Ivy Hartman: Welcome to NAWBO Conference 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. I’m Ivy Hartman and with me is Adrian Simpson of Smooth Mooove, senior relocation services here in Stone Mountain, Georgia. So, that’s too far from Atlanta, I would guess, ma’am?
Adrian Simpson: Not far at all.
Ivy Hartman: Good! Oh Adrian, tell us about the concept of Smooth Mooove Relocation Services.
Adrian Simpson: Well, about five years ago, I had to move my mother from Georgia to Michigan. And I thought she would move the same that I did and mom showed me that when seniors move they do it differently. They downsize because they’re typically coming out of a home they’ve lived in forever and moving into a retirement community where they can’t take everything. And in working with mom, I saw that the downsizing process it’s very fragmented. They could be working with 68 different companies and so I got the idea, why not be the one company that does everything. And that how’s Smooth move that boring.
Ivy Hartman: Okay! Talk about everything. What’s incorporated in that other than the packing and the physical moving and then the finding the place? What name do you use?
Adrian Simpson: Oh, there is so much more involved in it than that. There is—first before you can pack, you’ve got to clear it, you’ve got to store it, you have to organize it because you’re downsizing, you’re not taking a three-bedroom house. You’re moving into a one bedroom smaller apartment.
So, once you’ve cleared that all out and sorted it, then you can pack it and then you transport it. I have moving trucks. You know I don’t mind—I’m a trucker. I didn’t realize I was becoming one but as a trucker now. And so we got to get on the truck, get into the new place. And what we do that no one else’s doing right now is we unpack it and set it up. We hang the pictures, hang the drapes, make the bed, fully assemble the kitchen, bedroom and back, put everything away, so that the first time that they walk into their new home it looks like home because this is a very emotional traumatic experience for them. So, we make that transition very comfortable and easy for them.
Once they’re all settled then we can go back to the old home and doing estate sale or an auction or start the home liquidation process. Air looms deliveries, antique appraisal then we go back and clean it and get the home ready for the next stage of life if it needs a new fresh coat of paint, if it—profit, you take chandeliers out and put up the cheap light fixtures.
Ivy Hartman: Yes.
Adrian Simpson: Or if it needs a new look to be sold.
Ivy Hartman: How often are you working with the seniors directly or are you sometimes working with their families who are maybe relocating their parents or aunts or uncles or?
Adrian Simpson: Well, when I first started the business I thought seniors were going to be my client and they’re not. They’re the end user. 95% of the time when the phone rings, it’s their children that are calling me. And their children call me from all across the nation. It’s amazing, they call from everywhere.
In fact, I had a lady called me just a couple of weeks ago. She’s here in Georgia. Her parents are in Miami, she said, “Go get them. Go get my parents in Miami and bring them to me.” So, we worked more with the children and we do it seniors never working with seniors because I don’t have anyone.
Ivy Hartman: Yes. And now, are you instrumental in the selection of their new move as well trying to find or just your client typically know where I’m moving already when they contact you.
Adrian Simpson: When they come to me, 99% of time they know where they’re going. They’ve already made that selection but if they haven’t then we can offer up some recommendation for what we do get a lot is where they will call and say, “I’m thinking about moving here and I know you’ve been there. What do you think?” So, they will ask what we know about the food, the meals must be good. It has to have a good chef.
Ivy Hartman: Yeah.
Adrian Simpson: Okay! What the staff like and have you heard any complaints from any of your past customers that have moved in here so they do—you possess the resource.
Ivy Hartman: Great! And have you found anything especially interesting so far since you’ve been at NAWBO or helpful about this year?
Adrian Simpson: Yes, I participated yesterday in a research forum for minority business owners, women owners and that was very interesting. I learned a lot of steps and numbers and also some ways to grow my business, take it to the next level.
Ivy Hartman: And what would the next level be for you Adrian?
Adrian Simpson: Franchise.
Ivy Hartman: Yeah, so you can expand nationwide.
Adrian Simpson: Nationwide. Yes! That’s the next level for me because I thought I was in a little vacuum thinking I love seniors, I want to help seniors and so I was concentrating on just Metro Atlanta. But I’m getting inquiries from all across the nation.
Ivy Hartman: Yeah.
Adrian Simpson: So, that’s telling me there is a need, there is an interest across the nation called the next step is to franchise.
Ivy Hartman: Oh Adrian, it’s been an enlightening talking with you and I hope you have a great time at the rest of the NAWBO conference and you keep it right here for more spotlight interviews that the NAWBO 2007 conference right here on sbtv.com.
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