Reliable Craigslist Movers
March 10, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice, Moving labor
One of the many questions that I get asked a lot is: “Are Craigslist movers reliable?” And the answer to that is simple. Some are and some aren’t. You have do your home work on all the movers you may hire no matter where you find them. And it doesn’t matter if you find through friends, Craigslist, Yellowpages, or on Google.
I made a quick video about reliable Craigslist movers; enjoy:
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Small Business Help By TheSuccessfulBiz.Com
February 25, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving News
Home town business success with TheSuccessfulBiz.Com
I have said once; I’ve said it a thousand times. Any professional moving company worth their weight in gold will have a website and some sort of web presence, whether it be on YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, FLickr or the other hundreds of social media sites. There is just no excuse except laziness and unprofessionalism for any moving company (or any company for that matter) not to have a website and web presence.
That is why I am writing about TheSuccessfulBiz.Com. They can help any small business to have a professional business website and social media presence that will attract customers and increase brand awareness and trust.
I have worked out a deal for any moving company that needs a website TheSuccessfulBiz.Com will make them their own website for FREE as long as they host that site with them.
The website will be able to host all your pictures, videos, have an easy contact form, maps to your office; and be set up to attract as many customers to your moving business as you want. IT will be optimized so that search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Bing and Ask will see and give you high rankings in the search engines.
Check out their Stuff just below:
Learn How A 40/yr Old Out-Of-Work Man Created A Successful Moving Business Starting With No Cash, No Equipement, No Trucks And No Luck And Turned It Into The Fastest Growing Moving Business In Michigan Using Only His Skills With Internet Marketing In Only 8 Months!
I know it sounds like one of those cliche internet marketing get-rich-quick schemes…But, truth of the matter, it is all true! Every last word.
Just want to thank Jae Burnham for his help. He shared some great insight and gave outstanding advice and direction for my website. Look for some changes to it soon. Jim Mahan
I guess I should introduce myself: I am Jae Burnham, and yes I created the fastest growing moving business in Michigan starting from scratch…I did it only in 8 months.
When I say I had nothing; I mean it…I had nothing. I am a 40yr old man that had been recently unemployed ( and I was living with my 70yr old father…yikes!). I had no phone, no computer…nothing. Yet I created a highly successful moving business
So, how did I do that? Great question. I used online marketing to accomplish it.
You see the internet is a powerful tool if you know how to use it. There are so many tools and do-dads that you can create tons of traffic to your business if you just knew how to utilize it. And I did. Of course I learned even more as time went on and I got better and better at driving in traffic to me; traffic that hired me to do their moving for them.
Because I knew this information I created my successful moving business. And I can do the same for your small business!
I have the tools, I have the knowledge and, most of all, I have the EXPERIENCE to make your small business a roaring success. And I know how to make your business so successful that you can delegate much of this work to others giving you time to build your business.
When you sign on with me and TheSuccessfulBiz.Com team we will spend time with you learning what you need and want and learning about your business so that we can put together a detailed plan that will skyrocket your profits and growth making your business what you have always envisioned it to be.
Just some of the things we can do to help blast your business to huge expansion:
- Email capture and promotion
- Website design and development
- Newsletter and Blogging
- SEO
- Social Networking
- Video and article marketing
- And so much more…
You can see my full list of my services and products just by clicking the “service” tab at the top.
Your small business success is my success.
Just because you have a website does not mean traffic will find you or come to on the internet. You have to get your name out there, and my company and I stand ready to help you develop that perfect campaign to do just that…
Would you like a free one-time consultation? Then email me at jae@thesuccessfulbiz.com and ask me all the questions you would like to know in expanding your business.
Thank you.
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Reviewing Your Moving Company
February 20, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Company Reviews, Moving Tips and Advice
How to review your moving company
Have you ever wanted to comment on the service you had with your movers, good or bad?
Unfortunately most moving companies do not have a website where you can leave comments about your service. And in fact I advise you not to use any mover that doesn’t have a website. (websites can be made for free these days so there is no excuse not to have one.) But even the moving companies that do have a website, most often than not, there is no place to leave comments about your service. And this is unfortunate.
Testimonials are powerful. Many of you will decide to use a moving company just because of the good reviews that you find of them online. Testimonials and reviews help build trust for moving companies; and any moving company not actively campaigning to get as many as they can and publish them far and wide are shooting themselves in the foot.
