Living out of Boxes, Starting Over in a New Place…

… & Other Stresses of Moving…

Whether you are moving for a sad reason like death, divorce or financial difficulties or a happy reason such as marriage, a new job or buying your first home moving can take an emotional toll.

Living Out of Boxes; Planning Can Make it Easier

Make plans and stay organized. Make sure to label those boxes not just by the room but if there is something essential in it write it on the box so when you are frantically searching for the remote you know exactly where it is.

You will also find that creating a separate Moving Must Haves kit will make your life easier… make sure to pack toilet paper, prescription medications, pain reliever, an alarm clock, paper towels and some basic cleaning supplies, snacks & water, food for your pets and a favorite toy for kids and/or age appropriate activities like crayons & coloring books. This should be the last thing out and first thing you move in!

But lets face it there is a lot more to it than that!

It’s not just the packing and unpacking… Not just the lost, missing or broken things… Not even the tired feet and aching back…

Moving is just plain Stressful

Often times a move means leaving behind family and friends and everything you are familiar with. As cliché as it is we are all creatures of habit and moving jerks that security blanket right out from under us. We all need a support system so make it a point to get out in your new community and make yourself at home.

If you have children uprooting them will most certainly add to the challenge. They will have to make new friends, learn a new school and new teachers. Remember to keep them involved and informed because after all they did not choose this and have no control over the situation.

Starting Over

You will also be learning your way around in your new neighborhood and most of us don’t think about how hard it will be to replace all the businesses we do business with. Some things are easy to replace but others take much more trial and error for us to find exactly what we are looking for and are comfortable with. It’s not like the old residents of your new place left a note telling you where to get the best pizza or which Vet to take your pets to.

I have made a couple of significant moves in my life one from New Orleans, Louisiana to Virginia and the other from Virginia to Florida.

I’ve found some new favorites but there are still things I miss and can never replace.

What are you finding hardest to replace since your last move?

Posted on January 19, 2012

by Melanie in Business Management

Growing your Business with Loyal Customers

If you are a Coffee shop owner you want customers who will only come to your shop when they want coffee. If you are a mechanic you want to be the only one that your customers turn to for all of their automotive needs. Indeed, every business owner dreams of having a loyal following of customers who only come to them when they have a need for their particular goods or service. Getting them through your doors the first time is often the biggest concern and biggest expense but that shouldn’t be your only focus. Of course you have to have an excellent product or service BUT that in it self is not enough. Once you get them in the door you must also provide superior customer service to truly gain a loyal customer.

You can Own Them as Customers

Get to know your customers. This happens by interacting with your customers and making sure your staff does as well. Provide personalized service. Regular customers like to be called by name. When you consistently provide good service a relationship is formed between you and your customer that makes doing business a pleasant experience.

The Power of Thanks

A little Thank You goes a long way. People like to be recognized and appreciated. You can encourage and gain loyalty from your customers simply by genuinely thanking them for doing business with you.

Without the Customer There is No Business

Educate your staff. DO NOT lose customers due to the following common customer complaints:

Rude irritable staff that seem to have more important things to do – like cleaning or rearranging merchandise.
Staff who help the customer while talking on the phone – or talk on the phone while the customer waits.
Staff that continue to talk to other employees or a friend while the customer is waiting.
Failure to follow up or unmet expectations.
Not correcting errors promptly.
Negative atmosphere.

Treat customers as if you were going to lose them if you fail today. It may be true.
Never forget that good, loyal customers are hard to come by. Remember their value and do everything in your power to keep them because they can simply choose at any time to stop being your customer.