Fun Tips & Tricks for Meeting New Neighbors

May 20, 2013 by moverswhoblog

Written by Claire Schneider

Moving can be a stressful and scary time for anyone, especially if you are moving to an unfamiliar place. Not only are you packing up your entire house and exhausted from the actual move, but you’re also away from friends and family. It can be scary trying to find a new support system, but luckily, they could be living right next door!

Now I know not everyone is a “Kelly Ripa”, but here are some tips to turn anyone into a neighborhood socialite.

1) Spend time outside. Now that it is finally starting to look like summer, turn off the TV and spend time outdoors. When my husband and I moved, we would be outside doing yard work and people would walk right over. Besides introducing themselves, they also gave us some great landscaping tips! If you’re not the green thumb type, try going for a walk. If it’s a nice day people are sure to be out and about.

2) Go to neighborhood events. Many neighborhoods have organizations or groups where the community can get together and discuss relevant news in the area. Some trendy areas are even getting away from the typical neighborhood watch or real estate development groups and are developing recreational clubs. Even if you are not the athletic type it could still be worthwhile to attend games and meet new people.

3) Host a cocktail party. Instead of having a typical housewarming party, think about throwing a neighborhood cocktail party. This sounds more exciting and less of a ploy to receive gifts. A cocktail party also allows you to spend time actually socializing instead of making sure guests have enough to eat. If you don’t have time to throw an actual party, why not think about a cocktail hour. This can be as simple as sitting on your porch, after a long day at work, with a drink and inviting people to come over with their favorite beverage. This is a relaxed way to really bond with your neighbors.

4) Welcome to the neighborhood gifts. Now that you have met all your great neighbors, make sure you welcome new people into the neighborhood. You were once in their shoes, and if they aren’t reading this blog they might not be such an expert. A couple days after they move in, go over to introduce yourself and bring some tasty treats with you. I personally recommend cookies because no one wants to bake when their kitchen is still boxed up.

By following these simple tips, you are bound to find someone you can connect with. As Franklin P. Jones says:

“Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor’s noisy party than being there.”

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

Movers for Moms® Photos

May 13, 2013 by moverswhoblog

We’d like to say a special thank you to everyone that has helped our Movers for Moms® program by donating items for moms in need. Movers for Moms® is a community-based program seeking to make life easier for less fortunate women forced to stay in shelters on Mother’s Day. With your help we are that much closer to making Mother’s Day special for all moms in need.

Below are some great Movers for Moms® pictures we have received so far from our various TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations. These photos show the abundant support from schools, businesses and communities across the country. Thank you for all your help and donations!

Who Moves with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®?

May 8, 2013 by moverswhoblog

What do most of our customers look like? We took a look at our recent data and came up with our TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® customer profile. This great infographic sums up what we found!

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

EFO Training: Why I Hire Movers

April 29, 2013 by moverswhoblog

Chris Bortnichak was a great MC!

Written by Claire Schneider

Over the last two weeks I participated in TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®’s EFO training. What is EFO you might ask? Well, EFO stands for Essentials of Franchise Operations and is an eight day, hands-on, collaborative learning experience preparing franchisees to open and grow a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchise. The training session is held through STICK MEN UNIVERSITY® at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. During this time, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® experts teach attendees about policies, processes and tools necessary to launch successful franchises.

Chair Melanie Bergeron shares TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® history. Very inspiring!

During the class I learned a lot about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® and what it really means to be the “MoversWhoCare®”. We went over our Core Values and Chair Melanie Bergeron shared the company’s history and how we ended up where we are today. We also learned about what it takes to be a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchisee and what sets us apart from the rest. We had experts ranging from human resources to IT support to customer care, who all shared valuable information they have encountered over the years.

Yep, this is me monitoring our Facebook page

For those of you who don’t know, I am the social media specialist at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. and as the class got on its way, I realized I stuck out like a sore thumb. While their daily tasks consists of making sure moves run smoothly, whether it be dealing with operations, customer care or performing the actual moves, my day consists of sending Tweets, posting Facebook content and teaching others how to optimize their social media presence. I learned a lot from everyone in the group and found out things I never knew were issues while moving. Group discussions allowed me to learn from their real life experiences, which will make me that much better at my job.

