Providing movers is a profitable business (from 200 thousand per month)

Before we begin

The work of a loader seems simple and does not require qualifications only at first glance. As in any other specialty, it also has its own secrets and techniques that allow you to quickly and efficiently cope with the task. If you are starting a business from scratch, work in this area for at least some time and understand the system from the inside.

Research consumer demand in your locality. In a small town, such services may not be in demand. Analysis of competitors is necessary for only one purpose - to find out their disadvantages and advantages, to do it better and cheaper. Don't give up on this idea because there are similar companies out there. The presence of competitors indicates that there is demand for services. You just need to offer a better service.

Find your niche. This area is characterized by division into several areas:

1. moving;
2. rigging carrying (heavy and bulky items);
3. provision of loader services as support personnel for warehouses, construction, production, agriculture.

It is clear that the choice of niche is influenced by local factors and demand. As a rule, start-up companies accept any proposals and rarely turn down potential customers. But it is very important to find at least a few potential clients in advance and choose the main direction based on their needs.

Potential clients

The service of handymen and movers to carry heavy items may be required in various situations. Potential customers for a business owner in the field of such services are:

• ordinary citizens who need help when moving (as a rule, they order such assistance: transport and several handymen movers);
• private companies in demand for simple labor (they usually do not order transport, since there is often a need for the usual movement of things from place to place);
• companies in need of one-time work (unloading wagons or machines);
• organizations whose activities are seasonal, there are sharp bursts of activity during a certain period of the year (harvest, etc.).

It is worth noting that you should not take on all these niches at once; it is better to focus on something specific. At least at the initial stage. In the future, if business on such services takes off, you can think about expanding your activities.

Main risks

Potentially dangerous aspects are associated with the choice of niche. Narrow specialization allows us to provide services at the highest level and benefit from quality. But the modern market shows clear trends towards a transition to comprehensive services. The winner is the one who provides the widest possible range: all types of loading and transportation.

Narrow specialization can bring success in a metropolis or in the presence of large and regular clients, for example, seasonal work in construction, agriculture or production. But, as practice shows, this can be considered as a certain stage. You will either begin to expand the range of services, or earn start-up capital to move into another area.

Significant risks are associated with employees. The peculiarity of this direction is that there is no need for high qualifications. Finding conscientious and responsible people without bad habits who are willing to do hard work is quite difficult. Prepare for staff turnover and the need to find new employees. Perhaps you will be lucky and will be able to assemble a reliable team for a long period.

Rigging work

Without them, it is impossible, for example, to imagine the massive removal of plant and factory equipment from the front-line zone back in 1941. Then many state resources and the best specialists were devoted to this important matter. Thanks to a well-developed strategy and competent specialists, it was possible to avoid the seizure of equipment by the enemy. This operation ultimately saved millions of lives of our compatriots.

The term "rigging" has maritime origins. This is what ship rigging was called when the main engine of ships was the wind. Today the word rigger has a slightly different meaning. This is a true specialist who is able to correctly move, load and unload non-standard equipment, structures or structures. The weight of some transported items amounts to tens and even hundreds of tons, and the cost is millions of rubles. Any errors during transportation are completely excluded, so real professionals are needed here.

As you can see, you shouldn’t be condescending towards a profession when you don’t fully understand its features. Modern movers are competent people and good specialists. They take responsibility for your belongings and guarantee their integrity.

Location

For this business, renting or purchasing an office is not necessary. You work at the customer’s site, communication occurs by phone or through the company’s website. This allows you to save significant money. All business can be done from home.

In the future, with the acquisition of a solid client base and the availability of your own transport to provide transportation services, you will have to look for premises for an office and garages. Any industrial areas or suburbs are suitable for you. Comfort and sanitary conditions are not important in this case. What matters is the cost of rent or the ability to build your own premises, as well as convenient transport links.

By doing this business, I gained not only money

When my acquaintances and friends found out what I was doing and what volumes I had achieved, they were amazed at how I was able to organize such a business.

I was able to earn money without even making any investments.

I began to explain that I sell part of my orders for a small percentage. Sometimes I don’t work myself, but I still get money for orders. Of course, everyone began to consider me a real businessman.

