Hire A Helper - A Movers Blog » Business Development

Learning the Business

nicoleives — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:26:46 +0000

As with anything, there is a learning curve that applies. When getting started, you have to learn the business.
Make yourself aware of other competitors in your field. Build clientele. Learn if that business has an up and down marketplace or if it remains steady throughout the year. For example, in the moving business, the summer and holidays are the busiest times. In retail, holidays are also a busy time so business hours may increase and sales may apply accordingly.
Items needed for the business you are starting. This depends on the type of business: office building or equipment needed.
Study the annual income and net worth of this? High demand equals successful business. Research: successes and failures of past companies in that business. Cost of what it will be to start and run the business. All these are factors that need to be learned about the business.

You want to stand out and be unique. Need something that will set you apart from the other companies. I don’t think you can be fully prepared for every situation. Unexpected things comes up that you didn’t anticipate.

The better you understand the business, the better the outcome will be. You don’t want to go into something with a blind fold on. That will lead to running into objects and a lot of unnecessary bruises along the way. While preparation is necessary, you will also learn much from experience after starting your business. Some things may be trial and error. For example, one phone system doesn’t work well so you try a different one.

Its takes a lot to start a company but with hard work and dedication, it can be done.

Starting a Moving Company

nicoleives — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:05:17 +0000

Starting a moving company may be difficult at first, but once you get started it can be very successful. Building clientele and a reputable company are key. Decide on a company name. When it comes to moving company names, you want something that shows the strength of the business. This is the name that is going to represent your company.

Need to purchase all necessary equipment. Does your company offer full service moves or labor only? What services are you are going to provide such as pack/load/unload/unpack? You can either have your own trucks or rent trucks, although it is easier to have you own truck. Having the ability to provide packing supplies may also be a good addition.
Purchase all the necessary license and insurance. This is different from state to state. Check with your local departments on the permits you will be needing. This is also based on if you drive the truck and whether you are local or long distances movers.

Then you will hire movers: strong people that will be able to handle lifting boxes and furniture all day. When you are on the job site, it is difficult to return customer phone calls and sometimes you are out till late. Having a secretary in the office taking care of all the paperwork could be beneficial.

Advertise-that is were Hire A Helper comes into play. Hire A Helper handles the booking and advertising for moving companies which is a way to get clientele and get your company name out there. From there, you can build up customer reviews. Remember, word of mouth is a powerful source.

As with any business you have to do research and learn the business. Moving does have an off season. The summer and holidays are the busiest times so you have to plan accordingly. A bigger crew may be necessary. The winter months are going to be slower.

People move for several reasons: employment, retirement, new environment. Starting a Moving Company does require planning and hard work, but once you have build it up, then you could have a very successful company.

“What’s In A Name”

nicoleives — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:55:22 +0000

Picking a company name is important and can be a difficult task. It is the first thing that the customer is going to see about your company, developing their first impression. You only have a couple of words to describe your company in. Something catchy and simple is always a safe bet. The title should include what the company does like the word moving or movers. This will make it easily distinguishable for customers and explains right away what kind of business you offer. Make it ease to spell and pronounced. Some examples include using your last name or words that represent moving like strong. The words strong or reliable are simple words that give customer confidence in your company.

The company name is something you don’t want to change often or at all. If you change your company name then people may not be able to find it again or you will have to build up your clientele and strong reputation all over again. Don’t want a name someone already has, things can get very confusing if that happens. You can make a logo to go along with the name. It will make it more memorable for the customer.

When it comes to moving company names, you want something that shows the strength of the business. This is the name that is going to represent your company.

Related Article: Business Development and the Economy

Business Development and the Economy

nicoleives — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:11:42 +0000

What does it take to keep a business running in this economy or in any economy? In this recession, things are still expanding and new products are being put on the shelves. In this world, things move so fast. The moment you have purchased the latest phone or ipod, it is already outdated and a newer, faster version is available. You expand and make updates, and a week later feel outdated. New products are always coming out. It can be a viscous cycle that involves spending money, growing, and spending more money to keep up with the unknowing economy.

You have to constantly improve in order to keep up, bet the competitors, and appeal to customers. We launched our latest helper website a couple week ago, and it got me thinking. The new version makes it easier for us and our service providers. But when is it time to upgrade? When is it worth the money and time? Sometimes you know you need it when there is a growing demand. But, sometimes you may just have to take the risk, hoping the supply will increase the demand. It is hard to keep up, but small updates here and there will make a difference and show people that the business is growing.

What is the best way to get your business noticed? Stick to the same logo. The more a person sees your site, the more credited and reliable they will see it as. Stick to the same logo when advertising so that people can associate them together. For example, when promoting Greek life, a fraternity or sorority will use the same color T-shirts (the color of their organization) for all of their events. That way when potential rushees, a person who are interested in joining a Greek organization, sees that around campus they immediately recognize the color and know what sorority it represents. It is a great marketing tool.Look at Coca-Cola, they use the same red log with same style font everytime, and it is known worldwide. Recognizing brand labels or colors is sometimes easier to remember than the name of the company.

Books vs. Experience

nicoleives — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:58:08 +0000

Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach yourself. Sitting in a classroom is educational, but real life experience is different than writing a paper about it. Trial and error, previous experiences, and learning from the mistakes are things that make an impact on us obtaining knowledge.

Trial and error is a way to find out what works and doesn’t work. Try one phone system; it drops calls often. Try a different phone system, this one works better so stick with it. It may take a lot of time and money, but you will remember what you have learned, with proof from your own experience. You become better at something with experience and over time. The type of experiences we have also makes an impact. A bad experience will resolve in negative feelings, leading us to not chose that path again. Positive interactions will build our trust in those certain decisions or companies. It is these positive experience that cause us to come back again, looking for the same results.

Research through books can definitely help in the beginning stages and act as a guideline, but the experience you gain on your own accord is what is going to make a huge difference. Especially, if you are one of those people that doesn’t follow the rule book. This can apply to a lot of circumstances: if a parent tells a child not to touch the hot pan, that child is most likely going to still touch the pan. They know what the book says (in this case, mom represents the book), but they had to test it for themselves. After burning their finger, they will never again touch the pan. It wasn’t enough to just be told, they had to try it on there own and learned from their action. It was a beneficial lesson because they will never do it again. The books may be right, but the experience is living proof.

I’m not saying that books don’t work. I follow the books, but sometimes experiencing it on our own sticks with us a little more than the words on a page. Putting the two together, will give great results. The books are a foundation that can be built upon by gaining experience. Books give an idea of where to start and an overview of the knowledge other people have gained from experience.