We learned a lot from group discussions

Computer lab time!

The day I found most exciting was moving day (not that any day wasn’t exciting). We were fortunate to have movers from the Lansing franchise come and show us how to properly move items in a house. No, this doesn’t just mean loading things on a truck, but rather how to make sure everything had a moving pad and stretch wrap on it to ensure they don’t get damaged during the move. They showed us how to carefully move items through typical obstacles in a house such as stairs and through a doorway. I never knew there were so many different terms for carrying an item. Once they demonstrated, it was our turn!

Our Lansing movers made it look so easy!

I learned how to pad and wrap a dresser. Here I am practicing the corners!

Tim & Don give moving a try!

I even had a chance to move a chair, and trust me, I did not make it look as easy as they did.

Before: Desiree and I are all smiles

After: This is why I hire movers!

Once the eight days of training were complete, it was graduation time!

It’s graduation day!

After participating and graduating from STICK MEN UNIVERSITY®’s EFO Training, I am reassured TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is not just a moving company but truly are “Movers Who Care®”.

Movers for Moms® 2013

April 15, 2013 by moverswhoblog

Written by Claire Schneider

It’s an exciting time at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® lately as we ramp up our Movers for Moms® program once again! We are very passionate about our Core Values and Movers for Moms® is a big part of them.

What is Movers for Moms®?

Movers for Moms® is a program that was started by TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® nearly five years ago because we not only wanted to give to charity, but also be a part of the cause. Movers for Moms® is based around the communities where our franchisees are located and is focused on making life easier for less fortunate women, who are forced to stay in shelters on Mother’s Day. Our goal is to make sure their day is special as well.

“Among industrialized nations, the United States has the largest number of homeless women and children. Not since the Great Depression have so many families been without homes.”

– GreenDoors.org

More than 100 TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations across the country have partnered with schools to begin collecting items for mothers in need. Our TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® locations will then pick up the items and deliver them to their shelter partners just in time for Mother’s Day.

How you can help

It’s simple! All you have to do is bring your donated items to a participating TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® location near you. Typical donation items may include: soaps, hair styling products, shampoos and conditioners, pillows, blankets, slippers and basic essential items.

We will take care of the rest!

Getting kids involved

Movers for Moms® is a great way to teach kids how important it is to give back to the communities in which we live. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® wants to thank all the schools that are participating in the program this year. We have seen tremendous growth in the past year and now have 420 schools taking part in the program, compared to 200 last year. We could not have made this program what it is today without them!

KinderCare

We especially want to thank KinderCare for their involvement with Movers for Moms® this year. KinderCare works hard to improve the lives of children in communities where we live and work. With the expertise that comes with caring for and educating hundreds of thousands of children nationally, KinderCare has a unique understanding of child development, early childhood education, parenting and teaching. They understand the needs of children, families and communities.

If KinderCare sounds like the perfect environment for your child to grow, join KinderCare for their Open House Tuesday, April 23 and let their community show you what makes this place one of a kind. Sign up the week of 4/21 and get $100 off tuition. Their Open House provides the chance to tour their center, meet the teachers, talk with other parents and engage in family-fun activities. KinderCare Learning Centers are excited to show you their nationally recognized education program as well as the child-specific focus their teachers bring to the center. To learn more or find a location near you, please visit www.kindercare.com.

Thank you KinderCare for your support in the Movers for Moms® program!

What Moves TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®

April 8, 2013 by moverswhoblog

We have been hard at work here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® over the years. Here is an infographic showing what we have been up to and what moves us!

