Admiral Movers Joins Commercial Relocation Network (CRN)

How Smart Storage & Asset Management Can Help Medical Practices Feeling the Financial Pinch

In an era of rising expenses, declining reimbursements, results-based compensation instead of fee-for-services, and uncertainty when it comes to future revenue, even medical practices are now feeling the financial pinch usually reserved for other sectors.  Cost and space efficiency has never been more important to medical practices— there is no longer a large pool of resources available to cover operational costs.

The good news is there are many ways smart records storage, intelligent archiving and asset management can create previously untapped efficiencies that enhance revenue generation and cost-savings.

Better Space Utilization Saves Money AND Increases Revenue

Medical office space is among the most expensive in the market today, so every inch of your space should be dedicated to revenue-generating activities.  Storing records and other assets like equipment or furniture off-site opens up space for other uses like nurse practitioners or physician assistants, additional exam rooms, lab space, and for other ancillary services like massage therapy, audiology, speech therapy and more.

Additional services can be incorporated into the existing practice for additional revenue, or space can be subleased to others who provide these complementary services, resulting in rental income and convenience for patients.

Intelligent Archiving Yields Pay-As-You-Go Savings

Storing archival records off-site and scanning them only as they are needed frees up space, reduces conversion costs and greatly increases efficiency, we call this Intelligent Archiving.  You get the information you need delivered instantly, so your records are always available, and you pay only to convert the 5%-10% of records you actually need, not everything.  And your staff can spend their valuable time serving your patients, not scanning your records.

Lower Costs and Increased Efficiency Will Benefit Your Medical Practice’s Bottom Line

Decreasing your practice’s real estate footprint, maximizing the revenue generated with the space you do have, and increasing efficiency with intelligent archiving are just a few ways records storage and asset management can contribute to your practice’s profitability.  For more ideas on how our services can reduce your medical practice costs and increase your efficiency, please call me!  Your patients need you to stay profitable in a sustainable way, and I’ll be glad to help.

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“K.I.S.S.” Method for Easier Moving—“Keeping It Simple is Smart”

Moving is hard, there’s just no two ways about it.  There are so many details to coordinate and so many things to do, and everything is temporarily upside-down while you’re in transition.  Most moves actually involve three separate but equally important tasks:

• Moving – physically moving your property from your old location to the new one
• Destruction – shredding old records to save money and work in the move, and space in your new location
• Records Management - maintaining compliance-related security throughout the process

Coupling shredding or destruction and offsite storage is smart records management, and doing it in concert with your move is efficient– the records management synergy will bring cost-savings on all three phases.

Shred, Store, Move Should Be Your Mantra, One Vendor Should Be Your Modus Operandi

You could conceivably have three separate vendors handling each of those tasks, but why?  Moving is hard enough— why on earth would you want to add MORE to your already-loaded plate by trying to work with multiple vendors to get everything done?  Coordinating them is a job unto itself, and you have more important things to do!

Working with one vendor that specializes in all aspects of moving and records management, who can meet all of your needs and coordinate everything for you, will make your move:

• Simpler
• More efficient
• Less risky, from a compliance perspective, and best of all,
• Less expensive

It’s Just Smarter to Use One Moving and Records Management Vendor:

• To have ONE point of contact, ONE source and ONE point of accountability for everything you need—it doesn’t get any simpler than that!
• To have an experienced professional coordinating the many aspects of your move, so all of the potential problems that might not even occur to you will be solved proactively for you, so your move will go much more smoothly
• To reduce the potential for a privacy breach liability by limiting who comes in contact with your confidential information to vendors that specialize in records management– a really good hybrid records manager/office mover will bring a great deal to the table with regards to the proper handling of sensitive data

Sometimes Less IS More

If ever there was a time when less is more—less frustration, less hassle and fewer headaches—it’s when you’re moving.  So when you’re deciding which vendor to choose, always try to “Keep It Simple” and choose one vendor that knows what they’re doing.  That will make your risk manager, lawyers, managers, and stockholders happy, not to mention your protected patients or clients.  And your CEO and CFO will love the savings!

If you’d like to learn more about the many ways one vendor is better than many, and the kinds of mistakes rookies often make when it comes to moving, please call me!  I’ll be glad to share whatever I know that might help you move smarter.

