I was born on August eighth, nineteen fifty eight. 8-8-58. When I give that birthdate, which we are asked to do almost everywhere these days, people always remark, “That’s a lot of 8s”. So, it’s easy to see why 8 is my lucky number.
Well, this year – in a few short days – on April 1st, Golden Bridges turns eight years old! Who starts a business on April Fool’s Day? And on April Fool’s Day of twenty thirteen?
To answer that question, I take you back a few years earlier when the co-owners of Golden Bridges knew we wanted to work together; we wanted to own a business; we wanted to fill a niche in the community. Senior Move Management was the answer.
So at the age of eight, what are we up to?
Well, it’s probably easy for you to understand that last year was not Lucky 7. The 2020 pandemic was declared one year ago. Early on, we learned that we were considered essential workers and thus could continue to serve clients who wanted or needed to move. However, the dangers surrounding the CoVid-19 virus made moving less than desirable.
How did we weather the storm of the pandemic? We had strong business advice about how to structure our finances when we started the business. Our friend, Cyndi Thomason (Owner of bookskeep, Author, and Certified Master Profit First Professional) who now gives advice to a multitude of new entrepreneurs, was generous enough to teach us how to save for a rainy day and make it through tough times. We are thankful for her wisdom and guidance.
CLICK HERE to read Cyndi’s book.
How did we use our time during the pandemic? We spent it together, becoming stronger owners and leaders. After winning the inaugural Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce’s business plan competition and placing in the top four of the inaugural Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneur Challenge we received not only cash investment but also a business coach, Kim Strohmeier of Still Waters Entrepreneurial Services. This year, we have returned to learn even more about surviving in an economic storm.
CLICK HERE to learn more about our business coach.
How are we moving forward? We are returning to the roots of our mission and values. Our mission is to provide solutions to those in transition. Our values: Compassion, Innovation, and Determination. During the slowdown of clients, we have refined those values by defining our goals around them.
Customer Forward – Compassion
Rather than customer first, or customer centered, we will always proceed in a manner that moves our customer forward, using compassion to help them reach their goal.
Providing Solutions – Innovation
As new barriers arise, our teams will work together to find innovative solutions that move the customer forward.
Empower the Employee – Determination
The team in the field are the front line problem solvers, empowered and determined to make decisions that move the customer forward.
How are we celebrating our eighth anniversary? We’re having a party! Two, in fact. On Thursday, April 1, at 1pm, we are presenting a free webinar introducing our referral partners to a software tool we are using called FairSplit. It allows us to make a pictorial inventory of our clients’ heirlooms and split them among the heirs… without all the drama. Founder, and Golden Bridges friend, David MacMahan, created the company to “Divide Things, not Families”. This software allows us to show everyone Grandma’s pie plate or Grandpa’s tools and let’s them select the items that mean the most to them.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Fair Split.
And, oh yeah – the second anniversary party? We are following our eight year tradition of having dinner together at a local restaurant. This year it happens to be another pandemic survivor, The Patio. With new owners and a complete makeover made possible during the shutdown, we are looking forward to toasting:
- to our friends who have been such a large part of our success,
- to lifelong learning and growing,
- to year 8 – our Lucky Number year in business,
- to our clients – the reason we wake up in the morning – and to helping them to live life better!
Susan Scholz, Partner
Golden Bridges