Career Move Month

April 1, 2013 by moverswhoblog

Written by Claire Schneider

Before I began working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc., I was one of the many people who thought the company only consists of movers, drivers and customer service representatives. When I first heard TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. was hiring, I wasn’t interested because I knew I could not move heavy furniture. My husband then urged me to just see what types of positions they were looking for, so I did. I had heard of the company before, but I thought it was just a local business and didn’t realize, until I began looking at the positions, that it was actually something much greater.

I am now the Social Media Specialist at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. and, unlike a lot of my friends, I am actually working in the field I got my college degree in and I love it! I have learned so much about this great company and feel really proud to be part of all it stands for.

Part of my job as Social Media Specialist is to work with the franchises on how to improve their social media presence. With Career Move Month approaching, there was one conversation that really stuck out to me and that was with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Troy’s Nicole Trice.

Nicole Trice

Nicole moved to Michigan last September from Nashville, Tennessee and has a communications degree from University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She is now working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Troy as a Customer Service Representative and manages their social media. I loved how eager Nicole was to learn how she could improve their social media presence. So when I was thinking of ideas to showcase Career Move month, I decided to ask Nicole to answer some questions for me for a blog post to show how there are so many opportunities and different positions at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.

What was the position you applied for?

I applied for the Customer Service Representative position, which is the marketing one as well.

What made you decide to apply for a position at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®?

I decided to apply at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® because the position would give me an opportunity to apply the experience that I learned from years of customer service and to gain experience associated with my Communications degree.

How are you balancing both positions?

I like to think that I am a very organized person. I make a list each day of the tasks that I want to accomplish by the end of the day. As I go through the day, I mark the items off. I start the day off as a CSR and I do the social media aspect throughout the day.

What things do you like about being a CSR? And what have you learned?

Honestly, I was a server for 5 years and being a CSR is very similar. I have learned that there is a different approach when speaking to a customer over the phone compared to in person. I like that I don’t have to serve food to people!

What do you like about being in charge of social media? And what have you learned?

I like getting to expand our reach to people. I can let people see that we are real people that care about how we move the customer. I like that I get to see other people’s ideas and I learn something new every day. I have learned how important a Facebook and Twitter are to the business world today. I am learning how to manage websites, blogs and all aspects of social media.

What are some challenges you have been faced with having both positions?

It does get tough balancing both positions. I do wish I had a little bit more time to focus on conquering the social media aspect.

Is there anything else that you think people would like to know about how it is to work at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®?

We get to help one of the most stressful moments in a person’s life!

There are so many positions like mine and Nicole’s at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® and now with Career Move Month, we are looking to accomplish our goal of 10,000 applications during the month of April. If we reach our goal we will donate $5,000 to Dress for Success. Take a look at our new Career website for positions in your area!

7 Benefits of Spring Cleaning

March 27, 2013 by moverswhoblog

By Claire Schneider

Are you getting tired of the winter blues? Well it’s finally getting to be that time again for the ritual of spring cleaning; that is if Mother Nature ever decides to cooperate. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the seasons of spring and summer so we can enjoy them with our friends and family. Here is more information on the ritual’s history, benefits and a checklist for spring cleaning:

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Annual Meeting 2013: The Highlights

March 26, 2013 by moverswhoblog

As we continue to grow as a company, so does the attendance at our TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Annual Meeting. There were many highlights at this year’s four-day event filled with networking, education, and of course, celebration.

Scott Burrows

The first day started off with an inspiring speech by Keynote Speaker Scott Burrows. He shared his story of being a quadriplegic after a tragic car accident and how it changed his life forever. Even though he wasn’t able to take part in the activities he loved, he was determined to keep a positive outlook and decided to improve his life by focusing on his attitude and physical health.

He did a great job of tying his vision and how he worked to accomplish his goals, along with our company’s Vision 2018.

“When you start to believe, your mindset and grit will always be there to carry you through. If you’re looking to thrive, to beat the odds and achieve extraordinary results, don’t give up on your shared vision of where you want to be in 2018. Be willing to make adjustments along the way to get you back on course.”

At the end of his speech. he revealed to everyone that hard work and determination really does pay off. He stood up and explained he is now able to walk and take part in activities he loves, such as golf.

