Moving Your Small Business? Tips to Get Established in a New Community

Moving your small business can be a challenging experience. However, if you’re going through relocation or will soon be relocating, there are many things you can do to jump-start your business in your new community. Below are several ways to establish a customer base in a new town.

1. Get to Know Businesses in Your Community

You’ll face many challenges as a business person. Getting to know other business people in your new community will help you identify the challenges specific to your new area and also allow you to ask other business people what they do to manage those challenges.

To meet other business people, start by visiting businesses in the area and introducing yourself. Leave your card. Let business people know you’re new in town and would love to talk over coffee.

2. Join Organizations That Support Small Businesses

Join your local Chamber of Commerce or another organization in your area designed to support small businesses. If you’re unsure which organizations exist in your new area, inquire at your local city hall or search the Internet. Getting involved in organizations that support small businesses can help you meet local business people while advocating for your business.

3. Get Active on Social Media

Create a social media presence for your business and get involved with community social media pages. Getting active on social media alerts people in your area that your business is in town. Doing this can help generate customer interest and activity.

Social media is also another good way to meet other business people and learn more about your client base. You’ll learn about their preferences and priorities by seeing what people say on social media. This can help you make wise business decisions as you set up shop.

4. Know Your Customers

Whether selling a product in a retail location or running a restaurant, engaging with your clientele is essential. Start by reading about your new community to get to know your customers. Know the demographic information, the most significant local employers, average income, and other statistics.

Consider setting up focus groups or meet and greet opportunities. At these events, you’ll meet customers, find out what they care about, and learn more about how your business can meet their needs.

5. Advertise Discounts and Specials

People love a good deal! So, as soon as your small business opens, advertise for discounts and specials to drive customers in. For example, if your business is a restaurant, offer a free dessert for all dinner customers in the first month you’re open. Also, consider 15% off the “grand opening” sale for the first two weeks if your business is a pet store.

Focus on Your Business – Hire Professional Movers

Your business needs your attention in this new environment. So don’t fret about your relocation; hire professional movers to make your move more manageable and less stressful. Contact us today for a quote.

Spongy Moths: A Household Move Hazard

If you are organizing a household move, you need to beware of an outbreak of a returning outdoor pest that can seriously threaten hardwood trees if you aren’t careful—the spongy moth and its eggs.

These pesky insects are one of the most destructive tree and shrub pests ever introduced into the United States. The spongy moth has defoliated millions of trees, particularly in the Northeast, but is now spreading to more areas of the country.

Previously known as gypsy moths, this species was recently renamed the spongy moth by the Entomological Society of America (ESOA) for their egg masses, which look like sponges. If you aren’t extra careful, you can accidentally transport these pests to your new area when you relocate if you don’t inspect your outdoor belongings before you move.

Spongy moths can defoliate trees quickly and extensively and pose a significant threat to hardwood trees like oak and birch. Therefore, it’s essential to learn about spongy moths, their eggs, how to spot them, and how to manage them so that you don’t risk transporting them from your old home to your new one. In addition, since the eggs can cling to your outdoor furniture, vehicles, equipment, etc., you must learn how to handle them and remove them before loading your moving truck. 

Dealing With Spongy Moths

These moths deposit their eggs in the summer, and the larvae emerge the following spring.

Before loading them into your moving truck or container, you must thoroughly inspect all the outdoor items you plan to move. Pay particular attention to your patio furniture, camping equipment, lawn equipment, grill, bicycles, and other sports equipment like soccer nets. 

Also, check for spongy moths in all their stages, from egg to adult. Here are some things to help:

  • Egg-mass appears sponge-like.
  • Caterpillars have large dark eye spots, blue dots behind their heads, and six pairs of raised red dots along their backs.
  • Female moths are white and have black or brown V-shape designations, and the egg masses are brown and appear sponge-like.
  • Male moths are mottled brown and gray with feathery antennae.

Remove and destroy any bugs or eggs from your belongings. Use a putty knife or stiff brush to scrape them off surfaces. Then place the eggs in a container of hot, soapy water. Or, you can seal them in a plastic bag and then put them in the sun.

Before you move, you must remove all life stages of this destructive spongy moth. In addition, you want to protect your new neighborhood from this invasive pest since it has the potential to attack 300 different kinds of trees and shrubs.

Create your own checklist of items you need to inspect on moving day, or for your convenience, visit and use the USDA’s pre-prepared spongy moth checklist.