Recently, there has been a lot of debate around the pros and cons of remote work versus on-site work. Somehow, it seems to have been overlooked that there’s actually a third form of work, mobile work. It isn’t for everyone but if it’s for you, it can offer some great opportunities. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about starting a mobile business.
There are lots of niches to choose from
Over the course of the pandemic, many companies were forced to pivot to remote-first delivery models. These certainly have their advantages but there are a lot of situations where they still don’t work. There are even more situations where they can work but don’t necessarily work optimally for everyone all of the time.
In those situations either the customer has to visit the business or the business has to go to the customer. Sometimes the customer visiting the business is the only practical or desirable option. Many times, however, customers will be happy to pay for the convenience of having the business visit them.
Basically, if you can think of a business you can move around in some way, there is probably a market for it. Home-related services, health-, wellness- and fitness-related services, and childcare-/petcare-related services are all in high demand and there are lots of other options. For example, you can even find professional legal services offered on a mobile basis.
Some niches are so huge that they can be divided into sub-niches. These can create even more interesting options. For example, you probably already know about mobile dog-walkers and cat-sitters. You may not, however, have thought about offering services to people with other pets, especially exotic ones that need some level of knowledge to manage.
Security can be managed
If you work as a mobile employee, then you can expect your employer to manage your security. If, however, you start your own mobile business, then you are responsible for your own security. The good news is that it’s perfectly feasible to run your own mobile business safely. In fact, all it really needs is some basic common sense backed up by some affordable technology.
Use common sense to define the geographical areas you’ll serve and the client base you’ll target. Follow this up by vetting all prospective clients and their addresses. If anything makes you uncomfortable just say no. Keep records of where you’re expected to be at all times and make sure these records can be accessed by someone you trust.
Have some kind of “dispatch base” where you check in regularly to confirm that you’re safe. Often the easiest way to do this is to hire a virtual assistant. Unless you need add-on services, just use someone who works with other clients too. That’ll help to keep costs down while still ensuring you get the service you need.
Unless you’re really comfortable with your clients, have a separate phone number and email for your business. Spend a little money on a domain and an associated email. Firstly, it looks a whole lot more professional than a free email address. Secondly, it’ll allow you to leverage local search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.
You need to choose your transport with care
If you already have a car or van, you may be tempted just to use this for your mobile business. This might save money at the beginning but you could find it throws up problems later down the line. Instead, think about what you need from your transport. Then decide if your current vehicle fits the bill or if you need to upgrade (or get a second vehicle).
Firstly, think about what equipment you need and want to carry for your business. In general, never assume that your clients will provide you with anything (even if you’ve agreed that they will). All you can reasonably expect them to provide is some space and access to basic facilities such as electricity and water.
If you regularly need to carry a lot of equipment, then you’ll probably need a car or a van. That means you need to think about the practicalities of driving. In particular, you need to think about the sort of distances you’ll be covering and the condition of the roads. You’ll also need to think, very carefully, about your options for parking safely.
If you don’t need to carry a lot of equipment regularly, then you may not need a car or van. It could, however, still be helpful to have one. If you have your own car or van, you can get to any destination at any time no matter what the weather. That said, the more you can plan ahead, the less relevant this becomes and the more cars and vans become expenses rather than assets.
