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Moving Company Business Plan [Sample Template]

Moving Business

Are you about starting a moving company? If YES, here is a complete sample moving company business plan template & feasibility study you can use for FREE.

Moving into a new office or apartment might pose a challenge sometimes, especially if you look to take on all the responsibility without involving experts. The moving and storage industry is a $15 billion industry in the United States. About 42 million families each year use a moving company, or pay in some other way for their relocation.

And international moving companies are growing as fast as domestic ones. Do-it-yourself storage during moves is a growing industry as well, now bringing in about $22 billion a year.

But how did this all get started? Companies in this industry provide moving and relocation services, including local, long-distance and international trucking and shipping of used household, institutional and commercial goods, furniture and equipment. Industry operators often provide incidental packing and storage activities.

A Sample Moving Company Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

According to the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) – America’s moving and storage industry is one of the most complex and diverse collections of businesses in the country.

It consists of multi-million dollar companies and multi-thousand dollar ones; of large corporate organizations and “mom-and-pop” operations; of chief executive officers working in corporate suites and independent business people working in their trucks; and of van lines, their agency systems and independent movers.

The moving and storage industry in the U.S is as diverse as the country itself.  As the industry’s national trade group, AMSA represents all facets of the industry: agents, forwarders, independent carriers, international movers, suppliers and van lines.

Statistics has it that The Moving and Storage industry in the united states of America consists of 7,000 companies operating at 13,900 locations primarily providing moving and storage services for household and office goods. Major Names in this United States Includes van lines, van line agents, independent full-service movers, international movers, forwarders, and auto transporters.

The moving and storage industry Employs 122,600 people with an annual payroll of $3.6 billion and is composed of mostly individual vans / trucks owner operating their business on a small scale. General statistics on the moving and storage industry shows that 47.8% of companies in the industry employ fewer than 5 people. Only 8.5% of industry companies employ 100 or more people.

AMSA members report operating a fleet of 50,000 trucks 32,000 tractor units for pulling semi-trailers and 18,000 straight trucks) regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and state motor vehicle agencies. AMSA consists of more than 4.000 member companies, including: 150 companies in 85 countries outside the US and 200 companies in the industry’s supply chain.

The basic services being rendered by the operators in the moving and storage industry Include local and long-distance transportation of household and office goods; warehousing and storage services; packing and packaging services; process, distribution, and logistics consulting; merchandise sales and other services.

With the advancement of technology and the sole need for every individual is to live in a comfortable  house, the moving industry keeps souring high, and  As home sellers, buyers and renters prepare for 2016, hiring professional movers is likely to be on their moving checklists. It is anticipated that the five below trends will be prevalent in the moving industry in 2016

No doubt starting and operating a moving and storage company can be capital intensive and challenging, but the truth is that it can be rewarding at the same time. One good thing about the industry is that it is open for both big time investors who have the capacity to start the business with fleet of trucks and aspiring entrepreneurs who may one to start with just one truck.

2. Executive Summary

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company is a registered and licensed Moving and Storage Company that will be based in 10548 SD Highway 32 Belle Fourche South Dakota.

We are in business to provide local and long-distance transportation of household and office goods; warehousing and storage services; packing and packaging services; process, distribution, and logistics consulting; merchandise sales and other related services.

We will provide daily services all around South Dakota and across the United States of America and Canada. Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company have been able to secure all relevant licenses and permits to operate throughout the United States and Canada.

We will ensure that we abide by the rules and regulations guiding The Moving and Storage industry and we will only hire experienced and qualified drivers with valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) to handle our vans and trucks. Our customers and potential customers alike can be rest assured that they will get quality services at competitive rates.

We will go the extra mile to ensure the safety of goods under our care and our customers get value for their money. At Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service our goal is to provide excellent service to our customers and we pride ourselves on the integrity and competence of our company and our employees.

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company will ensure that all our deliveries of goods are on time and we supersede the expectation of our customers.

We will only put trucks and vans that are in top shape on the road, and all our drivers and materials handlers will be trained to be extra careful, pay attention to details, courteous, friendly and to abide by the rules and regulations of the industry.

At Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company, we are passionate in the pursuit of excellence and financial success with uncompromising services and integrity which is why we have decided to start our own moving and storage business; we are in the industry to make a positive mark.

We are quite optimistic that our values and quality of service offering will help us drive our business to enviable heights and also help us attract the numbers of clients that will make the business highly profitable. We are a company that will be dedicated to establishing good business relationship with our clients giving them value for their money and reasons for them to hire our services over and over again.

We are quite aware that in order to become the number one choice in our city, we must continue to deliver timely and quality services and that is exactly what we will do. We are open to the use of latest technology in The Moving and Storage industry.

No doubt our excellent customer service and the quality of services we offer will position us to always welcome repeated customers and handle massive deals both from government agencies and industrial giants. Our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service is a family business; it is owned by Parker and Prince Jolly. The company will be fully financed by the Jolly family. Parker has a diploma in Transport and Logistics Management and over 5 years of experience in The Moving and Storage industry.

3. Our Products and Services

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services is established with the aim of maximizing profits in The Moving and Storage industry.

We want to compete favorably with the leading moving and storage companies in the United States, which is why we will ensure that every services carried out or related services rendered meet and even surpass our customers’ expectations.

We will work hard to ensure that Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service is not just accepted in South Dakota but also in other cities in the United States of America and Canada. Our service offerings are listed below;

  • Local and long-distance transportation of household and office goods
  • Warehousing and storage services
  • Packing and Packaging services
  • Process, Distribution, and Logistics Consulting and Advisory Services
  • Merchandise sales and other related services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

  • Our Vision is to become one of the preferred choices of individual and organization when it comes to the demand for moving and storage services in the whole of the United States of America and Canada.
  • Our mission is to ensure that we build a successful moving and storage company that will operate in the whole of the United States of America and Canada; a company that will boast of having some of the best and reliable material handlers and transporters (truck / van drivers) in the whole of the United States of America.

Our Business Structure

Our business structure will be designed in such a way that it can accommodate but full – time employees and part – time / contract staff; those who just want to take some time off to generate additional incomes.

We intend starting the business with a handful of full time employees (truck drivers, professional material handlers / yard spotters and back office staff) and some of the available driving roles will be handled by qualified contract drivers. Adequate provision and competitive packages has been prepared for all our employees.

At Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service Company, we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, creative, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. For now, we will contract the maintenance of our trucks to service provider, we don’t intend to maintain a very large overhead from the onset.

But as soon as the business grow and stabilize, we will assemble our own in – house maintenance team. Below is the business structure and the roles that will be available at Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company;

  • Chief Operating Officer (Owner)
  • Admin and HR Manager
  • Transport and Logistics Manager
  • Marketing and Sales Executive (Business Developer)
  • Accountant
  • Truck and Van Drivers
  • Material Handlers / Yard Spotters / Forklifts Operators
  • Customer Services Executive / Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Operating Officer (Owner):

  • Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
  • Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
  • Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
  • Responsible for providing direction for the business
  • Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
  • Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
  • Evaluates the success of the organization

Transport and Logistics Manager

  • coordinates drivers, vehicles, loads and journeys
  • operates IT systems
  • negotiates and agrees contracts
  • develops and confirms schedules
  • plans  for and negotiates  technical difficulties
  • preparing paperwork for regulatory bodies
  • liaises and manages staff
  • implements health and safety standards
  • Plans routes and load scheduling for multi-drop deliveries.
  • Books in deliveries and liaising with customers.
  • Allocates and recording resources and movements on the transport planning system.
  • Ensures all partners in the supply chain are working effectively and efficiently to ensure smooth operations.
  • Communicates effectively with clients and responding to their requirements.
  • Directs all transportation activities.
  • Develops transportation relationships.
  • Monitors transport costs.
  • Negotiates and bargains transportation prices.
  • Deals with the effects of congestion.
  • Confronts climate change issues by implementing transport strategies and monitoring an organization’s carbon footprint.

