A lot of folks can often get accused of “hoarding” stuff in their homes. Granted that some people do so because of a mental health problem. But others do so because they just forget about certain material objects, and they end up gathering dust!

As I look around the room in my home where I am writing this blog post from, I can see some examples of that in my home too! Because most people lead busy lives in today’s modern world, time is a commodity that many of us do not have.

We don’t have the time to dedicate to sorting through unwanted personal items in our homes. Nor do we have the time to sort them into piles – i.e. throw away, keep or recycle. It’s a sad fact that many people die and leave all sorts of junk in their homes that their family members have no choice, but to sort through it all.

I remember having to help sort through someone else’s junk for a family member after their relative died. They lived in a rather large house. And every room got filled with weird and wonderful stuff that didn’t have any particular value. Other than sentimental value to their now-deceased owner, I imagine.

As you can imagine, hoarding is something that happens to most people. Regardless of whether they intended to keep so much stuff or not! It’s quite a big problem, but the good news is that one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure!

Junk removal is big business in many parts of the world. That’s because large quantities of junk have a good value attached to them. Why? Metals like steel, silver and gold fetch good money on the scrap metal market.

They can get recycled and turned back into their original basic metals. Those metals can then get used as part of the manufacture of new products. Recycling is big business, and it’s safe to say that it’s a multi-billion dollar industry.

The first part of the recycling process involves collecting junk and scrap. And this is where you could cash in and make a good living from other people’s trash! In today’s blog post, I will tell you more about setting up your own junk removal business. Here is what you need to know!

Market research

For any business to remain successful, a lot of research needs to get carried out. In this case, you need to do some market research to establish how viable setting up a junk removal business is in your local area.

If you live in an area with only 500 inhabitants, and you live tens of miles from the nearest big town or city, it’s going to be a pointless idea. But if you live in a well-populated area, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to make money from other people’s junk!

Assuming the latter is true, your first job is to find out who your local competition is. Once you do that, find out how much they charge to remove junk from people’s homes and businesses in your area.

Even in a saturated market, it is still possible to make yourself stand out from the crowd and make some money. Once you know how much other people charge, it’s important that you work out some good prices for your services.

If you are cheaper or more expensive than everyone else, you will price yourself out of the market. Consider charging prices that work out as the average price of everyone else.

Offer services your competitors don’t

One way to stand out from the crowd is to offer something that the other junk removal firms in your area don’t! We know that your primary service is to collect people’s unwanted goods from their homes and businesses.

One idea is to also offer recycling services for old computers. And even data destruction services for unwanted hard drives. Expanding your service offering will benefit you in two ways. First, it means that you can offer your customers a “one-stop shop.” And second, it gives you extra sources of revenue for your business!

Buy the right vehicles for the job

It doesn’t matter whether you want to start small or big in your new junk removal business. You will need to have a fleet of one or more suitable vehicles for the job! Some folks might start out with cargo vans like the excellent Ford Transit.

But if you plan to process large amounts of junk at any one time, you will need to buy one or more trucks to get the job done right. By now you are doubtless thinking that you’d have to spend a small fortune buying some brand new trucks.

The good news is that you don’t! It makes more sense to buy used trucks as you can keep your startup costs low. Websites like Auto Trader Trucks are a good place to start on your journey to finding the best deals. And you can also check out local truck dealers too.

Before you buy any trucks – or even cargo vans – make sure that you research the models you are thinking of buying!

Bureaucracy

One hurdle that anyone setting up a junk removal business needs to overcome is bureaucracy. The thing is; each state has their own licenses and regulations that junk removal firms need to follow.

I recommend that you do some thorough research into what you need to do before you set up your business. Because I’d hate for you to incur state fines for not doing something right!

And, as with all businesses, you need to register with the IRS. They will give you a tax number for your business, and they can tell you what else you might need to do from a taxation point of view.

Insurance

The final thing you need to bear in mind is that insurance is a must in the junk removal business! It’s no secret that we live in an age where everyone sues each other over something.

You need to cover your back from a legal standpoint by taking out the right insurance cover for your business.

Good luck!