Packers and movers service business is quite a flourishing and rapidly growing service oriented business in India. Primarily due to high demand by consumers for both local and interstate shifting and relocation needs.
There is huge opportunity in starting and running a packers and movers service business in India, and anyone looking to start their own business with minimum initial investment can consider starting packers and movers service business.
Overview of packers and movers industry in India
The Packers and movers industry is a part of logistics and transportation industry in India. Logistics and transport industry is a broad category, but let’s stay focused about the packers and movers industry in this post.
The packers and movers are primarily involved in packing and shipping of goods and articles (primarily domestic household, office supplies etc), both locally within the city or to a different city, state or different country at times.
As the name suggests, the packers and movers service providers offers both packing and moving services to end consumers and businesses. Mostly required by domestic users to relocate their household goods and articles, but sometime they also offer commercial and industrial goods shifting services for companies and corporate.
Being a service based industry, there is hardly any barrier to start packers and movers service business in India. Anyone with a bit of experience in marketing and sound network in the industry can set up a packers and movers business and scale it quickly in India, for there is high demand for such services.
The low investment to setup the business, high demand by consumers and good operating margins makes it the perfect service oriented business to start in India. But as there is no barrier to entry in the industry, there is tough competition in movers and packers industry. In any state capital or metro city in India, you can easily find hundreds of local movers and packers companies.
Services offered by movers and packers companies
Broadly speaking, the packers and movers service providers offers end to end packing and shifting services which includes, disassembling and packing of household goods (e.g. furniture, home and kitchen appliances, kitchen items, bedding etc), loading, transportation with insurance, unloading, unpacking and rearranging.
Apart from domestic household shifting services, the movers and packers also offers other related services such as:
- Door to door household goods packing and moving
- Local and interstate office relocation
- Short term storage and warehousing services
- Interstate Car transportation
- Industrial goods packing and transportation
In general, the movers and packers offer complete service from packing to transporting and delivery of goods at the destination. But sometime they also offer just packing service for do-it-yourself transportation.
What is expected from the movers and packers service providers in India?
Overall quality of service: Needless to say this. As a potential movers and packers company owner, you will be offering services to the individual and corporate customers and when you are in the service business, you can’t afford to go wrong in the service quality. You are expected to offer great quality services from end to end e.g. quality of packing materials, packing, process of loading, unloading and so on, everything have to be exceptionally good.
Safety of goods: The idea of using packers and movers service is pretty simple. As a user, I want my goods to be packed and delivered timely and in safe and sound condition without any damage, theft or misplacement. This goes without saying that you have to ensure safety for an individual and corporate customers.
Punctuality: relocating to a new home is a complicated process and that’s why they hire a professional movers and packers service provider. You have to be professional in any business, but especially so in service business, where you don’t have the monopoly.
Commitment to deliver on time: Needless to say, everyone wants to get their goods within the committed delivery timeline. For end customers, it is important because they have everything with you, so they can’t start their life in the new house unless you deliver their household goods. For industrial and commercial shifting, their productivity and commitment is at stake, so you have to meet the delivery timeline.
Prompt and clear communication: No one likes hidden agendas and hence a clear cut communication can help you win customers. As a movers and packers business owner, you have to train yourself and your team to communicate everything clearly and promptly.
Value your words: This is important for any business owner, including the packers and movers business owners. You should value your commitment and words. You can’t end up quoting less for a task and then change your quote in between. Whatever you have committed, should be fulfilled to best of your abilities.
Are you sure you want to become a packers and movers business owner?
Starting and growing a business take lots of hard work and efforts. If you want to start the business just because it appears a lucrative career option, then give it a serious thought. It takes a lot to run and grow a business. Business is not meant for anyone and everyone.
You need to have a different mindset to run and grow a business. You have to be intensively involved in your business in order to let it grow. So, for that, for a startup, you need to get yourself updated with the challenges and opportunity.
Make a simple and straight business plan. Do some researches about the packers and movers industry, find out the operating costs, and try to understand the market. Make some operational and financial projections based on your research. Since we are talking about starting the packers and movers service business, you should figure out some of these;
- From where are you going to buy packing materials?
- Who will be your transport partner?
- What the cost of packing for average 2/3bhk of goods?
- How much would be the transportation cost?
- What would be the labor charges?
- What’s the minimum amount that you have to charge to break even?
- What are the recurring costs to run the business?
- How many staff will be required initially for 6 months?
- How many permanent staff will be required initially?
Try and find answer to some of these vital questions. Meet some of the business owners from the industry, take input and advise from them. Learn about their challenges, figure out if there is any scope of improvement in the existing model.
