.

Brought to you by: PhoneSmart . Your self storage offsite sales force

Key West Florida

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:47:53 GMT

Key West FL is the southernmost city in the Continental United States. Key West is a city and an island by the same name near the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys and encompasses the namesake island, the part of Stock Island north of US 1, Sigsbee Park and Sunset Key.

Many passenger cruise ships utilize Key West as a seaport. Key West International Airport also serves the area. Naval Air Station Key West offers a training site for Naval Aviation.

Key West is officially known for having the nation’s first and oldest continuous gay and lesbian chamber of commerce. Thus the city’s motto “One Human Family”

Kay West was inhabited by ancient peoples known as the Calusa People in Pre-Columbian times. Juan Ponce De Leon was the first European to visit the area and the island was known as Cayo Hueso. It was established as a fishing and salvage village with a small fort to protect the Spanish colony.

Cayo Hueso literally means “bone key” as it is said that the island is littered with the bones from an Indian battlefield or burial ground. It is thought that the name changed to Key West is an Anglicization of the word “Hueso” that could mean west in English. Many businesses on the island use the name.

Great Britain took control of Florida in the late 1700’s and relocated the Spaniards and Indians to Havana. Florida passed back to the Spanish 20 years later but they did not formally resettle. The island was used by fishermen from Cuba and joined by fishermen from the United States.

The island was deeded to Juan Pablo Salis in 1815 but when Florida was transferred to the United States Salas was eager to sell the island. First he sold it for a sloop valued at $575 and then to a US businessman named Simonton for about $2,000. The sloop trader sold it to a man named Geddes who could not secure rights to the property because Simonton had help from influential friends in Washington and gained clear title. Simonton bought the island because he had learned of the opportunities presented by the strategic location. Simonton’s friend John Whitehead, once stranded on the islands by a shipwreck had seen the deep harbor.

Lying 90 in a strategic location on the deep shipping lane Straits of Florida the harbor was considered the “Gibraltar of the West”. Matthew Perry said into the harbor in 1822 and physically planted the US flag to claim it as US property. He reported on the piracy problems and renamed it “Thompson’s Island” and named the harbor “Port Rodgers”. Neither name stuck. In 1823 Commodore David Porter took charge and tried to rule the island as a military dictator under martial law.

Simonton soon subdivided the island into plots and sold 3 undivided quarters of each plot to private individuals. Simonton spent the winter in Key West and then the summer in Washington to lobby for development of the island and for the establishment of a naval base. Among other first founders are Pardon Green who moved there permanently and became a prominent businessman. John Whitehead lived there for 8 years and partnered with Greene in the firm of “P.C. Greene and Company”. He left the island for good in 1832 returning only once during the Civil War. John Fleeming, active in the mercantile business in Alabama was a friend of Simonton. He spent only a few months in Key West before leaving to marry in Massachusetts. He returned to Key West intending to develop the slat manufacturing of the island but died soon after. The names of these founding fathers of modern Key West used as names for the main arteries of the island.

Many residents of Key West emigrated from the Bahamas. They were known as Counch. They arrived in ever increasing numbers after 1830. Sons and daughters of Loyalists fled to the nearest British soil during the American Revelation. Many of residents of Key West refer to themselves as Conchs and the term is now generally applied to all residents of Key West. The term “Fresh Water Counch” refers to a resident not “native born” but who has lived there for more than seven years. The name is derived from the tradition of placing a conch shell on a pole at the home of a new born baby.

“Bahama Village” is an area of Old town next to the Truman Annex largely inhabited by Bahaman immigrants.

Fishing, salt production and ocean salvage were major industries in the early 19th century. The salvage operations made Key West the largest and richest city in Florida and residents had a high concentration of fine furniture and fancy chandeliers which the locals used in their homes after taking them from shipwrecks on the Florida reefs.

During the Civil War Fort Zachary Taylor was established in Key West after Florida seceded and joined the confederate States of America. It was an important outpost and now contains the largest collection of Civil War cannons ever discovered in a single location.

