By Bree Andersen
WisBusiness.com
MADISON, Wis. — As nearly 76 million baby boomers reach retirement age by 2011, Transitions Inc. is anticipating its own “boom.”
Now in its 10th year, Transitions Inc. is a Wisconsin-based, senior moving management company designed specifically to meet the needs of mature adults and their families with busy lifestyles. It provides needed services to Dane County, and will soon expand to surrounding areas where there may be growing needs for relocation services.
The company was one of four winners in the Elevator Pitch Olympics at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, which was held Oct. 30 and 31 in Madison.
Transitions was founded in 1996 by Bonnie R. Greenwood, who still owns and operates the company that caters to our most vulnerable populations. Few services were available to elderly adults and physically disabled individuals at the time, which inspired Greenwood, who had been working in the real-estate industry, to start a company with a socially vital purpose.
Transitions develops a plan that meets the need of each of its customers. Services provided may include:
Assisting individuals with identifying and touring care facilities.
Arranging and providing all aspects to assure a smooth transition into a new home.
Inventorying household items and furniture.
Cleaning out attics, closets, basements, storage and garage areas.
Arranging packing/shipping of all inventory, including furniture.
Greenwood said the company remains passionate about providing relocation assistance with integrity, professionalism and a caring nature. Individual services provided to the clients are important, and integral to that is providing a “peace of mind” every step of the process.
Transitions is in the process of organizing a limited liability company (LLC) to facilitate the growth of its business. The company plans to license its intellectual property to the LLC and train new LLC participants in order to create an opportunity for the individuals to participate in the growth of Transitions.
The commitment to excellence in services at Transitions Inc. is provided for each of its clients and is woven into each individual move, Greenwood said. Transitions is currently looking for high-caliber individuals who share quality-driven passion and are interested in being an owner-manager. In the coming months Transitions has scheduled free seminars in the Madison area for the best candidates.
Focusing on the Dane County area and growth throughout Wisconsin over the next two years, the mission of Transitions is to build a successful business system that focuses on the building healthier environments for elderly people in their communities.
Transitions has not grown through traditional marketing techniques. Greenwood said the company has grown mainly by “word of mouth,” with loyal customers who have been impressed with their experience sharing their experience with others.
Greenwood hopes her business concept will blossom and that investors, who are often drawn to high-tech companies, will take notice the potential of companies in the human services sector. She hopes investors will realize the importance of her mission to provide hassle-free, customized moving plans for each customer, as a large portion of our population is reaching an age where such services are needed.
Andersen is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.
