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r l "the school year is coming to an end, but students don‘t need to worry about where to store their clothes, books and furniture over the summer holidays. Store Your Dorm â€" a new company based out of Toronto â€"is there to help. "We genuinely try to be as student friendâ€" ty as possible," said Courtney Whiteside, the coâ€"owner of Store Your Dorm. "I know a lot of businesses say that, but we‘ve really taken that on board as being our motto." Company eases endâ€"ofâ€"semester stress by storing students‘ belongings Whiteside got the idea for this venture while studying international politics in Engâ€" land. Her program ran over 12 straight months, but many of her fellow students had a break from April to September. Store Your Dorm They didn‘t have anywhere to store their belongings over the summer, which is a predicament faced by students in Canada as well. "It became pretty evident that really no one was doing it, and the companies that were are selfâ€"storage businesses that you‘d have to get a car or taxi to get there," she said, adding those options are expensive and inconvenient. Plus, moving isn‘t easy, especially for women who don‘t have male friends, she said. "I thought, surely it can‘t be difficult to get labourers, get a vehicle and aperate a more student friendly business." Store Your Dorm‘s first year of business, in 2007, exceeded Whiteside‘s and her business partner Darren Chadwick‘s expectations. "We always thought there was a market for this, but when you‘re operating a busiâ€" ness in its first year, you‘re never really sure what that‘s going to be," she said. "We didn‘t really expect the phones to be ringing off the hook as much as they were." Last year, Store Your Dorm serviced 230 students at the University of Toronto, Ryerâ€" son University, York University, as well as at area colleges. Since then it has branched out to 28 camâ€" puses across Ontario and Quebec â€" includâ€" ing the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Lauriâ€" er University and Conestoga College. About 70 per cent of its clients are women. Many are international students. Others live outâ€"ofâ€"province or in cities that are too faraway for their parents to help them move. And some simply don‘t have an appropriate vehicle for transporting large boxes and furniture. "You know, if you‘ve got a Honda Accord, it doesn‘t really store a lot of boxes, so it‘s a bit of a problem," Whiteside joked. _ Kinika Simons, a secondâ€"year student at York University, used Store Your Dorm last By Jennirer OrmsTON Ch rwudeme/]' ORDER NOW! year before heading home to Bermuda for the summer. York University student Kinika Simons, right, Courtney Whiteside, left. Overall, she said she was "very impressed" with the service, which she found to be personable and customized. "(They) were pleasant and friendly, not to mention fast and efficient," she said. "My favorite part of the service was how they remembered your name and specific details special to you, like when you would be arrivâ€" ing back." The company differs from others in this field because of its serviceâ€"oriented approach, Whiteside said. For instance, its reasonable fees include $1,000 worth of insurance, pickup, storage in a climateâ€"conâ€" BUSINESS used Store Your Dorm‘s services last year. The student storage service company is coâ€"owned by trolled facility and dropâ€"off, as well as dis counts with Via Rail. Movers are flexible and come when it‘s convenient for the student, whether they live in residence or offâ€"campus housing. And if the client is more comfortable havâ€" ing a woman present, Store Your Dorm can accommodate that too. "A lot of women, for various reasons, either security, cultural or religious reasons, would prefer to have a female in attenâ€" dance," Whiteside said. The company also has experience workâ€" ing with people with special needs, and is willing to asstst them by helping to pack their boxes for free. WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesdat, March 26, 2008 * 25 In addition to meeting the demands of it customers, Store Your Dorm is concerne about the community. | 0 That‘s why its staff is collecting used clothing to give to local homeless shelter: and planting a tree for every customer wh signs up. â€"Rates vary with packages starting as low as $40 a month for four months (from May to August). â€" â€" _ For more information about Store Your Dorm, go to www.storeyourdorm.ca, email contact@storeyourdorm.ca or call 1â€"866â€" 636â€"3676. Whiteside will be in a booth at the} University of Waterloo‘s Student Life Centr today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1 SUBMTTED PHOT