Meyr Aviv

Try, try, and try again. I don’t believe in something being too tough.

 

Meyr Aviv spent the first three years after high school serving in the army. After finishing his service, he married and moved to the U.S. in 1999 where he got his start at a New York moving company.

After moving his way up through the company, Meyr Aviv decided he was ready to take the next step and become an entrepreneur. This is when he decided to open his own national moving company, Moving APT, where he would work to connect with moving companies all over the U.S.

Now a family of three, Meyr Aviv divides his time between Moving APT, his other companies and being at home with his wife and baby.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

When I first moved to the United States, I was lucky to find a job at a moving company in New York. I spent a few years working my way up in this company and then I decided I wanted to open my company. I didn’t want it to just be another moving company. I wanted it to be a company that matches moving companies and clients for mutual benefit. That is when I created Moving APT.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I like to start every day with a workout. It’s either swimming, going or going to the gym. When I return, I spend some time with my baby before getting started with work. Around 11 a.m., I get to the office and begin checking emails and attending meetings. I respond to phone calls and emails all day. Typically, I will stay in the Moving APT office until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Everyday there are new obstacles to face, and I am trying to be as efficient as I can for my employees at Moving APT. For example, say that we’ve noticed that the response rate for our emails is low. We will try to find a new and creative way to get more people to read and respond to our emails and then we test those ideas. We do this not just for emails, sometimes it about changing how we pitch to clients or how we close deals with clients. Sometimes we record closing conversations so we can reflect on them after and suggest ways to improve.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I love all of technology. I’m really interested in anything related to A.I. I love how far they’ve come with it and how much you can use it to improve your business. I like the new trends out there for marketing, particularly newer marketing tools because they are great for analyzing data at Moving APT.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I love it when someone comes to me with a difficult situation and I have to find an answer. I don’t rest until I find the answer. If I don’t find an answer, I will tweak the situation until I can. For example, say Moving APT was trying to collaborate with another company. I have to find a way for them to work with me for their best value. I have to get very creative sometimes.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Try, try, and try again. I don’t believe in something being too tough.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

It is so energizing to wake up early and get a head start on the day. When I finish my workout first thing in the morning, I feel ready to tackle the rest of my day.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I stay focused on the situation at hand until I find the answer or the right way to do it. I do this over and over, focusing on the problem. I think everyone should try to be as focused as possible when figuring something out by removing any distractions and never giving up.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

My strategy is I treat my staff right. When the employees at Moving APT come to work, they want to be treated well and feel respected and then in turn they perform better because they enjoy coming to work every day. When my employees are happy, my business is more successful.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

My belief is there are no real failures because when you fail at something there are always good things you can learn from it. Any time I didn’t succeed at something, I would always learn a lot from it. I take what I learn and use it next time to succeed. I don’t believe in failure, I believe in try again.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I think the moving industry is the only business right now that isn’t fully done online. What I mean by that is, for example, if I want to book a flight I can go online and look and compare all these different airline prices for the flight. But I can’t do that for different moving companies. I want an expedia.ca for moving companies.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I actually spent it last night at a restaurant in Miami Beach. I took my wife out to dinner.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I use a lot of different software and web services and when I combine them all together they help make Moving APT successful. I don’t think one in specific is better than the rest.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma because it gives you a perspective on life. Sometimes we are so busy day to day that we forget about the big picture. Usually we don’t think about these things until someone passes away, but we should always be thinking about the bigger picture in life. It will make you a better person.

What is your favorite quote?

“Appreciate every moment in our life, including right now.”

Key Learnings:

● Challenge yourself to find the answer, and enjoy the challenge.
● Try, try, and try again. Never give up.
● Treat your employees well and your business will be successful.