The next business book we're reading ...

We saw a review for this title today and can't wait to read it:

"The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How to Change It" (Charles Duhigg)

What especially drew our attention was the mixing of psychology and business perspectives that explain why bad habits persist and how good habits can be formed. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

Lowe's Inman News Service Review

Bloomberg Business Week Review

This review sealed the deal: "For those who truly crave to change their habits, their teams' routines and their lives, this book offers well-founded hope and simple, concrete tools that have been proven to work, over and over again."

One more good one on the shelf .. Next to some perennial favorites from Zig Ziglar, Og Mandino and newer stuff like Jim Collins, Michael Gerber or the Heath Brothers. What's on your bookshelf?

PS - I realize that this post is a little ironic given the last one "Why We're in this Business" ... But actually it fits right in because we see the methods and success stories the author uses for "good examples" as being very much in keeping with how we have been able to achieve our high standards ... It's all habit!

Why we're in this business

An estimate we did this week reminded us of why we're in this business. The client we visited said that his friend booked a mover he was planning to use and while their estimate was $400, when they walked through the door they immediately said "this is going to be closer to $1,000."

Ouch! Needless to say he called and cancelled his reservation with them.

This story reminded me of why I started this business four years ago. Besides the usual reasons to go into business like being your own boss, we began Stronger to do moving the RIGHT way. As industry insiders, we had seen too much of the "ugly" side of this business: bait-and-switch estimates, sloppy work, overbooking, tardiness ...

Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them. — Stephen R. Covey

Rather than dwell on the negative though, we are focused on how positive our crews are on every job. Consistently for the past four years, we have been able to stick to our standards of estimating as fairly and accurately as possible, training crews well, delivering excellent customer service and constantly monitoring quality.

So not that we like to "toot our own horn" but we think this commitment speaks for itself:

• positive customer testimonials
• repeat customers and referrals
• accreditation by the Better Business Bureau

Our hope is that we can set a positive example of movers for everyone we come into contact with and they leave saying "I have heard a lot of nightmare stories, but this move was a dream." At the end of the day, that's what makes it worth it.

Green tips for moving

As we prepare to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this Saturday, we were thinking about GREEN in two ways - both the green, eco-friendly way to move and how to save some green (as in money!).

Here are our Lucky 7 tips:

1. Pack less stuff ... Sell, donate or recycle items you no longer need to reduce the amount of packing materials you will use. You may be ready to consider parting with books, movies or cd's in this new age of digital media). Warning: do not start this process a few days before the move, more like a few weeks to months before you plan to move.

2. Find used boxes ... Moving companies can give them to you or try local stores.
3. Use newspaper for packing materials ... Save a few weeks or ask a neighbor before their recycling goes out. Be careful of ink staining (especially avoiding any chance that the paper would get wet). Generally this is not an issue but if you have any concerns, just use the newspaper as padding rather than wrapping items with it.
4. Purchase biodegradable materials ... Packing peanuts and bubble wrap for your most delicate breakables is available in biodegradable formats.
5. Recycle/reuse your packing materials ... Give them to a friend who will be moving or post them online (for example: craigslist or freecycle).
6. Clean green ... Keep "green" in mind during the move-out / move-in cleaning process and use green products or hire a certified green cleaning company.
7. Hire movers ... Consider the "green" nature of using a moving company to move everything at once instead of making many small trips in a personal vehicle.

The next step is "greening" your new place. A move can be the best time to make lifestyle changes and upgrades to your new home, which will not only be helpful for the environment but usually save you money as well.

We believe that all of this green is not just a color we wear on St. Pat's day or a catch-phrase but really a mindset based on principles of doing the right thing. As a company, we encourage these kinds of initiatives in our clients, employees, vendors and require them of ourselves.

Start your New Year right ...

Some wait for Spring to do their deep cleaning. Since Florida doesn't have the traditional seasons, we got started this week! What has made the most difference for us is getting rid of stuff we no longer use or need.

Rather than letting perfectly good items go to waste, we always donate what is in good condition. Here are some of our favorite resources:

Furniture and household goods:

Manatee Habitat for Humanity 355-7082

Sarasota Habitat for Humanity 363-0777

South Sarasota Habitat 493-0529

Food:

All Faiths Food Bank (Sarasota) 379-6333

Food Bank of Manatee 747-FOOD (3662)

Clothing:

Goodwill 351-8945 (for home pick-up)

Salvation Army 1-800-958-7825

Of course there are many other places that welcome your donations and you may have your favorites already established. But if you have not, please look into these or do your own research because the charities who receive donations can turn the proceeds of sales into life-changing intervention programs.

