Why this five-star moving company takes TikTok behind the scenes of its expansion

Moving is an emotional experience for many, Chase Higgins said, which is why it is crucial for him and his team to set a positive tone during what could be a stressful day.  

“A lot of people are moving because of a new job; or they are at a new school; or unfortunately, they’re going through a divorce. Whatever that dynamic may be, the moving process carries an emotional weight with it — and the last thing you want to worry about is your dresser getting scratched,” explained Higgins, who co-founded Let’s Get Moving with Kyle Allen, Stephen Lomas and Desi Kraus. “So if we’re having fun while doing a good job, then that allows us to give the customer an awesome first day in their new home.” 

Click here to check out Let’s Get Moving. 

Their focus on bringing laughter and joy to others has resulted in the moving company’s perfect five-star rating on Google and Facebook — and built a viral following on the popular video sharing platform TikTok. 

“From the beginning, I truly believed that if you take care of people — even if it costs you more money — you’re planting seeds for the future of your company,” Higgins said. “We set out to build a really strong connection with the people [who] we move because community is so important; and that community will naturally grow if you care for people.”

Building a business

Let’s Get Moving started in 2015, but Higgins, Allen and Lomas built a foundation as childhood friends. The trio also shared the same late-mentor, Tony Rumley, who owned and operated My Mountain Movers. 

“Tony really showed us the basics of operating the business while we were conducting moves,” Allen shared. “He unfortunately passed away from a heart attack, and we were figuring out what we were going to do next.”

Unable to purchase My Mountain Movers, the men decided to start their own company.

As the trio were movers by trade, it took recruiting Kraus in 2017 to take the Let’s Get Moving business strategy to the next level, Lomas noted.

“We weren’t necessarily neglecting the business side,” Lomas said. “We were just so concerned about getting five star reviews and being perfect movers that we didn’t have a lot of the long-term business aspects in mind.”

The most difficult piece for Higgins, Allen, and Lomas: relinquishing their own day-to-day moving responsibilities as the business expanded.

“To take a step back from being on-site and moving, it puts the systems to test,” Kraus noted. “But once you realize that you’ve got a good system in place and can trust your team, it makes everything a lot easier and allows us to envision the business as a whole.”

The Let’s Get Moving team fluctuates throughout the year, as workers seasonally leave for college in the fall and the summer tends to have a higher demand for movers; but the full team ranges anywhere between 30 to 45 employees, Higgins said. 

With their main warehouse located in KCMO, the business is also slowly expanding to a warehouse in Dallas, Texas, they shared. 

“We’re currently working on getting the tedious, structural things down in order to expand,” Kraus said. “… But Kansas City is where we’re from and where the business headquarters are going to stay.”

Chase Higgins, Stephen Lomas, Kyle Allen and Desi Kraus, Let's Get Moving

Chase Higgins, Stephen Lomas, Kyle Allen and Desi Kraus, Let's Get Moving

Personalities shine on TikTok 

Unlike most traditional moving operations, the Let’s Get Moving team launched a company TikTok account to share what a typical day looks like.

“We’ve been best friends for years, so everyday on the job has been a blast,” Allen said. “TikTok allows us to do the things we were already doing and share what we think is funny with others.” 

“That’s exactly it,” Higgins added. “When we’re on moves, we’re dragging the customer into our shenanigans, roasting each other; and everyone is laughing and having a good time. We would be acting that way whether or not we were recording it.” 

Although the TikTok account has received more than a half-million likes, the men never saw the video sharing platform as a marketing strategy, they said. 

“We have gotten several calls from TikTok, so it has definitely been beneficial,” Kraus said, noting that their TikTok caters to a broader audience than their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

“We had tried to make goofy videos of us being ourselves on Facebook, but it was just different,” Lomas said. “TikTok allows us to be more ourselves.”

“ — and push the envelope,” Higgins added. 

Click here to follow Let’s Get Moving on TikTok.

 

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Intentionality in teamwork 

The founders attributed the company’s success to their strong, close-knit team.

“Everything starts with the people you hire,” Higgins said. “Finding people who are going to mesh well — while also valuing the same principles that we do as a company — is super important. … Putting more energy and effort [into the hiring process] upfront will pay for itself in the long run.”

“We can teach anybody to be movers; it’s not rocket science,” Allen noted. “So we hire from the perspective of the things we can’t teach — like truly wanting to take care of the customer. We also make sure to take good care of our employees and give them the tools so that they can be successful.”

Let’s Get Moving has hired individuals from across Kansas City, they said, adding that it is rewarding to see their current and former employees continue friendly relationships. 

“There’s a bit of a social aspect to it because moving is hard,” Lomas said. “It’s hard labor, and if you don’t get along with your partner, that makes it harder. It is one of the main reasons I wanted to work with my friends.” 

As local movers who are passionate about their home, the men see their work as a contribution to make their city a better place, they said — both through the actual labor and through the energy they bring to others. 

“Our goal is to have people in Kansas City stop using these national companies who don’t care about them,” Higgins said. “We love Kansas City. We love being here. We are watching the city grow every day, and we want to grow with it.”