In 1912 Key West was connected to the Florida mainland via the Overseas Railway extension. The railway created a landfill at Trumbon Point for rail yards. In 1935 the Labor Day Hurricane destroyed much of the railroad and hilled hundreds. About 400 World War I veterans living in camps there working on federal road projects and mosquito control projects in the Middle Keys were also killed. It was too expensive to restore the railroad. In 1938 The Federal Government rebuilt the rail lines as an automobile highway. Completed in 1938 it became an extension of the US Highway 1. The portion of US 1 running though the Keys is called the Overseas Highway.

Numerous artists and writers have come to the Keys but the two most associated with the island are Ernest Hemmingway and Tennessee Williams. Hemmingway reportedly wrote 2 novels “A Farewell to Arms” and “To Have and Have Not” while living in the Keys. The Ernest Hemingway House and Sloppy Joes Bar have become important tourist’s attractions. The Hemingway House is currently inhabited by six or seven toed polydactyl cats descended form Hemingway’s original pert named “Snowball”. The cats live on the grounds and are cared for by the Hemingway House even though the USDA complains about the number of them housed there. The Key West City Commission exempted the house from a law prohibiting more than four domestic animals per household.

Tennessee Williams is said to have written the first draft of “A Streetcar Named Desire” while staying at the La Concha Hotel. He bought a permanent house and listed Key West as his permanent residence. Williams’ home in the “unfashionable” New Town neighborhood is quite the contrast to the elegant Hemingway house. It is a very modest bungalow. The house is privately owned and is not open to the public. The Tenn4essee Williams Theatre is located on the campus of Florida Keys Community College on Stock Island.

Key West is much closer to Havana than to Miami. In 1890 it had a population of nearly 18,800 which made it the richest and biggest city in Florida. The population was nearly half Cuban descent and the city had a succession of Cuban mayors. Cubans were reportedly active in nearly 200 factories in town producing cigars.

The Battleship Maine was blown up after sailing from Key West to Havana which ignited the Spanish American War.

Pan American Airlines was founded in Key West to fly visitors to Havana.

John Kennedy used the phrase “90 miles to Cuba” in his speeches against Fidel Castro.

There were regular ferry and airplane services between Key West and Havana until the revelation in 1959. Refugees flooded into Key West during the Mariel Boatlift and continue to come across the dangerous stretch of waters.

In 1982 Key West and the rest of the Keys tried to declare independence and become the “Conch Republic” in a protest over US Border Patrol blockades. The blockade was set up in response to the Mariel Boatlift. This blockade created a 17 mile traffic jam when the Border Patrol stopped every car to search for illegal immigrants. The Florida Keys were virtually paralyzed as tourism nearly ground to a halt. Couch Republic flags and T shirts are still popular souvenirs for visitors. The Counch Republic Independence Celebration is celebrated each April 23.

Key West was always an important military post. At the beginning of World War II the Navy built the first water line extending the length of the Keys to serve the Naval Air Station. The main facility on Boca Chica is where the navy trains pilots. There are 3400 civilians and 16oo active duty military personnel along with family members. The area next to the old For Taylor became a submarine pen and was used for the Fleet Sonar School. The Trumbo Annex is a docking area on what had been the railroad yard for the Overseas Railroad.

The cruise ship “Sunward” docked in the Navy’s pier in 1969. In 1984 the city of Key West opened a private pier right off Mallory Square. There was much opposition to this by residents who felt that this would disrupt watching the sunsets at Mallory Square but now cruise ships dock at all three piers.

The original Key West neighborhood in the west is called “Old Town”. This includes the major tourist destinations including Mallory Square, Duval Street, the Truman Annex and Fort Zachary Taylor. This is where the classic bungalows and great mansions are located.

The structures date from 1882 to 1912. The local architecture is distinguished by wood frame construction on one to two and a half story structures set on foundation piers about 3 feet above the ground. The buildings have peaked “tin” roofs, horizontal wood siding with pastel shades of paint. There are side hinged louvered shutters, covered porches along the fronts. Wood lattice screens cover the area elevated by piers.

The use of landfill has nearly doubled the land area of the island. The new east section is called “New Town” and contains shopping centers, strip malls, and a commercial airport. White Street divides the tow districts.

