Tips for starting a moving business

Starting any kind of a business comes with challenges of its own. Having a good plan and a well-researched consumer base is a must for almost any kind of venture. However, one of the biggest impacts on your newly started business will be knowing the best practices of an industry. Starting a moving business is no different in this regard. However, if approached correctly, it can turn out to be a very lucrative undertaking. So, to help you with starting a moving business, we’ve compiled this article. We hope that after you’ve read it, you will gain a deeper understanding of some of the more unique aspects of the industry. Now, let’s dive right into it!

The unique nature of the moving business

When starting a moving business it is always smart to consider it’s unique nature. Unlike other services like restaurants or mobile providers, that people will use daily, moving services are rarely used by the same customer in the same year. In fact, some people might only move once or twice during their whole lifetime. This means that moving and storage companies face a somewhat unique challenge. They need to attract as many unique customers as possible for the business to operate well and for a prolonged time. Apart from certain groups, like students, that might be moving on a regular, school-year oriented, basis, most people will organize their moves relatively rarely.

Another issue, that only adds to this unique problem is that depending on the scope of the move, people can choose to move on their own. This especially goes in smaller moves where there isn’t much (or any) furniture to move, like moving into a dorm. Even with moves that are a bit bigger, people might enlist the help of their friends. This all reduces the demand on the moving market.  To overcome this unique problem, when starting a moving business you should think about ways to attract as many unique customers as possible. Another way to tackle this issue is to have a well-known, and reputable moving company. This will serve to attract as many customers as possible, making your business thrive!

Understand the legal aspects of  moving

When starting a moving business, it is very important to understand all the legal aspects. While rules and regulations are there to protect both parties it can be easy for customers to misuse your lack of legal knowledge. This can result in high damages for your company. So, even before starting a moving business, you should understand all the legal aspects and documents involved. Knowing what is a binding estimate, for example, will make sure your daily operations go smoothly.

Why it’s important to diversify when you start a moving business

As we mentioned above, most people will use moving services only a few times in their lives. With that in mind, when starting a moving business a good idea would be to diversify your company. This way you will be able to cater to the needs of as many customers as possible, getting their business and keeping your company going. There are two ways you could go about this. You can offer a good range and you can cater to a large geographical area. The ideal situation here would be a mix of the two. So, let us explore these in depth to reveal just how impactful they can be on your new relocation business.

Offer a wide range of services

The first way you could diversify is by offering a wide range of services. People that need special moving services, like artwork or instrument moving, will be more likely to look for professional help. The reason for this is simple. Having to move expensive items, your customers will be more at ease of hiring professional help. Therefore, being able to offer as many different special moving services, will mean more customers for your business. There are two things you should do to ensure this. First of all, research all the different kinds of special moving services. Some, like industrial moving, will require special equipment and are thus better left for branching into later. On the other hand, there is a good deal of special moving services you could offer with your standard moving gear.

Artwork moving, seniors moving and such, are all kinds of moves that any moving company could perform. The only thing that is needed here is crews experienced with those kinds of moves. That is the other thing you should have to ensure diversifying your business. Consider hiring a few experienced movers with expertise in different kinds of specific moves. Then they can lead your standard crews in specific moves and train them. This will result in your company being staffed by high-skill labor, something that is very important for business success.

Cover a large area

Another thing you could do to diversify when starting a moving company is to cover as large a geographical area as possible. This will result in you being able to cater to as many customers as possible, something that is very important in the moving business. However, when starting a moving company, it might be difficult to cover a huge geographical area. One good way you could overcome this is by linking up with other moving crews. Having a joint company of several independent moving crews will mean your company will be able to cover a huge area. Having a joint website and presence will also mean that if people are satisfied with the service provided, they will be more likely to recommend your moving company or use it again.

Depending on the amount of work in one area, you can also have several moving crews from the same area. This especially goes for big cities. This will mean your company will not lose customers because your moving crews cannot fit in another move. Even if you don’t get direct pay from each move, your company will maintain a strong presence. This will mean people will be more likely to hire you, having heard of you. And when the time comes for a move in your area, you will be more likely to receive their business. Finally, in such a company, you should maintain a joint marketing budget. This will allow for stronger marketing for the whole company while costing each moving crew significantly less.

Starting a moving business like a pro

While reading this article you might have noticed that we talked in broad terms. This is because, starting a moving business, just like starting any other company, has a lot of unique aspects. For example, if you are based in a big city or a university town, your moving company will be different than one catering to an area dominated by the elderly. These are the aspects you will need to think about yourself. However, having read our article we are certain you got a good basis of knowledge. This very thing will help you with starting a moving business, like a pro!