Preparing for Movers

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At Strong College Students, we know that moving is stressful. In fact, our student movers learn in training that moving is almost as stressful as a loss of a loved one or a divorce. To combat this stress, we want our customers to have some tips on how to make a move stress free!

Packing as much as you can prior to your move date is always a great idea. We understand that time does not always allow for this, and as a result our student movers are more than happy to pack for you. They will pack just a few boxes that you could not get to, or they will pack your entire home! However if you require a significant amount of packing for your move, it is advisable to discuss this with one of our service representatives so that the possibility of adding another crew member can be considered.

One of the first things that you can pack weeks before your move date would be clothing. You can pack clothing that is out of season first so that you won’t be missing those items. If it is summer time, start packing up those bulky sweaters as early as you would like! If you are moving because you just got a job in your field, pack up your club or party outfits. And if you’re moving due to a pregnancy, pack up those clothing items that don’t have stretchy bands!

You may not want to fold or wrinkle certain articles of clothing, like dresses or suit jackets. If this is the case, leave them hanging until your move day. With a full service or budget move with Strong College Students, you will be able to use up to four wardrobe boxes free of charge during your move! These are handy because in seconds you or our student movers will transfer the hanging clothes from the rod in your closet to the metal rod that goes across the top of the box. With our wardrobe boxes your clothes will remain wrinkle free and protected!
If you can put your clothing in regular boxes, it’s always a great idea to save some space. One way to get more out of your box space is by rolling your clothes instead of folding them. By rolling shirts or pants into little cylindrical shapes, it is easier to pack them tightly together in a box than a mess of different sized squares from folded clothing. This may also result in fewer wrinkles, too!

 

 

 

Contributing Author: Kari Piatt

Good Company Fun

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I’ve been having the best time working at Strong College Students for the past year and a half now and I can honestly say that I’ve never had a better job! This 2016 year started off great, a close friend/co-worker and I both got a promotion to Strong Captain, which we were truly grateful for and also very excited about accepting the responsibilities for the new role here at Strong College Students. We’ve worked hard together on many moves and can’t wait to pass on what we learned to new student movers. We have a student mover team of consistent, efficient, hard workers that never stop striving for improvement. One lovely Saturday afternoon a Strong College Student suggested that we all could use a little rest and enjoy a moment before college started back up and introduced an excellent idea of a staff get together! We managed to make time to meet at a park  for a small company BBQ and made it happen! We grilled some food, we ate, played sports, and just had a really good time together outside of the work environment team building and relaxing. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to other events similar to that one soon. It’s a great feeling to build a stronger bond with my team and to grow here at Strong College Students Moving!

 

Contributing Author: Philip Ramos

A Fresh Semester at Strong College Students

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The beginning of each new semester at Strong College Students always elevates the energy in our work. The new semester brings inspired new workers to inspire and befriend. I really enjoy seeing new potential colleagues perform the physical fitness test when we are evaluating their potential to become a Strong College Students mover. Watching someone push themselves physically and mentally shows a lot about their character. The college students who push themselves the hardest, regardless of their body type, tend to be those who are most successful in their job duties at Strong College Students. I find myself connecting most to those individuals who strive for the best marks on the physical fitness test. Everyone at Strong College Students wants hard workers in their crew members so they don’t have to do all of the “heavy lifting” themselves. Beyond looking for student movers who are willing to work hard, we are also glad to see many new diverse individuals with positive outlooks and uplifting personalities. Nothing is more reassuring than working with someone who finds a positive outlook on every situation. At Strong College Students, forming a connection with your colleagues is very important. It is especially important that you trust the person you are working with because the majority of this job is relying on someone else to do their part. For example, one man cannot carry a large dresser up a flight of stairs alone, and so you must rely on your partner not to misstep or lose their grip. I look forward to meeting every new potential member at Strong College Students because everyone has a story to tell. We work with college students from many diverse backgrounds, and hearing them tell their life story is always awesome. I am looking forward to the opportunities this semester is bringing and can’t wait to meet and inspire generations of Strong College Students movers to come.

 

Contributing Author- Joseph Lucia

 

Problem Solving as a Habit

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Students today struggle to make a habit out of finishing tasks that may not present a sense of urgency or a specific due date. At Strong College Students we teach our staff members the importance or completing a task in its entirety and the value behind it. Even though it is not urgent to complete something our staff learns the value of proactively completing a task. We know that in any career field after college your value will be based upon how much you can complete with how much instructions/specifications giving. Employers look for someone who can tackle tasks in their entirety with minimal instruction. We develop  student leaders who understand how valuable this trait is.