One of the biggest attractions on the island is a concrete replica of a buoy at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets that claims to be the southernmost point in the contiguous 48 states. It was originally marked with a sign which was often stolen. Due to the thefts the city of Key West erected the monument in 1983. It is brightly pained and labeled “SOUTHERNMOST POINT CONTINENTAL U S A”’. It is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in Key West. The true southernmost point is just west of the buoy but in as part of the Truman Annex and is Navy land. It cannot be entered by civilian tourists. Florida’s Southmont point in Ballast City. This is a privately owned island just West of Key West and is strictly off limits to visitors.

Key West claims to be the only city in the lower 48 states never to have had a frost. The Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida is about 12 miles south and the Gulf of Mexico to the west gives Key West a wonderfully mild, tropical-maritime climate. Average temperatures during the winter are almost 14 degrees lower than in summer. The warm water modifies cold fronts. Average lows in January re 67 degrees. Prevailing trade winds and sea breezes suppress the usual summertime heating. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Key West was 97 degrees but the average highs in July are about 81 degrees.

There e are wet and dry seasons. November through April there is abundant sunshine and less than 25 percent of annual rainfall. Rain usually comes in advance of cold fronts in showers. May through October is normally the wet season. Rain falls on most days during this s4eason and there can be tropical waves during the season that occasionally bring excessive rainfall. Infrequent hurricanes are accompanied by unusually heavy amounts. Key West is still the dries city in Florida. Hurricanes rarely hit Key West.

Many visitors to Key West rent bicycles and explore the history and architecture of Old Town. Walking tours with a tour of the unusual Key West Cemetery are also available. The Sunset Celebrations at Mallory Square is a daily spectacle for visitors and residents. There are boat excursions and tours.

The Duval Street bar and restaurant district offers many entertainment options.

The Florida Keys council of the Arts serves Monroe County from Key Largo to Key West. This non profit agency make grants, sponsor art seminars, and operate the Art in Public Places project.

The Tennessee Williams Theatre is a performing arts center, civic center and community based at the Florida Keys Community College

The Key West Literary Seminar celebrates writers and attracts an international audience to hear famous authors.

The Key West Botanical Forest and Garden is a frost free arboretum and botanical garden.

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum showcases gold, silver and treasure recovered from shipwrecks around the world. There is also the Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters Museum that preserves the history of the Key West Lighthouse built in 1847.

Pride Fest is a seven day event presented by the Gay an lesbian Community Center of Key West the first week in June/.

In 1979 Key West had its first Fantasy Fest to attract tourists at the traditionally slow time at Halloween. This is the end of the hurricane season and regularly attracts approximately 80.000 people.

In June 2006 the Key West Gay and Lesbian Museum and Archive opened at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center. A permanent AIDS Memorial is at the White Street Pier.

There is so much to appreciate in this small corner of America.

Brought to you by: PhoneSmart -- Your self storage marketing provider

Secret Shopping - Mystery Shopping

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:56:35 GMT

Secret shopping sounds mysterious and fun and well, shopping is great no matter what. Secret shopping in its basic form is shopping someone or someplace without the person or business knowing it. Shopping secretly seems to draw on this fantasy of part detective, part spy, and part shopaholic. In the best scenario you receive your “mission” and then go to the location and pretend to be a real customer all while noticing all the things going on around you. Some secret shopping companies will have the shopper actually purchase something so that the whole shopping encounter seems more realistic. If you search the words, “secret shopping” on the Internet you will get over 4 million hits on websites that have something to do with secret shopping.

There are all types of secret shopping businesses out there. There are businesses, corporations and large chains that have their own department or group of people that travel around and try to shop the stores. Sometimes this is part of the internal security team that helps reduce shrinkage or loss prevention specialists. Then there are the companies and stores that will choose to hire a secret shopping company who specializes in secret shopping that specific industry.

Some of the things that in person secret shops might uncover are:

How many customers in the store when entering?
Did anyone greet you when entering the store or how long did it take for someone to greet you after walking in the door?
Was the store neat and clean?
Did anyone offer to help you find an item or offer to help you?
Was the associate dressed appropriately?
Was the bathroom clean?
Was the associate using their time wisely?
Did an associate offer to get you a shopping bag, shopping cart, or basket or to start a dressing room for you?
Did the associate let you know of any specials or promotions going on in the store
Was it easy to navigate through the store?
How long did you have to wait to check out?
Was the cashier friendly?
Were your items rang in correctly?
Did the associate offer to open a store credit account?
Did the cashier thank you for coming in?

