Starving Students Movers in the News

Starving Students Inc. Moving Company Management Promotion

2010-11-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Starving Students, one of California and Nevada’s most esteemed moving companies announced today the promotion of two key players in the organization: Sara Wicks and Jason Newsome.

Sara Wicks, a veteran member of the management team at Starving Students, formerly Regional Director of the Northern California and Washington State districts, is now overseeing all long distance moves across the country. In the past, Sara Wicks has been applauded for her strong female representation in what most would consider a man’s world – the moving industry. When asked to comment on her recent promotion, Sara Wicks stated “This is a great opportunity to optimize our long distance moving services and the customer experience through faster relocation times, improved customer service, and streamlined operations. We’ve come a long way with 35 locations in ten states, moving thousands of customers every month, but we’re always looking for new ways to improve our services. ”

Jason Newsome, now the Regional Director for the Southern California region, is expected to have a huge impact on one of the busiest regions under the Starving Students umbrella including the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Monica, and Riverside. Mr. Newsome’s background with ten years of military service highlights the Starving Students commitment to supporting the contribution of America’s military personnel. Mr. Newsome stated, “I hope to really transform the way that we respond to short notice moving reservations by expanding our fleet for a faster response and greater coverage. With the rise in the short sale market, our customers need a mover that they can depend on with less lead time between the reservation and moving day. We aim to continue our focus on being that dependable mover.”

Starving Students congratulates Sara Wicks and Jason Newsome on their respective successes and the future positive impact their efforts will have on our valued customers.

Mention Code "20 Off" when you reserve your moving day to receive 20 dollars off of your moving bill.

Election Results

2010-11-03T16:44:00.001-07:00

Here's an easy reference for election results (according to electoral-vote.com.)
Congrats to all who won! And if you're moving to ">Washington DC, contact Starving Students to make an appointment to move you!

2010 US election results
	Democrat	Republican
US House	185 seats	239 seats
US Senate	52 seats*	46 seats
CA Governor (100% reporting)	54% Brown	41% Whitman
CA US Senate (100% reporting)	52% Boxer	43% Fiorina

Senate Results

State	Democrat	D %	Republican	R %	I	I %	Start	End	Source
Alaska	Scott McAdams	25%	Joe Miller	34%	Lisa Murkowski	39%	Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Alabama	William Barnes	35%	Richard Shelby*	65%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Arkansas	Blanche Lincoln*	38%	John Boozman	57%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Arizona	Rodney Glassman	35%	John McCain*	59%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
California	Barbara Boxer*	48%	Carly Fiorina	47%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Colorado	Michael Bennet*	47%	Ken Buck	48%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Connecticut	Richard Blumenthal	53%	Linda McMahon	45%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Delaware	Chris Coons	57%	Christine O-Donnell	40%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Florida	Kendrick Meek	20%	Marco Rubio	49%	Charlie Crist	30%	Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Georgia	Mike Thurmond	39%	Johnny Isakson*	59%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Hawaii	Daniel Inouye	76%	Cam Cavasso	21%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Iowa	Roxanne Conlin	33%	Chuck Grassley*	65%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Idaho	Tom Sullivan	23%	Mike Crapo*	73%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Illinois	Alexi Giannoulias	46%	Mark Kirk	48%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Indiana	Brad Ellsworth	40%	Dan Coats	55%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Kansas	Lisa Johnston	26%	Jerry Moran	70%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Kentucky	Jack Conway	44%	Rand Paul	56%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Louisiana	Charlie Melancon	38%	David Vitter*	57%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Maryland	Barbara Mikulski*	62%	Eric Wargotz	37%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Missouri	Robin Carnahan	39%	Roy Blunt	55%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
North Carolina	Elaine Marshall	43%	Richard Burr*	55%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
North Dakota	Tracy Potter	22%	John Hoeven	76%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
New Hampshire	Paul Hodes	37%	Kelly Ayotte	60%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Nevada	Harry Reid*	50%	Sharron Angle	45%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
New York	Kirsten Gillibrand*	62%	Joseph DioGuardi	36%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Ohio	Lee Fisher	39%	Rob Portman	57%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Oklahoma	Jim Rogers	26%	Tom Coburn*	71%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Oregon	Ron Wyden*	56%	Jim Huffman	41%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Pennsylvania	Joe Sestak	49%	Pat Toomey	51%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
South Carolina	Alvin Greene	28%	Jim DeMint*	63%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
South Dakota	(No Democrat)	00%	John Thune*	99%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Utah	Sam Granato	32%	Mike Lee	62%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Vermont	Pat Leahy*	64%	Len Britton	31%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Washington	Patty Murray*	51%	Dino Rossi	49%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
Wisconsin	Russ Feingold*	46%	Ron Johnson	53%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election
West Virginia	Joe Manchin	54%	John Raese	43%			Nov 02	Nov 02	Election

