Some business ideas are long established and set in the minds of people. Entering them is neither innovative nor novel. However, that doesn’t stop them from being viable business ideas. Furniture removal and transportation of objects such as appliances is one such business. You don’t need to bring anything revolutionary or new to the business but if you stick to a few keys you can make yourself a success in the arena.
People need to move
Furniture, appliances and related objects move daily in Zimbabwe. Sometimes as a group of items and sometimes as individual items. So you can look at people moving house or when someone buys an appliance and needs it transported. It’s not just furniture or appliances; these are people’s prized possessions, and they usually represent a large investment for the parties involved. It would be ideal to get it from point A to point B in the same condition.
Quality is the key
In this business, it all comes down to the quality you provide. What is quality? Quality is the suitability of a product for its purpose. In this case the ability of your appliance/furniture moving service to move customer belongings from point SA to point B with minimal hassle and little to no risk to the goods or property. This requires an investment in the right equipment to guarantee results. Think about something like a fridge. A new fridge comes packaged and protected, so there is likely to be very little chance of scratching it in transit. A fridge that has been in use will not have this packaging advantage, and you will need to make provisions such as protective sheeting or blankets to wrap around it in the process of moving it. If you’ve ever moved something, particularly something large, you will know that preparation beats skill every single time when it comes to guaranteeing the safety of objects in transit.
Vehicle
You will, of course, require a vehicle for this, and there are a few viable options. A simple pickup truck can do at times, but as we enter the rainy season, there is the weather to consider. A closed van or truck might be better, but that may not always be available at the start. If you must work with an open truck, consider the use of tarpaulins or other covering that can protect goods from rain or other adverse weather. You could work with a hired vehicle, though this will increase your logistical complexity. Very few businesses are started in ideal conditions, so do not be afraid to go out on a limb.
Customer service
Contrary to what seems the popular belief, customer service isn’t something you do after the customer is upset. Once the customer is upset, customer service has already failed. Customer service starts from the first interaction. Here’s something that is often not said but is absolute for many businesses, and this one in particular; you make your money when you convince the customer that you are the right person for the job, not when you do the job. The customer’s decision on whether to engage you, pay your asking price, negotiate, and all other decisions are based on your presentation before the work is done. This is not an encouragement to promise potential customers the moon and the stars. Rather show customers that you really understand the job at hand and what matters to them; the safety of their goods.
Operations
When things are going well, you may have multiple jobs or complicated jobs. I recall some years back, when working for a business that involved deliveries; we needed a map of the city of Harare with areas colour coded for route planning purposes. You have it a lot easier if you want to do the same thing today with GPS-enabled map applications pre-installed on most, if not all, phones. These applications can go as far as working out the smartest route when given an itinerary. The machines are great, but you still need a bit of smart about you in arranging some of these things, so don’t leave it all up to the machines.
Don’t compromise
At times, you may feel like this is a niche business with very few customers who are willing to pay what you feel you deserve. This may lead to the temptation to cut a few corners to make the operation viable. This is a path you must tread carefully because if you compromise on the wrong things, you affect the overall quality of your service. Compromising on the safety of your cargo isn’t ideal because you want to establish a reputation based on safety and handling.
