Business Overview

Let’s face it; today’s busy lifestyles mean that a lot working people just don’t have time for even the simplest of errands, such as taking the family pet to the veterinarian for a routine checkup, buying AuntSue a birthday present, or picking up the kids after school.

Which is great news if you’re a multi-tasker looking to start your own simple,inexpensive, yet potentially very profitable business. An errand service can be operated with nothing more than a cell phone and reliable transportation.

Land clients by networking and by creating a simple marketing brochure explaining the services you provide along with your contact information.

Related: Start A Small Business, Become Self–Employed

The brochures can be pinned to community bulletin boards, hand-delivered to homes and businesses and distributed with the local newspaper.

A few promotional items such as pens and memo pads emblazoned with your company logo, name and telephone number given out to potential customers will go a long way as a daily reminder of your fast, reliable and affordable errand services.

This is the kind of business where growth is fuelled by referrals, so customer service and satisfaction are the most important goals.

Business Overview

We live in a mobile society. The average American moves about onceevery two years–but nobody likes the nitty-gritty of it. Even worse,in today’s two-income families, nobody has the time to do all thiswork.

But if you’ve got a penchant for boxing things up and you’reorganized and efficient, you can ease the process with apacking/unpacking service.

You can supply packing materials as well asmuscle and, if you’re doing the packing, you’ll neatly and carefullylabel everything so your customers can easily locate items at the otherend of the line.

The advantages to this business are that you can starton a shoestring, part-time if you like, you’re always on the moveyourself, and you get a peek at lots of different residences andlifestyles.

For this business, you’ll need to be organized, efficientand fairly detail-oriented. You should have the people skills to dealwith customers in a stressful situation (what move isn’t stressful?)and enough experience to know how to safely pack items that canpotentially spill, ooze or break.

The Market

Your clients will be homeowners, apartment renters and businesses whoare moving in or out. Post fliers at apartment and condominiumcomplexes, office complex leasing offices, laundromats, supermarkets,and ask moving truck rental firms like U-Haul and professional movingcompanies to refer you–be sure to give them supplies of your businesscards.

You might consider paying them a small commission or finder’sfee for referrals. Introduce yourself to real estate, rental andinsurance agents and give them your cards as well.