After every move that I do I ask if the customer was happy, and if they were (which is usually the case 98% of the time) I have them write a few words about there experience. Lately I have been getting videos of them saying on camera what they experienced. You can see all my testimonials on this website. Just go to the “testimonials” category and you can see hundreds of them. Or just click the videos off to the right and see and hear what a few of my recent customers have to say.
But in lieu of mover not asking for the testimonial or review where can you go to leave a review? Where will it make the most impact? This is the question.
Yelp
Yelp is a website designed just to leave reviews of businesses. All you have to is sign up and start reviewing.
There are people on Yelp that have made careers going into businesses and using their services just so they can review the business. It sounds like a horrible career choice but it does happen. Thing about Yelp is that it ranks very high on the search engines. So if you write a review of XYZ MOVERS that review will show up very early in the search engines for others to see.
Yellowpages
The Yellowpages as we know it: the big, bulky book is outmoded and going the way of the Dodo bird. Everyone is using the search engines to find businesses. Yahoo is partnered with Yellowpages so you can find those companies with internet listings ranking quite high with Yahoo. The thing about the internet listing for Yellowpages (and Yellowbook, Superpages, etc.) is that they have a place where you can leave reviews the moving company that you used. You can leave up to 5 stars for the movers that you chose.
I love Google. As a business person Google makes it so easy for me to have everything I need to create, run and manage a business. They provide all the tools I will ever need. One feature which I am sure that you are familiar with is Google Maps.
Type in the keyword you are looking for like: “professional movers” or “reliable moving” or “movers in (your city)” and a bunch of listing s come up right next to a map. By clicking on those listings you will find a profile page provided by that business of choice. What you may have not known is that that listing page gives you the option to not only read reviews but to leave them as well.
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to leave a review of the moving company that you used.
Yahoo and Bing
Yahoo and Bing also have map listings of businesses. However it is not as easy for business to get a listing on these sites as it is for Google. But like Google; Yahoo and Bing offer a place where you can leave reviews of your chosen moving company.
Ripoff Report
If you go to ripoffreport.com you will find hundreds of reviews left by people like yourself that have used various businesses. However, unlike all of the places mentioned above, you will only find bad reports here. So if you have had a bad review then this may be the place to leave your review; and trust me you will get action if you leave a review here. These show up very high on the search engines and make quite an impact.
But be warned, these reports NEVER disappear. They will always be available to everyone later on down the road.
Of course there are dozens of other consumer review sites out there but none as accessible as ripoffreport.com.
BBB
The Better Business Bureau or more commonly known as the BBB is also another place where you can leave a review. However more often than not and reviews of businesses that are left are usually negative. But you can leave positive reviews for business there as well.
I personally don’t like the BBB because they can be so easily bribed and manipulated by businesses. I know because I have done it.
Despite popular belief the BBB is NOT government operated. Its a ruse. It is a franchise like McDonald’s or Burger King. It is owned by someone to make money, and they make their money by charging businesses that are signed up with them fees for their “services”. If you have a bad BBB report all you have to do to fix it is pay out money to have it fixed. Its really that simple. So I can’t trust the BBB reports at all.
Does your mover have a FaceBook page? It does!? Cool. Do they have a tab where you can leave reviews? If so then leave a review.
You can leave a review of up to 5 stars. What I love and hate about this is: as a consumer I can leave a review knowing that it can never be deleted. So if I leave a bad review then it will be seen forever. As a business person, I hate this. I like to control what is being said about me. Personally I am not afraid of bad reviews and I welcome them as it helps me improve for the next time, but I also know my competitors can leave fake reviews for which I cannot delete. So it is a double edge sword for the business person.
Your moving company doesn’t have a FaceBook page? Doesn’t matter because you can still leave a review on your own Facebook page.
Angie’s List
Many people use Angie’s List to review moving companies and other businesses. The problem with Angie’s List as compared to Yelp is that you have to pay a monthly membership fee for it.
I know that I am not going to dole out hundreds of dollars a year just so I can read a review of a company or two, especially when I can do that for free with Yelp, Google or the other places mentioned here.
The plus point however, is that it is far more reliable than the free places. So if you find a good review of your chosen moving company then it is probably a good chance that it is a good company.
So there you go. Several places that you can go to leave comments and reviews of your experience with your moving company. So whether you are leaving a good comment or a bad one you have choices to be heard and have your count (unlike the presidential elections.)
But I caution you: If you leave a bad comment for any moving business make sure you do it when you have cooled down, and only report the facts. If you leave and angered filled terse review it will be looked upon as if you are the crazy person. Angry people never tell the truth.
