How to Become a Moving Specialist

If you’d like to start a profitable business in a sector which enjoys regular, steady demand, look no further than a moving franchise. Combine the freedom of business ownership with franchisor support, and start your journey towards becoming a moving specialist today.

Nearly 10% of the UK population moves house each year [Two Men and a Truck], and as a mover, you could benefit from this ongoing demand, particularly once you start building a client network based on recommendations. In this article, we’ll look into what a moving specialist does and how to become one.

It can be a difficult business, but a very rewarding one. Once you have your first reviews, the business could easily take off. Many people are making a very good living at this and there are always people needing to move. If you can specialise in the services they need, then you’ll be able to easily bring in new clients.
- Arrowpak International 

What does a moving specialist do?

A mover is a person who organises and packs items on behalf of a client, before transporting them to the client’s new home. Being a mover requires physical skill, dedication and an ability to provide excellent customer service. There are many advantages to hiring a professional mover, rather than going it alone, including:

• Lowered stress levels
• Less time spent organising and packing
• No need to carry heavy boxes or figure out how best to fit them in a vehicle
• Insurance to fall back on if something gets broken

The term ‘moving specialist’ might also refer to someone that facilitates the moving process, like a property inspector, a lettings agent or a mortgage broker. No Letting Go, for example, is a lettings company with many UK clients, and for franchisees in this network, helping letting agents smoothly transition between rental contracts is a large part of the role. Meanwhile, mortgage broker franchises like Your Mortgage Plus help their customers to secure the funds they need to make their moves.

How to become a mover

In an average month in the UK, around 100,000 households will move into a new home [Brycelands Removals and Storage]. If you want to capitalise on this demand, either as a mover or another kind of moving specialist, there are certain steps you’ll need to take to set yourself and your franchise business up for success and profitability...

1. Assess your skills 

Though many moving-focused franchises won’t require you to have industry experience, you will still need certain skills in order to succeed as a moving specialist. Before you commit to a career in the sector, be sure that you’ve checked in with yourself and ascertained that you have those crucial transferable skills and baseline abilities. Skills and abilities like:

• Customer service
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Physical fitness
• Attention to detail and delicacy
• Organisation and time management

2. Research the industry

Next stop, research. If you’ve determined that you could fit into the industry, it’s time to discover exactly what that industry looks like, and exactly what kind of space you might occupy in it. Find opportunities and sub-sectors that appeal to you, and then answer two questions: 

1. What are the latest trends in this area? 
2. Who will be my closest competitors as a franchisee in this area?

The best way to be sure you’re making a sound investment is to equip yourself with as much knowledge as possible about what you’ll be getting into. As a place to begin your research, here are some popular trends in the moving industry right now: 

• People moving from city to country 
• People making space for/searching for homes with home offices
• People looking for more outdoor space 
• Pet-friendly properties.

3. Do your due diligence 

Due diligence is necessary, crucial and must be done correctly. Don’t let it intimidate you, but also don’t skip around it and sign a contract before you truly understand the company you’re investing with. Make the best possible decision by ticking off the due diligence checklist, completing each of the following steps:

• Discover the company’s financial situation
• Analyse the opportunity in full
• Speak with the franchisor and current franchisees
• Get answers to any and all questions that you have 

Franchise opportunities in the moving industry

At this stage, you should have a strong sense of whether or not a career in the moving industry is right for you. If it is, and you’re wondering where to start in terms of the opportunities available to you, why not look into these options, both listed on the Point Franchise website?

1. S.R.P. Inventories

S.R.P. Inventories specialises in managing the transition between rental contracts for landlords, managing agents and housing associations.

Becoming an S.R.P. Inventories franchisee: You don’t need any specific experience to become a franchisee, though you should be an enterprising, self-motivated person who’s looking to start a dynamic, lucrative business.

How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £5,000, with franchise fees of £5,000 and a total investment cost of £10,000. 

What you get for your investment: You’ll receive an exclusive franchise territory, full training, tablet-and-desktop-powered specialist inventory software and proactive support. On top of this, you’ll also receive a stationery pack, help crafting a dynamic launch strategy and help getting to grips with CRM software.

2. Your Mortgage Plus

As mentioned above, Your Mortgage Plus is a mortgage brokerage supporting clients of all kinds as they purchase homes and secure mortgages.

• Becoming a Your Mortgage Plus franchisee: You don’t need any experience to invest - just a passion for what you’ll be doing and a desire to build a successful business.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £9,995, with a total investment cost of £19,995 and an operating fee of £220 per month.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll be fully trained, mentored and supported in all areas, including operations, marketing, lead generation, networking and sales.

Enjoy running your own business with franchisor support and start a moving franchise today

Starting a business in the stable moving sector is a practical, profitable choice. But that doesn’t mean it’s your only option - or that it’s definitely the right one for you. If you think you might be a better fit elsewhere in the world of franchising, check out Point Franchise’s comprehensive UK franchise directory, which spans hundreds of different industries, sectors and sub-sectors.