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Insider Secrets that Will Help You Save Money on Your Next Move

As with anything else in life, when it comes to moving, planning is everything!  What you may NOT know is that how and when you plan your move can DEFINITELY save you money if you know a few insider secrets that I’m happy to share:

Avoid Peak Season

• Peak household moving season runs from May 20th through September 7th-10th each year, and demand is highest between May 27th – June 10th and June 21st – July 8th.  Avoiding those dates will help you save on moving costs, as   prices are usually highest at peak times.
• You’ll also get better service if you schedule your move outside of May 20th-September 10th, because your crew, consultant, coordinator, dispatcher and service staff will be more rested, less stressed and better able to serve you.
• If you schedule more than 60 days prior to peak season, you will definitely see lower costs because peak season will not yet have pushed prices up to peak rates.
• Movers who handle most of their business during peak season charge higher rates because they can—there are simply more moves than there are moving crews to handle them.  Scheduling outside peak season helps you avoid the supply/demand upward pressure on price.

Avoid the Busiest Time of the Month

Because people usually want to be in their new location at the beginning of the month, it is always busiest between the 25^th of any month and the 4^th of the following month.  If you can schedule your move between the 8^th and the 22^nd of the month, you can typically save on your move– at Admiral, we may be able to discount your move by 10%-15%!

Flexibility = Better Service + Savings

The more flexibility you have on when you have to be loaded up and when your belongings need to be delivered, the more likely your mover can discount your rates.  It makes handling your move more attractive to the best drivers and crews if they can schedule your move around other obligations so they can rest between moves, and they will often show their appreciation for your flexibility by offering you a lower rate.  Plus you’ll usually get better service– most companies always do their best to serve you well, but in the end, movers are people, too, and if you’re easy to work with, they will work that much harder to do better for you!

Lighten Your Load

The easiest way to reduce the cost of moving is to simply move less stuff.  There is never a better time to donate or dispose of things you no longer need than when you’re moving.  It ALWAYS costs less to move less, so get rid of whatever you can and you’ll save money!  And if you CAN avoid storage, you definitely SHOULD – storage can be VERY expensive!

For more cost-saving tips and recommendations on how you can keep your moving costs as low as possible, please call me at (334) 262-6666– I’ll be happy to share anything I know that will help you save money! Email me at smcnelley@admiralmovers.com or see more move solutions at www.admiralmovers.com.

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“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” — How to Avoid Your Next Move

I bet the last thing you’d expect to hear from the owner of a moving company or records storage company is ideas on how to avoid your next move.  I am all about business development, increasing sales and earning new business. But at Admiral, part of our customer-centric approach is to help you do what’s best for YOU, and making you aware of ALL of your options is part of that.  There are definitely times when you can avoid the hassle and inconvenience of a move, and we’re glad to help you do that if it’s the right choice for you. But maybe you just need to reduce clutter and improve work flows.

Companies move for a lot of different reasons, but the reason I hear the most is, “We need more space.”  While it’s true that companies grow beyond their current space, there are also many ways to create more space at your existing location you may not have thought of. Here are a few ideas that can help:

Reorganize/Reconfigure

When was the last time you took an honest look at how you are using your space?  Most companies plan well when they’re first moving into a new space, but over time, their needs change and they don’t always think ahead when they’re reconfiguring.  They need a new workstation, so they just drop a desk in a corner.  Or a team member leaves and the space that person was using morphs into a records dumping ground, where files and supplies just “collect” and multiply.

But every so often, it’s good to step back and really think about how your space is allocated and laid out—is the room you have really being used for the activities that generate revenue for you?  Are team members near those they collaborate with most often?  Is old office equipment or archival records clogging up space that would be better used for active workspace?

Store Off-Site

Off-site storage is a great way to move things you don’t use or need every day out of your way to make room for the things you do need.  It’s convenient and cost-effective if you’re working with a company that provides responsive service—they’ll deliver what you need when you need it, typically on the same day you ask for it, and they’ll pick it up and take it back to storage when you’re done.  We do this for our customers all the time, and they love the ease of access.

Go Digital

If you’re using a lot of space for filing and records storage, have you considered converting the information to digital files?  You’ll still have the information, but it won’t take up your valuable office and floor space.  You can convert all of your records at once, or just as you need them—the choice is yours.

Purge

How much of what you currently have on-hand is “stuff” you don’t actually need?  Old records, old equipment, supplies you no longer need or use… maybe it’s time to bite the bullet and finally get rid of all of the stuff that’s cluttering up your space. Segregate, shred, purge and recycle.

Whether You Stay or Go, We’re Here to Help!