House Results

CA-03	Ami Bera	43%	Dan Lungren*	51%	GOP
CA-04	Clint Curtis	32%	Tom McClintock*	61%	GOP
CA-05	Doris Matsui*	72%	Paul Smith	26%	Dem
CA-06	Lynn Woolsey*	65%	Jim Judd	30%	Dem
CA-07	George Miller*	67%	Rick Tubbs	33%	Dem
CA-08	Nancy Pelosi*	80%	John Dennis	15%	Dem
CA-09	Barbara Lee*	83%	Gerald Hashimoto	12%	Dem
CA-10	John Garamendi*	58%	Gary Clift	38%	Dem
CA-11	Jerry McNerney*	47%	David Harmer	47%	?
CA-12	Jackie Speier*	75%	Mike Moloney	23%	Dem
CA-13	Pete Stark*	72%	Forest Baker	28%	Dem
CA-18	Dennis Cardoza*	58%	Michael Berryhill	42%	Dem
CA-19	Lorraine Goodwin	35%	Jeff Denham	65%	GOP
CA-20	Jim Costa*	49%	Andy Vidak	51%	GOP
CA-21	(Unopposed)	00%	Devin Nunes*	99%	GOP
CA-22	(Unopposed)	00%	Kevin McCarthy*	99%	GOP
CA-23	Lois Capps*	57%	Tom Watson	38%	Dem
CA-24	Timothy Allison	40%	Elton Gallegly*	60%	GOP
CA-29	Adam Schiff*	65%	John Colbert	32%	Dem
CA-30	Henry Waxman*	65%	Chuck Wilkerson	32%	Dem
CA-31	Xavier Becerra*	84%	Stephen Smith	16%	Dem
CA-32	Judy Chu*	71%	Ed Schmerling	29%	Dem
CA-33	Karen Bass	86%	James Andion	14%	Dem
CA-34	Lucille Roybal-Allard*	77%	Wayne Miller	23%	Dem
CA-35	Maxine Waters*	79%	Bruce Brown	21%	Dem
CA-36	Jane Harman*	60%	Mattie Fein	35%	Dem
CA-37	Laura Richardson*	69%	Star Parker	23%	Dem
CA-38	Grace Napolitano*	74%	Robert Vaughn	26%	Dem
CA-39	Linda Sanchez*	64%	Larry Andre	32%	Dem
CA-40	Christina Avalos	33%	Ed Royce*	67%	GOP
CA-46	Ken Arnold	38%	Dana Rohrabacher*	62%	GOP
CA-47	Loretta Sanchez*	51%	Van Tran	42%	Dem
CA-48	Beth Krom	36%	John Campbell*	60%	GOP
CO-03	John Salazar*	46%	Scott Tipton	50%	GOP
CT-01	John Larson*	62%	Ann Brickley	37%	Dem
DE-AL	John Carney	57%	Glen Urquhart	41%	Dem
MD-01	Frank Kratovil*	42%	Andy Harris	55%	GOP
MD-02	Dutch Ruppersberger*	64%	Marcelo Cardarelli	33%	Dem
MD-04	Donna Edwards*	84%	Robert Broadus	16%	Dem
MD-05	Steny Hoyer*	64%	Charles Lollar	35%	Dem
MD-06	Andrew Duck	33%	Roscoe Bartlett*	62%	GOP
MD-07	Elijah Cummings*	75%	Frank Mirabile	23%	Dem
MD-08	Chris Van Hollen*	73%	Michael Philips	25%	Dem
NV-01	Shelley Berkley*	62%	Kenneth Wegner	35%	Dem
NV-02	Nancy Price	33%	Dean Heller*	63%	GOP
NV-03	Dina Titus*	47%	Joe Heck	48%	GOP
Texas-01\	(Unopposed)	00%	Louie Gohmert*	90%	GOP
\Texas-03\	John Lingenfelder	31%	Sam Johnson*	66%	GOP
\TX-04\	VaLinda Hathcox	22%	Ralph Hall*	73%	GOP
Texas-05	Tom Berry	28%	Jeb Hensarling*	71%	GOP
TX-06	David Kozad	31%	Joe Barton*	66%	GOP
TX-08	Kent Hargett	18%	Kevin Brady*	80%	GOP
TX-11	James Quillan	15%	Mike Conaway*	81%	GOP
TX-12	Tracey Smith	25%	Kay Granger*	72%	GOP
TX-13	(Unopposed)	00%	Mac Thornberry*	87%	GOP
TX-14	Robert Pruett	24%	Ron Paul*	76%	GOP
TX-15	Ruben Hinojosa*	56%	Eddie Zamora	42%	Dem
TX-16	Silvestre Reyes*	58%	Tim Besco	37%	Dem
TX-17	Chet Edwards*	37%	Bill Flores	62%	GOP
TX-19	Andy Wilson	19%	Randy Neugebauer*	78%	GOP
TX-20	Charlie Gonzalez*	64%	Clayton Trotter	34%	Dem
TX-21	Laney Melnick	28%	Lamar Smith*	69%	GOP
TX-23	Ciro Rodriguez*	44%	Quico Canseco	49%	GOP
TX-24	(Unopposed)	00%	Kenny Marchant*	82%	GOP
TX-25	Lloyd Doggett*	53%	Donna Campbell	45%	Dem
TX-26	Neil Durrance	31%	Michael Burgess*	67%	GOP
TX-27	Solomon Ortiz*	47%	Blake Farenthold	48%	GOP
TX-28	Henry Cuellar*	56%	Bryan Underwood	42%	Dem
TX-30	Eddie Bernice Johnson*	76%	Stephen Broden	22%	Dem
TX-31	(Unopposed)	00%	John Carter*	83%	GOP
TX-32	Grier Raggio	35%	Pete Sessions*	63%	GOP
UT-01	Morgan Bowen	24%	Rob Bishop*	69%	GOP
UT-02	Jim Matheson*	51%	Morgan Philpot	46%	Dem
UT-03	Karen Hyer	23%	Jason Chaffetz*	72%	GOP
VA-01	Krystal Ball	35%	Rob Wittman*	64%	GOP
Virginia-02	Glenn Nye*	42%	Scott Rigell	53%	GOP
Virginia-03	Bobby Scott*	70%	Chuck Smith	27%	Dem
VA-04	Wynne LeGrow	38%	Randy Forbes*	62%	GOP
VA-05	Tom Perriello*	47%	Robert Hurt	51%	GOP
VA-06	(Unopposed)	00%	Bob Goodlatte*	77%	GOP
VA-07	Rick Waugh	34%	Eric Cantor*	59%	GOP
VA-08	Jim Moran*	61%	Patrick Murray	37%	Dem
VA-09	Rick Boucher*	46%	Morgan Griffith	51%	GOP
VA-10	Jeff Barnett	34%	Frank Wolf*	64%	GOP
VA-11	Gerry Connolly*	49%	Keith Fimian	49%	?
Arizona	Terry Goddard	42%	Jan Brewer	55%		GOP
California	Jerry Brown	54%	Meg Whitman	41%		Dem
Maryland	Martin O'Malley	56%	Bob Ehrlich	42%		Dem
Nevada	Rory Reid	41%	Brian Sandoval	53%		GOP
Texas	Bill White	42%	Rick Perry	55%		GOP
Utah	Peter Corroon	32%	Gary Herbert	64%		GOP

