Published January 28th, 2015
business briefs
Photo provided
Carefree Moves Celebrated
(510) 336-2455 or (925) 330-1988
carefreemoves@yahoo.com, www.carefreemoves.net
Carefree Moves was recently recognized by Score (Service Corps of Retired Executives, an affiliate of the Small Business Administration) and nominated for an honorable mention as Outstanding Small Business Owned by Women. Since the two owners Dee Vance and Cynthia Nolan purchased the Lafayette-based business in 2009, it has been growing steadily. They say word-of-mouth is the reason for their success. They remove all the stress from moving and tailor their service to their clients' needs, from simple packing and unpacking help, to hand-holding throughout the moving process. "We work with all kinds of clients," says Vance, "from busy families, to people downsizing." Vance adds that their bigger assets are the 20 to 30 women they employ. "They are local women, professional organizers and packers who love to help people and be of service," says Vance. "They love to do a job that's out of the corporate world and that's project oriented." Packing, transport, un-packing and setting up the new home takes one to four days, depending on the size of the home. The pre-packing is a different story: it can take much longer if people are moving to a much smaller space. "We help them choose what they want to keep, what will be donated or recycled, and we employ men with a truck to transport everything," says Vance. The team has many emotional stories to tell, such as the husband who took his family for a vacation before the move and secretly hired Carefree Moves to do the job while they were gone. "When they came back and discovered their new place ready to live in, including the kids' rooms, the wife said that it was the best thing he had ever done for his family," recalls Vance. The ladies also love to work for the Warriors when they trade a player. "In that case we do only the unpacking for them, but we completely set up their homes, including their closets, the kitchen, hanging the pictures, and we even put fresh flowers on the table," says Vance. Carefree Moves charges by the hour and Vance says that a complete move costs between $2,000 and $4,000. Since 2009 they have moved hundreds of families in the Bay Area.

News from the Three Chambers of Commerce

Lafayette
Ribbon Cutting at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 at the new location of Bay Sotheby's International Realty, 3725 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

The Marquis Business Person of the Year annual dinner honoring Leila Douglah of Douglah Designs will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30 at the Lafayette Park Hotel and Spa. The evening also includes the introduction of the chamber's 2015 board of directors, incoming president Debbie Cooper of Mechanics Bank, and the "State of the City" address by Mayor Brandt Andersson. Reservations can be made online at lafayettechamber.org or by calling (925) 284-7404.

Ribbon Cutting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 for Merrill Gardens at Lafayette, 1010 Second Street.

Moraga

Welcome breakfast for chamber members starting at 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6 at Terzetto in the Moraga Shopping Center.

Save the date for the Business Person of the Year dinner honoring Moraga Royale's Dianne Wilson at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 at the Moraga Country Club. Tickets are $50; reservations required by contacting Kathe@moragachamber.org.

Orinda

Save the date for the Chamber Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20 at the Orinda Country Club. The Orinda Chamber of Commerce will present annual awards recognizing outstanding contributions to the chamber and the Orinda business community. Tickets are $30; contact Candy at info@orindachamber.org.





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