MWC2

One of the biggest announcements this year was the launch of Movers Who Care® 2, a technology system that automates the way franchises create estimates, book moves, etc. The new system was created to help us, as a company, get closer to growing as a system of one and improving the core purpose of moving people forward. At Annual Meeting, franchisees were able to sit down with the MWC2 panel and ask any questions they had about the new system. The panel also shared best practices and advice on the MWC2 conversion. Click here to view the Q & A session.

Awards Night

This year’s awards night had a Jimmy Buffet theme. Awards were given to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of franchises strived for during 2012. And everyone did have a reason to celebrate as pointed out by Brig Sorber:

“Tonight you all have something to be proud of. With the system’s growth, we are continuing to set ourselves apart from other moving companies. At year end, we achieved 37 straight months of growth and 21 consecutive record months. Over the past three years, together, we have achieved 60% growth.”

Reject These Common Reasons for Keeping Clutter

March 18, 2013 by moverswhoblog

Janine Adams is the founder of Peace of Mind Organizing®

Written by guest blogger Janine Adams

As a professional organizer, I often help guide clients’ decisions about whether or not to keep or part with items. For some people, letting go is really tough. When they have more stuff than they can store, it can lead to some interesting conversations about why they want to hang on to things.

There are three common reasons I hear for wanting to keep items that are no longer used or loved. these reasons don’t hold water with me. If you hear yourself saying any of these things about items you don’t use or love, I encourage you to think twice about keeping them.

1. I paid a lot for that! You know what? You may have paid a lot, but the money’s gone. And the only way you might get any of it back is to sell the item or donate it and take a tax deduction. What’s more, there are hidden costs to keeping it: you probably beat yourself up when you see it, so there’s an emotional cost. If you trip over it, you could hurt yourself and pay a physical and monetary price. And if you pay to store it just because you paid a lot for it, things are starting to get ridiculous.

2. I might need it some day. You’re right, you might. But then again you might not. And if you can’t find it when you need it, then keeping it doesn’t do you much good. I think we all live in fear of discarding something and then discovering that we need it. It makes us feel stupid. But realistically, what’s the worse-case scenario? You get another one. In my opinion, if you have more stuff than you can store, the actual benefit of parting with an item you don’t need now (i.e. creating space) outweighs the potential benefit of having it on hand should you ever need it.

3. It was a gift. Gifts are tough. You hate to disappoint the gift giver by getting rid of something given in love. But, again, if you have more stuff than you can store, wouldn’t the gift giver prefer that you let it go? Regift it. Donate it. Just get it into the hands of someone who will actually use or love it. It gets even more tricky when the gift giver has passed away. But that unloved and unused gift won’t bring them back. Perhaps you have a mutual friend or family member who would treasure that item. If so, pass it along. It boils down to this: Just because someone gave you something doesn’t mean you have to hold on to it forever.

When you’re trying to conquer clutter, try not to fall into the trap of these excuses for keeping stuff you really don’t need. Once you let the excess go, I bet you’ll feel liberated.

Janine Adams is a certified professional organizer based in St. Louis, Missouri, and the founder of Peace of Mind Organizing®. She helps clients create order, harmony and, yes, peace of mind, by helping them declutter and create new systems and routines. The co-creator of Declutter Happy Hour, she is a blogger for Rubbermaid and has appeared on both A&E’s Hoarders and TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive documentary TV series.

Movers Who Blog

Category Archives: Moving

Fun Tips & Tricks for Meeting New Neighbors

Movers for Moms® Photos

Who Moves with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®?

EFO Training: Why I Hire Movers

Movers for Moms® 2013

What is Movers for Moms®?

How you can help

Getting kids involved

KinderCare

What Moves TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®

Career Move Month

Nicole Trice

7 Benefits of Spring Cleaning

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Annual Meeting 2013: The Highlights

Scott Burrows

MWC2

Awards Night

Reject These Common Reasons for Keeping Clutter

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