STARVING STUDENTS MOVING COMPANY DISCOVERS TICK TOCKER

2010-10-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

Today, Starving Students Moving Company discovered a new online event notification feature called TickTocker. Users can create what is called a "tock", essentially an event that corresponds to a countdown clock with the ability to interact with other users through commentary and messages. "The brilliance of this feature is that people who are moving can watch the clock count down to their moving day. They know that there are 3 days, 22 minutes, and 15 seconds until Starving Students movers arrive. This can help them to manage time and prepare for the important reservation. It benefits us, because when we arrive, our valued customers are ready to go and we can get more efficient moves done in a timely manner. Plus it makes moving a lot more fun!" -- Starving Students Executive.

You can create a "Tock" that will count down to an event for you such as your moving day, down to the second. So you can set up a tock for your move date and then check in to see how many days are left. Or you can import your events from Facebook and the corresponding tocks will be created. You'll also get an email when your tock is about to expire. Plus you can share your tock on Facebook or Twitter or you can put a widgit on your website or blog and the countdown will be displayed. And if you set your tock to "public", your friends, family, or co-workers can all log in and view your tock or "follow it". The advantage here is that they will know when you are moving, so that they can set up your going-away party! Or at least tell you that you'll be missed.

Starving Students created a tock for Halloween weekend. If you know anyone moving Halloween weekend, you can share this tock:

Or use this link: http://tcktck.com/f2664

TickTocker.com is a community-driven social networking and scheduling tool that allows users to share and keep track of events, releases, important dates and deadlines.

Starving Students - We put our heart into every move and your moving experience!

LA Downtown News Online - How Score Scores

2007-06-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

How Score Scores
Group's Free Events Bring Business Leaders Downtown
by Kathleen Nye Flynn

Last year, about 300 people packed the main dining room at the Los Angeles Athletic Club to hear Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's, spill the goods about how he started the thriving grocery chain. The Los Angeles chapter of Score, a 42-year-old non-profit that seeks to educate entrepreneurs on the ins and outs of starting and running a business, hosted the free event.
More than 300 people showed up at a 2006 Score event to hear Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's. The business organization this week brings executives from the San Antonio Winery and Starving Students moving company to the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

On Wednesday, June 6, Score holds another lecture as part of its speaker series, this one titled "$500 or Less Can Lead to Success!" The event that starts at 10:30 a.m. features Steve Riboli, vice president of Downtown's San Antonio Winery, and Bear Barnes, CEO of Starving Students Inc. moving company. Both entities are decades old and balance traditional business ethics with innovative and modern industry models. The Los Angeles Downtown News talked with Richard Hadel, co-chair of Score, about these seasoned businesses and today's climate for eager entrepreneurs.

Q: What makes Bear Barnes and Steve Riboli interesting?
Richard Hadel: They both have a unique and unusual background. The winery has been around 90 years, and it's one of the original old-time wineries. They are third-and fourth-generation Italians and they are out there from being CEOs to waiting on tables. They are a major company but haven't lost touch with their roots.

Starving Students was started by a young fellow in the 1970s, who was going to school and needed the means to pay his way. He started a moving company and now they move 1,000 households a week, they are in nine different states, and they are very successful.

These companies show that for businesses that have been around for a long time, everything's not just straight up - everything's not like Bill Gates. Most businesses have their ups and downs and various things they have to deal with.

Q: Who attends Score's speaker series?
A: It's a cross-section of everybody. Over the last few years, we've talked to about 1,500 people. These are people who are interested in how to start a business, how to continue on with a business, and business philosophy. At one event, a stockbroker from a major firm in Los Angeles attended and he was sitting there with his analyst and the analyst was taking notes like crazy. Why? Because people were asking questions that he thought he should be asking some of the companies that they represent.

Q: Joe Coulombe from Trader Joe's was a big event for Score. What made that talk so popular?
A: The event was tremendously successful. Apparently this Trader Joe guy has a lot of charisma that just went far beyond what I had expected. Some of the merchandising concepts that he revealed at this seminar were just incredible. The audience wouldn't let him off the stage, they kept coming at him with questions. He's a tremendous speaker and he imparted specific information on the concepts that he implemented at Trader Joe's.

Q: What advice do you have for someone looking to start a new business in Downtown?
A: It starts with a concept and then you have to develop a prudent business plan. There are a lot of folks running around with thoughts for businesses in their head, but if you sit down and do a legitimate business plan, it fleshes out a lot of problems, a lot of the monies you are going to need, and all the information you will need to put it together.

Q: How does Score assist people interested in opening a small business in, let's say, Downtown?
A: We have individual face-to-face counseling and 60 counselors. We talk people through the basic information they need. Let's say they want to open up a hamburger stand: I put them in touch with the people in the food industry. Then we try to get them involved with various workshops we have about how to start a business. We have about six or seven basic workshops that cover everything you need to know about how to start a business. If it's something specific, we will get a couple counselors to team up to help someone with a problem.