These are just a few questions that a secret shopper might have to fill out when doing a report on how the shop went. Of course depending on the company, different key areas would be listed and other items of interest that would be specific to that company. Besides a person going into a store and shopping them, some companies are having their shoppers wired for sound and or video. While a person can go to a place and shop and come up with their opinions, sound and video are hard to ignore. Often sound and video are used in extreme circumstances where sound and video would implicate a person or business of a wrongdoing.

There is a show on television right now that shows all kinds of hidden video of stealing, people acting stupid, intoxicated, fighting, driving recklessly, and more. It just goes to show you what people will watch on television. But is proves a powerful tool for incrimination or reprimanding employees.

What kind of business would use a secret shopping service? Lots of businesses use a secret shopping service whether it is an internal monitoring or hired out by a company that specializes in secret shopping. Corporate businesses would use a secret shopping service to make sure that the individual franchise or store is keeping up with the company’s rules and regulations. While some franchises are individually owned they still have to sign a contract with the home office that they will uphold the standards, appearances, and make sure that all the stores are virtually the same. Smaller businesses might use a secret shopping service for a number of things like monitoring, training, compliance, or incentive based information. Monitoring is just that, a basic service that gives the manager or owner a simple description of the secret shop. On going training is essential to any business so companies can use secret shopping to help with continued training. Compliance goes a little further with specific areas of sales, customer service, safety, and rules being covered. Incentive based secret shopping is when the person or business being shopped and that said person or business doing a great job would get a reward. The reward could be monetary, time off, bonus, lunch, or other items that the owner or manager will choose.

Some companies choose to do telephone secret shopping instead of or in addition to the in person secret shop. Telephone secret shopping uses the same principles as above except the whole interaction is done over the telephone. Modern software and telephone equipment have made this type of secret shopping easier and more secretive. But with technology comes the backlash of trying to be secretive, the arch nemesis of the telephone secret shopping world, caller id. There are ways around caller id and they will not be shared in this essay, but if you need to bypass a caller id there are systems that can do it, just check out the Internet. So the basic telephone secret shops goes like this:

Store-“Hi, thanks for calling XYZ business, this is Bob, how can I help you today?”
Shopper- “Hello Bob, I was wondering if you could give me some information about your….”
Store- “Sure, I can help you with that. You see here at XYZ business we have…”

You can see where this is going.

The telephone secret shop is typically recorded to an audio system or to the Internet where the call can be retrieved at a later date. Different software systems allow the secret shopping calls to be listened to online in real time or saved and sent via email when the audio format is in MP3. This software also allows its user to edit the call. Trimming the call in the beginning before the rings start and after both parties have hung up allow the call to remain in a manageable length. Some companies record the call and then send it to their clients on a CD. The CD allows the manager or owner to listen and share the call with the employee.

Are you looking for a secret shopping job? There are many established secret shopping companies out there that are looking for shoppers, but how do you know which ones to trust. First of all, like the old saying goes, “if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is” so don’t fall for all the Internet hype about secret shopping. Could you in reality find a reputable secret shopping company and make some money, yes, if you do your homework. This is such a serious issue that the Federal Trade Commission has advice on how to avoid being scammed by fake secret shopping companies. Here is some advice on how to avoid bogus secret shopping companies:

Do your homework; check out the company BEFORE you give them any personal information

Beware of catchy banners and click me sites that offer to hire secret shoppers off of the Internet. This is a “sounds too good to be true” situation.

Check with the Better Business Bureau about background information on the company before you jump in with both feet.

Many fake secret shopping sites want you to complete “offers” before you are assigned any jobs. These offers are actually ways for that site to gather information about you like your name and email. Offers like; try these magazines or a free trial offer for who knows what, and all you have to give them is your information and sometimes a credit card number. These sites are known to sell or use your email to spam sites that will then riddle your inbox with tons of junk email.

If you know someone who is a secret shopper ask them how they got into the business and I bet they will have some advice of their own to share.

