When you start a new moving business, it’s important to know how your business is going to run.

And this is especially true if you plan on looking for funding from investors or getting a bank loan to start your company.  Having the right tools like software for movers that allows you to run efficiently and grow your business is important, you must start with a plan.

And while there’s no one-size-fits-all business plan template, there are certain elements that are always included. Here’s a rundown of those elements with examples on how you can structure them.

Executive summary

An executive summary is exactly what it sounds like – a condensed version of what the plan and business include. Most executive summaries will have a mission statement for your company, a very broad overview of the competition, financial projections, and your company goals.

Example: Hubspot

Company description

Your company description is everything someone needs to know about your business. Think of it like the About page on your website. In fact, you can repurpose this section and use it as your About page copy and when you’re ready to create your online presence.

Example: Meathead Movers

Competitive analysis

Most competitive analyses will take look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your business (also known as a SWOT analysis). This will help identify all the areas where your business will soar past its competition while also highlighting the areas where you need to improve in order to stay competitive.

You should also include an overview of the following information for your new business as well as for your key competitors.

• Positioning: How do you fill your customers’ needs in a way that’s different from your competitors?
• Pricing: How do you price your services?
• Your target audience: Who do you want to work with? Are you targeting any particular niche?
• Competitive advantage(s): What makes you stand out from other moving companies in your area?
• Sales channels: How are you going to find customers?
• Marketing strategy: How are you going to continue to drive leads in a scalable way?

Example: McDonald’s via Business Strategy Hub

Services

This is the section where you explain what services you offer clients. As a moving company, your primary service is moving. This is where the type of moving company you have comes into play – do you offer local or long-distance moves? Corporate or residential moves? Who can use your services or what types of scenarios require your services?

Again, the information you use for this section of your business plan can be repurposed for your website copy. So really take the time to think it through.

Example: QuickBooks time tracking

Marketing plan

The marketing plan is a plan within a (business) plan, for sales and marketing. When you start a company, you have to find your target market and tell them about your services. There are so many different ways to market a business these days, it’s important to focus your efforts on strategies that will help grow your new company. 

The simplest marketing plans will focus on the four Ps: product, price, place and promotion. And with so many different ways to market your product, you can go as simple or as elaborate as you’d like.

Moving companies can promote their services using either online or offline marketing. Online is with your website, search engine optimization (SEO), emails marketing, social media, reviews on sites like Yelp, and digital ads. Offline is through word of mouth, flyers, TV and radio, and networking.

Example: The NBA’s 4P Marketing Strategy  

Bonus example: Moving Company Marketing & Advertising Tips from Moversville

Financial plan 

Much like the marketing plan, the financial plan shows how you expect the sales, revenue, profits, and expenses to play out for your new moving company.

In the sample financial plan below, you’ll see how it paints a picture of the financial health of this business. From the start-up funds required to the break-even analysis (at what point the business starts to be profitable), this financial plan helps you see just how this company is expected to perform over the next five years.

Example: Like New Carpet Cleaners via Bplans 

Use these templates for your new moving company business plan.

Now that you know the different elements you should include in your business plan, it’s time to get started. The U.S. Small Business Administration is a great place to find a few business plan templates that you can tailor to your new moving company. Also, sites like Moversville Connect have loads of resources specifically for movers, to help you get started. 

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