Start a Business Installing Storage Organizers

You are assumed to have the skills and equipment needed to perform this service. You may have performed this or similar types of activities in the past. Thus, you may have learned the skills and accumulated most of the required equipment from those prior tasks.

The methods and procedures described on this page can be used to help satisfy your needs, and the needs of likely customers.

The Vital Guidelines for Novices page helps beginners who want to start a business. These guidelines provide focused advice and useful insights.

Before using this information to start a business be sure to read the following notice: Disclaimer

Introduction to idea

Owners or tenants pay you to install storage organizers to increase the amount of storage space in their homes.

This service increases the usefulness and value of homes. It is a service that owners or tenants may not have the skill or time to do themselves.

Getting these jobs usually is just a question of making yourself known to potential customers, being qualified to do the work, and quoting the right price for the job.

This activity is performed by the job. Once one job is finished you will have to find another job. However, if you do a good job for a large property owner, you may be called back when other units need these services.

This idea is best suited for people who are physically fit and enjoy working with their hands.

Primary skills -- You must have handyman skills that allow you to do a good job installing these items.

Equipment owned -- This business idea assumes that you own the following equipment:

Other items -- You need to own or purchase other items, such as office equipment and job supplies. These items are listed under the startup costs on the next topic.

Also, you will need to purchase some or all of the materials needed for each job. The customer will repay you for these materials when you finish the job.

In order to show a profit, you will have to sell enough of your services to cover the startup costs, job costs, and operating expenses. The more income you collect over a certain time period the larger your profits. Therefore, you want to have substantial sales, along with low costs and expenses.

The fees you charge pay for your labor, job materials and supplies, use of your equipment and vehicle, and your ability to perform the work in a professional manner. You might charge an hourly rate for your services, or a lump sum for a particular job. Your fee also should include any miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses you have, such as dump fees.

How much should you charge for your services? This depends on how well off the customer is and how anxious both you and the customer are to make a deal. The economic conditions of the local area might also influence these negotiations.

Estimated startup costs

Note: I am only showing one month for certain expenses. You should be able to get your first job or two in a month. Then these items become operating expenses, not startup costs.

The assumed startup costs for this business idea, using a frugal style of business operations, consist of the following items:

Advertising and promotion (1 month) -- Small classified advertisements or flyers delivered to likely neighborhoods.

Business insurance (1 month) -- Business liability insurance. (Talk to a local insurance agent to see if you need this coverage.)

Governmental requirements -- Local fees and business license. (Note: You might also be subject to state and federal deposits and registration fees, but these will vary. So I have not included them in these startup costs.)

Office equipment -- Business telephone; desk accessories (stapler, paper clips, pen and pencils, etc.); and listing adding machine.

Office supplies -- Check blanks for business checking account, file folders or large manila envelopes (for filing papers), lined writing tablets, pads of accounting journals and ledger, and pads of standard job bid forms.

Reference book -- Bookkeeping for Dummies (Paperback) available from Amazon.com or other online bookstores. (Note: The "for Dummies" series of books are easy to read manuals for normal people, not dummies.)

Estimated Startup Costs
Advertising and promotion (1 month)	$	75
Business insurance (1 month)		50
Governmental requirements (local fees and business license)		50
Job supplies		15
Office equipment		120
Office supplies		100
Other operating expenses (1 month)		50
Reference book		15

Total estimated startup costs	$	475

Note: See the Planning costs and expenses subtopic in the Business Plan on another page for ways to reduce these startup costs.

Putting idea to work

Completing the startup requirements -- This is the last step needed just before you start business operations. See the Listing the startup requirements subtopic in the Business Plan for the items remaining to be completed.

As a minimum, you should have discussed the business idea with your family, set up your business entity, and satisfied all governmental and insurance requirements.

Local information needed -- You need the location of local dumpsites, fees charged for dumping, restrictions on materials allowed to be dumped, and rules for hauling trash.

You need a list of storage organizers (including components, dimensions, and prices) that are available from local building supplies or "big box" stores.

You also need to see if a building permit and/or contractor's license is needed before you start working on a job in your local area.

Soliciting customers -- Place classified advertisements in your local newspaper and/or the newsletter of the local property owners association. You also might want to deliver flyers to likely neighborhoods (where rich people live). Use a simple, honest description of your services. Once you become well known in the community, you should benefit from word of mouth advertising from satisfied customers.

For additional ideas on soliciting customers, see the Sales Methods page in another section.

Getting jobs -- Hopefully, some of the people who read your advertisements will inquire about your services. During this initial telephone conversation, you should determine if you are willing and able to provide the desired services. If so, you may want to discuss the tentative cost of the job. However, in most cases you probably want to inspect the job site before quoting a price.

Preliminary job activities -- After greeting the customer at the job site, you need to discuss the type of storage organizers wanted. The customer may already have decided on what type of organizers they want. Or, they may need your assistance in selecting suitable organizers.

Then you can take measurements at the desired locations for the storage devices.

The customer may be in a hurry and want you to work on a holiday or weekend to get the job done soon.

You can use your job bid forms to estimate the costs of installing the storage devices. The cost of materials can be estimated, subject to actual retail cost. This bid should include the fees for any extra services to be performed, such as working on weekends or at night, and hauling away any trash. The bid probably should include a completion date, subject to availability of materials. If the customer accepts your bid, you both can sign the bid form.

Obtain any needed building permit or contractor's licenses before doing any work.

You need to set the time and date for starting work, and arrange for access to the property. You also may want the customer to pay you for part or all of the estimated costs of materials before starting the job.

Final job activities -- Inspect the premises to verify you have finished all required tasks. Remove all your equipment and supplies. Gather up all the trash.

Collect your agreed upon fee from the customer. Haul the trash away, if part of your agreed upon services.

Job equipment -- Typical items needed: aluminum step ladder, assorted drill bits and screw bits, assorted screw drivers and nut drivers, broom and dust pan, claw hammer, crescent wrench, electrical extension cords, heavy-duty 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch electric drills, levels (2 feet, 4 feet, and 6 feet long), pliers (regular and side cutting), portable work light, stud finder, tape measure, utility knife, and water container (for drinking.

Job materials -- Typical storage items: cabinets (standard sizes or custom-built), cupboards (standard sizes or custom-built), peg boards, rods for clothes hangers, shelving units, shoe racks or pockets, sliding drawers, wall mounted shelving, and wire baskets.

In addition to the above, you can place various items to hang below the main clothes rod. These could be a second rod, shelving, storage bins, and so on.

Main procedures

Installing closet organizers -- Most of the closet organizers come with installation instructions. You would follow these instructions when doing the installation work.

Installing cupboards -- Use the stud finder to locate the studs inside the wall where you will install the cabinet. Transfer this measurement to the inside back of the cupboard. During installation, use temporary props (or a helper) to support the cupboard at its desired location. Then screw it into the back wall. Use matching trim to cover any gaps that show.

Installing pegboards -- Mark the desired location of pegboard on the wall. Use the stud finder to locate the studs inside the wall where you will hang the pegboard. Transfer this measurement to the pegboard. During installation, use temporary props (or a helper) to support the pegboard at its desired location. Then screw it into the wall.

Installing wall mounted shelving -- This shelving uses vertical metal standard with slots, or large metal angle brackets for support. Use the stud finder to locate the studs inside the wall where you will place the standards or brackets. Mark the desired location of the first standard or bracket on the wall where a stud is located. Use a level to transfer this mark to where the next stud is located. After all marking is completed, screw the standards or brackets into the wall. Then snap the horizontal shelving supports into any vertical standards at desired locations. Apply the shelving, and affix to any angle brackets.

SBI!