Admin and HR Manager

  • Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
  • Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
  • Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
  • Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
  • Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
  • Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
  • Carries out staff induction for new team members
  • Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
  • Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
  • Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
  • Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Marketing and Sales Executives (Business Developers)

  • Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new clients, and business opportunities et al
  • Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of projects.
  • Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
  • Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
  • Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
  • Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
  • Documents all customer contact and information
  • Represents Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services company in strategic meetings
  • Helps to increase sales and growth for Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service.

Accountant

  • Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
  • Provides managers with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
  • Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
  • Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
  • Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
  • Responsible for administering payrolls
  • Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
  • Handles all financial transactions for the company
  • Serves as internal auditor for the company

Truck and Van Drivers

  • Assists in loading and unloading goods / materials
  • Maintains a logbook of their driving activities to ensure compliance with federal regulations governing the rest and work periods for operators.
  • Keeps a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck is equipped with safety equipment, such as hazardous material placards.
  • Assists the transport and logistics manager in planning their route according to a pick – up and delivery schedule.
  • Inspects vehicles for mechanical items and safety issues and perform preventative maintenance
  • Complies with truck driving rules and regulations (size, weight, route designations, parking, break periods etc.) as well as with company policies and procedures
  • Collects and verifies delivery instructions
  • Reports defects, accidents or violations

Material Handlers / Yard Spotters / Forklift Operators

  • Responsible for handling core services such as operating forklifts, loading and unloading materials from trucks and vans, packing and packing goods et al
  • Handles general services that involves the transportation of goods from one location to another location
  • Maintains a clean working area by sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning of glass doors and windows, etc. if required.
  • Handles any other duty as assigned by the transport and logistics manager

Customer Service Officer

  • Welcomes clients and visitors by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
  • Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
  • Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
  • Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
  • Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products and, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

6. SWOT Analysis

Going by our vision, our mission and the kind of business we want to set – up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our business.

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias in start – ups in the U.S. to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating other business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in The Moving and Storage industry.

As a company, we look forward to maximizing our strength and opportunities and also to work around our weaknesses and threats. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service;

  • Strength:

Our strengths include; strong management, strong fleet operations, our transportation network serves some of the largest population centers in the U.S., size advantages, cost advantages, customer loyalty and strong reputation amongst domestic and industry players.

Basically our business is centrally located in a densely populated industrial and residential estate in South Dakota; our location is in fact one of our major strength. Another strength that counts for us is the power of our team; our workforce and management.

We have a team that is considered experts in the moving and storage industry, a team of hardworking and dedicated individuals.

  • Weakness:

Our weakness could be lack of finance, high debt burden, cost structure, lack of scale compared to our peers who have already gained ground in the industry.

As a new business which is owned by an individual (family), and we may not have the financial muscle to sustain the kind of publicity we want to give our business. As a new business, we are also quite aware that it will take time for us to build trust with our clients.

  • Opportunities:

The opportunities that is available to us as a moving and storage company in the United States include; online market, new services, new technology, and the opening of new markets.

We are centrally located in one of the busiest industrial area in South Dakota and we are open to all the available opportunities that the city has to offer. Our business concept has also positioned us to be the preferred choice in South Dakota.

The truth is that there are no standard and well – equipped moving and storage company within the area where ours is going to be located; the closest moving and storage company to our proposed location is about 15 miles away. In a nutshell, we do not have any direct competition within our target market area.

  • Threat:

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face include; mature markets, bad economy (economy downturn), stiff competition, volatile costs, and rising fuel prices.

Other threats that are likely going to confront Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service is unfavorable government policies, seasonal fluctuations, demographic / social factors, downturn in the economy which is likely going to affect consumers spending and of course emergence of new competitors within the same location where ours  is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

  • Market Trends

The market trends as it involves The Moving and Storage industry especially in the United States and Canada is indeed dynamic and at the same time challenging.

But one thing is certain, once a moving and storage company can gain credibility, it will be much easier for the company to secure permanent deals / contracts with big time merchants and warehouse operators who are involved in moving goods and materials from one location to another on a regular basis. The demand for the services of moving and storage companies is highly correlated with consumer spending.