Q: Both Starving Students and San Antonio Winery began decades ago. How is the climate for entrepreneurs today in Los Angeles?
A: If they've got the right idea and they've got the energy, the possibilities are just unbelievable. Especially in Downtown Los Angeles right now, it's just really blooming. But it also depends on the individual. You have to have the right idea and the energy to put it into place, and the guts to make it happen.

Score presents Bear Barnes and Steve Riboli on Wednesday, June 6 at 10:30 a.m. at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, 431 W. Seventh St. Reservations at scorela.org.

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

THE WASHINGTON TIMES - Packing up and moving on

2007-04-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Packing up and moving on
By Christian Toto

The law says movers operating under a binding estimate must unload their trucks after being paid 100 percent of the estimated cost, he says. For nonbinding estimates, the movers must unload their goods after being paid no more than 110 percent of the estimate. Extra costs do pop up sometimes. If a person's new home is on a very narrow street, a mover might have to transfer its client's goods to a smaller truck to maneuver properly in the tight space. Federal law also covers lost or damaged goods. Movers must provide full replacement or repair the goods in question unless the customer waives his or her rights, Mr. Sparkman says. In disputes, a third-party arbiter will declare the worth of the damaged items.

Vernon Rosemin, marketing company president for U-Haul's District headquarters, says planning, or the lack thereof, is the biggest problem bogging down people on the move. "They're selling their house, acquiring another house. They forget to plan out properly for boxes, the right types of boxes. ... You end up with stuff being broken," Mr. Rosemin says, adding that a lack of preparation means a rental truck might not be available for last-minute movers. He recalled one person who forgot he had to move his car as well as himself. "He delayed his move because he wasn't prepared," Mr. Rosemin says.

Planning ahead means more than counting off the number of boxes needed for the move.

Homeowners should visit the rental company where they plan to pick up whatever truck or equipment they will need, Mr. Rosemin says. "Make sure you're comfortable with the equipment," he says, especially if renting a large truck.

"It's just a big car, really," Mr. Rosemin says, adding that the customer should discuss what driving modifications are needed to stay safe on the road, such as going one car length farther than normal when making a turn. "If you're towing a car, know how to connect it so you have peace of mind," he says.

Planning a move involves more than just knowing how to bubble-wrap a plasma television or protect china plates.

Sachin Gadhvi, vice president for sales and marketing with L.A.-based Starving Students Moving Co., says finding the best moving company takes its toll.

"Everybody's heard a horror story of moves gone bad," Mr. Gadhvi says. He suggests visiting the American Moving and Storage Association's Web site (http://www.moving.org/) to find a licensed mover.

A reputable mover will have either a Department of Transportation number or a motor carrier number.

Consumers typically shop around for the best prices, but Mr. Gadhvi cautions homeowners against going blindly with the lowest price available when hiring a moving team.

"It's your life's belongings in there. It's probably not the time you want to go with the cheapest person," he says.

Better still, keep your most important items close at hand while moving.

"If you have things with emotional value, like family heirlooms ... you want to make sure you pack it yourself and let the movers know, 'This is really valuable to me. Let's keep it separate,' " he says.

The more such items that can be carried by the homeowner, be it jewelry or something to be stored in his or her car during the cross-country trek, the better. "You want to make sure it's under your control," Mr. Gadhvi says.

Many homeowners prefer taking all moving matters into their own hands. John Tompkins, president of Atlantic Coast Portable Storage, which works in conjunction with movable PODS (portable on demand storage) containers, says his clients tend to be do-it-yourself types who work on their own schedules.

"They don't have to be ready, exactly, on a certain day," Mr. Tompkins says.

It's the goal of any reputable moving company to make the move as smooth as possible, he says, adding that movers and homeowners alike often need to get creative before the job is wrapped.

"You'd be surprised how ingenuity plays a hand," he says, adding that movers will do everything from building a frame around a difficult-to-move piece to using a crane to get their mission accomplished.

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Geico Direct - Tips to Improve Your Move

2007-03-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Tips to Improve Your Move
Moving can be a hassle, but there are things you can do to ease the pain.

By Keith Rockmael

Consider Your Timing
In the real-estate world they say timing is everything, and that holds true for moving as well. Gas prices tend to rise during the summer, and so do moving rates. June, July and August represent the busiest moving times, and the laws of supply and demand usually apply. Moving at the end of the month versus the middle also can mean higher rates. "The best time of year is winter, midweek," says Bear Barnes, CEO of Starving Students Movers. "And you can and should ask for the best crew. They’ll be the most experienced and the fastest."

The prices that interstate moving companies charge are based on the weight of your shipment and the distance that you're moving. During slow periods, consumers can often negotiate lower rates and better service terms, so be sure to get more than one estimate and compare each mover's offer before you sign the contract.

Read the full article on http://www.geico.com/.

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

JewishJournal.com - Starving Students Deliver

2006-11-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

Starving Students Deliver

Starving Students, the nation's leading local mover, volunteered its movers and trucks for the SOVA Food Pantry's High Holiday Food Drive. Six Starving Students movers and two trucks helped pick up and deliver donated groceries to the SOVA warehouse where they would be distributed to families in need. The movers traveled throughout Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley and loaded more than 29 pallets of groceries into their trucks collected from synagogues.The students picked up 34,800 pounds of donated groceries from 19 Jewish temples.

Starving Students mover Evan Howard takes a deep breath before moving the mountain of brown bags donated by Temple Aliyah.

For more information about SOVA, please contact Maxine Meyer at (818) 988-7682.

