help? removals company?

[liamx1234]

hi everyone my name is liam I am really struggling to find customers I am doing maybe 1-2 jobs a week doing house removals and small man and van job's


basically I work night shifts at the moment for a company they pay me £7 a hour and I work 6 days a week I really hate this job and need to get out of it quick


I have a luton box van, my van is all sign written the whole box and I have all the real gear for doing removals I even carry 25 transport blankets and all the ties and all the tools for the job,

yet the cowboy man and vans in my area are always in work?

I have advertised on gumtree and I have got 1 text? I think that was a waste of time?

can anyone give me any ideas on marketing my business many thanks

 

[TheBannerWarehouse]

Have you tried anyvan.com usually you can pick up jobs on there.

 

[liamx1234]

no thanks!! £90 to move a 3 bed house im not going to be a busy fool

 

[Annoying Donkey]

can anyone give me any ideas on marketing my business many thanks

How about offering a commission to Real Estate Agents...? Who else might have access to your customers and prospects?

Seems to be a few people asking about man & van on streetlife fairly regularly...

And, of course, you could always keep in touch with past customers... and seek referrals from them.

 

[KeithGreen]

Try leafletting local businesses and households. Keep going with Gumtree but remember to keep renewing your ad. Set up a website, even a one-pager gives you some presence and credibility. Try cards in local newsagents.

 

[businessfunding]

Agree with Keith, above

- Target houses with 'To let' or 'For sale' signs.
- Get to know local estate & letting agents
- Try small ads - they seem to work here
- Define yourself - if possible add a skill such as piano removals - get away from cheap quoting

 

[MorrisChesterfield]

Hi,

I have a removals & storage business which has been going for around 10 years and we are quiet with removals, we do have a few contracts which is good but on the domestic removals things are tough.

There is a lot of competition out there from big national companies and quality local ones. I always find advertising in a local magazine which get put through the door every month works well.

A chap did write some great tips on the " start a business " sections ( sorry can't remember the name ).

good luck,

ben.

 

[storage]

Put more keywords in your gumtree ad even words like sofa, entertainment unit will help. a lot of people buy these items and then realize they have no way of picking them up. if your ad shows up on the page selling sofas you should get more enquires.

 

[iiisark]

I also have a removal company. The problem is that competition is huge ( i assume you are based in London). I will say yell.com will be your best bet. I advertise on yell and have around 2 - 3 call every day. The other thing is to search for your keywords in google (e.g.: "removals in east london") and try to include your company details on the websites which are on 1st page..

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

The completion in removals is huge. I don't know why people are so keen to start a business moving everybody's crap from one house to another breaking their backs and crushing their fingers.
Sounds like a lot of very hard work to me and something I always try to avoid . I have the perfect tools the vehicles storage and a webmaster but it sounds like too much agro.
Much nicer forklifting a pallet driving up the road and forklifting it off .
Yes its best to avoid anyvan I'm not sure exactly who is getting a good deal there . The suppliers lose money and the customer gets a poor service .
Have a website developed .If you wagon is sign written make sure it is park where everybody can see it . A yell .com ad might be a good idea locally and submission of your site and details to all the free submission directory's in your area .

 

[japancool]

I've used anyvan a couple of times, got a great service each time and paid far less than what local individual "man with van" movers were quoting. I love it.

Last time, I needed a load of boxes moving from one building to the 1st floor of another building, get some big Eastern European lads and they just got on with the job, and it finished in an hour for £60.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I've used anyvan a couple of times, got a great service each time and paid far less than what local individual "man with van" movers were quoting. I love it.

Last time, I needed a load of boxes moving from one building to the 1st floor of another building, get some big Eastern European lads and they just got on with the job, and it finished in an hour for £60.

Sixty quid .It cost me that to answer the phone !!!!.
I like you a lot but I wont be doing any business with you . I would be living in a box under Hammersmith Bridge !!!

 

[japancool]

Sixty quid .It cost me that to answer the phone !!!!.
I like you a lot but I wont be doing any business with you . I would be living in a box under Hammersmith Bridge !!!

Well, that's in Leeds, so obviously price-wise, there is a difference compared to London. It worked out to £30 an hour per man for a two man team, which I think is pretty reasonable.

 

[columbo]

Tactically, what springs to mind first here is:

have a picture of your van -
and secondly have a friendly picture of yourself on the website

This shows that you have better equipment than "mr man with a van" and you are not some anonymous white van man ( whom some might be intimidated by)

Secondly, in terms of "laser-like marketing" - you might want to scan estate agent websites for
houses that are being put up "for sale". Then use a marketing postcard to post out to them. Postcards should also be sent out to "property maintenance managers" - perhaps, offer them a trade discount. Google adwords should also be used - but only in the short term. Terms like
"removal company yourtown" "house removals yourtown etc."