One Year Later . . .

Bill Tray and his wife, Carol Kelly, had a hunch their new service business would work, largely because they couldn't find a business like it when they needed one. So a little more than a year ago, the Estero couple launched Next Move, a company that helps seniors relocate from larger living spaces to smaller ones, such as retirement communities. That means Tray and Kelly pack, move, switch utilities, clean, unpack and perform other essential relocation services for their clients.

After a slow start, Tray and Kelly realized their instincts would pay off. They have since moved around 225 customers. "Our basic business plan called for us to go out and create a niche market," says Tray, 57. "What that did was really eliminate any competition."

The idea came nearly three years ago when Kelly had to move her 93-year-old mother from a larger home on Florida's east coast to Minnesota and then, a few months later, to Naples. Kelly bounced back and forth making all of the arrangements. Tray, a one-time stockbroker, and Kelly, a former travel agent, decided they could help other people avoid the anxiety and logistical challenges of moving older parents.

To market the company, the couple visited several chamber of commerce functions and contacted retirement villages. A little was spent on advertising.

Next Move charges $75 an hour for moving and $25 per hour to sort belongings and papers and perform other tasks.

As Next Move has grown, Tray has learned some valuable lessons. He's taken on tasks he hadn't considered, such as helping people sell their cars. He also has leased 400 square feet of storage space for clients. "You have to be very flexible," he says.