After a while, I no longer wanted to carry heavy weights; I began to focus only on increasing my client base and looking for performers for them. During those student years, I gained a lot of experience in managing people and solving problems. In the future, this really helped me develop further.

Equipment

At the start, you can get by with minimal costs. It is advisable to purchase special devices for carrying large and heavy loads:

• slings;
• grips;
• tightening belts;
• grips.

Your employees should arrive to order with the most popular tools. The work may require hammers, screwdrivers, and a wrench. Clients do not always have everything necessary for packaging, disassembling and assembling furniture. It is better for a team of loaders to arrive at the site fully armed. A complete set of necessary devices and tools can be purchased for 6,000-7,000 rubles.

To travel to order, you need your own car, the ideal option is a cargo-passenger gazelle. Such models can be bought for 150,000-300,000 rubles. The benefits of having such a car are obvious. The number of passenger seats allows a standard team of loaders to accommodate 4-5 people; the presence of a cargo compartment makes it possible to provide additional transportation services.

If you are planning to develop your business and get out of a narrow niche, it makes sense to acquire freight transport and offer comprehensive cargo transportation services.

It often happens that clients are not ready to move or carry loads. Upon arrival at the location or during preliminary negotiations, you learn that the required packaging material is not available on site. It is recommended to enter into an agreement with a specialized store or wholesale warehouse. If necessary, you will not waste time searching for packaging and other consumables necessary for carrying and transporting goods. The benefit is mutual - the seller gets a regular customer, you offer customers good service.

Uniforms for loaders are not required. But for the image of your company and ease of work, it is important to purchase sets of workwear of the same type. Come up with a logo and order printing on the form. This is a very effective marketing ploy.

Secrets of a successful start

Following simple rules will help make the established company prosperous and competitive:

1. When hiring employees, you need to choose candidates who are disciplined, responsible, and do not abuse alcohol;
2. personnel must be trained in loading and unloading techniques so that the client’s belongings are not damaged during transportation;
3. It is worth carefully considering the prices for the services provided, making them profitable and attractive to clients;
4. You should not take several orders for the same time if there is no required number of loaders on staff;
5. The business card of the company should be politeness - when accepting an order, performing work by loaders, financial settlements with the client;
6. Comfortable uniforms with the company logo will help make the provision of services memorable.

We should not forget that any kind of entrepreneurial activity brings good and stable income only if there is effective advertising. Clients will use the services of a company whose mention often catches their eye - on television and in print, on leaflets in the mailbox, in advertisements at entrances and special boards. Such expenses quickly pay off and make a tangible contribution to the success of the created business.

Personnel

Finding people who want to earn extra money during the start-up period will not be a problem. Every man has at least a few reliable, economically and physically resilient friends who need additional income. But with temporary employees, you won't be able to guarantee customers orders will be completed on time. At first, a team of 5-6 people is enough, but in the future it is necessary to expand the staff with permanent loaders. It all depends on the number of orders. With constant employment and the ability to choose the best offers, you can offer decent pay, which will attract responsible and willing employees.

If the business owner himself performs the duties of a loader or supervises the work of a team at the site, an employee is needed who will take new orders.

Wages are based on hours worked. The scheme is simple. If the client pays each loader 200 rubles per hour of work, the worker receives about 150, the difference remains with the owner of the company. It is not uncommon for the agency organizer to pay the movers a more modest amount, about 60% of the total cost of the order. But it’s better not to skimp and offer employees a decent salary. This will allow us to set higher demands on employees and assemble a team of responsible guys.

How does a “strongman hiring bureau” work?

As a rule, all companies providing such services work according to the same scheme. The manager, who is also the dispatcher, who is also the seller of services, looks for staff and clients. By negotiating, organizing and supervising the work, he retains 30-40% of the funds received from the client. However, this figure may differ from the one named. Everything else goes to pay for the work done.

Officially registered companies in this market are a rare occurrence; most dispatchers work without any documents. However, there are exceptions - official consumer service bureaus. These are completely legal organizations.

