How to Open Up a Moving Company in Georgia
People generally do not look forward to the packing and hauling involved with moving, and that's why good-quality moving companies are in demand year-round. If you're opening a moving company in Georgia, you won't need any special bonding, but you will still need to do thorough planning before you open up for business.
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Things You'll Need
- Commercial driver's license
- Moving truck
- Insurance
- Business cards
- Website
Instructions
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1
Pick a niche for your company as well as a name. You can specialize in office moves, late night/off hour moves, apartment moving, or out-of-town moves. Be sure to get an assumed name certificate for your moving company.
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2
Obtain a commercial driver's license from the Georgia Department of Driver Services. You will need to pay a $35 application fee (unless you are a veteran or school bus driver) and a $10 permit fee.
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Decide where you will store your moving truck. If you have a driveway or are allowed to park on the street, it will cost you much less than having to rent a warehouse or commercial parking space.
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Lease a commercial truck with a trailer that is at least 700 cubic feet. This size truck will allow you to move small offices, houses, and apartments to start with.
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Purchase, from a company such as New Haven USA, furniture pads, dollys, and other equipment you will need to perform moves.
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Hire at least one person with a commercial driver's license to work for you as an independent contractor--you will make more money if you have another person to make moves quicker. As you will be trusting him around your customer's property, make sure that you do a background check on him, have him sign a standard agreement that outlines what he will be paid and how often, and use IRS Form SS-8.
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Buy insurance from a company, such as The Horton Group, that specializes in insuring moving companies. Your customers will likely want to purchase coverage for their move, and most will expect that at the very least, their items will be covered in the event your company damages them during the move.
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Print business cards to hand to associates, potential customers, and those you help move so that they can refer you to others who may need moving help.
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Create a website that gives information about the services you offer, your contact information, any special offers or discounts, and lets potential customers know you're insured. You can also offer the option for customers to get rate quotes by contacting you online.
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List your business in print and online business directories such as the Yellow Pages, craigslist, and Angie's List. You can also look into placing Facebook ads or distributing flyers on college campuses, if college students are your niche.
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