Read entire article at http://www.ssmovers.com/articles/JewishJournal_com.htm

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Los Angeles Times - Ups and downs

2006-10-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

Ups and downs
Which floor? It's a critical decision renters often make as an afterthought, but it can make or break happiness.
By Peter Bennett, Special to The Times

Beware the zoom lens
Of course, access works both ways. Street-level occupants may feel more vulnerable. Doors opened to catch the breeze are more likely to invite unexpected knocks, inquiries and the roving eyes of strangers — or even of neighbors. Legendary director Alfred Hitchcock played on those fears in "Rear Window," a classic 1954 film about a wheelchair-bound photographer, portrayed by Jimmy Stewart, who spies on his neighbors from his apartment window.

Cost is another factor in the upstairs-downstairs comparison. Stairs, for example, always magnify the agony and expense of moving furniture.

"Any time we're dealing with three or more flights of stairs, we have to add an extra man, which adds to the cost," said Megan Long, marketing director of Starving Students, a Los Angeles-based moving company. Closer to the roof and the sun's searing rays, upstairs units tend to be hotter, so air conditioners must run longer.

Yet, despite the drawbacks of summer heat and thigh-burning stairs, some landlords charge their tenants more for living upstairs. For Thomas' upstairs Rancho Cucamonga apartment, she pays a $90-a-month premium, although her unit is identical to the one directly below her. The difference in the monthly rents of the Pasadena foursome, however, is negligible, more a reflection of when they moved in than where.

Alan Nevin, chief economist for the California Building Industry Assn., said rents typically start rising for fourth-floor units and above. Better views and greater distance from street noise don't fully explain this price difference. Many people will simply pay more to one-up their neighbor — a living-above-the-crowd bias that's been hard-wired in humans since the first cliff dwellings were carved out.

"You're paying for prestige and privacy," Nevin said.

Another downside to living downstairs: Because of the law of gravity, clogged water pipes and leaky air-conditioning ducts typically cause greater damage to lower units. Renter's insurance provides some peace of mind, but even when renters are compensated for damages, they still have the hassle of filing claims, scheduling repairs and seeking substitute shelter.

Bonnie Bogharian, a Montrose shop owner who also has a Palm Springs apartment, drove out to her first-floor flat one weekend and never made it past the front door. A leak later traced to a faulty upstairs air conditioner had drenched her apartment, damaging paintings, carpets, clothes and furniture. "If I had to do it all again," Bogharian said, "I'd never live downstairs."

As more high-density housing goes up in Southern California, especially near major transit centers, more people will face the upstairs-downstairs question.

For now, Sipp, Rivers, Martinez and Valdez aren't budging from their Pasadena apartments, the women secure downstairs, the men upstairs.

"We love our neighborhood," Martinez said. "And if anything should happen, we always have Kelli and Audrey downstairs to protect us."

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Forbes.com - Starving Students Helps in the Fight Against Cancer

2006-08-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Starving Students Helps in the Fight Against Cancer

Starving Students Inc., the nation's leading local mover, helped aid the fight against cancer, volunteering its movers and services for the Concern Foundation's 32nd Annual Block Party, a charity event which raised an estimated $1.8 million for cancer research in one night.

Starving Students volunteered its movers and trucks for four days to help the Concern Foundation set up and get ready for the block party themed "Great Outdoors Adventure: The Expedition to Conquer Cancer" held Saturday evening on July 15 at the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood. The greatly anticipated charity event sold out, and the 4,000 guests reveled in casino-style gaming, lively musical entertainment, California wine tasting, interactive "outdoor" activities, and live and silent auctions.

"The evening was a huge success," says Steve Freed, Chairman of Concern Foundation, "and we couldn't have done it without help from Starving Students. No event of this size or magnitude could be orchestrated by just a few people. We are extremely thankful to Starving Students for helping us execute this event." The Concern Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has been raising funds for cancer research (prevention and treatment) since 1968.

"We aren't research scientists, we carry heavy things for a living," says Bear Barnes, CEO of Starving Students, "We're grateful to the Concern Foundation for giving us a way to help in the effort to find a cure for cancer." Starving Students also provided assistance for last year's Block Party and plans to continue helping the Concern Foundation in their future endeavors.

Starving Students is the nation's leading local mover and completes over 55,000 moves a year. It specializes in both local and long distance moves with a fleet of over 300 trucks. Starving Students has been in business for over 34 years and has 38 branches in 9 states.

For more information about the Concern Foundation, please visit http://www.concernfoundation.org/.
For more information about Starving Students, please contact Megan Long at 800-441-6683.

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Splash Magazines - Starving Students Movers - Why They Aren't Starving Anymore

2006-08-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Starving Students Movers - Why They Aren't Starving Anymore
By Anthony Heidenreich

Like most of us, I hate moving. The semi-annual ritual of packing all of my belongings into little boxes and relocating them across town/state/country. When you have to go through this trial there are a couple of options. You could pack up all of your belonging, rent a truck and handle it all yourself. I've done this, many, many times. The other and preferable method is to employ a professional moving company. We used Starving Students and things have never been easier.

Things started off well, with the Starving Students moving truck scheduled to arrive around 8am. At 7:30am I received their call and by 7:45am Steve Knight and Chad Koropp were on site. The paperwork is fairly straight forward, but make sure you pay attention to the coverage options. Another important piece of paperwork is the "Not o Exceed" amount. If you think that number too high or not what you agreed upon, call the office. From there, they survey and document your possessions. Go along with them to make sure everything gets listed.

Now that the preliminaries are completed, the move starts in earnest. By 10am the jam packed 10x10 storage unit was cleared out and we were on our way to my studio apartment. There they had to deal with street parking and an antiquated elevator. Steve and Chad repeated the survey and documentation process at the apartment. Once again, make sure to double check that they document everything. The elevator proved to be too much trouble for most of the move so they had to haul the stuff down the stairs. They were very careful with everything and overcame the precariousness of the stairs so that nothing was damaged. Despite the stairs and larger items, the apartment took under 3 hours.