This trait of focused intensity holds a lot of value, that value coming from tasks being completed. Many may not look at this as a big deal but when you’re running a large organization uncompleted tasks become clutter and enough clutter will back up and cause a problem. Problems mean money is being lost out on and no business is going to tolerate that. Therefore problems solved and tasks completed equals success for everyone! Someone who can find what task needs to be complete and then follow through and make sure it gets completed is a leader. We are constantly striving to develop leaders as we know how valuable a great leader is to any organization.
Our staff typically works in teams of 2-3 student movers. On these teams each college student must learn how to lead as well as follow when it comes to completing task on a job. You learn to complete tasks both individually as well as in a team. It teaches the value your actions have on the overall team performance. That is just the entry level position tasks, as we move through the organization students in management positions see this in an even bigger light. We offer college students Jr and upper level management position where they can really learn how to develop themselves into a great leader and an even better person. We teach problem solving and finishing tasks as habits. Developing these habits gives each student a new skill that can translate into any field as all Strong College Students will be moving onto after graduation.
Working with college students as our workforce we have a lot of students coming and going each semester therefore must have a quick and effective way to train them and teach them their job roles to keep running effectively. We continue to teach college students the value of developing into a competent leader and problem solver. We have been doing this for almost 10 years and continue to find new innovative ways to keep college students energized to learn and improve.

What Sports has Taught us About Business

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We learn a lot about life and business from sports. This often gets overlooked because I believe people think it’s just too simple. Well it is, that’s the beauty of it. Any business is only as good as the people performing the everyday tasks, they collectively make up that business. A collection of people working toward a common goal is a team any way shape or form you decide to put them in. There are certain inherent traits of any successful team, just like in a business.

 

Not to burst anyone’s bubble but that’s what sports is today but they have actually become big businesses. The NFL is a business and if a team isn’t performing well changes are made for the team to win and ultimately, make more money. A team that performs well, wins a lot, wins leads to fan support which leads to revenue for that franchise owner. That is the goal of any business to make make money and that comes from your team performing well. Team performance will dictate overall success. So not only do teams function like businesses, teams literally have become businesses! Leaders are valued and every action is made with winning in mind!

 

Everyone doing their job

 

For a football team to function all 11 members must do their job to be successful. If one member runs the wrong play or misses a tackle, it doesn’t matter how well the other 10 guys do their job. The same is true in business, if everyone doesn’t do their job the whole team can get derailed on a project. Everyone must understand this and see the importance of completing their job the best the can. Sometimes one person can perform so well that others mistakes get overlooked. It is important to look for this and to find and correct every details that may be getting overlooked for the greater good of the team’s long term future. One star player can get you to the playoffs but only great teams win championships.

 

Unity

 

Success in any sport comes from the whole team playing together in unison. One person not doing their job can cost everyone. That is how how a business functions as well, requiring strong leadership to ensure that the team firing on all cylinders 24/7. At Strong College Students we have a lot of staff members that work here because they are all student movers, with the student always coming first. As a result of this we have a larger team and playing in unison becomes critical. Everyone must be on the same page with policy changes and new information that may apply to someone’s work day. We have software and systems in place to ensure frequent communication to keep everyone on the same page. We, like many other organizations, function at their best when everyone is on the same page working toward the same goal.

 

Leadership

 

Every great team has a great leader, normally in the form on a coach or general manager.  Don Shula, Bill Walsh, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, They were all the leaders for their team and in business it is the leader who crafts the plan, puts the pieces together and puts everyone in the position to do whatever it is that they do just like sports.

 

Great Leadership starts at the top at Strong College Students. Our CEO always makes sure he is involved with the way in which day to day operations are going to ensure any problems are quickly resolved and customers are always receiving the highest level of customer service. We also have a leadership development program as we have many staff members in leadership positions. We want to make sure that each crew has a great leader at the helm each day and that each home and office moving team has the very best team that they can be. We know that everyone will be in a leadership position at some point in their life and we prepare them for that. Leadership is skill that takes time to craft and only by experience, and with great people around you can a great leader be great.

 

 

Article inspired HERE.

