Optima Self Store saves 9 hours a week and grows 10% in three months with Stora

9 hours a week saved | 10% growth in 3 months | 5 unstaffed 24/7 sites

“Stora has revolutionised our business, automating processes, creating time savings and allowing us to focus on growth.”

– Alex Sugden, Operations Manager, Optima Self Store

About Optima Self Store

Optima Self Store is an independent operator with nearly 1,000 storage units across five locations.

Each site offers 24/7 access. High-quality customer service and a strong local reputation sit at the centre of the brand.

All five locations are overseen by Operations Manager Alex Sugden. As the portfolio grew, so did operational complexity.

The challenge: growth was creating friction

Optima did not use dedicated self-storage software. Instead, the team relied on detailed spreadsheets to manage availability, customer records, payments and reporting.

That approach worked early on. It became increasingly time-consuming across five sites.

Onboarding was fully manual:

• Collecting customer details and verifying ID

• Sending licence agreements via DocuSign

• Entering payment details into Stripe

• Setting up access in the Paxton gate system

Each customer took around 45 minutes to onboard.

Online booking existed, but only captured a £39 deposit. Contracts, subscriptions and system updates still required manual input.

Reporting lacked clarity. Debtors required manual tracking. Occupancy and pricing decisions required additional analysis outside the system.

“The whole process was very time-consuming and it was becoming difficult to manage five self storage facilities. We needed to streamline all of the processes and enhance the customer journey.”

The decision to invest in purpose-built software

Optima reviewed three providers before choosing Stora.

“We identified that we couldn’t continue our growth without investing in self-storage software. We were impressed with Stora’s commitment to continuously developing and improving their software in line with the needs of operators.”

Price increases became easier to implement and measure. Routine admin — updating payment details, managing move-outs — no longer required direct staff involvement.

The difference Stora made

A streamlined digital onboarding journey

With Stora in place:

• Customers book online and automatically begin subscriptions on move-in

• Contracts are signed digitally within the booking flow

• Customers receive portal access to update payment details themselves

• Payments are automated

• Access control integrates directly with Paxton

Onboarding time reduced from 45 minutes to between 5 and 10 minutes.

Complete visibility across five sites

From one dashboard, Alex can see:

• Site occupancy

• Upcoming move-ins and move-outs

• Sales activity

• Overdue invoices

Site plans provide a clear, visual overview of each facility.

Manual spreadsheets were replaced with live data.

Stronger control of debtors

Stora highlights unpaid invoices and failed payments immediately, allowing Optima to stay on top of non-payers and reduce overall debt.

The results

9 hours saved per week

Automation of bookings, contracts, invoicing and communications significantly reduced administrative workload.

That time is now reinvested into:

• Strategic planning

• Reporting and analysis

• Marketing campaigns

• Following up prospects and enquiries

• Managing debtor accounts

10% revenue growth in three months

With improved visibility and more time focused on strategy, Optima achieved 10% revenue growth within three months of implementing Stora.

Automation created operational capacity, not just efficiency.

Successfully operating five unmanned 24/7 sites

Online booking, automated payments and integrated access control allow Optima to run five unmanned facilities while maintaining high service standards.

The outcome

By implementing Stora, Optima Self Store has:

• Saved 9 hours per week in administration

• Achieved 10% growth in three months

• Continued operating five unmanned 24/7 sites

• Improved visibility across the entire business

• Increased pricing confidently using real-time data

“Our only regret is that we did not move across to Stora sooner. We are now in an excellent position to continue growing our existing sites and confidently expand further, knowing our systems and processes can support that growth.”