A man-with-a-van service is one of the most ideal businesses to get started if you really want to be in business for yourself. It has very low start up costs to get you started. You also don’t need any specialised talents or skills either.
All you really need is a van and you’re ready to make money.
Well, as easy as it is, it isn’t quite that easy. If you want to actually make money and be on the right side of the law, then you do have a few things to do. In this article, we will go over the things you need to know to get started with your business.
Get legal
There are three primary things that need to be sorted out before you set out on your business.
The first thing is to register with the HMRC as being self-employed. This will set you up to pay taxes and be able to start trading. There are some fees so make sure that you check that when you are creating your startup budget.
Secondly, you will need to have a vehicle that is ready to be inspected for MOT and get it registered. Once again there are going to be some costs if your van is not ready for the road.
Lastly, the van needs insurance. There are commercial and personal insurance policies, but yours will have to be commercial since you are using it to trade. Even if you are not working and driving it for personal reasons but often need it for work you need a commercial policy. Make sure to shop around and compare quotes so you can save some money.
What to do for work
You can set yourself up as a junk removal business which is steady money and doesn’t require much to get going. If you do that, then you don’t want to also try to offer courier services. At least not with the same van.
There is also the possibility of being a mover or to do house clearances. With this or junk removal, you will need to be in decent health and fitness level since it is quite physical.
If you aren’t keen to work such a physically demanding job then look for ways to get into the courier business and run packages and mail around the city or country for business clients.
Get the word out
The biggest obstacle to making money is going to be in finding the work to begin with. Eventually you should expect some word of mouth clients but if you can do some marketing then you will have more than you can handle.
Use social media to let people know the type of services you offer and build a brand for yourself. Ask friends and family to share your profile page but don’t stop there. Running ads on social media is generally cheap and can bring in a nice steady stream of clients.