Habits of Great Managers

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“In A study by Dale Carnegie Training revealed that nearly three-quarters of employees are not fully engaged at work. Of those who are, the number one factor that contributes to employee engagement is their relationship with their immediate supervisor.” (1.Five Things Great Managers Do Every Day) So that raises the question, how do you create a good managerial relationship without being walked all over like a doormat. Have a commanding authority while at the same time have people view you as a friend and someone who cares. How can you get the most out the staff while not having to worry about being too soft and getting taken advantage of? How do you become that manager that gets written up in Forbes and is writing books about how they manage their workers? At Strong College Students we face this challenge everyday. We are managing a staff of college students movers who need a lot of accommodation with their constantly changing school schedule. We strive to create a family atmosphere within our organization while still making sure our staff is developing as leaders as well as responsible staff members.

 

Many will make excuses that there company can’t function like that, that it is different for their industry, that it’s impractical. There are a few rules and principles I will outline that will allow you to have your own unique style while still getting the most out of your workers. They will allow you to be respected and have control yet still create friend and manager relationship with your staff. It won’t matter what industry you’re in, if you’re selling glue sticks or running a fortune 500 company.

 

Be Yourself- People know when you are being yourself and when you are faking it. Managing with that authenticity is a big part of people buying into what you’re selling. When people can read you and know what your intentions are they may let their guard down a little and not always be on the defensive worrying about their manager taking advantage of their good nature. This will allow your workers to be themselves as well creating a comfortable work environment for everyone.

 

With a staff of student movers we are dealing with a variety of personalities and motives amongst our staff. Everyone comes from a different background and being ourselves as managers is the only consistent way to quickly gain their respect. They can quickly pick up on the nature of your personality and see your motives. We have staff coming and going quickly with students graduating each semester. With each class of student movers coming in each year it’s imperative to gain their respect quickly and being yourself as a manager expedites that process greatly.

 

Be Direct- When dealing with an issue, deal with it directly. This means not beating around the bush. Don’t ask Jim and Sally why Joe’s sales are so low. Ask Joe why Joe’s sales are so low and from there work on a solution. Being direct increases worker/manager communication as well as gives each worker a sense of individualism while letting them know they are respected enough to be spoken with in such a straightforward manner. This is especially true when dealing with conflict. Always be direct and handle things immediately. Don’t wait for stories to twist, issues to be forgotten about and days to go by until things are simply forgotten about. Deal with conflicts immediately and directly.

 

At Strong College Students we depend on our crew leaders to report back to management on a variety of issues. Uppermanagemt must be direct with them on what information we need as well as their response be direct with us to ensure customer satisfaction and safety in the workplace at all times. Direct communication helps us deliver the highest quality student movers for the highest quality moving services.

 

Don’t just manage, lead- Anyone can manage but it takes a special set of skills to lead. A manager role can crumble from a slight breeze because of a lacking leadership foundation.  It’s important to stay positive and not complain. Complaining shows weakness, as the manger it is your duty to solve problems. If you are complaining about a problem and not solving them, now who is left to turn to. A manager who doesn’t complain and who will find answers instead of excuses will be the one viewed as a true leader. Once you are viewed as a true leader you gain a certain respect from your followers, which if you gain enough of, you will have an army behind you waiting on your next command.

 

No typical day at Strong College Students is the same. We are always traveling to different parts of town to service new clients which is why we value leadership so highly. Anyone can move be a mover but a trained mover whose in great physical condition, combines with a great leadership to really create an unforgettable moving experience. It is that leadership that we depend on from our moving crew leaders to be able to keep our standard of service so high.

 

Delegating to the right people- Everyone has their own specific strengths and weaknesses. great managers realize this and ensure that there staff is always in a position to display their strengths, not their weaknesses. Certain people are better at certain things then others and the team will be much more productive when everyone is doing what they’re best at. If you are not good at one specific thing then it doesn’t make much sense for that to be a major part of your job role. Recognizing this and using this strategy to assemble your team is critical to efficiency and overall productivity.

 

At Strong College Students we place people in positions to display their talents and succeed. We evaluate our staff physically and mentally to make sure they are able to complete the job role at the highest level before they become a member of our team. We have an organizational structure where everyone can have a specific responsibility based on their specific strengths and educational background to maximize everyone’s effectiveness.

 

Hold regular, meaningful one on ones- In  our age of technology texting and email can take over communication and without realizing it you may have not heard your manager’s voice in a few weeks. Meaningful one on ones give your staff a chance to speak only to you. To air out any issues that may be going on honestly, without judgement from their co workers. It allows them to be themselves, express how they see the organization functioning while simultaneously improving your relationship with them, giving them a regular outlet to help solve problems and innovate.