It’s not as easy as it seems, there is often some travel involved and reports have to be written in detail, called in, typed or emailed for you to be able to get paid per job.

So if you are looking for a secret shopping company or a secret shopping job, the bottom line is check the company out before doing business with them. Ask for business references (and call them, just giving a sheet a references won’t do you any good if you don’t call them), check with the better business bureau and ask around. The time you spend doing your homework before you hire or look for a secret shopping job will pay off in the end. There are some great secret shopping companies out there that offer secret shopping services and your business will prosper from the knowledge and training that a reputable secret shopping business can provide for you. Whether your business needs are monitoring, training, compliance, or incentive based you can find the right secret shopping company to fit your needs.

Property Management

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:58:59 GMT

The current housing market has been surrounded by much controversy regarding the fluidity or stability of the market. Whether or not an unstable real estate and housing market is the direct cause, the apartment rental industry is now larger than it has formerly been.

Realestatejournal.com, affiliate to the Wall Street Journal, posted an article in October 2006 directly connecting “flattening home values” to the increase in property rental.

Because the demand for apartment, condo, townhome, duplex and home rental has gone up significantly; the temperature of the rental industry has increased accordingly. Would-be home owners apply the same bargaining and one-upping tactics as they would have to the home buying process to renting process.

In highly desirable areas such as Manhattan, potential tenants offer to begin paying rent months before their intended move-in date. Some tenants even offer to pay for a year in advance in hopes of gaining a lead over other renters in the area. Residents in extremely popular locations may even find themselves in a bidding war and willing to offer more than the asking monthly rent just to end their search for an apartment and have a place to call home.

The article posted by wsj.com goes on to say, “Rental landlords, who used to fret as prime would-be tenants jumped into the housing market instead, suddenly are in the driver’s seat.” Monthly rental rates for a standard 1,000 square foot apartment have jumped 3.7%, according to Property & Portfolio Research Inc and vacancy rates are at a low of 5.3 % and are speculated to drop as low as 5% according to Marcus & Millichap, a real estate and investment brokerage firm.

The lull in the housing market has definitely made it a landlord’s market. With low vacancy levels, perhaps a waiting list and more tenants to manage than ever before, property owners are looking to property management companies to take the burden off maintaining the details that come along with being a landlord.

Some of the major benefits of property management companies include taking the responsibility for accepting rent, addressing and servicing maintenance issues, marketing and advertising, and leasing new tenants after completing credit and background checks.

For a landlord, or property owner, the hassle of property management is well worth the associated fees to allow a team of professional staff at a local property management business handle the ins and outs.

Property management is ideal for real estate owners with a single property or property owners with quite a lot of rental properties.

Owners of a single or a few properties often have other employment that demands their attention. These proprietors don’t have time to answer every rental inquiry or make a trip to their rental property each time a drain is clogged. The benefit of allowing another team to take care of the small, everyday tasks of property management makes owning a property more enjoyable.

Another benefit that property management has for the owner of a small group of rental properties is that the property management company has the capacity to scope a wider marketing plan. A reputable property management firm has already built a solid core of leads, whereas newcomers to the apartment rental industry may find it hard to draw in the right kind of tenant.

This brings up another benefit of real estate property management. Most landlords don’t want just any Tom, Dick, or Harry living in their investment. Property management businesses should be equipped to conduct credit and background checks on each applicant. This process is important when determining the character of a would-be tenant and their financial responsibility.

Some property management companies may also initiate litigation with tenants with past due rent. However, litigation is often times considered a separate service and it the responsibility of an attorney or law firm.

Owners of a large group of rental property find property management a must have. The sheer size of owning and operating very large apartment complexes or several rental communities is more than an individual property owner can manage.

Logically, with an increase in the number of tenants comes an increase in the number of maintenance calls made to the landlord. A property management business would be able to field these calls and address them promptly. Property management teams usually have their own maintenance personnel who are qualified to repair a variety of routine issues.

Accepting monthly rent for landlords with numerous incomes coming in separately each month is also a daunting task that most real estate owners are glad to pass on to a well organized property management group. Most property management businesses also make collection calls to tenants falling behind on their monthly rent.