Not only will you enjoy the benefits of cleaning out and making a fresh start in 2012 but also local nonprofits will be able to reach more families in need and do more good.

Got change?

Recent survey data we saw today showed that in 2011, 61% of moves in 2011 were for "life stage reasons." Our clientele definitely reflect this trend - getting married, having children, children moving out, job-related relocation and retirement - are common among the people we move.

No wonder moving can be so stressful! People are not only dealing with the logistics of the move but also these BIG life changes. No matter how joyful or welcome they may be, stress always accompanies change on this scale.

Add to it moving during the Holidays and WOW! So if you or someone you know is going through this all at once - moving, the holidays and a big life change - we welcome the chance to make at least one area of your or their life less stressful: the move!

How much do Americans move?

Happened to see these numbers on the website of the United States Postal Service:

17% of Americans change addresses annually.

45 million people move each year.

Approximately one out of every six families moves each year.

Wow! I have heard that the USA is a very mobile country in comparison to other countries around the world and these numbers seem to confirm it.

I wonder if our local rates in the Sarasota-Bradenton area are higher, lower or about the same? I suspect higher, which is good for us moving companies.

However, moving can be very chaotic and difficult if you're not prepared. Check out our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/strongermoving for short videos to help you pack and prepare like a pro.

Stronger gets Better ... BBB Accreditation

We have long believed that "ethical business is good business" and now we have the seal to prove it! Today we are pleased to announce that Stronger Moving & Delivery Service, Inc. has met the requirements to be an Accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau.

BBB Accreditation means a business adheres to very high ethical standards. People know they can trust a company that has made the commitment to live up to the BBB Principles for Trust:

Build Trust, Advertise Honestly, Tell the Truth, Be Transparent, Honor Promises, Be Responsive, Embody Integrity, Safeguard Privacy.

Second nature for us! While it was no stretch for us to achieve this designation, we are extremely proud of all the hard work that went into creating, growing and maintaining a company that delivers - not just your belongings in pristine condition but also a great experience.

Our mission is to make every customer’s move their best moving experience and set the standard for excellence in professional moving services. The BBB seal helps show that commitment to excellence. Thank you to our workers, families, clients, suppliers and the BBB for the support. Onward!

Hooray!!! We're 3-years old this week!

We are so thrilled to be THREE this week. That's right, this week three years ago we got our truck, incorporated, printed tee-shirts, established our online presence and everything else you have to do when you open a business. Stay tuned for more musings, happenings and celebrations from Stronger's Third Birthday Celebration Extravaganza!!!

We ♥ YouTube

Busy month in April ... with moving, networking and making new videos to add to our YouTube channel. Here's the latest:

Good news!

Congrats Pat on the good news, we're experiencing much of the same:

Is the recession moving out of town? (Gulf Coast Business Review)

Looking forward to the busy season this summer!

It's official - We're on YouTube!

The first two of many short, informative videos are now on our YuoTube Channel! Check it out:



And let us know what you'd like to see, we'll cover it in the videos to come. Thanks as always for your support!

Not surprised ...

Saw this tidbit in this morning's Biz941 e-news:

Florida Realtors reported Monday that realtors sold 886 existing homes in Sarasota-Bradenton in February, a 19 percent increase over February 2010. The median price dropped 11 percent to $137,700. Existing condo sales jumped 26 percent to 325, while the year-over-year median price dropped 11 percent to $126,100.

What we hear from our realtor friends is that this is the case here in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

In appreciation

As new members of the Manatee Association of Realtors, we sometimes feel like the new kid in class. So, it is very much appreciated when we receive a warm welcome and and support from fellow members.

One such friendly face at a recent Realtor Business Hour was Cindy Greco of Greco and Monroe Real Estate Professionals.  Cindy offered to list our company on their resources page and we were thrilled.  A few short e-mails exchanged with her and Lisa and we were set!

Thank you!!  We are glad to be part of such a comprehensive website with so many tools to offer.  We were particularly impressed with the Buyer's and Seller's Toolkit and wish we would have had something like that when we bought our homes years ago.  In any case, thank you Lisa and Cindy for your support and helping a "new kid on the block" feel welcome!

