Moving industry consultant John Payne looks at how to plan as companies emerge from the COVID crisis.

In 2020 the world ran in to the proverbial brick wall. Covid 19 jumped out at us with devastating effects. The global economy, and businesses that make up that economy, did not escape the impact and were hit hard.

2020 was particularly painful, but as things started to open-up again, the moving and storage industry saw some areas of business boom. None more so than the domestic removals market which has seen 2021 the busiest year for quite some time and prices charged up at levels the industry has been crying out for, for years.

I have witnessed many companies roll with it, making as much as they can in UK domestic removals whilst the work is there. Great, but how long it lasts we simply don’t know. So, what about the future? Don’t leave it to chance! Now is the time to look at your business strategy and make plans. Without doubt this will give you a better chance of success going forward as has been proven time and again.

Making a business plan
You will need a business plan which you can keep simple or make detailed, that is for you to decide. Most plans will be for a one to three, or even five-year period. If you have not done one before then I would suggest you might want to opt for a three-year plan.

Make sure you include a review and identification of the market/s you want to trade in going forward first, then produce a mini plan for each one. Take a good look at how things have changed and developed in each market in recent months and years and consider what changes might be coming, all of which could influence how you go about your business.

A sales and marketing section in the plan will be essential and should include a review of what your competition is doing, using your knowledge of them and by taking a close look at their website, which should give you a good idea of their aspirations.

Set clear sales targets and back them up with financial targets. All targets should be clear, measurable, achievable and date specific. You can always amend them as you review the success of the plan going forward, but they are ultimately there to help you monitor the plan and to see if goals are being achieved.

When you have decided what sales and financial targets you want to set, and the marketing needed to help you reach them, turn your attention to how you operate the business to be able to meet any new goals. Ask yourself, does your current setup support the targets, or do you need to make changes? If you need to make changes, will there be a cost that needs to be included in the plan?

Your plan will only succeed if your team buys in to it. The best way to get their buy-in is to ask for their input. Your people are your biggest asset, and they often see things in a way you do not. Their input to the plan could be a massive benefit.

For the first year I recommend monthly reviews of the plan’s progress. You can review quarterly in years two and three if you wish, but always keep reviews on the radar so you don’t lose your way.

It’s your choice how you build your plan. You can make plans by yourself, seek views of others in your team, consult others with experience in the industry, get third party help or you can do all the above. Whatever route you take, experience tells me your time will be well spent.

The focus of this article may be on the domestic removals market, but the idea of proper planning applies to all removals, storage and relocation businesses, including those in the international and commercial moving markets.

Will 2022 be as good as 2021? Will the wheels fall off? None of us really know, but what I do know is that business is historically cyclical and has good and bad times. So don’t leave it to chance – it’s time to plan.

John Payne
John Payne is a consultant/project manager with 40 years’ experience in removals. Having worked in small and large businesses at director level he has extensive sales, marketing, operational and financial experience. John consults on all aspects of business and aims to help a business to fulfill its potential.  Click here to e-mail John.