With the advancement of technology and the sole need for every individual is to live in a comfortable  house, the moving industry keeps souring high, and As home sellers, buyers and renters prepare for 2016, hiring professional movers is likely to be on their moving checklists.

No doubt some of the major factors that count positively in this line of business are competence, trust, honesty, good relationship management and of course timely and safe pick – ups and deliveries.

8. Our Target Market

Our target market is basically every one (organizations and individual as well who has a cause to move goods and materials from one location to another. In other words, our target market is the whole of the United States of America and below is a list of the people and organizations that we have plans to do business with;

  • Merchants and Warehouse Operators
  • Retailers who would want to move their goods from one locations to another
  • Manufacturers (Chemical manufacturers, and Textiles manufactures et al)
  • Households who would want to move from one apartment to another
  • Corporate organizations who would want to move from one office to another
  • Government agencies who have cause to mover goods and materials from one locations to another locations
  • Non – Profits and Charity organizations that have cause to move goods and materials from one location to another.

Our Competitive Advantage

Our major competitive advantage is the vast industry experience and solid reputation of our owners Parker and Prince Jolly and of course our management team.

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service no doubt is a new moving and storage company, which is why we have taken our time to do a thorough homework before launching the business. We were able to highlight some factors that will give us competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Some of the factors are: trust, honesty, good network and excellent relationship management strong management, strong fleet operations, our transportation network serves some of the largest population centers in the U.S., our size advantages, cost advantages, supply chain, customer loyalty and strong reputation amongst domestic industry players.

Another competitive advantage that we are bringing to the industry is the fact that we have designed our business in such a way that we can comfortably work with both individuals who may want to make use of small trucks and also big conglomerates who are involved in massive movement of goods and materials from one locations to another on a regular basis.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare packages will be amongst the best within our category (startups moving and storage companies in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

  • Sources of Income

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company will ensure that we leverage on our strength and the opportunities available to us in the U.S. market to generate enough income that will help us drive the business to stability.

We will go all the way to explore every available sources of income in The Moving and Storage industry. Below are the sources we intend exploring to generate income for Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service;

  • Local and long-distance transportation of household and office goods
  • Warehousing and storage services
  • Packing and Packaging services
  • Process, Distribution, and Logistics Consulting and Advisory Services
  • Merchandise sales and other related services

10. Sales Forecast

We are well positioned to take on the available market in the U.S. and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first month or operations and grow the business and clientele beyond South Dakota to other states in the U.S. and Canada

We have been able to critically examine The Moving and storage industry and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have were able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in the United States of America.

Below is the sales projection for Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services company, it is based on the location of our business and our competitive advantage;

  • First Fiscal Year-: $250,000
  • Second Fiscal Year-: $600,000
  • Third Fiscal Year-: $900,000

N.B: This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same moving and storage services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

  • Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

The marketing strategy for Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company is going to be driven basically by professionalism, excellent customer service, honesty and quality service delivery. We will ensure that we build a loyal customer base.

We want to drive sales via the output of our jobs and via referral from our satisfied customers. We are quite aware of how satisfied customers drive business growth especially businesses like moving and storage services.

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services company is a business that is strategically located and we are going to maximize the opportunities that is available which is why we spend more to locate the business in a location that will be visible and enable us to access our target market.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service.

Our goal is to grow Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company to become the leading moving and storage company in South Dakota which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with in The Moving and Storage industry.

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

  • Introduce our moving and storage business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations who into manufacturing, merchants and warehouse operators, households and key stake holders in South Dakota
  • Print out fliers and business cards and strategically drop them in offices, libraries, public facilities and train stations et al.
  • Use friends and family to spread word about our business
  • Post information about our company and the services we offer on bulletin boards in places like schools, libraries, and local coffee shops et al
  • Placing a small or classified advertisement in the newspaper, or local publication about our company and the services we offer
  • Leverage on referral networks such as agencies that will attract clients who would need our customized services
  • Advertise our business in relevant magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
  • Attend relevant expos, seminars, and business fairs et al to market our services
  • Engage in direct marketing approach
  • Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied students
  • Join local chambers of commerce and industry to market our services.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Any business that wants to grow beyond the corner of the street they are operating from must be ready and willing to utilize every available means (both conventional and non – conventional means) to advertise and promote the business.