Foreman-dispatchers, as a rule, come from a background of loaders who had enough business acumen to organize their own business. They have a good understanding of where their services are needed and what their clients' needs are. Therefore, sales are direct in nature - this is the main channel for promoting services.

Advertising for such companies, if given at all, is only in some newspapers or information systems, such as 2GIS. The most advanced companies have business card websites with contacts. In addition, cargo taxi dispatchers offer loading and unloading services. Often the moving company and the loader team work side by side.

Documents and licenses

Special permits and registration with the SES and fire departments are not required. You can choose an individual entrepreneur or LLC - in this area, the registration form does not play a special role. Even large companies are happy to hire movers from a company operating as an individual entrepreneur. To start and test a business idea, an LLC is not required. To register this type of business activity, you must indicate the legal address of the company. Considering that you can do without an office and save on renting it, the choice in favor of an individual entrepreneur is obvious.

It is necessary to create a current account into which the company's income will be received. Tax is paid at either 15% of total income or 7% of net profit after salaries and other operating expenses. Most likely, the second option is beneficial for you, since the main costs go to pay for the labor of loaders.

Marketing

Experienced entrepreneurs working in this area recommend starting with posting advertisements. Don't take on large orders right away. Clients with a small amount of work allow us to test a business idea, detect shortcomings and correct them with minimal losses to reputation, and establish good organization of work. Proceed to complex orders only if simple tasks are completed flawlessly.

If the first stage was successful and you have formed a reliable team of movers, start looking for large clients. Pay attention to large enterprises, wholesale centers and construction organizations. Often, large organizations find it more profitable to hire external loaders than to maintain a staff of workers even to perform regular work. For example, a trading company needs to move cargo for 1-2 hours every day. The salary of a full-time handyman, after taxes, is unprofitable in such a situation. That is why the services of external loaders, even with a regular work schedule, are in great demand. Try to find as many such clients as possible - working on a regular basis will reduce advertising costs and provide all employees with the necessary minimum salary.

As a rule, transport companies have loaders on their staff. But emergency situations, when an abundance of orders leads to missed deadlines, often arise. Offer your help, such cooperation will be mutually beneficial.

Create an attractive website with contact details and commercial offer. Place advertisements about your services in local media, on special forums and on social networks. If there is a lack of orders, call large potential clients and offer your services yourself. All contacts can be found in the city’s business directory, phone book or on the Internet.

Design a logo, print business cards and ask customers to recommend you. Try to complete orders on time and efficiently.

Profitability

The average cost of work for one loader is about 170 rubles per hour. A team of 4 people with an average workload of 8 hours a day earns about 120,000 rubles per month. On weekends, services are required much more frequently, and you may be able to raise the price slightly. Your net income is a certain percentage of the number of hours worked and the number of loaders employed. With proper marketing and during peak periods, your services will be required 14-16 hours a day, and the net profit will be at least 35,000 rubles per month.

Financial calculations

Start-up capital

To open such a business, it is very important to correctly calculate investments and possible prospects. For example, in a small locality the service is unlikely to be in demand, so it is better to organize this line of business in large cities. Another thing is that anyone who has a sufficient amount that needs to be invested can do it. So, the initial costs will include:

• paperwork – up to RUB 10,000;
• rental of premises - 30,000 rubles;
• office equipment – ​​60,000 rubles;
• tools, clothing for workers - 30,000 rubles;
• advertising – 40,000 rubles;
• other expenses - 10,000 rubles.

The total investment amount will be approximately 180,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses

Monthly current expenses will include:

• rent – ​​30,000 rub.;
• utility bills - 5,000 rubles;
• transport – 10,000 rubles;
• advertising – 5,000 rub.

How much can you earn?

An hour of working time for one loader costs approximately 300 rubles. Of these, the employee will receive 200 rubles, and he will give 100 rubles to the company with which he entered into an employment contract. Thus, from one person, the enterprise will receive at least 600 rubles daily (subject to the presence of regular orders). The shift consists of 4 people, therefore, approximately 2,400 rubles will be credited to the organization’s account per day. Thus, in a month you will be able to get about 72,000 rubles. Taking into account monthly expenses, the net profit will be 22,000 rubles.

Payback period

It will be possible to recoup the investment in 8-10 months.