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In the area I live in there is a company that advertises they organize your home. The process that they have is good for people who are downsizing, moving to a retirement home, or just want to get rid of junk. They spend time with the homeowner sorting things, staging their home, and removing things the owner no longer wants. They then determine what to do with the excess stuff... take to donation center or the dump. They also can pack the remaining stuff and move to a new location and stage.
That format would work for any age customer, not just elderly ones. The issue I see for you would be the moving to a new location. For that you would need assistance and a larger truck .
It has been several years since I heard of it and do not know the name.
You need to understand who your customers are and what market you are targeting. Old people moving into the retirement home are attached to their stuff and won't want to give it up or at least not for free. Time is money and you can't waste yours playing psychologist to them. Able bodied folks that are downsizing can do this work on their own. So no there as well. Your customers are kids who need to get their parents moved into a nursing home as quickly as possible because they only have so much time off work etc. before they need to be on a plane back across the country.
I was self-employed successfully (now retired), different career than OP proposes and know this:
-you will be successful if you offer something customers cannot get "just as good but cheaper" elsewhere
-you need to offer something better/different than others already offer
-be prepared to NOT make money (profit) for many years while you figure out your business (keep your day job maybe)
-senior citizens do have money but their budgets are based in past so they are not big spenders except for areas they hold valuable (healthcare, safety, children/grandchildren)
-having a definite skill others don't have gives you an advantage and ability to charge more than unskilled people
Definitely I applaud being self-employed but it's not just about working hard, you need to offer something people see value in, that is not easily obtained from others. That is the hard part about owning a business.
I’m tired of working for someone and want to dedicate myself to starting a service business.
The idea I have is organizing and cleaning and mAybe slight haul away services for older people specifically since they’re in most need for this service.
Do you think anyone would pay for this? It would just be me to start but I could elicit help for larger jobs if I needed help moving or taking things to the dump.
I have money at my disposal to start this to buy a truck and trailer.
I got the idea because I love cleaning and I feel like I’m gifted in organizing things, maybe it’s just my ocd.
I’ve already got the know how and my finger on the “send” button to start an llc and have an accountant on stand by.
Don't sell your time. I have a service business and I have only a certain number of hours in a day I can sell. If you have to sell a service, sell one that you can farm out the labor on so that you don't have to do the work yourself (and thereby limit your income by your available hours).
What it really sounds like you're doing is creating a job for yourself. Don't fool yourself that you won't be working for someone. You'll be working for the clients, the bank you owe money to, the government who wants a HUGE chunk of your income, and finally for yourself (but not the current you, the perpetually worried version of you that is always concerned you won't make enough money this month to cover your business expenses, taxes and life).
There is always a demand for good efficient house cleaners. Many of the professional house cleaners don't do a very good job.
You don't have to get rid of stuff in order to organize.
People downsizing might be willing to pay for some help, especially if they can find someone who will sort piles into throw away, donate, and try to sell.
Real estate agents are always looking for good cleaners who can haul junk away.
there are so many online services promoting the same type of service...cleaning and hauling away junk you'll have a lot of competition, not meaning to dissuade you but that's my take. You can call me elderly ....when I want something gone I proceed in this order. I'm out of the accumulation stage, every senior isn't a hoarder....I'm not playing games with people for $50..
)1 --call my kids to see if they want it
2) -- contact my housekeeper to see if she wants it or knows someone who does
3) -- donate to a church bazaar
4) -- advertise it for free online.. freecycle, Marketplace, etc etc...
I'd rather pay somebody to haul it to the dump than mess with it on craigslist
I’m tired of working for someone and want to dedicate myself to starting a service business.
The idea I have is organizing and cleaning and mAybe slight haul away services for older people specifically since they’re in most need for this service.
Do you think anyone would pay for this? It would just be me to start but I could elicit help for larger jobs if I needed help moving or taking things to the dump.
I have money at my disposal to start this to buy a truck and trailer.
I got the idea because I love cleaning and I feel like I’m gifted in organizing things, maybe it’s just my ocd.
I’ve already got the know how and my finger on the “send” button to start an llc and have an accountant on stand by.
It's not whether or not most people think it's a good idea....it's whether or not you have enough people that want it.
I used to have this when I was younger and I traveled all the time. The housekeeper was amazing. Her team would organize my place for myself and my roommate. I'd fly home on Friday, generally enteretain on Saturday and fly out again on Sunday....place wrecked. When I came home again, the place was perfectly put together again, whereupon I could dump out my luggage for that week, repack from the dry cleaning brought in and the laundry done and put away and the process would repeat.
Her name was Beatta. I only saw her personally a few times in my life, but she was amazing with an outsized impact and she kept steadily growing her cadre of Polish ladies. After I'd moved on to California I called back and asked how and why she'd put up with crap for so long and that I was so appreciative that she had. She said simply that she thought I needed the help (I did) and that all those parties meant all those people were witness to the original state of the place, the end result and could see it again later. Said my referrals alone built 70% of her business. (People talk about their pets or their kids...I raved about Beatta)
So, if that's your MO and you like doing it....trust me there are people that will love it and love you for doing it.
If you want a new business opportunity I'll give you one and I'm dead serious. Here it is....
Renting car tires.
many people are short on cash and the idea of coming up with $700-$800 to purchase tires for their vehicle is out of the question. According to Bankrate.com, only 37 percent of Americans have enough in savings to cover a $500 emergency. They can select which tires they want -- Michelin - Cooper - whatever whitewalls, blackwalls, etc etc. You can dye tires.
They sign a contract by the week/month/year. Maybe work with a tire company, develop designer tires, different colors anything you can think of.. You see cars today worth $1000 with $3000 rims on them, people will waste money on everything and anything today. Why not take advantage of that and get in on the ground floor. Not many businesses doing this.
Excellent points. We went through it with my great uncle and he was very attached to his things most definitely, rightfully so.
Great idea with a donation facilitator. How could I market that?
What about the service of cleaning and organizing for families with very busy households and 2 working parents to free up what time they do have for not having to do clean up chores , that’s another idea
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