They worked tirelessly taking breaks only long enough to drink some water on a hot June day. While it's not required of you, it is considerate to offer water or other beverages for them. With everything loaded and secured in the truck, we were off to the new apartment. There they had to move everything up a flight of stairs as the new place has no elevator. The boxes and other items were quickly and neatly stacked in the main room. While larger items, like the fridge and bed, were deposited in their final destinations. It took about 3 hours to unload the truck, an impressive feat considering the approximate five hours it took to load.

They had me do a final walk through on the truck and sign some paperwork before they were off. If you are as happy with your move as I was with mine, make sure to tip the movers. These guys do a lot of hard work.

http://www.lasplash.com/publish/NewTo/cat_index_moving_la/Starving_Students_Movers_-_Why_They_Aren_t_Starving_Anymore.php

Forbes.com - Starving Students Helps to Move the Needle on America's Dependence on Foreign Oil

2006-07-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

Starving Students Helps to Move the Needle on America's Dependence on Foreign Oil

Starving Students, the nation's leading local moving company, is fueling its San Francisco fleet with alternative biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel, derived from natural oils such as soybean. Widespread use of biodiesel would dramatically reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. Biodiesel is also a very environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum because it is free of sulfur and aromatics, and biodiesel emissions produce 50% less ozone-forming smog(1).

Biodiesel is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar.

Starving Students is in its 34th year of operation and in 2006 will move 56,000 families into new homes. To do this, its fleet of 250 moving trucks will consume 400,000 gallons of gas. The company decided to test using biodiesel in the Bay Area because it felt its customers there truly appreciate companies that consider the environment in their decision-making. "

Our dependence on foreign oil seems to get us into a lot of trouble these days," says Bear Barnes, CEO of Starving Students. "And as the father of three small children, it feels really good to do our part to support a technology that could have a lasting effect on the environment."

The transition to fueling with biodiesel was made easy for Starving Students because biodiesel can be used in unmodified diesel engines. Starving Students' San Francisco branch did little except change where they bought their fuel. "Yes, it costs a little more," says Barnes, "but as petroleum prices rise, and more companies adopt biodiesel the difference will get smaller and smaller."

For more information about this press release, please contact Megan Long 800-441-6683.
For more information about biodiesel fuel, please visit http://www.biodiesel.org/.

(1) http://www.biodiesel.org/

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Forbes.com - Women Comprise 20% of Starving Students Movers Field Management

2006-07-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Women Comprise 20% of Starving Students Movers Field Management

Women continue to make great strides in blue-collar industries. Starving Students, the nation's leading local mover, boasts 20% of its field management is comprised of women. At Starving Students, the women field managers and directors are growing in numbers and, more often than not, outperform their male peers. Two women managers Kim Nicholl and Sara Wicks credit their success in this male-dominated blue-collar industry, to three qualities: determination, drive to outperform, and detail-orientation.

Kim Nicholl, one of five regional directors for Starving Students, sets high expectations for herself, and this, she says, is how she consistently stays ahead of her all-male peers. She is often the number one regional director at Starving Students, maintaining high customer satisfaction ratings, high move completions, and low workers compensation claims. Kim Nicholl is the competition to beat.

Starving Students' Tacoma, Washington office is making great progress. It has been open less than a year, and under branch manager Sara Wick's management, it has risen into the top 5 branches in the country. That's because Sara makes sure her moving crews understand the rationale behind certain rules and procedures. By communicating in depth, Sara ensures her team stays focused, follows protocol, and delights customers.

The women at Starving Students are changing attitudes of everyone they meet. The results speak for themselves. The sole woman regional director out of five regional directors has spent most of her five years at Starving Students as the number one regional director. Also there are 8 women branch managers out of 38 branch managers, and four of the top eight branch managers are women. These women on the move continue to exceed expectations and goals, leading to the conclusion that perhaps the best man for the job is a woman!

For more information, please contact Megan Long at 800-441-6683.

Moving World - Wayne Heede Adds Mid-Atlantic Region Chief

2005-10-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Wayne Heede Adds Mid-Atlantic Region Chief

Starving Students, Inc., Los Angeles has hired Michael Wayne Heede to head its Mid-Atlantic territory as the new regional director.

In this position, Heede will lead the branches in Baltimore, MD, Richmond, VA, Alexandria, VA, Washington D.C., and Wilmington, DE.

Heede has over 20 years of management experience in retail and manufacturing, the moving company said.

Prior to joining Starving Students, Heede served as the Baltimore/Washington D.C., regional manager for Solectron.

In that role he was responsible for managing service departments at 27 Verizon Wireless locations all across the Northeast.

"We are very pleased to bring Wayne on board: I am certain his extensive expertise in people management and customer service will be a great asset to our company," said Mike Rice, vice-president of operations for Starving Students.

Heede said, "Starving Students is growing rapidly and I am looking forward to bringing the Mid-Atlantic region to great heights."

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Las Vegas Business Press - Movers Prosper Despite Gypsy Competition

2005-09-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas Business Press
Movers Prosper Despite Gypsy Competition

BY STEVEN MIHAILOVICH
BUSINESS PRESS

The endless stream of people moving to Las Vegas makes moving companies one of the healthiest businesses in the valley.

Los Angeles-based Starving Students moving company has seen nothing but growth since opening here five years ago. The company did 3,777 moves in Las Vegas last year, up nearly 59 percent from its 2003 total of 2,229. This year it is on track to complete 5,600 moves.