For owners of a large group of rental property, marketing and advertising may become chaotic. If a property owner wanted to advertise for each real estate property separately it could become costly and difficult to track. Property management companies often take care of advertisement and marketing and will be able to handle the constant ebb and flow of new tenants, former tenants and prospective tenants.

Owners of large apartment rental properties can collect stacks of applications each month. A good property management company will be able to find desirable and trustworthy tenants by completing credit and background checks on qualified applicants.

Real estate owners with a large rental capacity may find it easier to manage their property within their own business by hiring a team of property managers, however most find that an established property management firm is less hassle and more efficient.

The housing market is in a lull, resulting in a lower amount of home sales. For current homeowners, the thought of moving or relocating is usually dampened by that stark reality that it is not a seller’s market. The common results are that homeowners decide not to put their house on the market, choose to remodel their home to stand out and draw a higher dollar on the market, or choose to renovate their home to accommodate their growing needs.

In an article written by Charles Ray Wilson, and published by Inside Self Storage, Mr. Wilson states that the self storage industry has continued to perform well in light of high foreclosure numbers and a soft housing market. In fact, the self storage industry demonstrated a 2 percent increase in rent collected per occupied square foot during the second quarter of 2007 versus the same quarter of 2006. This increase was not a result of the housing market, but rather a results of increased rental rates by nearly 8 percent.

Because homeowners may choose not to sell their home due to undesirable market variables, growing families are forced to take advantage of every square foot of space available to them. Converting an office into a nursery or finishing a basement are common occurrences. The fact is that the longer homeowners remain in one space, the more stuff they accumulate in it.

Self storage has become a hot commodity. Families find themselves in need of more closet space and the most economic alternative in today’s market isn’t selling a home, it’s renting a storage unit.

Storing boxes of baby clothes that might be needed later, the secretary desk inherited from Grandma, old couches and collections of vinyl records are a trend that’s sweeping across America. The self storage industry offers many specialized storage options such as climate controlled storage, wine storage, boat storage, RV storage, drive up accessible storage and more to meet the specific needs of some items.

Homeowners looking to renovate in order to accommodate a growing family find that self storage makes the home improvement process much easier. Do it yourself weekend projects can turn into months of improvement and having the furniture safely out of harm’s way allow the homeowner to focus on the task at hand without the headache of removing stains and buffing scratches from the furniture.

The increased demand for self storage has self storage owners and operators finding a silver lining in an otherwise soft economy. Self storage owners certainly don’t run the show alone, they employ the help of a trustworthy staff of store managers. The store manager is typically charged with taking care of the day to day tasks and property management.

A store manager may be responsible for leasing new tenants, accepting monthly rent, collecting overdue rent and filing legal actions and routine maintenance of the property. Self storage owners have come to appreciate the value of a reputable property management company.

Much like property management companies in the residential and commercial rental industry, self storage property management offers many benefits to self storage owners. Some of the services offered by self storage property management may include market analysis, rental pricing, overseeing daily operations, marketing and advertising, webhosting, human resources and recruiting, training, accounts payable and more.

For the owner of a single self storage facility, property management is a legitimate way to run a small business as part of a large corporation and gain many of the perks that the dominant self storage companies enjoy. Property management will also take a huge burden off the owner of a small operation.

Owners and partners of larger chains of self storage facilities find that property management is an ideal way to unify their facilities together. A self storage property management company will bring a team of professional property managers who can structure processes and chain of command within a larger corporation.

Self storage property management has gone beyond the routine and common services consumers have come to expect from a property management service. Self storage property management has developed specialized niche management companies that offer sales training specific to the industry so that self storage facility managers are able to rent more units. Services typical of such specialized sales management companies are call center, secret shopping, sales training, lead generation, online marketing and more.

To be sure, the soft housing market has brought an increase to the residential rental industry and has not adversely affected the self storage industry. The growth of each rental industry has brought more demand for strong, highly regarded property management companies.

PhoneSmart is your premier offsite sales force

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:40:11 GMT

PhoneSmart is headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, located in the center of the Midwest. Columbia is positioned along Hwy 70 and 63 and is the halfway point between Kansas City, Missouri and St. Louis, Missouri. The city is home to many colleges and universities, most recognizably, The University of Missouri, commonly referred to as Mizzou. Columbia has been described as a “fun, funky and surprisingly sophisticated” city with many local restaurants, specialty stores, galleries and shops located in and around the downtown District.