 

We utilize web chats at Strong College Students to ensure that one on ones take place frequently. Due to our student movers being just that, Students. Everyone is on different schedules and matching up times for a meeting can be challenging, which web chats help alleviate the stress of. We make sure that upper management is always connected and that everyone has an opportunity to have their voice heard.

 

Don’t just manage, lead. Solve problems, be direct and put your staff in positions to succeed at the highest level. Build relationships and communicate regularly. You must perform all small tasks at the highest level before you have success at the highest level.

 

Article inspired by THIS POST.

Leading With Accountability

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There is no “right” way to lead, everyone has their own ideas and beliefs about leadership.There are however, certain traits that are undeniable traits of leaders. Accountability being one of them and breeding an accountable staff is critical to growing leaders. At Strong College Students everyone is in a leadership position. Everyone has tasks that they are accountable for and a breakdown in accountability can be devastating.

 

An accountable leader knows two things. One, they need a clear expectation set and two, they know any given task will require their full responsibility.

 

Clarity

 

Setting a clear goal states exactly what will get done and when it will be complete. Clarity is power, especially when leading, which is why accountable leaders need a deadline. In many settings, ambiguous terms get tossed around and managers don’t realize how certain words or phrases can be interpreted differently depending on the individual.

 

The “end of the week,” “best” or even “completed” can be interpreted very differently. Is the end of the week friday? Is it the best I can do today, with my current resources? Is complete just mean written up in my computer, or formatted properly and ready to be presented to investors? A small communication can lead to big time confusion and  most companies and especially startups can’t afford to be making such mistakes where anyone could be their demise. Set a clearly defined finish line so everyone is on the same page eliminating any confusion.

 

Taking Responsibility

 

When someone takes responsibility for a task, many other things happen simultaneously. You become empowered, you officially become the leader, your mindset even changes. You think more competitively as you now know it’s personal, you’re reputation is on the line and you want to impress!. Every time anyone takes responsibility for a task you are taking on an opportunity. An opportunity to show people what you can do, how you can lead, how competently you are at that specific task and so on. You stop looking outward for answers and start looking at what YOU can do to solve current problems. The empowerment that this leads to is when your natural leadership juices really start flowing.

 

From a managerial perspective you learn a lot about your workers when they are given full responsibility for a task. Can they handle it? How well did they handle it? You will find that some may need to take a slower approach and some may be ready to take on even more responsibility because they knocked that out of the park. Either way that is how leaders are crafted, through learning from experience gained by completing tasks in real time.

 

Living Through Accountability

 

At Strong College Students we empower all of our staff to lead each day. The crew is in complete control of satisfying a customer’s needs that day as well as being responsible for all of their equipment, inventory, even down to the truck they drive. They have full responsibility and know the common goal, to graduate our customers to an enjoyable, memorable and fun moving experience!

 

Accountability is contagious. Once one person starts taking responsibility everyone starts following, the effect is quickly compounded. Everyone is accountable for something at their job whether you are conscious of it or not. If you want to see changes around your workplace or in your life start setting clear deadlines for yourself and take responsibility. Then make sure you let people know about it! When you let others know this gives you added strength. Others will stand behind you and will hold you accountable when you get weak or tired. They will pull you through when times get tough.

 

An accountable worker sets an example and is a leader no matter what. People are drawn to the courage and will begin to look to you to solve problems. This is how leaders are bred. You want to lead or make a difference? Hold yourself accountable and set an example. As an example is set and the rest of your staff sees the expectation a standard is understood and a culture is born.
Article inspired HERE

DIY experts call professional movers

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DontDIY-small

Anne is a do-it-yourselfer and design guru; her blog, DesignDreamsByAnne.blogspot.ca, is a record of the hundreds of home improvement projects she has worked on since purchasing her 1930s fixer-upper home. Anne has great advice for DIY decor, gardening, painting tips and furniture arrangement. But after moving 32 times, help with moving is one of those things even Anne suggests outsourcing to the professionals, professionals like Strong College Students.  We hope the information Anne provides in the link to her website helps with you home or office moving needs.  We’re eager to have our student movers execute at a high level for your upcoming move.

