Today we’d like to introduce you to Noa Stroop.
Hi Noa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a business & entrepreneurship professor at Cumberland University. The biggest excuse for entrepreneurs that keeps them from starting their business is that they think they need a loan or investment for operating capital, or they think they need a unique idea. I have been teaching that these are just excuses — you just need to pick something and go do it — the market will give you the feedback you need to identify a good business.
I started writing a book about it, where my wife, Nicole, lovingly asked, “What are you using as proof?”
It struck me. I need evidence that this is true.
So I started a business. I thought of things that people hate to do — personally, I know for a fact that I would pay for movers. There’s the business.
I started with $100 for business cards. I got my first client, which paid for insurance and registration fees. I created a brand.
And now, I have started a company as a case study that brings the classroom to life. Instead of teaching only through a textbook, the concepts and theories are brought to life by sharing daily experiences in the start up world.
It’s added color and context to the classroom, giving real challenges for the students to think through and try to solve themselves — real challenges that they are likely to face one day, themselves!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been smooth, but it has gone GREAT. We had some challenges with labor, but fortunately, I am a professor, so I have an unlimited labor pool, allowing me to hand-select people with integrity and a great work ethic.
We solved the labor problem by increasing prices to pay employees better, and ensuring that our team has good morale and chemistry together.
The next struggle was scheduling. As a professor, I had trouble working jobs, teaching, managing a business, and other responsibilities. We solved that one by hiring two managers. Now, the company is fully operational, and I can manage what I need to from the office.
The final issue is marketing. We are doing the right things, but we don’t have a definitive and predictable process yet to generate leads. As of now, we are relying on word of mouth and networking.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Let’s face it, moving can be a terrible process. But us? We like to MOVE IT
We are a moving company who saw a gap in the market – staff that people can trust.
We solve that with our 4 P’s:
Principled – we hire people we know have integrity, and who will work hard
Professionalism – we show up in khakis and collared shirt, bringing an heir of professionalism to a non-professional industry. We don’t hire random people off the street, we hire people you can trust
Punctual – there are a lot of ‘moving’ pieces when it comes to relocating, so you can rely on us to be on-time and time-efficient
P’fun – because moving sucks! But we have a good team who works well together, and works hard, to meet customer needs.
The main reason why we are a great value to customers is that we bring extra guys on a job. For two reasons: many hands make light work, and we are on the clock. So (1) the job is less taxing on staff, (2) the job is more fun, (3) a bigger crew means they conserve energy, which means we are less likely to make mistakes (dropping/breaking items, causing damage to property), and (4) more people on the job means less hours on the job which saves customers money in the long-term!
What are your plans for the future?
At 6 months, we have a good claim of market share in Wilson County. We will continue growing there as we start building a reliable, household name in the greater Nashville area.
Once we have an established name in a 25 mile radius from Nashville, we plan on expanding to Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. One new city in 2026, and all of TN covered by 2027.
After that, we plan on expanding to the entire Southeast by 2029. With a military veteran as our manager and future equity partner, we hope to become a trusted name for military relation programs, too, which will be guides to our future expansion program.
Pricing:
- Variable based on jobs
- No hidden fees!
- Truck, moving materials, blankets, etc are included
- No fees for stairs or long walks!
- All inclusive hourly price.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.moveittennessee.com
- Instagram: @moveittn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573781356850
