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Originally Posted by Graham
No offence, but what you *need* for a start is a solid business plan!
Will you finance this out of your pocket or get a bank loan?
They'll definitely want to know the following...
How many people are already offering the service you want to sell?
What is going to make someone come to you instead of the existing suppliers?
How much are you going to charge?
What costs are going to be involved (fuel, tax, VAT, staff, accountants, wear and tear on vehicles)?
Can you make a profit on the difference between the charges and the costs?
Is it going to be just you? If so, what happens if you're ill?
If you're employing others, what about wages, health and safety, possibly pension provision?
Will you be a self-employed sole trader (you'll be liable for all the debts if the company gets into trouble which could result in you losing your house if you have one)? Limited company? (More paperwork and you'll really need an accountant and someone to operate as Company Secretary).
These are just a few of the things you'll need to consider!
Please understand I'm not trying to put a dampener on your plans and I wish you every success, but get advice and do research before you jump in with both feet! 
http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/
http://www.startups.co.uk/
Business Link |
Cheers Graham thanks for the great info, I'm going to do it on my own for the at the start we'll see how it goes from there. It's going to be self financing at the start for example lorry costs, they will be funded by me by the way of lease purchase, I will be a sole trader there will only be me involved, I'm not looking at getting big I just want something to give me a decent living maybe something to pass down to the kids when they grow up.
My wife works in the accountancy trade so she can do my books free of charge
The biggest cost will be fuel, on a newish lorry you'll be looking at getting a decent return on your fuel, I have yet to budget for the fuel.
I'm looking at charging companies £1.20 - £1.50 per mile one way depending on weight and size, so if I do a 150 mile job @ £1.20 per mile it will get me £180, take the fuel out £50 - £55 the profit will be £130. If I double my runs up like most companies do you can charge both companies £180 per job, that's not going to happen all the time but it happens twice a week where I am now, take yesterday I had two loads on board from 2 diffrent companies going within 20 miles of each other both being charged £1.50 per mile.
If I offer a good reliable service keep my feet on the ground it might work.