Hot tubs ooze rest and relaxation but to get to that point, you’re going to have to move your hot tub. Hot tubs aren’t cheap and spending more money on finding someone to help you with your hot tub move might discourage you. If you do decide on moving your hot tub, you must know your hot tub well, on the inside and out.

There are moving companies that do move hot tubs but some, if not most, aren't specialized in the field. Hot tub moves do require substantial man-power and even some brain power as well. If you're trying to move your hot tub from one home to another or simply outside on a patio, understand what hot tub you have. There are different types of hot tubs and they're constructed differently. If you aren’t using a moving company to move your hot tub, get in touch with the manufacturer to learn how to dismantle a hot tub properly.

The first thing that needs to be taken care of is the equipment pack of the hot tub. The equipment pack consists of a heater, one or more filters, a pump, a blower as well as electrical and plumbing units.

If you don’t remove the equipment pack it could get severely damage during the hot tub move. Some hot tubs don’t need it to be removed though, it’s actually best to leave it attached to the hot tub. However, if you do decide to remove the equipment pack of the hot tub, make sure all the items are drained and packaged separately so they can be safely reinstalled into your hot tub once the move is complete.

Once you’ve removed the equipment pack, you can now safely and securely relocate your hot tub. However before you start moving your hot tub, use a vacuum to suck out any water that might be left in those hard to reach places. Not all water escapes when you initially drain the hot tub. From this point you should have no problem moving the hot tub.

If you decided to use movers, they usually will drop the hot tub in the location you’d like it to be in permanently. Also, before the movers leave your home and hot tub forever, check the hot tub for any damage that might have occurred during the relocation of the hot tub.

If you don’t feel comfortable moving an expensive item such as a hot tub, don’t risk it, use moving services. Some moving services are extremely affordable. If you did decide to move the hot tub by yourself, be ready for arduous work, though it’ll make sitting in the hot tub worth it in the end.

This year has gone by fast, to say the least.  By now, you are probably noticing that Christmas decorations are out. The temperature is getting colder. Everyone seems to be extra generous and cheerful as the holidays quickly approach. The holiday season is a great time to reconnect with your prospects and customers, but as any holiday shopper knows, the holidays can also be disastrous.

To help you keep your holiday marketing on the smart side, here are some marketing campaign mistakes your moving company should avoid:

1. Running the Same Holiday Campaign Each Year

That picture of your employees wearing ugly sweaters was funny the first year. In fact, it even deserved a chuckle the second year. But after that, you should really think of something newer and more original. Holiday campaigns are an awesome chance to get the attention of people who may have put the idea of your product or service on the back burner. These campaigns remind them that you a remarkable company doing interesting things and that you deserve their attention. Get creative with holiday campaigns, and don't be afraid to do something "out there." Kicking off a campaign that includes multiple components that get released strategically throughout the holiday season is also a great way to keep your content new and fresh.

2. Forgetting to Reach Out to Your Network

Need an excuse to call a lead you haven't spoken with in a few months? Or do you just want to reconnect with your customers? Maybe you want to increase employee engagement and get everyone at your company in the holiday spirit. It doesn't matter who you want to connect with; holiday campaigns are a great way to do it. It reminds people about your moving company and gives them a sneak peek into an interesting (make sure it is interesting!) campaign. Don't make the mistake of missing out on this valuable marketing opportunity the holiday season offers.  Why wait, you have the resources (Postcards, eNurture, Restaurant.com promo, etc.) available to you, right here on Allied AMP!  Keep an eye out for the holiday card (print-on-demand and eCards) that will be available for you to send out to your contacts!

3. Forgetting to ask how your clients are doing

This is something that most businesses completely miss the boat on; they do not survey clients and customers from the current year to see how they can improve in the future. How are you going to know what worked and didn't if you don't ask? If you keep doing what you have always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten. Find out what worked and what didn't, look at your systems and your marketing, and then make improvements and enhance your current offerings. Surveymonkey.com has great online survey templates. Offer a free gift or incentive to customers who take the time to complete your survey. It’s building that relationship and keeping it.