Reviewing your moving company and the experience is easy. It only takes a little of your effort and time to do it. If you have something nice to say then please say it. It means so much to the people that work so hard. Of course if you have had a bad experience then you also are obligated to make sure that is know as well.
So no matter what your experience is or was it is always best to leave a few words for the next down the pike to hear what you have to say.
Lastly, you are always free to leave any reviews of your experiences with your moving company with me on this website. I welcome them all. the bad, the ugly and the Great. I will published them unedited for the world to see if that is what you want. Of course you can tell that you don’t want it published and I will honor that as well.
Thank you and good luck with your move.
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U-Save Moving’s Photo Slideshow
February 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice, Moving scams
Unlike some of my competitors, I actually do moving for people….I don’t just say I do.
I have put a lot of time and effort into this website to help you and to ensure that you know we are a legitimate moving company. It is hard to prove that to someone from a Yellowpages ad or Craigslist post…
So I thought that I would share with you a photo slide show of our moving customers and places we have been. I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you.
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10 Surefire Signs of a Professional Moving Company
December 22, 2008 by jburnham
Filed under Moving Estimate Advice, Moving Tips and Advice
It is important you know how to spot a moving scam company; and my article Craigslist Mover Scams details that out perfectly; it is also important to know how to spot a professional moving company. By hiring a moving company and having a horrible experience can be almost the same as if you hired a scam moving company. So don’t fall into that trap. Know and understand the 10 surefire signs of a professional moving company and you should have a stress free and pleasant experience moving.
I have written quite a bit on how to avoid moving company scams, and from the stats you have really enjoyed those articles, as they are the most popular thus far on my blog. While a moving company maybe a horrible company to hire they may not necessarily be a moving scam company.
So what are the 10 surefire signs of a professional moving company? Glad you asked. They are:
- Do they have testimonials? How many? Are the new or old?
- How long have they been in business?
- Do they belong to any moving associations? Other reputable organizations?
- Do they have any press releases about them?
- Do they advertise elsewhere besides the internet?
- Do they have actual pictures of themselves that you can see, not just clip art?
- Are their employees unifromed or not?
- Do they own or lease their own vehicles?
- Do they have a professional website? Is there a lot of info there? Is it just a one page sales letter?
- Can you google them and have a lot results? Or is it just Craigslist ads for results?
By using the above checklist and doing the research you will know if your company is actually a professional moving company or not. This is the actual checklist that I use when I am doing my moving company reviews. Most of the companies that only advertise on Craigslist don’t cut it after going through this checklist; many legitimate moving businesses can’t cut it either. Only those that have all or a majority of the checklist in order can call themselves “Professional”.
There are many legitimate moving companies out there. So before you hire them, run them through this checklist and see if they are truly Professional.
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Moving Company Review: A Better Move
December 6, 2008 by jburnham
Filed under Moving Company Reviews
Moving Company Review
Company: A Better Move/M & M Professional Moving
Grade: F
City: Ann Arbor
This company is a company that I have been seeing a lot of on Craigslist. When I Google “A Better Move” I find that there are a lot of this company out there. I have even found one in Detroit. But except for Craigslist I could not find them. Now it is time that I put this company to the test and check them out…
The first red flag that I see in his ad is that he is listed in the Wayne County Yellow Book. No, no your not! Liar. I searched both the Yellow Book and the Yellowpages for “A Better Move” and they are not listed.
I then Gooled “Mike Nash” and “A Better Move” and nothing showed up except Craigslist postings. Yellowpages and the Yellowbook are partners with Google so if you had a listing in the yellowpages you would have showed up in Google under those two. You are a fraud!
But I have to go on with the review. But with what I have just found I would not even bother with hiring this company. They are most likely a scam.
They are not listed in BBB, and they have no bad reports with the BBB. I have also checked on them with other scam and advocacy websites and again there is nothing of a bad report on them. This is good and it is bad. However, in ripoffreport.com I have found many bad reports for different companies named “A Better Move.” This may be a franchise or a lot of companies think this is a good name, but overall this is not a compnay with a good reputation.
They are not licensed so therefore they are insured. So if they are transporting your household goods either across town or even out of state, which they advertise doing they operating illegally. It is call “rogue movers.” By happen chance that your stuff is damaged or “lost” then you cannot do a whole hell’ve a lot to them. And they know it.
I did call this company and asked if they were licensed and Insured they said they were. I asked for the numbers and they would not give them to me; the gentleman that I spoke to said the numbers were on the trucks. I asked him how I could check out the company and he said the DOT and MC numbers were in their ads. They are not. Again another lie. Liar, Liar pants on fire.
