While it may not be the most glamorous profession, home and office removals is an entrepreneur’s dream, offering low start-up costs and overheads, significant growth prospects and the possibility of all kinds of other sidelines and services. The job attracts fit, active people who like driving, working in a different place every day and meeting people, and friendliness and professionalism are key. While many professional removers work for big chains and started out driving HGVs, independent removers almost always start out solo in a self-employed ‘man (or woman) with van’ capacity. so here we have Regional man and van service in Putney for moving office and home material from one place to anothe with care.
Starting out
If that’s where you’d like to start, the practical side of setting up your own removals company is relatively uncomplicated: you need a van, fitted out with straps and restraints for securing larger items, wrapping and packing materials, and specialist removals insurance. It’s crucial to go with a specialist who can offer you a package tailored to your business: meet with your insurer to talk about the risks and limits involved in the work, and what good insurance can do to minimise them. Remember that you’ll probably be self-employed, which can be tough: you’ll have to be your own accountant and your own marketing department, and your pay will be erratic, which might mean you’ll struggle to get a mortgage.
The facts
Before you jump in, consider calling around local removers and asking whether you can do a few days’ work experience: if you haven’t worked in removals before you might be underestimating the physical strength and stamina it takes to haul furniture up and down stairs all day! If you can, have a chat with a local professional who runs or owns a removals business: he or she will be able to give you a peek inside the profession, and tell you how they drum up work, what the hours are like and whether they’re glad they took the plunge. If you’re working alone with a van, be ready to differentiate yourself from part-time and jobbing ‘removers’, who are using standard vans and won’t have removals insurance; build this information into your pitch, and remind potential customers that uninsured odd-job types won’t be able to claim if something valuable gets broken, and so might leave them out of pocket.
Get insured
Not all professional removers are qualified, but it can help you find business if you’re able to quote your training and certification, even if you’re the only one on staff who has it. If you’re not sure, get in touch with the British Association of Removers (BAR). They’ll be able to tell you what professional qualifications you can get in packing, safe lifting, professional driving and administration, as well as health-and-safety. If you’re ambitious and want to move on to the big leagues, you might also need to get a license to drive a few classes of vehicle above what you’re currently using, so that you’ll be ready to hop into the cab of an HGV when you graduate from flats and bedsits to offices and country houses! For now, look for a niche: some removers market themselves on their sensitivity, on moving delicate items like instruments, art or computers, or even go on to offer Europe-wide relocation services for wannabe ex-pats moving out to Spain.
