With membership surging and technology high on the agenda, the SSA’s Young Storage Network is entering an exciting new chapter.
The next generation of self-storage leaders is making its mark - and the Young Storage Network (YSN) is at the heart of that change.
Founded a decade ago by the UK Self Storage Association (SSA UK), the YSN provides under-40 professionals with a space to connect, share ideas and shape the industry’s future.
The Mover magazine sat down with Sarah Manning, the YSN’s Chair, to discuss her journey to the role, the YSN’s ambitions - and how it’s helping the sector adapt to a fast-changing business landscape.
YSN’s role and growth
The YSN’s core aims are to encourage the growth of young people in the self-storage industry through networking and professional development.
“The SSA UK created the group with the purpose of supporting the growth of young people in the industry,” says Sarah. “The group can also feed ideas up to the main SSA UK, in particular with regards to new technology from within - or outside - the industry which may be adapted and adopted for use in self-storage.”
As at mid-August, there are currently 315 YSN members, and any person under 40 whose business or employer is a member of SSA UK or FEDESSA (European Self Storage Association) can join.
“Membership has grown rapidly in recent years,” Sarah reports. “At the end of 2022 we had 137 members; by the end of 2023, this had risen to 175, and by the end of 2024 it had reached 250. This is particularly encouraging when you consider that members must leave the group upon reaching their 41st birthday. It is clear that more young people are joining the industry, keen to expand their knowledge, build their networks, and seek advice and support from their peers. Increased awareness of the group has also played a part, thanks to platforms such as LinkedIn and the ongoing promotion by the SSA UK to its members.”
Sarah joined the YSN board in 2022, drawn by the group’s mission to support younger professionals in self-storage.
“I was keen to help the group with the work it was doing to support under 40s in the self-storage industry,” Sarah explains. “In June 2024 Anthony Adams' term as chair finished and I was appointed as the new chair.”
Topics, issues and challenges
YSN’s sessions are either educational - focusing on training in a specific area - or members’ meetings, which cover broader themes or feature panel discussions on key industry topics.
“Over the past four months,” Sarah states, “we’ve hosted sessions on strategic pricing, branding, innovation and growth, the pros and cons of manned versus unmanned facilities, customer conversion techniques and customer ID verification. We also welcomed a former Paralympic gold medallist, who delivered an inspiring keynote presentation on the ‘five pillars of performance’ and how these can be applied in business.”
Asked about the biggest challenge facing younger professionals, Sarah points to the task of balancing innovation with personal service ...
Photo: Sarah Manning.