Apparently they have another company that I reviewed and now have to revise called M & M Professional Moving.
They are one moving scam away from changing their name and starting up a new moving company.
They have no online presence with a website. They are not listed in the yellowpages even though they claim to be, they are not members of the BBB, and they are not licensed or insured, which is illegal for what they advertise.
My opinion is that you DO NOT use this company for anything. Do not confuse low-ball estimates with good service.
Was this review helpful? Did you get anything out of it? Let me what you think by leaving a comment below. Also you can now subscribe to this blog. Just go up an click on the RSS button and updates will automatically be sent to you. It FREE.
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Moving Company Review: M & M Professional Moving
December 6, 2008 by jburnham
Filed under Moving Company Reviews
Moving Company Review
Company: M & M Professional Moving/A Better Move
Grade: F
City: Ann Arbor
Update: M & M’s new ads are now displaying their DOT number. This is a good thing, and they are one of the few moving company’s that are following the law here. It looks like Micheal is doing a lot to upgrade his company’s image. However, to my knowledge, he still continues to associate with “A Better Move.” ABM has a horrible company image and if I were Mike I would do everything in my power to distance myself from them.
But because of the effort and the lawful ads I am upgrading this company’s grade to a “C+”.
I have not verified M & M’s displayed DOT # yet.
Update 12/25/08: In further research I found that this company has a legal DBA. The owner is Michael Denski and the address is: 5010 Williams, Wayne, MI 48684. As such my original thoughts on this company are ringing true. However, due to the fact that he is still associated with A Better Move I have not upgraded the companies grade by much. Instead of an “F” I have given them a “D”.
update: In further research I found that this company is called “A Better Move.” You can read my review of this company else where on this blog. It was not a stellar review. Truthfully I think they are a scam and should be avoided at all costs. When a Moving company operates under more than one name, and cannot be found anywhere on the ‘net then it is a good assumption that the company is less than honorable. I have revised this moving companies grade from “C-” to an “F.”
There are many moving companies this is a fact. Many advertise, especially only on the internet, claim they are full service moving companies. Some of them put large, impressive words in their ads like “reliable”, “professional”, etc. That is okay if they are truly any of those. Some a very arrogant and put those words in their companies name. This company is just one of those.
I called this company up just to see what they would say and do and to ask the tough questions. When I called the number that they advertised in their ad the phone rang at least four times before a young lady answered the phone. The phone was answered only with a “hello.” Tell me this: Is that professional? I asked if this was M & M and the lady started laughing embarrassedly and explained that the number was forwarded and then gave me the “main number.”
Of course I called that number. It rang exactly four times and then sent me to voice mail. The voice mail did not confirm the business in any way. It only repeated the number called. Again: Is this professional?
I went snooping on this company to see what I could find, and I’ll tell you I could not find much of anything. Which you know from the other reviews is not a good sign.
They are not members of the BBB. This could mean they just refuse to be members, or they are too new to sign up. They did not even have a profile of the company listed. There were no negative comments either, which is a good sign.
I then searched on Google for them and could not find anything expect ads that they had placed in Craigslist. No company info; no nothing. Would a “professional” company have nothing about themselves on the internet in some way? I don’t think so.
I could not find have negative or positive listings or information on them in any of the scam alert websites. This is good as far as not having anything bad written on them.
I am still searching for this company, but now I am looking in the yellowpages. Nope! Nothing there either.
This company is totally invisible expect for a couple of postings in Craigslist. Does this make the company a bad company? Not necessarily. With my very brief conservation with the young lady, she was embarrassed with the way she answered the phone. I got the sense that she wished she had been more professional in manner. I found this to be a good sign.
It is my take that this is a good company; but a new company. Their ad says that they are family owned which means a small business. A small business, especially if it is just starting out may not have the ad budget to advertise in other places. However that does not excuse the fact that they are invisible as a company.
This company is not licensed and therefore not insured for moving with the State of Michigan.
Because of the above I graded this company poorly, however it would be easy for this company to immediately raise their grade if they did the following: Get themselves listed in the yellowpages with a free listing on the internet. They have no website which lazy at best because you can get a FREE 5 page website easily. Send the BBB a profile of their company, even if they don’t wish to be apart of the group.
If you wish to use this company make sure that you ask them plenty of questions and that you get your moving agreement in writing before the move. I believe this company to be a decent company, however do be leery of them.
Feel free to leave any comments you wish. If you are part of this company and wish to correct anything or explain further feel free to do so in the comments area. Thank you.