That kind of success has brought quite a few players who don't play by the rules.

"People can get a business license easily," said Richard Preston, manager of Starving Students' branch on Kimberly Avenue and the company's supervisor for all three Las Vegas branches. "You can buy or lease a truck and call yourself a moving company."

Movers need more than a business license. They must have a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Transportation Services Authority to operate legally in Nevada. There are 36 certified movers in the state. There are 76 movers listed in the latest edition of the Las Vegas Yellow pages. (Some are legitimate packing and loading companies, moving brokers and storage sites.)

According to Preston, there were 17 certified movers in Nevada when he joined Starving Students in 2002 and 95 listed in the Las Vegas Yellow Pages. The Transportation Services Authority did not dispute the figure.

Legal companies are bound by numerous regulations, each adding to operating costs. Licensed movers must, for example, use full-time employees and carry workers compensation insurance, as well as indemnify the customer's goods. They also have to maintain their trucks. Unlicensed outfits don't follow those rules and undercut Starving Students' $65 to $104 hourly rates.

"The guy operating illegally can take his truck anywhere -- to his nephew's garage," Preston said. "The illegal mover uses contract labor. We have to have full-time employees. The illegal company doesn't have this administrative requirement, so he doesn't have the same costs as we do and so he is taking home more in revenues."

Preston knows price is the sole criteria for many people but he warns that there are also dangers. If law enforcement closes an illegal operator, there's no way to get a refund on unfinished work. And any injured worker can sue the client.

The Transportation Services Authority began cracking down on illegal moving companies in 2003 when the Legislature strengthened the legislation. State agents were empowered to impound trucks and disconnect the phones of illegal operators. In the past 18 months, the agency has impounded 18 vehicles and disconnected 32 phone lines.

And that has boosted Starving Student's business. "When illegal or unlicensed businesses are driven out, the business comes to us," said Sachin Gadhvi, vice president of sales and marketing at Starving Students' corporate offices.

With margins averaging as much as 25 percent, Preston has no illusions that the crackdown will close the black market.

Whatever its disadvantages, Starving Students operates 19 trucks with about 30 full-time employees, which balloons to 60 during the busiest summer months.

The Beverly Branch near Boulder Highway draws more business than any other local office across 10 states. Demand in Las Vegas has been so great that the company recently opened a third office in 2,000 square feet of leased space near Russell Avenue and Valley View Boulevard.

Despite the booming population, Starving Students does 80 percent of its business with people moving house within Clark County.

"Our business is very good," Preston said. "It's primarily the large amount of people coming to Las Vegas every month. People come into an apartment and then find a better place to stay. They figure out where they want to be in reference to their job."

Starving Students mostly operates in western states and that means many of the newcomers have never heard of it. To capture their share of that market, Starving Students has relied primarily on ads in the Yellow Pages.

"It's tough to market yourself in that manner," said Preston. "People coming from out of state already have other carriers to bring them here from another state."

Starving Students has learned that the best way to get potential new customers is to build its reputation with existing customers. Trucks with the familiar Starving Students logo painted on three sides become large mobile billboards on the job.

"People see us and we get a lot of calls," said Preston. "They ask a neighbor or a real estate agent who they would recommend. We really rely on word of mouth."

Started in 1973, the privately-owned company is exploring alternatives to its current marketing direction, including a possible change to the stalwart logo. Gadhvi said those decisions will be made in winter.

"There is a whole host of marketing initiatives," he said. "We'll do testing and look at all our messages and the media. We have a very strong brand. The trucks are very recognized by people. We want to build on our strengths."

Starving Students also rolled out its Next Day Express Service in July.

People moving between Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix can have their furniture and household moved to their homes within 24 hours. That beats the national movers that usually require five days to complete a move.

"When you call a (larger national mover), they can't give you a specific time," Gadhvi explained. "They say sometime between Monday and Friday and we'll give you call. They contract someone locally to unload. We don't have to hire someone else. We already have guys in the local branches, so it's just one more move." Just as the company is contemplating changing the image, the express service was added to protect the brand while expanding its lucrative Southwest operations.

"Because we have a great brand name in the local business, we get so many calls for long distance," Gadhvi added. "Instead of selling to a company that isn't ours, we'll keep it in-house. If the customer has a bad experience, they're not going to say it was the long distance subcontractor. They'll associate it with us."

bpeditor@lvpress.com 702-871-6780 x319

Palo Alto Weekly Online - The 18-year-old CEO Many students starting own businesses

2005-08-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

The 18-year-old CEO Many students starting own businesses
by Alexandria Rocha

In the early 1970s, a fresh high school graduate was having trouble finding a part-time job to pay his way through college. With a bit of creativity and an old pick-up truck, the student, started the Starving Students, Inc. moving company, now a successful business known nationally for its entrepreneurial beginnings.

Teenagers in Palo Alto must have a little starving student in their bones. While high school students have been mowing their neighbors' lawns and baby sitting their toddlers to earn extra cash for decades, the new wave of young, business-savvy teens are launching Web sites and full-scale service companies.

Call it the era of the 18-year-old CEO.

"Entrepreneurial ship at this age amazes me. It teaches excellent responsibility," said Meri Gyves, director of Gunn and Palo Alto high schools' joint work experience program. "This is not a group of slackers. If anything they need to learn how to relax. This is the generation that will need the cabin up in Wisconsin where you can't get a phone."

Gyves is onto something. The two recent high school grads featured below have dedicated countless hours toward their business creations. For Len Kozhukh, 18 -- whose peer and partner Kayvan Farzaneh could not be reached -- it's a Web site called JobSherpa, which aims to link high school students and employers. For Allon Jacobs, an '04 Gunn alumni, it's a local house painting business.

