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Moving & Storage Franchises

Franchise Opportunities

Moving & Storage Franchises

Who's on the move in the world of franchising? Moving and storage franchises are one of the hottest businesses in franchising today. Before buying a moving franchise or a storage franchise, be sure to read this article. Plus, take a look at our featured moving and storage franchises.

Self-storage and moving services are a growing industry.

At one time or another, nearly everyone has found themselves in need of either storage space or help in moving their belongings from one location to another.

With steady demand and a track record of profitability, it's little wonder that more and more small business owners are expressing interest in the moving and storage field.

The self storage industry is one of the few remaining industries still dominated by small business owners operating in local markets. According to industry reports, the top ten self-storage businesses still command less than 20% of the self storage market.

That means that there is plenty of room in the marketplace for small business owners interested in purchasing a local franchise.

Over 41 million Americans move every year, and the moving industry also has a number of attractive franchising opportunities for new business owners. For example, Two Men and A Truck International Inc. was founded by Mary Ellen Sheets, a mother who took over her sons' summer moving business when they returned to college.

Recognizing an opportunity when she saw it, Mary Ellen ran with it and grew the company. She began franchising in 1989 and the company she started currently has almost 140 franchise locations.

Points to Consider

The moving business is physically demanding. But if you're not up for the physical challenges, don't be dissuaded from buying a moving franchise. Remember: You're the employer. Your job is to make sure the business is running smoothly, not to do the heavy lifting. Most franchisors offer their franchisees assistance in hiring and training employees.
Self-storage operations are not necessarily labor-intensive, but they do require regular employee coverage and maintenance. Someone needs to be responsible for collecting payments, supervising facilities, and from time to time - evicting non-paying renters. With that in mind, make sure you don't overlook the cost of staffing in your business plan.

Franchise Opportunities

Two Men and A Truck International. Two Men and A Truck is a family-owned franchisor that provides moving services throughout the U.S. In 2005, the company reported 140 U.S. franchise locations.
Smartbox. Smartbox provides a combination of moving and storage services by giving their customers storage boxes that can be loaded at their leisure and then moved to a new location. Although they are a young company, they are eager to recruit new franchisees to partner with them to grow the company.
Apartment Movers Etc. Apartment Movers specializes in smaller moves for residential and commercial clients, giving them the ability to carve a niche in the moving marketplace. Like many other moving franchisors, they are also relatively new to franchising. Currently, the company has 12 U.S. franchises and they are aggressively seeking qualified applicants.

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