With housing prices expected to fall over the next year, you can be sure that people will be looking into purchasing new properties while prices are low. This will most likely drive peoples needs to hire a moving company to move their belongings into their new homes. Starting a moving business is pretty straightforward when you’re clued up, so here is some information to help you set up your business.
Permits and Insurance
Different countries require moving companies to have different permits and licenses, so it’s best to check with your local council about what you will need. In terms of insurance, you should have professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, and goods in transit insurance so that you are covered in case of accidental damage or injuries. You will also need vehicle insurance, or fleet insurance if you’re planning on having several moving vans.
Costs
You’ll have to factor in the start-up costs and the everyday costs of running a moving company. Here is a list of items that will cost your business:
- Permits, licenses and insurance
- Purchasing a van (or vans)
- Van maintenance and repairs
- MOTs (your van’s breaks may need to be tested with a dynamometer or you may need your lights changed)
- Fuel
- Paying employees
- Storage facilities
- Moving boxes (of various sizes)
- Packing and wrapping materials
- A toolkit
- A first aid kit
- Ropes and straps and furniture belts
- Moving blankets and pads
- Moving dollies and piano moving board
- A ramp (to make moving things up steps easier)
Additional Services
If you don’t think that simply hiring out moving vans and trucks will be sustainable in the long run then there are other things your business can do to bring in money. Most movers provide additional services other than the hire of moving vans. Most people will want to know if your company provides the packaging materials, such as cardboard boxes, etc., and you can charge an extra fee for this.
You can also charge separately for loading and unloading and for packing and unpacking items. Some people may have valuable possessions or difficult to pack items, which your company can pack for them. Offering to unpack these items will also help your client with a stress-free move. You can also charge for furniture dismantling, if they have furniture that is to big or bulky to fit into the van, such as beds and wardrobes.
You should also consider investing in a storage facility and storage containers. Many people find it overwhelming to move all of their belongings all at once and may want to move things into their home gradually. In the meantime, they’ll need somewhere to store it all and that is where having a storage facility will come in handy.
Advertising and Promotion
You’ll need to set up a website for your company so that people can read about your business and services, book and hire your company, contact you with any questions.
You should also invest in onsite and offsite SEO to improve your search engine rankings. There are plenty of companies that can help you with this service whether you are looking to promote your work in the UK or want SEO Services in Mississauga.
Word of mouth is important to moving businesses. If you do well, then your clients will be sure to recommend you to their friends and family. You should also ask for them to leave an online review so other potential clients will see it when they look you up.
It may be beneficial for you to join an association or directory, such as the British Association of Removers, the National Guild of Removers & Storers, or the Association of Independent Movers, which will help improve your moving company’s visibility and to make it easier to find.
Hiring
When you start out, you’ll want to keep the number of employees to a minimum until work picks up, since you’ll have to factor in the cost of paying your employees. As your business expands and you get more work in, you can hire more experienced movers to join your company. Make sure that when you’re hiring that all potential employees have experience driving a van or a truck, have had previous moving experience and be good with customers.
Image Credits: Artem Podrez
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