Sometimes the right business to add to your portfolio involves 2 guys with a truck.

A big-ass moving truck, that is.

Get your bubble wrap ready ‘cause today we’re talking about the not-so-sexy (albeit profitable) business of moving.

Duct-taping boxes and filling them with your grade school yearbooks may be your least favorite activity, but what if you could hire a team of macho gym junkies to do the job for you… and everyone else in your neighborhood?

Doesn’t look so bad anymore now, does it?

It’s no surprise that most people would rather hire moving help than throw their backs out trying to do it themselves. According to Move Buddha, over 28 million Americans moved in 2021, and the moving industry market size is an estimated $19 billion.

Yes, billion with a B.

It depends on the size of the move, but hiring professionals to transport a truckload of furniture you bought off Facebook marketplace will cost, on average, anywhere between $300 to $3,500.

Then there are state-to-state moves to consider, which take us into the 5-figure territory with prices that range from $2,500 to $11,600.

With these numbers, there’s no denying this is an opportunity to make you some serious dough.

Read: How to Find a Good Business to Buy: 4 ‘UA’ Ways

Grab your foam peanuts and tape dispenser. Here are two more reasons you need to get into the moving game and add this boring business to your portfolio:

1. It Requires Little Overhead.

What’s the one thing we love to see when looking for a bland business to invest in? 

Simplicity. 

The fewer moving parts, the better.

A truck, some heavy lifters, and all those fancy moving gadgets.

That’s all it takes to run a successful moving company which results in little money coming out of your pocket and more flowing into your bank account.

Nothing like a profitable business with low overhead expenses. Am I right?

This is especially true if you opt out of renting an office or storage space.

Which isn’t necessary ‘cause you can run this business out of your house… or while you’re digital nomading it up on a beach somewhere far, far away.

The highest upfront cost is labor, and it’s common AF for moving companies to pay their muscle too much while charging too little for their services, which ultimately leaves them in the red. 

This is a quick fix on your end and the perfect opportunity to crank up profits while reducing expenses.  

Aside from gas (especially in this economy), equipment is the next thing that’ll eat at your profits. So before handing over a fat cheque to the previous owner, make sure the trucks and other equipment are in tip-top shape.

2. It’s Easily Scalable. 

You probably think moving companies only handle moving people’s stuff from point A to B.

But that’s not all they can offer. 

One of the first things we look at when investing in any business is if there’s potential for tacking on additional revenue streams.

More services = higher profit margins. It’s a no-brainer. And most moving companies have plenty of room to expand, especially if they’re only tapping into the local market with just a few trucks.

Here are a few additional services you can add to your moving company to scale:

Packing and Unpacking: The chaos that is moving begins and ends with packing. The only thing worse than shoving all the stuff you’ve hoarded into random cardboard boxes is figuring out which box your cutlery is in after the move is done. So why not offer a full service where trained packers can safely arrange people’s things in a fraction of the time? No skin off your back and people will eat it up. 

Furniture Assembly: This is an easy add and can be seen as an extension of the packing service. Your movers will already be carrying all the heavy furniture into the house… you might as well take it one step further and assemble the furniture. Plus, who wants to put their bed frame back together? Not me. 

Storage Facility: Where do people put their stuff if they’re between moves? A storage unit. Adding a storage facility to your portfolio may perfectly complement your moving company. The movers will pack everything up and take it straight to your facility… where the boxes will sit pretty for weeks, months, or maybe even years while that rent money travels directly into your pocket. 

Long-Distance Moving: Offering state-to-state moves not only allows you to charge a hell of a lot more but will also set you apart from the competition. According to Move Buddha, roughly 80% of movers stay within the same state. This means you’ll most likely be the only mover on the block who provides this kind of service.

Want to learn the ropes on how TF to buy a boring business and add some extra cash to your bank account? We’ll walk you through what you need to do in our online course for small business buyers. 

Yours Unconventionally,

Codie & Ryan

Co-founders – Unconventional Acquisitions

If you want to learn more about how to find and buy businesses, check out these articles👇

• How to Recruit the Best Employees After You Bought a Business
• 6 Questions to Ask Before Closing an M&A Deal
• The 7 Most Important Questions to Ask When Buying a Business