In her blog article “How to move without losing your mind,” Anne covers her top 10 tips for achieving just that! Number one on the list is to hire a reputable mover and we couldn’t agree more!  Strong College Students was designed as a resource for your home moving and or office moving needs, feel free to contact us during your next move, we can help you find the best moving company!

1 – Hire a reputable mover such as Strong College Students. Yes, you can get cheaper rates from budget movers, but more professional companies actually train their employees on how to pack a truck efficiently and correctly so that your things aren’t smashed to smithereens when they get to your new home. Get references from friends, family or co-workers. You will not want to deal with claims and broken items when you’re dealing with the stress of settling in. Oh and budget movers may NOT process your moving claims with ease or even at all…

2 – Invest in real moving boxes, Strong College Students has an assortment of  low cost moving boxes for upcoming move.   Anne expressed that “liquor store boxes are great for glasses and vases, but the big boxes actually take less time to pack and unpack. They’re fabulous for linens, pillows, clothes and bulky items. Wardrobe boxes are fabulous. They will make your life so much easier”.  To make things easier our moving company provides FREE wardrobe boxes on your moving day this is helpful because as Anne explains “You can pack all the closets up immediately and have easy access to your clothes before AND after your move.” Anne also states that you should “Get the movers picture boxes and separate your pictures with cardboard. The frames will rub against each other during the move and get scratched up if you don’t. Use big boxes for your lampshades, too. You don’t want them to be dented and crushed. If you want to save money, check Craig’s List – lots of folks give the boxes away after they’ve moved”.

3 – Pack your boxes according to room. Put all your master bedroom stuff together, all the kitchen stuff together, all the bathroom stuff – ok you get the picture.

For the rest of the story, check out the full article.

How to have a smooth move when your movers arrive.

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Moving tips. How to have a smooth move when your movers arrive.

If you’ve decided on Strong College Students for your next home or office move, then you’re already in the habit of making good decisions. We offer a variety of services that allow you to be as hands on or as hands off as you want. Many customers prefer to pack the majority of their belongings. In this article, we’re sharing packing tips and tricks that will prepare you well for a smooth move when your movers arrive. Packing is something of an art but it’s easy to master and heres how:

  1. Safeguard your boxes against unnecessary damage. Make sure that all boxes are completely sealed and completely filled. Movers cannot move open boxes and open boxes do not stack well in a moving truck. Partially filled boxes can collapse and may cause damage to your items. To efficiently fill your boxes, try using crumbled newspaper to fill up empty space.
  2. Label boxes by room name. Tagging your boxes with a room name will help direct your movers when unpacking at your new location.
  3. Label your breakables “Fragile.” Do not place fragile items and heavy items in the same box.
  4. Tidy up. Do not leave loose items on the floor or in walkways. Cluttered hallways will slow down your movers and extend the length of your move.
  5. Always use quality boxes. Professional moving cartons stack better and never compress. Make sure that your box is the right size for the items you are packing. Heavy items should be placed in smaller or medium size boxes. Light items can be placed in larger boxes. Strong College Students offer packing supplies and packing services; ask your booking agent for more information.
  6. Remove loose items from dressers and other furniture. Movers will not move furniture with items inside. It is a hazard.

Follow the suggestions mentioned in this article and you will save plenty of time and money. Make your next move a smooth move and book with StrongCollegeStudents now.

Rapid growth & expansion: Innovation & job news

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Tampa Bay moving company grows, adds 20 jobs

Strong College Students, a moving company in Tampa, plans to hire up to 20 people as soon as possible. The company, which was founded in 2005, offers moving services to commercial and residential customers. What makes this moving company unique is its workforce.

“Currently everyone in our company is a student,” says Shaun C. Robinson, CEO of Strong College Students. “Education is one of our core values, and we want to provide students with practical work experience while in school.”

Robinson says that while the company currently employs only students, he is open to hiring non-students for his warehouse. For those non-students who are interested in attending college, the company offers a program that helps them with applications, finding financial aid and enrolling in school.

“The program mentors employees who want to attend college,” Robinson says. “Those individuals are put on a six- to 12-month track to enroll in school. ”

As the company grows, Robinson is actively seeking college students to be movers, interns to work in all areas of the business, and service representatives to book moves and handle customer services issues.

“We will be hiring between five to 15 strong college students, two to four strong service reps and three to four interns,” says Robinson. “The number we hire depends upon our employee’s schedules. With all of our staff being students, we have a lot of part-time employees, and we work around class schedules. ”

Strong College Students serves the greater Tampa Bay region, including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.