Pre-Conference I:  Growing Pains to Growing Gains - Lessons in Resilience from Two Decades of Business Evolution

Thursday, October 1
9:00 am – 11:00 am

All companies face challenges, but 24 years of success results from continuous growth.

In this two-hour session, Smart Moves owner Melinda Stuart and her team members, Jenni Lewkowski and Leigh Anne Spears, pull back the curtain on two decades of growth. From the high-stakes navigation of ownership changes to the delicate art of team transitions, they share the "scars" and successes of their journey. You’ll learn how to move through organizational shifts with confidence and equip your business to not just survive growth, but to thrive because of it.

• Recognize the specific "growing pains" inherent to different stages of business maturity to proactively manage transitions rather than reacting to crises
• Evaluate key lessons from a 24-year case study—including ownership shifts and leadership growth—to avoid common pitfalls during industry changes
• Implement strategies to navigate personnel challenges and leadership transitions while maintaining organizational trust and operational momentum
• Articulate the critical role of mission statements, visions, and core values in stabilizing a business during periods of destabilizing growth
• Apply practical steps to refine company culture, using core values as a primary tool for consistent decision-making and long-term resilience.

 

Pre-Conference II: The Business of Better Pricing - Profitable Estimating

Thursday, October 1

11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Many Senior Move Managers want stronger profitability, yet struggle with inconsistent estimating, unclear scope definition, and the limitations of hourly billing. When pricing feels uncertain, client price shock increases, margins shrink, and growth becomes unpredictable. This session introduces a practical, repeatable framework for structured, outcome-based project pricing that strengthens both client confidence and long-term business sustainability.

Drawing from real-world implementation inside a multi-person Senior Move Management company, Nicole Ramer will demonstrate how organizing services into clearly defined estimating components — using density, square footage, and scope clarity — creates consistent, defensible project pricing. We will examine how hourly billing can unintentionally limit profitability and amplify client anxiety, and how shifting to structured, outcome-based pricing reduces pricing hesitation, eliminates refund scenarios caused by team efficiency, and improves operational forecasting.

The session will also include live application examples within NASMM 360, the association's move management software platform (included with NASMM membership for businesses managing up to 15 active projects), illustrating how structured estimating integrates directly with invoicing and profitability tracking. We’ll explore how technology supports scope visibility, standardizes calculations, and connects estimating decisions to real financial outcomes. The focus will be on business strategy and implementation — not feature-by-feature product training — with NASMM 360 serving as an example of how estimating systems across the board reinforce consistency, forecasting accuracy, and operational clarity.

• Evaluate the financial impact of hourly billing versus structured project-based pricing within their own move management businesses
• Calculate and interpret key profitability indicators that influence estimating decisions and long-term sustainability
• Design a repeatable estimating structure using density, square footage, and clearly defined service components
• Implement communication strategies that reduce client price shock and increase confidence in project pricing
• Explain how NASMM 360 integrates estimating, invoicing, and forecasting to support operational effectiveness and scalable growth