PhoneSmart was founded by StorageMart in December of 2000. The company originated as an offsite call center, intended for answering inbound self storage rental inquiries for its parent company. As the sales culture in the self storage industry grew more competitive, PhoneSmart quickly gained clientele among other self storage owners, including several Top Operators. To date, PhoneSmart has grown into a profitable business and serves hundreds of self storage facilities nationally and internationally.

A team of corporate executives is lead by Tron Jordheim, Director of Operations, member of the National Speakers Association and popular keynote speaker at several self storage associations. The corporate structure then branches into Call Center Directors, Robin Turner and Dana Shields; Total Quality Assurance Director Sarah Little and Administration Director, Elizabeth Pollard.

PhoneSmart’s services have expanded well beyond an inbound call center. In addition to its call center, the company offers lead generation, sales training, quality assurance and secret shopping to the self storage and apartment industries. The combination of these services creates a sales force that supplies rental property owners additional tenants every month.

Even though the company has developed several thriving products, its call center remains the bread and butter of the business. PhoneSmart captures missed phone calls by answering calls that would have otherwise went to a voicemail system or gone unanswered. In the self storage and apartment industries, unanswered phone calls mean lost revenue. Studies report that only 29% of callers who get an answering machine will leave a message and logically, customers whose calls go unanswered can not leave a message. This means that customers searching for rental space would most likely hang up and call the next guy on their list.

New tenants have great worth to the self storage and apartment businesses. An average rental is worth $800 to a self storage facility and the value of a new tenant in the apartment industry is significantly higher; if a home rents for $1,000 per month and the minimum stay is 12 months, the value of the average tenant is $12,000. These statistics certainly go to show that losing these rentals could be detrimental to the real estate company and that capturing even one more rental is more than profitable to the business.

The monthly call center fees are well below the value of one tenant, which makes this service the closest thing to guaranteed success that any business owner could ask for.

The concept of a call center is defined by wikipedia.org as a “centralized office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone.” Major businesses use call centers and the centers have infiltrated nearly every industry. Call centers are ideal for handling large call volume and great for offering product support, information inquiries and customer service.

The PhoneSmart call center prides itself in being recognized as more than just an answering service, but an offsite sales force experienced in turning missed phone calls into rentals. Each of the call center’s employees undergo an extensive training program at the start of their career. Upon completion of the program, employees are randomly monitored for quality assurance and each individual is secret shopped twice per month. This vigorous training environment creates a highly trained sales force, ready to turn phone calls into rentals.

Once a client has signed up with the PhoneSmart call center, a team of administrators will set up the telephone lines to forward to the call center after a predetermined amount of rings. Clients may also choose to send all calls directly to the call center rather than allowing the phone to ring numerous times in the facility’s office first. Capturing rollover calls allows a self storage manager the freedom to do their daily tasks and not become distracted by the phone because they know that PhoneSmart will send them the reservation or hot lead. The call center is also beneficial when a self storage manager has customers in the office or is on another phone line. The PhoneSmart offsite sales force is also a valuable tool because sales reps are ready to take calls after normal office business hours; the call center is open until 11pm CST.

PhoneSmart’s offsite sales force answers the phone and greets each customer with the client’s name, as if they were actually in the local self storage facility. This gives each phone call a personal feeling as the PhoneSmart representative builds rapport and connects with each caller. Consumers often associate the word call center with a bad experience with their credit card or cell phone company. PhoneSmart goes out of the way to avoid the stereotypical cold or unconcerned experience and answers each call with a smile. The PhoneSmart call center is an offsite sales force that believes in their proven sales techniques and strives to provide clientele with reservations and hot leads from each rental inquiry.