4. Forgetting That Not Everyone Celebrates the Same Holidays

When the holiday season starts, it might feel like everyone is celebrating Christmas and only Christmas. But as a marketer, remember that you are marketing to people with various religious beliefs and backgrounds. Remember that even though the majority of people may be celebrating Christmas, there are still other holidays being celebrated, such as Chanukah and Kwanzaa. Remember to be sensitive about this issue when you're working on your holiday marketing campaign.

5. Neglecting to Make Your Holiday Marketing Campaign Strategic

Creating a holiday marketing campaign for your relocation company is easy. Creating a strategic holiday marketing campaign to reach your target audience, engage with them, and achieve your measurable goals is a bit more difficult. Planning months ahead (yes, even when it's still warm outside) is the best way to kick off an awesome, results-driven campaign. You need to figure out what your objectives are, how you are going to measure your success, and who you want to reach. Then create deadlines to make sure your campaign achieves everything you wanted it to. Again, there is a ton of resources to help you build that campaign, right here in Allied AMP.

Now that we've covered what to avoid, what are some of the best holiday campaigns you've seen over recent years?

For questions about how to best build an optimal marketing campaign to meet your needs, please contact me @ danny.lysouvakon@sirva.com.

Are you moving to San Diego and just not sure what to expect on your new journey? Not sure what it’s like to shop, travel, or move around the city. There is nothing worse than moving to a new city and not having any guidance to help you get settled. No matter if you are moving to the heart of San Diego or outside the perimeter, we have some tips that will help make your transition the easiest it has ever been.

Selecting a San Diego Mover

Before relocating to California, you have to find a mover who is familiar with the area to get your belongings to your desired destination. Not to worry, finding a moving company in San Diego isn’t as hard as it seems. Get free moving quotes from San Diego moving companies.

When you are searching for a San Diego moving company, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Only speak with movers who are certified and have moving permits on hand.
Make sure each moving company you select makes a personal visit to your home and provides a written estimate. Never receive quotes over the phone.
Have a backup moving company in mind just in case.
Select a moving company that offers valid insurance. Just in case something breaks, you need to make sure you are covered.
If you are moving from another state, use a San Diego moving company with GPS trucks so that you can easily track their progress.
Contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of San Diego or (AMSA) American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) to make sure the San Diego moving company is reliable
During your moving process, if you feel like you have been a victim of moving fraud, please contact the County of San Diego Department of Consumer Affairs. Moving companies in San Diego can receive a fine up to $30,000 or revocation of their license for theft or fraud. For more information, click here or call (800) 593-8222

Switching Your License

Once you are finally moved in, you will need to change your license with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of California. Just in case you were concerned about cost, it is absolutely free to change your address but there are a fees associated with getting a new license. Here is a list of fees.

How To Notify The DMV
There are three ways to notify the DMV of your new address:

By Mail: Fill out a short Notice of Change of Address form and mail it to the address at the top.

In Person: If you don't feel like paying for a stamp, drop in to your local DMV office and complete a Notice of Change of Address form there.

Online: Under certain circumstances you can access the online CA DMV change of address system.

For more information you can contact the DMV of California by calling (800) 777-0133.

Commuting in San Diego

Everyone that moves to California has a major concern for commuting, especially the metropolitan area of San Diego. Depending on where your home is located, your commute to and from home, work, or school can either be extremely excellent or dreadful.

San Diego traffic is something you may not want to go head-to-head with. Get a plan together on how you plan to handle your daily commute throughout the city of San Diego.

Finding the Right Neighborhood

Finding a neighborhood can be hard if you don’t know what you are looking for. No matter if you are looking for a house or an apartment, you have to know exactly what neighborhood is fitting for your lifestyle.  Here are a few questions to keep in mind:

How long am I willing to commute to work?
How close are schools, grocery stores, and gas stations?
How are there any good schools in the area?
How far am I from the nightlife scene?
How far am I from public transportation?
What is the crime rate in the area and surrounding neighborhoods?