Last summer, Kozhukh, who graduated from Paly in June and is headed to UC Berkeley this fall, was casually talking to friends about job hunting. They all concurred it was not the easiest task to do in the Silicon Valley.

"You either get (a job) by word of mouth or by walking around seeing help wanted signs, or through parents," said Kozhukh, during a phone interview this week.

Kozhukh and Farzaneh wanted to make it easier for their peers. They decided to create a Web site similar to Monster.com, which allows job seekers and employers to search for each other. They called it JobSherpa, and it's different from the model in that it's only for high school and college students. It's also local.

"We were high school students so we had lots of friends looking for jobs, college friends as well. There is a clear need of such a service to make it much easier for students to find full-time and part-time jobs," Kozhukh said. "We decided we would at once try to fill this need and possibly make a little money on the side."

JobSherpa was launched in January and it currently has about 15 businesses advertising positions. Kozhukh said the site gets hits every day, but there is no way to measure how many students have obtained jobs through its services.

The partners are now trying to link up with major corporations interested in posting open positions across the country and internationally on a continuous basis.

Jacobs' position is similar in that he is solely responsible for operating his painting business. His work, however, is linked to a national company called College Works, which helps dozens of college students across the country set up their own house painting businesses by providing them managerial training and the funds to get off the ground.

Jacobs, 19, who will start his sophomore year at UC Davis this fall, interviewed with College Works and was hired as a branch manager, along with his brother Eadon. The boys are triplets with their sister Leore.

Working across the Peninsula, the brothers have so far done about two dozen painting jobs each. They don't do any actual painting, but are responsible for hiring experienced workers, supervising them and buying the supplies. They also advertise for jobs and give estimates.
"The real world isn't something that can be taught in the classroom, that's why we wanted to do this," said Allon Jacobs, who is leaning toward pre-med at UC Davis.

Allon said his hard-working parents have also been a big source of inspiration. The triplets' dad is a doctor at Kaiser Permanente who also runs his own start-up in the medical field. Their mom is currently starting her own business in online retail.

"We understand that being an entrepreneur grants you a lot of freedoms that are otherwise hard to achieve," Allon said. "We wanted to get a head start."

To read the full article, visit http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2005/2005_08_05.priceside.shtml

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Inc. Magazine - Volunteering: The New Employee Perk

1997-09-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Volunteering: The New Employee Perk
By: Susan Greco

Another logical approach is to use your company's work skills to fill a local need. That's what Abby Margalith, owner of the Starving Students of San Diego moving company, has done. Over the past 10 years, Starving Students has helped relocate more than 100 women and children from abusive homes. Margalith started small and got help. A local YWCA handles most of the up-front work, while Margalith's staff, which varies between 25 and 65 employees, helps coordinate the details. Special crews do the moves using an unmarked van. "It tends to be the same crews that volunteer to do them over and over again," explains Margalith. "They don't talk about what they see, but they're always enthusiastic about going back."

Read full article here http://www.inc.com/magazine/19970901/1323.html

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Inc. Magazine - Where Great Ideas for Businesses Come From

1993-09-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Where Great Ideas for New Businesses Come From
From: Inc. Magazine, Sept 1993 From: Inc magazine Sept 1993 By: Inc Staff

Just Say Yes -or- Oops, We Must Be in the Moving Business Siblings Ethan and Abby Margalith just wanted some spending money for the summer of 1973. Abby was 19 and waiting tables. Ethan had just finished high school and couldn't find a summer job, so he borrowed a truck and hauled some odds and ends to the local swap meet. He made a few bucks but earned even more delivering some chairs for a dealer who spotted his truck. When he got the cash, he realized, Hey, this could turn into a summer job! Soon Abby joined in.

Their first moving truck was a 1944 weapons carrier rescued from a mud slide. The owner had told the Margaliths, "If you can dig it out, you can have it." An artist friend painted "Starving Students" and the Margalith home phone number on the side, and the siblings parked the truck in Beverly Hills at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Sunset boulevards.

"This was when movers still wore full uniforms and little hats" and had prices to match, says Abby. "We became the no-frills, low-cost mover." Abby and Ethan's fliers echoed the Age of Aquarius: "To us, you're beautiful people, not chickens ripe for plucking," read one. "Twenty-four-hour service for lease breakers!" read another. The Margaliths billed themselves as "cheap, fast, funny, reliable." They took personal checks. They didn't have a clue what they were doing.
Yet their phone rang off the hook.

College semesters came and went, and neither knew the moving industry was strictly regulated until the day, three years later, the Public Utilities Commission knocked on the door and explained that if Starving Students wanted to keep on trucking, the Margaliths needed a license. So they shut down for six months to get licensed -- and take their finals. By then, the neophyte haulers had six trucks and 15 on-call employees. They also had twice the business they could handle.

The little office survived on sheer willpower. "We didn't know how hard it would be, so we didn't say no," says Ethan. It wasn't until he reached law school that Ethan realized they'd been running a company -- and that he liked it. He graduated in 1984 but blew off the bar, deciding instead to take the moving business seriously.

Since then, Starving Students has opened in 14 locations in five states; Abby runs a separate San Diego office, and Ethan the rest. They've reached combined sales of $15 million. And in a low-margin industry, they've funded growth entirely through cash flow. Abby says, "We stuck with it because it's fun, it's exciting, and it's profitable."
-- Phaedra Hise* * *

Read the entire article at http://www.ssmovers.com/articles/inc.html

Starving Students Moving Company
Corporate Office: 1850 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (800) 506-0366
http://www.ssmovers.com/

Inc. 5000

1983-01-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

No. 305 Starving Students, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
Year 1983
Growth 611.7%
Revenue $2.9 million
Employees 200
What it does: Moving companies