At Admiral Movers, we’re always more than happy to help you move quickly and efficiently.  But when it’s better for you to NOT move, we’re also glad to help you stay put and make the most of your existing space.  Please contact me today to learn more about ways we can help you create more usable space exactly where you are!  I’ll be glad to help you take a hard look at how you’re using the space you have and come up with a plan that ensures you’re making the most of it.

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You’re Going to Let WHOM Move Your Boxes?

Everybody’s looking to save money nowadays, and saving on movers seems like an easy call.  Anybody with two arms and two legs can move a box from point A to point B, right?  It’s a simple task that day laborers or even that guy who lives up the street and his buddy could do—why wouldn’t you just hire them for the job and save money?

Because your information is only as secure as the people who handle it, and exposing your customers (and yourself!) to identity theft can cost you your business –  plain and simple.

I was recently approached by someone who wanted to supply day laborers for my company to use for office moves.  They were already working with one of our competitors and figured we might also be a good client.

My answer was an unqualified, “No way.”

My company is entrusted with our customers’ most privileged information and that of their customers—we move medical offices, legal firms, financial companies and other customers with highly-sensitive records.  Nobody steps foot onto one of MY customers’ properties unless they have surpassed MY standards for security—and I’m a Security Hawk, so that means:

• A FULL background investigation and drug test (and we update our background checks OFTEN to make sure nothing has changed!)
• EXTENSIVE training in privacy protection and compliance requirements (and we do that on an ongoing basis, too)
• STRICT supervision at every step of the moving process—nobody is left alone with access to sensitive information, so there’s not even a temptation for them to do wrong
• An assessment of their CHARACTER, so I know they will handle my customers’ information like they do their own

I’m proud of the fact that we’ve built a CULTURE of CHARACTER and SERVICE, with processes and safeguards that screen out all but people with the highest level of integrity.  Then we teach them what they need to know to vigorously protect our customers, and we make them EARN the privilege of handling the most sensitive information each and every day.

I trust my staff with MY information every single day—if I couldn’t do that, how could I ever trust them with YOURS?

Breach of confidentiality isn’t just a compliance problem that could bankrupt your company with fines and penalties—it’s also a reputation problem, because you will never live down having exposed your customers to identity theft or worse.

DON’T make the mistake of saving a buck on movers but risking your business’ survival.  I’ve seen it happen.  Call me, and I’ll tell you about it.

Some risks just AREN’T worth taking. 

Related Site

Secure Relocation Case Study

“You Gotta Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em…” – Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler (Song),” and Records Retention, in a Nutshell

When it comes to your vital records, knowing when to get rid of them is almost as important as knowing when to create them— it helps you keep costs low, inventory manageable and compliance breach risk limited (as limited as it can be, anyway). Records Retention is largely a function of compliance.

Know When to Hold ‘Em

Some records you have to keep—the law requires it, or you need the information until further notice or forever.  For most of our customers, the small part of their historical data they actually need to keep is stored within software programs like their accounting and billing system, or their CRM (Customer Relationship Management) program—what they keep and how long they keep it outside of their other business systems is almost entirely driven by compliance requirements.

So the easiest answer to “When do I need to hold ‘em?” is “When the law says so (or if you really, REALLY need them).”  If you’re not sure what the law requires you to keep and for how long, I recommend you seek professional advice from someone who does—your attorney or the agency that enforces your industry’s compliance requirements are two good places to start.  If your records manager has in-depth knowledge, they may also be able to share what other firms in your industry do, but since you are ultimately responsible, it’s always best to get advice and recommendations straight from the source.

Know When to Fold ‘Em

How do you know when to “fold ‘em” (destroy your records)?

The easiest answer here is, not surprisingly, “When the law says so (or you really don’t need them anymore).”

When it’s finally time to send your records packing, you have a decision to make.  Do you want to:

• Save the data by scanning the records and preserving the information digitally before they’re destroyed?
• Save the data in aggregate (summary) form, and lose the granular details when the records are destroyed?
• Destroy the records and lose the data forever?

The best choice varies by industry and by company, so there is no “one answer fits all”– just remember that you are just as responsible for the confidentiality of digital data as you are for data contained in hard copies of records, so plan accordingly. Compliance with records retention will be specific to your industry, circumstance, management guidance, and internal or external counsel.

Also keep in mind you need your data to be as secure during the process of destruction and afterward as it was when it was still being actively stored, so make sure whoever you work with ensures data destruction that is total, certain and DOCUMENTED so your compliance requirements will be satisfied.  Having no records retention policy or schedule is in my view much worse than having one that contains flaws, or is miss-executed. Not following the law (employment law for example)  can cause liability or legal action.

