How To Start A Moving Company With Pictures

If you don’t already have a vehicle, you may be able to buy a used one from a large commercial moving company. [2] X Research source You can also try searching local dealerships’ inventories online, or searching on sites like Craigslist for private sales. Even if you already have a vehicle, you may want to invest in having the name of your company painted on the side. This will make you look more professional and will act as an advertisement. If you can’t afford a truck, you can consider renting one from a company like U-Haul for each move. Just be sure to consider the cost of the rental when calculating your rates. In addition to a vehicle, you will need several smaller items, including dollies, moving straps, pads and blankets, and tarps to keep items dry when transporting them into your vehicle in the rain. If you offer packing services, you will need to price out these items as well so you will know how much to charge customers for them.

To get started, you may be able to hire just one or two employees. If you plan on doing a a lot of the work yourself, one additional person should be sufficient. As your business grows, you will likely need more employees. Depending on your needs, you might be able to hire full-time employees, part-time employees, seasonal employees, or independent contractors. To find employees, try posting jobs on popular job boards like Craigslist or Monster. Don’t forget that you might need to hire people to attend to office tasks like book keeping and answering phones as well. Keep in mind that hiring employees brings along with it a lot of new responsibilities, such as paying payroll taxes and providing benefits. You will have to provide all employees with a W-2 and all independent contractors with a 1099 when tax season arrives.

If you plan on having employees, you also need to have worker’s compensation coverage.

When calculating your rates, think about the expenses that you need to cover before you can make a profit. These include fuel, vehicle maintenance, packing materials, employee wages, advertising costs, and insurance expenses. If you had to buy or rent a truck, you also need to consider those costs. [5] X Research source You need to decide exactly what services you will offer. For example, some moving companies offer packing services, while others do not. If you decide to offer this service, you need to determine how much it will cost you to provide and how much you want to charge for it. [6] X Research source Be sure to keep the competition in mind when developing a price structure. If you don’t have an established reputation, you will probably gain more business by charging less than your competitors. Keep in mind that some states have restrictions on the amount you are allowed to charge for moving services. Check with your state’s Department of Transportation to find out what restrictions apply. [7] X Research source

You must do market research in order to create a viable business plan. You can consult industry publications to learn about the trends specific to the moving industry. The U. S. Small Business Administration is a great place to start looking for data relevant to your business. [9] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source You can do primary market research by surveying people in your community about their moving needs and finding out what your competitors are offering and how much they are charging for their services. Your business plan should contain detailed sections about how your company will be structured, how many employees you will hire, what services you will offer, what market you will target, how you will promote your business, who your competitors are, how you will stand out from your competitors, what your expenses will be, how you will fund your business, and what your projected profits are. Your business plan should help you understand exactly how much money you will need to start your business. If you need to borrow money, the lending institutions will want to take a close look at your business plan, so make sure it’s thorough. If you have never written a business plan before, consider hiring a professional to help you. When thinking about how you will operate your business, choose a specific niche of the industry. For example, you could focus on people who need furniture delivered to them from a store, on college students moving in and out of apartments, or on wealthy customers who need fragile valuables moved. You need to make sure the kind of customer you are targeting is plentiful in your area. Make sure there is demand in your area for your services. There is no magic formula for finding the perfect market, but your market research should give you insight into how many people live in the area, how many people use moving services, and how much disposable income most people have.

Be prepared to provide a lot of documentation to support the viability of your business. This may include things like your business plan, your tax returns, and a personal resume. [10] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source Requirements may vary by institution. The U. S. Small Business Administration offers a variety of small business loan products, so be sure to see if you qualify. [11] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source

If you plan on doing interstate moves, you will need to register with the U. S. Department of Transportation. [13] X Research source Some states require a certain amount of experience in the moving industry and/or a specified amount of startup capital, so be sure to check your state’s requirements. New York, for example, requires that the owner or a key employee have at least two years of relevant experience, which must be supported with tax documents. New York also requires you to provide proof that you have the necessary equipment to run your business and enough money to cover your start-up costs. [14] X Research source

You can choose from several different business structure options, each of which has its own benefits and drawbacks. Sole proprietorships and partnerships offer tax benefits, but the owners maintain full liability for the company. Corporations offer protection against liability, but owners often end up paying higher taxes. Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) offer small business owners tax benefits and protection against liability. There are different legal requirements and fees for establishing each type of business. [16] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source You will need to choose a name when you incorporate your business. The name has to be distinguishable from all other businesses registered in your state, so check with your state’s filing agency to make sure your desired name is available before you begin the application process. It’s also a good idea to check with the U. S. Patents and Trademarks Office to make sure that you will not be violating any trademarks by using the name. [17] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Small Business Administration U. S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source

You may want to consider talking to a lawyer about what kind of language you need to include in your contract to protect your business.

Think about outsourcing accounting. Even some of the smallest businesses rely on skilled accountants to help them with the paperwork side of their business. You may be the best mover around, but without a great head for numbers, you may have a problem.

If possible, allow customers to schedule quotes online, view your availability, or read testimonials from other customers.

You can distribute business cards at public events, tuck them into local bulletin boards, or even print them in directories, yearbooks, and other local print media. Flyers can be mailed, posted in public places, or distributed to businesses that might be able to refer customers to like you, such as furniture stores. Make sure you have a professional, recognizable logo that is consistent across all of your marketing materials.

Build relationships with influential people in your community. Realtors are a great source of referrals to movers, as are the owners of local furniture stores or the office staff at a large apartment complex. [22] X Research source

Be sure to ask your happy customers to post reviews about you online. New customers will see these reviews and will have more faith in you as a reputable company if they see that others have had a good experience. You will inevitably end up having to deal with an unhappy customer at some point, but do your best to resolve the problem to the customer’s satisfaction. The last thing you want is negative reviews about your business circulating the internet!