May 8, 2017

Meet LaShunda Burrage of Atlanta Flat Rate Movers in Marietta

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to LaShunda Burrage.

Thanks for sharing your story with us LaShunda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Honestly, we hadn’t realized that we had done anything special by starting a moving company, until friends and family seemed surprised (and disappointed) that we were moving forward with it. Brandon has a degree in criminal justice and briefly held a job as an Illinois State Trooper. I got a business degree through a former employer, but I never wanted to be an entrepreneur. We were adults who still didn’t know what we wanted to be when we grew up. Then life gave us some direction.

Our entry into the moving industry started with Brandon. He needed a job after a cousin convinced him to move to Houston, TX, which is where we met. He started moving furniture as he made plans to join the Texas State Police. With Brandon’s personality and work ethic, it didn’t take long for him to climb the ladder to manager at a company where he started out as a $10 an hour helper. That’s when the call came. The company he was working for wanted him to relocate to Atlanta to open and oversee a new branch. We were a new couple, so moving was not an option for me at the time. So, he left. We had been dating long-distance for two years when the company he was working for decided to pull out of the Atlanta market. We had a decision to make.

Atlanta had become a second home to me and my daughter, and Brandon having to move back to Houston to pick up where he left off didn’t make much sense. I convinced him that he should open his own moving company and that I would move here to help him – once he married me. I moved to Atlanta (Kennesaw, specifically) two days after we were married. The marriage and the company started almost the same day. It was the most difficult point in both of our lives. New marriage. New company. New city. New fears. If it wasn’t for our faith, we would have turned and bolted years ago. We stayed the course and we are so happy we did.

The moving industry is rough, but it was always important to me that we put professionalism and concern for our customers above all else. Not the most popular decision in this line of work, but it was the only way I could sleep at night. Several years back, an illegal moving company used our name to hurt a lot of unsuspecting customers. There were dozens of horrible reviews written about that company – in our name. Thanks to a FOX 5 interview with the amazing Dana Fowle, we were able to let the city of Atlanta know about these criminals and give the residents advice on how to protect themselves. The interview is still on our website.

Our company’s tenth anniversary is in November of this year and it’s kind of surreal. I mean, we were present for every moment of it, but a decade just seemed to have happened upon us. It had very humble beginnings, but it’s been our only substantial source of income the entire time. We started with nothing. No credit. No loans. Hardly any cash. Just crazy ambition. There is a sign hanging in our lobby that reads “Where the heck is easy street?” and it tells a story. We’ve gotten better every year, and our A+ with the BBB was what I needed to confirm that we were on the right track. I still can’t understand why so many people in the Atlanta area move so often, but I’m so happy they do!

Has it been a smooth road?
For the first six years or so, all the money the company needed to operate came from the company. The money from each move was used to pay our expenses because we had no separate funds to allocate to our overhead. It made things very tight at times, but I was secretly proud that our company didn’t have any debt. Borrowing power eventually came, and it allowed us to be able to focus on our services – not our bank account. It allowed us to be able to pay ourselves actual salaries and have health insurance. There are many things we took for granted when we worked for other companies.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Atlanta Flat Rate Movers – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a professional moving company. We serve residential and commercial clients – here and throughout the US. Our specialty is in the name. Moving can be very expensive and being able to provide customers with flat rates gives them peace of mind. Our flat rates are more expensive than our block-of-time packages, of course, but our customers who have rather large inventories appreciate knowing what their move will cost before the move begins.

We are proud to have so many repeat customers. It says a lot because there are so many moving companies out there. When a customer returns to us, it says that we left them with the impression that we enjoy meeting their needs – and we do.

Our core is what sets us apart from other moving companies. Brandon and I each have unique talents and they come together in a way that makes working together effective and rewarding.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Atlanta is dynamic. It changes daily and I like that. I feel this is the reason so many people are constantly relocating throughout the city. As for what we don’t like, I must say that the traffic can be a bit overwhelming. Nonetheless, Atlanta is home and we’ve come to appreciate everything about it.

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