Starting A 'Man With A Van' Business
People are more
mobile than ever, and online shopping (more so from eBay and other secondhand
sites), has more and more people calling out for a ‘man with a van’. And it
makes sense. Buy a sofa on eBay, but then it’s a free collection - you can’t
fit it in your Corsa, you need help. People are moving home more often too.
Between circumstances both good and bad, everyone needs a little help. So how
do you capitalise on something so small, and so local? You become the man with
the van. Here is how.
Van
Yes, this might be
surprising. But if you are going to be the man in the van business, you’ll need
a van. While you might think you can get away with your estate - you can’t. It
needs to be pretty much the biggest van you can drive safely, and one you can store
at night too. If you are looking for the best option, then the Ford
Transit Custom seems to be the most popular. You could buy it or have a great lease
deal in place, whatever you do make sure you can fit at least a 3 people sofa
in it.
Advertise
This is going to be a
local business. So put yourself in all of the local newspapers and the local Facebook groups too. Spend some time putting yourself
on all of the forums also. Gumtree, Craigslist and those types. Make sure you
have ‘man with a van’ in your description somewhere - that is what people will
be searching for.
Pin some flyers up in
your local post officers and hardware stores too.
Insurance
You are going to need
to have insurance. You will be carrying people’s property, as well as going in
and out of their houses. They might sit in the van with you at some point, and
of course, you’re going to need van
insurance.
Sat Nav
Even if you have
lived in the city forever - there might be a day when you have no clue where an
address is. If you have satnav, you can give more detailed quotes, and you will
know how long a job is going to take you. While you might be tempted to use
your phone, just from a professional point of view - get the real deal.
Fees
You are going to have
to work out what the standard is in your area. And be careful not to undercut
to deeply. Think about the cost of fuel in the van. You can do flat rate
charges, by the mile or by the day. Consider the types of services that you
want to provide, and that will give you some clarity.
Register
You are going to be a
self-employed person from the moment you take money for doing this service. So
make sure that you are registered and licensed with everyone that you should
be.
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