Know When to Get Help

If you’re in over your head when it comes to your records, or just need some suggestions about what to “hold” and when to “fold,” including insider tips about how others in your industry or related industries handle records retention, please visit our website  and/or call me!  I can’t share confidential information, but I’m happy to share ideas, resources and tips that might help you, including information about our services if they would be appropriate for your situation.

Moving can be an expensive proposition, and a work-related relocation is no exception.  But the IRS does offer a little bit of help in the form of a tax deduction for work-related moves, under certain conditions moving expenses can be deducted:

Distance

You must pass the 50-Mile Test (the distance between your new primary job and your home must be at least 50 miles more than your old commute was). A great tax deduction and often under-reported.

Time

You must be employed full-time in the area of your new job location for at least 39 weeks during the 12 months after you move.  (If you own your own business, the time of employment required is extended to 78 weeks within 24 months after you move.)

The tax deduction applies whether the job you move for is a new one, or is for your current employer.  If you’re married, only one spouse needs to meet the Time/Distance requirements to qualify for the deductions.

What Expenses Can You Deduct?

Provided you meet the Time and Distance requirements, you can deduct “Reasonable” expenses, including the following:

• Packing and shipping your household goods and personal effects
• Travel costs to your new home, excluding meals
• Insurance Moving expenses
• 30 days’ storage costs
• Utility connection/disconnection charges

If your employer happens to be generous, any expenses they pay for are not applicable unless they are added to your regular salary, but you must be careful to claim only the allowable deductions.  You are also responsible for paying taxes on any money you receive from your employer for moving expenses that aren’t eligible for the deduction, like meals and temporary housing.

This is not an easy deduction to qualify for, but if you do, it is an “Above-the-Line” tax deduction (not itemized), and you would use IRS Form 3903 (Moving Expenses) to claim it.  As with any tax-related issue, you should always seek the advice of a duly-licensed tax professional to make sure you meet the criteria.

To learn more about the work-related moving expenses & allowable tax deduction, please visit applicable page on the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc455.html.  Thanks to Chuck Myers of the McClatchy Tribune News Service for this information on how to make your work-related move a little less taxing, and please contact us to learn more about how we can help make the rest of your move smooth and worry-free!

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Planning to Use Plastic Crates to Pack Up Your Office?  Tell Your Customers to Pack a Lunch

If you’re planning to use plastic crates for your office move, plan to pack up your productivity along with your property— and while you’re at it, you may as well tell your customers that if they need you during the move, they should pack a lunch and prepare to wait… and keep waiting.

Plastic crates may seem practical, and they certainly last longer and more durable than cardboard boxes, even though they are more expensive.  But in our experience, they will kill your ability to conduct business as usual for days or even weeks before and after your move.  And we’ve been helping businesses relocate for over 23 years, so we ought to know—we’ve seen it happen over and over again.

Plastic Crates are a Massive Productivity Suck

Packing your property into small, sealed containers essentially puts it out of sight and out of easy reach for as long as it’s stashed there.  Finding what you need and unpacking/repacking it becomes your central focus, and in a move with hundreds of crates, finding the one crate with the one file you need can be an epic challenge that takes a REALLY long time.

That’s time NOT spent taking care of your customers, or conducting your business.

There IS a Better Way: Kill the Crates, Go with Gondolas!

It’s precisely because plastic crates and the cardboard boxes they replaced are such a productivity suck that we knew we had to find a better solution.  Our customers needed a way to safely move their property in larger “chunks” than a plastic crate can hold, without losing access to their ability to serve their customers for days or weeks.

There was no other solution, so we invented one: the Office Move Gondola.

Our Gondolas are basically large, sturdy rolling carts with shelves.  Each one can hold as much as 6-10 plastic crates or more, so it’s much easier to find what you need because there are just fewer places to look!  They’re easier to move, because they’re on wheels.  And because our gondolas are open, you can still see everything and put your hands on exactly what you want in seconds, instead of searching through one plastic crate after another.  And putting it back is as easy as finding it.

Open Gondolas DON’T Mean Open to Compliance Breach

With the right security protocols in place and best practices followed, your confidential information is actually BETTER PROTECTED on one of our open gondolas than it would be in plastic crates!  So even our customers with the strictest compliance requirements are protected against breach when using our open gondolas.

Don’t Sign Up for Costlier Crates Without Considering our Greener Gondolas!

Plastic crates are not the preferred packing container anymore—they are more expensive, less user-friendly and much worse for the environment than our gondolas.  To learn more about how we can save you time, frustration, money AND clutter (once you’re moved, the gondolas are gone!), please contact us today!

