Going self-employed
One van and a mate to start? Organise quoting, deposits and the paperwork side before you load the van for your first paying move.
Instant digital downloads on currently available products · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.
Carrying a sofa down three flights and packing a house without a scratch is the part you're good at; running it as a business is the bit that catches people out. On your own, often starting with one van and a mate, you're not just moving boxes, you're surveying jobs and quoting on volume, stairs and parking, taking a deposit to hold the moving date, having the awkward conversation if something gets damaged, and chasing the balance once the keys are handed over. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides to help you think that setup side through and get organised from day one. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.
What to sort first
Decide how you quote on volume, access, stairs and distance, and whether you charge per job, by the hour or per van and crew before you survey your first move.
Have clear, professional documents to send so quoting a man-and-van job or a full house move doesn't swallow your evenings.
Decide upfront how you'll take a deposit to hold a moving date and when the balance falls due, so your diary and your cash flow both stay protected.
Set out how you handle access, delays and the rare damaged item in writing so everyone knows where they stand. A starting point to think through, not legal advice.
Moving people's belongings carries real risk, so look into the cover that fits and sort it yourself before you take bookings. A prompt to look into, not insurance advice.
Get a basic system for tracking what's coming in and going out across busy and quiet weeks so tax time isn't a scramble.
Plan how movers, landlords, students and small offices find you, and ask satisfied customers for a word-of-mouth recommendation.
Recommended LaunchKit tools
Walks you through the practical first steps of setting up your own removal company so you're not guessing what to sort before your first booked move.
See what’s inside Your paperworkReady-to-use quote, estimate, invoice and job-record templates for the paperwork you send homeowners, landlords, tenants and small offices.
See what’s inside Your pricingHelps you work through pricing on volume, access, stairs and distance, whether you charge per job, by the hour or per van and crew, so your quotes actually cover the work.
See what’s inside Getting foundContent templates to help you get found locally and stay visible to movers, landlords and students in your area between jobs.
See what’s inside Your wordsHelps you write clear quote follow-ups, survey notes and local listings without staring at a blank screen after a long day on the vans.
See what’s inside Money adminA set of forms to help you keep deposits, balances and job costs organised across busy month-ends and quieter weeks.
See what’s insideNot sure where to start? See everything for removal company or browse all LaunchKit products.
Suggested starter stack
The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.
Common questions
Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for removal company businesses.
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