Point ... Counterpoint

I read this article in today's Bradenton Times

"Florida Challenged by Decline in New Residents" (The Bradenton Times)

And while we definitely agree that the decline in new residents is a challenge, we are seeing signs that it is starting to change. 

For a while, any jobs that weren't with our truck were loading someone else's (usually rental) truck to move out of state.  Recently, the balance is shifting to include more "unloads," that is people arriving from uot-of-state who need their stuff unpacked here in the sunshine.

While we specialize in full-service moves with our completely-equipped trucks, we are also pleased to load or unload rental trucks, storage pods or trailers.

And, looking at the blizzards blanketing the north this week, maybe we'll see even more to come!

Making the Better Business Council Directory STRONGER

Just wanted to share the Bradenton Herald's Better Business Council Directory with everyone today.  Check the "Movers" category and you'll find us there with some of our colleagues in the moving business:

Better Business Council Directory - Your 2011 Official Guide to Better Business (Bradenton Herald)

Thank you to the Manatee Chamber and Bradenton Herald for getting the word out in the community. 

What is the Better Business Council? As the article explains: "Members of the BBC agree to certain terms and conditions including clarification and confirmation of required licensing and proper insurance.  In addition, they must agree to respond to formal complaints filed through the Better Business Council and make every effort to resolve conflicts in a reasonable, prompt manner outlined by the BBC."

We're proud to be entering our 3rd year as both Chamber and BBC members.

Good news maybe?

Saw this in the Bradenton Herald this morning and hoped it meant good news for 2011:

"Region among housing recovery leaders" (Bradenton Herald)

The catch-22 for our area is that often housing = jobs.  So while the analysts say we need more jobs before the housing market improves, we might actually need more houses (or more demand for homes) before the job market improves.  Where's that chicken and did it come before or after the egg?

In any case, we're glad to see signs of improvement in the housing market!

Survey - Why Do You Give?

We were reading this month's edition of Biz 941 and particularly enjoyed this column:

"Survey: Why Do You Give?" (Biz 941, December 2010)

It asked several business people in the Sarasota Manatee area about their charitable giving and we enjoyed reading their answers.  My wife told me this once and I find it amazing - more Americans GIVE than VOTE (around 80% give to charity while 60% is considered a good turnout for an election!).

We particularly John Saputo's idea of success from the article: "Success without lifting others—as the Jesuits said—is nothing but greed and narcissism. When you raise others, I have found you only go higher in the treasure called esteem and brotherhood."

Most importantly, we can all do something.  In this past year, we helped the Women's Resource Center of Manatee and look forward to doing more with them and possibly other charitable organizations in our community.  As the year-end draws closer, we reflect on everything we have to be thankful for and hope to share those blessings as much as possible in 2011.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas ...

We're feeling in the Holiday mood and thought we'd decorate ... So my wife found this adorable little tree and put our logos all over it to bring some Holiday cheer to our office.  Hope your Holiday Season is a happy one so far!

Deck the halls ... and clean the closets!

Guests coming?  Entertaining and need space?  This time of year finds us digging deep into closets, cupboards and sheds to bring out the holiday cheer.  While happy and fun, always that little voice in the back of our minds is ... Ugh, come January we have to put (cram!) all this stuff back in where it came from.


An idea to consider is to store your Holiday items and any other stuff taking up valuable closet space with Stronger.  Competitive prices and a secure facility are just the beginning.  We offer turnkey moving services so all you have to do is "point and click" to tell us what needs to go and when you need it back - full service at its best!

Here is a great online resource for dealing with clutter during the Holiday season: clutter free holiday countdown (from Simple Organized Living).  You may think 'well why add one more thing to my list!?!'  We say that there is no other time of year where you change your decor, dishes and furniture so much so why not?!  

As a bonus here in Florida, you can prep for a monster yard sale during "season" when all the snowbirds are here.  As a double-bonus you can donate unwanted items to round out your 2010 tax deductions (more on this later).  Hope your Holiday season is turning into a very merry one!

Our office has expanded by two feet!

Two little baby feet that is!  The reason it has been so long since posting is the birth of our daughter, Gloria.  She was born healthy and happy on Tuesday June, 29 2010.  The months before and after her arrival have flown by and we are so excited to have her in our lives. 

Here she is in her "uniform" hard at work in the office this week.

Thank you for checking out our blog!!