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Moving?  Lock down Your Confidential Info with Secure Chain of Custody

Moving is madness, or at least it feels that way!  Even the best-planned, most organized move feels like it’s barely-controlled chaos at best.  To further complicate things, you have confidential customer information that you MUST safeguard, even during the chaos of a move, or risk a breach of privacy and the stiff fines, penalties and damage to your reputation that could result.

Your customers’ confidential information is never more at risk of exposure than during a move.

All of your usual operating protocols and security safeguards are suspended when you’re relocating.  Your records are taken from their safe, locked file cabinets and storage areas, and moved out in the open until they get to their new home and your regular security practices are re-engaged.  And God only knows what happens when your records actually leave the building and are on a truck somewhere on the road…

Also, in case you didn’t know– yes, you’re 100% responsible for how your vendors (like movers, for example) handle your customers’ information.  Puts a whole different spin on things, doesn’t it?  Your movers really DO have your business in their hands!

So how do you ensure end-to-end security and total compliance breach protection throughout a move?

Working with a vendor that knows and applies Secure Chain of Custody best practices throughout the moving process, including while your records are in transit from one location to another is not just good business it could save your business.  Secure Chain of Custody means your records are fully-secured throughout the transfer, and there is a carefully documented visual and written record of exactly where your records are and who has custody of them at each moment.

There are a number of ways to secure records besides keeping them in locked containers, like sealing them in plastic, for example, and a number of industry-specific protocols to be followed to stay compliant, like using security seals and limiting authorization to break them to one person.  A good records and information management firm that is also an expert mover knows and will tell you exactly what steps you need to take to satisfy regulatory compliance requirements while still being efficient in your move.

At Admiral, we’ve even incorporated total compliance protection into our box-less move, when items are stored on open gondolas or carts using our AirGlide® system for easy access.  How we do it is our secret, but if you need our help moving your records using Secure Chain of Custody, we’ll be happy to put our years of specialized industry-specific compliance experience to work for you.

Please do yourself (and your company) a favor– make sure whoever is moving your confidential records knows how to protect you from privacy breach.  If you need advice on what questions to ask your mover to ensure they actually do know their stuff, please call me–  I’ll be glad to tell you what to look for.

Commercial Relocation Network (CRN) Welcomes New Member

Seattle, WA — The Commercial Relocation Network (CRN), a North American organization which is comprised of more than 50 top-tier commercial moving and storage companies, is pleased to welcome Scott McNelley of Admiral Movers as a new member.

Governed by the CRN executive steering committee, a strict selection process is followed prior to a new member being accepted into the network. All members of CRN must be able to provide specialized commercial relocation services, programs, equipment and solutions that are competitive within the industry. Members must also participate in various activities throughout the year to ensure ongoing professional development and industry leadership.

Chairman Steve Komorous of the King Companies added, “Being invited to join CRN is recognition of the new member’s abilities and performance. Scott and Admiral Movers have demonstrated they are of the caliber needed to be a part of CRN and we are glad to welcome them into the group.”

About Scott McNelley and Admiral Movers

Scott McNelley started Admiral Movers 23 years ago in Montgomery, AL, as an office moving company and has led it through several phases of growth. Today Admiral is an agent for Mayflower Transit and performs local, long distance, and international residential moves, but still finds its specialty in office and industrial relocations. Admiral Movers is an award-winning industry leader and is home to several service-marked, revolutionary techniques that have changed the way offices are relocated. AirGlide Computer Moving and the Office Gondola System work in concert to transform office relocations with a box-less moving solution. Moving hospitals, plants and offices easily and painlessly with this method is one of the many accomplishments that have won Admiral Movers its outstanding reputation. As an outgrowth of file transfers, Scott diversified his business in 2007 when he launched Admiral Records Management.

About CRN

Founded in 2004, the Commercial Relocation Network is a membership organization made up of over 50 of the largest office and industrial relocation companies in the country. The main objective of CRN is for providing “Best-in-class” resources for its members and customers looking for a reliable, professional commercial mover in their region.

CRN members meet regularly and are encouraged to exchange ideas, education, training, and develop business partners, in other geographical locations, that provide a consistent level of professional service. By selecting a member of the network to assist with a move, customers are guaranteed that only experienced professional commercial movers will be handling their project.

Learn more about or contact CRN by visiting: www.officemovingcrn.com

CRN Media Contact

Elizabeth Domin, news@clancymoving.com (800) 836-0331

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