We intend growing our business beyond South Dakota which is why we have perfected plans to build our brand via every available means. We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for both corporate clients and households in the whole of South Dakota and beyond which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our moving and storage company.

Below are the platforms Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services company intend leveraging on to promote and advertise her trucking business;

  • Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
  • Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
  • Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
  • Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around South Dakota
  • Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
  • Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
  • Contact corporate organizations and households and corporate organizations by calling them up and informing them of Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service and the services we offer
  • List our company in local directories / yellow pages
  • Advertise our company in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
  • Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our trucks and vans are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company have a lease arrangement with various companies and the company’s pricing is based on miles per thousands of tons of goods and materials transported. We have perfected our plans to charge competitive rates since we have minimal overhead compared to our competition in the industry.

We will ensure that we leverage on price to win over customers; our prices will be affordable and negotiable. The fact that our business door is open to both individuals and corporations means that we will have different price range for different category of clients. As the business grows, we will continue to review our pricing system to accommodate a wide range of clientele.

  • Payment Options

Our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will not accept payment by cash because of the volume of cash that will be involved in most of our transactions.

Here are the payment options that Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service will make available to her clients;

  • Payment by via bank transfer
  • Payment via online bank transfer
  • Payment via check
  • Payment via bank draft
  • Payment Via Cash
  • Payment via POS

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients pay us without any difficulty. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a standard moving and Storage Company; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to start Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service in the United of America;

  • The Total Fee for incorporating the Business in South Dakota – $750.
  • The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license – $5,500
  • The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility with enough parking space for our trucks in South Dakota for 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $150,000.
  • The amount required to finance the purchase of the first set of trucks – $800,000
  • The Cost for equipping the office (computers, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al): $5,000
  • Cost of accounting software, CRM software and Payroll Software – $3,000
  • Other start-up expenses including stationery – $1000
  • Phone and Utilities (gas, sewer, water and electric) deposits – ($3,500).
  • Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $120,000
  • The Cost of Launching our official Website: $600
  • Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al): $2,500

Going by the report from our market research and feasibility studies, we will need about $1Mto set up a moving and storage business in South Dakota.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Services Company is set to start as a private business that will be solely owned by Parker and Prince Jolly. They will be the sole financial of the company but may likely welcome other business partners when need for expansion arises.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital for our business;

  • Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
  • Source for soft loans from family members and friends
  • Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $200,000 (Personal savings – $150,000 and soft loan from family members – $50,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $800,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been signed and submitted.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Jolly Brothers Moving and Storage Service is a business that was established with the aim of covering the whole of South Dakota and other cities in the United States of America, we have invested a whole lot of money in the business and we would not want to see our investment go down the drain which is why we hired a core professional to help us put strategies and structure in place that will keep the business growing.

Part of the sustainability and expansion strategy that we have adopted is the continuous training and empowerment of our workforce (both full-time staff and freelancers working for us) so as to provide them with the capacity to perform effectively in the highly competitive moving and storage industry in the United States of America.

In other to be in business for a long time, we will not in any way comprise our integrity and trust and we will continue to surpass the expectation of our customers.

Check List / Milestone

  • Business Name Availability Check: Completed
  • Business Incorporation: Completed
  • Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
  • Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
  • Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
  • Application for business license and permit: Completed
  • Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
  • Acquiring of trucks, vans and forklifts: In Progress
  • Renting of Office Facility (Yard) in South Dakota: Completed
  • Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
  • Start – up Capital Generation: Completed
  • Writing of Business Plan: Completed
  • Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
  • Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
  • Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
  • Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
  • Recruitment of employees and drivers: In Progress
  • Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In Progress
  • Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
  • Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
  • Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
  • Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry (networking and membership of relevant organizations and chambers of commerce): Completed