My Biz: Marion business specializes in transitions for senior citizens

Gina Ballestrasse-Ernster loves old things.

She lives in a house that was built in 1893. She loves antiques. She rescues senior dogs.

And four years ago, she channeled her passion for working with older people into her own business specifically designed to help senior citizens have easier transitions.

Smooth Moves by Gina is a senior move management company that offers a variety of services to customers throughout the Cedar Rapids/Marion area and beyond.

After helping a friend with a downsizing project at a family member's home, Ballestrasse-Ernster got the idea for Smooth Moves by Gina. She wrote her business plan ten years ago and has quite literally been on the move and working with clients since 2011.

'We do everything it takes to help our clients and make it easy for them through the transition process,” she said of Smooth Move by Gina's services. 'We go to the home and start with downsizing and decluttering. Then we help stage the home to put it up for sale. Next we'll pack and move our clients and unpack at their new home for them. When the house sells we finish emptying it out. That timeline can be three to four months.”

She also noted that Smooth Moves by Gina can help a client with just one component of the process, such as packing up and moving say from a home to a retirement community.

Ballestrasse-Ernster is not only the owner of the company - handling all aspects of the business from invoicing to marketing - but she is also present for all transitions, digging in and doing the decluttering, organizing and packing her clients need.

'One week we might be working on downsizing a home,” she explained, 'and then the next week I may have two of three moves to coordinate and handle.” She estimates that on average she is working with four to five clients per week. 'Sometimes there are less and sometimes there are more.”

Spring is not surprisingly the busiest time of year for Smooth Moves by Gina.

'As it gets nicer people want to move. 'But people move year-round,” she said. 'And when you are working with the category of seniors you may have a much shorter timeline, say they call and they need to be moved right away. This work can be very deadline driven.”

While Ballestrasse-Ernster is the only full-time employee of her company, she does have a team of eight people she calls on to assist her on various jobs.

'I just call and let them know what dates I am working and they tell me if they are available to help out,” she said. 'This gives everyone the flexibility they need.”

Ballestrasse-Ernster does hope to grow the company and add on another full-time staff person in the not-so-distance future so she can free up more of her time as owner.

While working with seniors has been a great niche for Smooth Moves by Gina, Ballestrasse-Ernster said she does work with a variety of clients of all ages. She also works with a fair number of Realtors.

'We are a full service shop,” she added. 'I have a handyman, a carpet cleaner, a painter and a house cleaner I work with to help clients with whatever they need.”

AT A GLANCE

Name: Gina Ballestrasse-Ernster

Title: Owner

Company: Smooth Moves by Gina

Address: Marion

Phone: (319) 573-2642

Website: www.smoothmovesbygina.com