Updated December 14, 2021
Written by
Benjamin Davis
Contributor
How-to-start.org
Experts interviewed:
A moving company can be a solid business when run properly. The earning potential from just one truck is impressive, and the skills and equipment needed isn't anything special. Demand is high, and is predicted to continue to be strong into the future, with more people relocating than at any point in history.
I interviewed three people who run a moving company, and asked them what you should know about how to get started in the moving business, and how to run and grow your moving company.
First, I wanted to know what background they came from – do you need to work in the industry first, perhaps working for another moving company? Or is it common to just get started and figure it out as you go?
So I asked my three founders – how did you get started in the moving business?
did you work with someone as a mover before? or did you just get started on your own?
The idea of starting a moving company seems to come up when people are either exposed to the industry in some way, or they know someone who is already working in the business, or maybe they want to take the next step for their own career.
I wondered if there is a minimum set of skills you need to operate a moving business?
What training, what skill, and what experience is needed? Could you hire experienced people to help you?
I asked the three successful moving company owners:
can you start a moving company with limited experience? can you learn most things as you go?
My three founders offer different perspectives – one of them says you don't need any experience to get into the business, another says it might help you, and the other said you should have the industry experience.
However, you go about it – whether you get to work yourself, or, whether you hire an experienced crew and leap-frog the learning process for yourself, you really only need one truck to get started, and a crew of movers.
I asked my three experts how much money you need to get started in this business, and what you need to buy.
is it an expensive business to start? what equipment do you need as a minimum, to start earning money?
Once you get your truck and a crew of movers, you'll be earning an income almost right away. And it can be a fairly good income, depending on how you charge.
The moving company owners I spoke with told me they usually have plenty of work.
I asked the three successful moving company operators how much you could expect to earn as you get started in this business, and as you get more established.
is it a profitable business to run? can you expect to earn a good income quite quickly?
A moving company can bring in a very good income, and once you get established online, you'll be able to generate enough incoming enquiries to keep your crew busy, and expand your fleet of trucks and hire additional crews.
Generally, the ranges of income seem to float somewhere in the tens of thousands – with $10,000 to $20,000 a month seeming like the average range for a newer operator, and a more established business doing somewhere around 2x or 3x that amount.
It all starts with the first move, and then, more of the same.
I asked my three successful moving company business operators:
do you advertise? do you buy leads? is there something that works really well?
As you're getting established in the industry, you'll have phone calls and online enquiries coming in. People will be enquiring about your services, and will be asking you to help them.
Turning those enquiries into confirmed bookings for a move is the next task.
Usually, that's pretty simple – just be helpful and answer their questions, and they'll use your services. If you do a good job, they'll probably use your services over and over again, as well as recommend you when their friends and family ask if they know someone.
I asked my three industry experts – how do customers choose which moving company they'll hire?
what do clients really care about? what are they looking for in a moving company?
When you start advertising your moving company, you'll start getting marketing calls from other businesses – all trying to sell you something. But how do you know what is worthwhile, and what is a waste of money?
I asked my three founders whether there was an item or service they regretted spending money on.
is there something that sounds like a good idea, but is actually a bad purchase?
Running a moving company comes with a good lifestyle. Every day is different, and you can simply not schedule any moves if you want to take some time off.
I wanted to know whether there were any 'bad operators' in the industry, or if other moving companies were taking nasty shortcuts.
I asked my three experts:
are there shady operators doing things the wrong way? or is the industry mostly full of professionals?
With some sharks in the industry, it's easy to stand out by doing a good job at a fair price, and sticking to your word. It seems as though people are often expecting to have a bad experience with a moving company, so by giving them a pleasant surprise, you're winning a new referral source.
I asked my three experts whether it's a super competitive industry in the markets where they operate, or, whether they just offer their rates and let customers decide whether they pay full price or go with a cheaper option.
do you follow up quotes and estimates? do you offer discounts? or do you just give your rates and leave it at that?
are there add-ons, or up-sells and cross sells that you can offer clients to earn more revenue?
the three successful founders share their keys to success in this industry, based on their own experiences
Assuming you have what you need, starting a moving company is a good option in just about any large city in the world. It's super easy to get started, and in most places around the country the demand for services is much higher than the existing businesses can handle.
I have spent over 100 hours learning everything there is to know about the moving business, by talking to industry experts and moving company operators. I have compiled it into the worlds most useful guide, How to Start a Moving Company. You can check it out below.
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