Even if you have the answer to all the questions above, still make it a point to do as much research as possible and visit each community to see which San Diego community interest you.

Searching for a Home

As the second largest populated city in the United States, finding an apartment or home in San Diego can be quite the challenge if this is your first time. Finding an apartment can seem like an overwhelming process, but it doesn't have to be. Here are some other great ways to find a home in San Diego:

Apartment Guides – You can always rely on apartment search resources like ForRent.com. These general references are great for apartment hunting right from your computer.

Brokers - One of the most common methods of finding an apartment in San Diego is using a real estate broker. If you know what neighborhood you want to live in, it's usually best to find a broker based there. Many brokers also have Web sites where you can view available apartments, sometimes even with photos and detailed descriptions. If you have decided to use a broker, keep in mind that you will probably have to pay a brokers fee which is usually one month’s rent.

Word-of-Mouth – If you know someone who currently lives in San Diego, getting references from them could help out substantially. Finding an apartment through word of mouth is a lot cheaper than using a broker. Ask your friends and family if they can provide any help with your search.

Local Guides and Reviews - Area guides will certainly point you in the right direction to finding the right place. Make sure to check out the web sites of local papers and online message boards like sandiego.craigslist.org. For a better overview of the city, look for a Thomas Guide, a grid-by-grid map of the vast landscape that is Southern California.

Apartment Referral Service - For the savvy hunters who are comfortable searching the Internet, there is an apartment referral service. For a monthly fee, referral services will provide you with a list of no-fee apartment rentals as they become available.

For other housing options, check out these great resources:
San Diego Housing Department - Affordable Housing Program
Housing Authority of the City of San Diego – Public Housing
Housing Authority of the County of San Diego – Housing Programs

Apartments are in high demand, making the search for openings a time-consuming task. Give yourself enough time so you won’t feel rushed to make a haste decision.  After you find the right apartment, contact licensed moving companies in San Diego.

Check out interviews from this year's Agent Convention in Myrtle Beach with Wes Lucas, Ken Burton, Alan Holm, Linda Oakley, Dave Morse and Rich Licata, courtesy of QuantumTV.

Interview with Wes Lucas

Interview with Ken Burton

Interview with Alan Holm

Interview with Linda Oakley

Interview with Dave Morse

Interview with Rich Licata

“How much does it cost to move?”  This question is one of the most widely used questions that moving companies hear on a daily basis. For years, customers have had dreadful moving experiences that made their move horrific, none of it directly associated with the actual move.

From terrible customer service, unprofessional movers, and the biggest; the actual price quoted prior to moving day.  We will discuss the different type of estimates you may encounter during the moving process.

There are three types of estimates that you should be aware of before moving:

Non-binding estimates - are based on the actual weight of your items rather than a speculation of your weight.  If you are provided a non-binding estimate, you are not required to pay more than the cost provided by the mover at the time of delivery. By law, movers are required to deliver your goods for no more than 10 percent above the price of an estimate. In most cases, non-binding estimates are preferred over binding estimates because the price usually tends to be lower. However, there is no guarantee that the non-binding estimate you received will be the final cost.

Binding estimates - are estimates that you are obligated to pay set forth in the initial agreement regardless if your move weighs less or more. A mover has the right to change a binding estimate if additional services are needed or if items are added to the existing shipment.

Not-To-Exceed Estimates - are estimates that include guaranteed pricing. This option does offer price protection but still has similar options like binding estimates. This estimate also needs to be provided to you in writing and binded by the carrier. Not-to exceed estimates differs when you are quoted on the maximum amount. At the time of move, if your actual weight is less, you will pay the lesser of the two amounts.

In conclusion, movers will offer estimates based on the weight of your shipment, the distance of your move, and any other additional services, such as storage, that you may need.  To avoid miscommunication between the different types of estimates that you are receiving, ask each moving company to provide clear estimates. Never forget to ask if they are part of the Better Business Bureau to ensure the legitimacy of the moving company that you have selected.

Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox, 08.24.11, 06:00 PM EDT Forbes Magazine dated September 12, 2011

Builders think empty nesters are moving to the big city. Guess again.

As the rock 'n' roll generation enters retirement age, developers and builders seem convinced that empty nesters will desert their suburban communities and move to high-end urban housing. Sorry, folks, but the conventional wisdom surrounding the 36 million baby boomers born between 1945 and 1955--the first cohort--is again wishful thinking. An analysis of the new Census shows a 10.3% decline among core city dwellers, a loss of some 1.3 million people over the past decade. For this analysis we looked at population numbers from the Census for boomers aged 45 to 54 in 2000 and compared them with the numbers for those aged 55 to 64 in 2010. In our ranking of the 51 largest metros in the U.S., the urban cores of San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago scored near the bottom, suffering double-digit percentage losses of boomers. New York's urban core lost 12% of boomers in their mid-50s to mid-60s. You could blame this loss on the economy, which has postponed retirements and brought home many of the boomers' largely job-poor children back to the suburban house. Or you can credit it to boomers who appear to be working longer than ever. Yet the moving patterns of older baby boomers suggest a strong anti-big-city bias. So where are these surviving boomers settling as they enter their golden years? The top ten on our list are all affordable, generally low-density Sunbelt metros (see table). But by far the biggest trend among boomers is not to move at all. "The boomers are staying put more than anyone thought," says Sandi Rosenbloom, an expert on retirement trends and a professor of planning and civil engineering at the University of Arizona. "People of that generation tend to own their own homes and stay there. The idea that they are relocating to the city really comes from the wishful-thinking school of planning."

October 15, 20 11

OAKLEY RELOCATION LLC 1935000
13026 Stowe Dr
Poway. CA 92064

RE: QUALITY AWARD - 3rd Quarter 2011

Attention General Manager:

North American Van Lines is pleased to recognize your commitment in providing excellent quality service to our customers. 

North American Van lines would like to recognize OAKLEY RELOCATION LLC of Poway, California as a top Quality Provider.  The customers you have serviced relating to Booking, Origin and Hauling performance have designated you as an Excellent Quality Service Provider.

We are pleased to present you with your 3rd quarter 2011 faceplate, which acknowledges your "Excellent" Overall Cumulative score for the 12 months ending September 30,20 11.  Please attach the enclosed faceplate to your Quality Award Plaque and display it with pride.

Your continued efforts to ensure that all our customers receive the best quality of service are greatly appreciated.

Congratulations on your 3rd Quarter Quality Award.

Sincerely,
NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES

 

 

Kristi Thompson
Quality Department

Encl.

We Made It!

We made it to Phoenix! Well, Gilbert, Arizona actually. I apologize in advance if this is not my best post but I am pretty exhausted, surrounded by boxes and lucky to have an Internet connection!

The movers showed up on Friday to load all our stuff on a huge moving truck! We thoroughly cleaned the house and were Arizona bound by 11:00am Saturday. The movers showed up bright and early this morning to do the move-in. They moved most of our stuff into the house and put the rest in a storage unit. I really have to take the time to let you know about Oakley Relocation out of Poway, California. They handled both of our moves (CA-NV and NV-AZ). They did such a great job, both times! There were no surprises and everything went as promised. Jim was our Relocation Consultant who helped arrange all of the details and Johnny was our driver. He doesn't just drive.......he organizes, manages, moves your stuff and drives the truck. He handles the move and the laborers on both ends. He is there when your stuff goes on the truck and when it comes off. He is pleasant to work with and flexible if there are any hiccups (like you forgot to pull your wedding picture of the wall and safely pack it in a box). This may seem like I am promoting them, well, I am. Not because I'm getting any kind of kick back (because I'm not) but because they deserve it for being a reputable company that delivers as promised! I have to admit it, service like this doesn't come cheap. But if you want cheap, you should read some of the horror stories about moving companies.

So that's it, we made it. Here is where it all begins. First step, register Madison for school and then we will go from there......slowly unpacking as we reinvent ourselves!

- Shar