In addition to the call center, PhoneSmart offers sales training to self storage managers and teaches them the same principals the company uses in their own call center. Some of the sales training services provided by PhoneSmart are:

Conference Call Sales Training: PhoneSmart's sales trainer will lead store staff through a sales course via conference call. The conference calls are typically held over a three day period for one hour each day. Facility staff will learn the sales strategies and self storage sales techniques PhoneSmart uses in their own call center.
Sales Training Packet: This is designed to be set up in a classroom-like setting or can be completed individually. The Sales Training Packet equips staff with basic sales skills knowledge and specific techniques for the self storage industry. The packet includes two CD's, one Leader's guide, two Trainee workbooks, Role-Play game, and sales reference sheets.
Training Seminar: Tron Jordheim offers unforgettable, exclusive training seminars that will improve the sales skills of veterans to the industry as well as beginners in the world that is self storage.
Role-Play Helpline: Self storage managers can call into the PhoneSmart call center and speak to a member of the highly-trained sales reps. The sales representative will Role Play sales scenarios and give one-on-one training to meet the specific needs or concerns of the self storage manager.
Telephone Teachers: This is a Training Session that lasts about 15 to 20 minutes between a PhoneSmart sales trainer and a self storage manager. PhoneSmart calls each employee as determined by a schedule provided by the store managers. For example, each month employees schedule a 20 timeframe, maybe before a shift starts or when there are two employees on the property, PhoneSmart will then call the employees based on the schedule provided. The phone call will be recorded and sent to the District Manager.

A typical phone call would go something like this: Phonesmart rep and store manager discuss any problem areas he or she may have over the phone, the store manager can ask specific questions like, “How do I overcome the customer’s concern if they need to ask their spouse?” or “What if they say they’re just shopping around?”. PhoneSmart reps will offer tips and techniques to overcome those situations. The trained rep will also role-play with the manager and go through what an ideal phone call should sound like. PhoneSmart will help the managers understand how to apply the principles they learn through coaching and Mystery Shopping.

Each of PhoneSmart’s sales training services offer unique benefits and flexibility to self storage managers on any scale.

PhoneSmart’s Total Quality Assurance department runs the secret shopping programs offered through the company. These services have been developed to go beyond the customer service realm of a typical mystery shop and have been created as a sales training tool as well as quality assurance.

The company offers several styles and types of mystery shop that range in levels of sales training intensity. Some of the mystery shopping services offered through PhoneSmart are:

Shock Call: A secret shopper calls a storage facility and asks for something other than storage (boxes, office hours, etc). The call is graded only on a Pass/Fail basis. If the manager asks the caller if they also need storage, they Pass. If they do not, they Fail. Calls are recorded and sent to the client.This shop is unconventional from a Mystery Shop. It's goal is to teach managers to ask every customer if they need storage. This shop was created out need in the self storage industry because many stores miss these rental opportunities.
Mystery Shop: A secret shopper calls a storage facility posing as a customer asking about storage. The call is recorded and then evaluated. The recording is sent along with the written evaluations, to the client. The evaluation contains Yes/No columns to which points are assigned and a total score is given. It also contains a "What Worked Well" and "What Could Use Improvement" comment section.This shop is ideal for maintaining and improving sales techniques and customer service over the phone.
Feedback Shop: Not unlike traditional mystery shopping, a shopper will call a storage facility and pose as a potential renter. The sales portion of the call is controlled by the manager, as any rental inquiry would be. At the conclusion of the call, the mystery shopper will reveal their identity and go into a coaching session with the manager. The coaching session prompts the manager to critique himself/herself and the shopper suggests several sales techniques that can improve the sales presentation. The manager then sets a goal to focus on over the next month.

The benefits of a Feedback Mystery Shop are:

Offers instant, “real time”, feedback to the manager. No more waiting until the end of the month.
Provides one-on-one training with the facility manager from one of our qualified sales representatives.
Enables the store manager to begin closing more sales at the very next call.
Ends chasing after bogus leads from a mystery shopper’s name and phone number.
This shop is the most intense and immediate training tool. PhoneSmart has received great reviews from clients and the managers shopped regarding this technique.

The mystery shopping services offered by PhoneSmart are unparallel to other similar shops offered to the industry. Because PhoneSmart is a driven sales force, the training and critique offered by any of the sales staff makes the service not only a monitoring and quality assurance tool but also a strong sales instrument.

There’s no denying that PhoneSmart is made up of an ambitious team whose vision drives growth and expansion in their own business as well as the businesses of their clientele. This is a company built from a sales force that leads the industry in sales increases and stands above its competition.