Entrepreneur Guidance
How to Start a Mail Box Rental Business
These tips are written for those of you who plan on opening a mail box rental business. Make sure you consider this advice before you open up shop.
Wondering how to start a mail box rental business? We take you step-by-step from start to success.
Why Mailbox Rental Businesses are Viable Startups
Although mailbox rental businesses are nearly ubiquitous, many entrepreneurs have the sense that a mailbox rental business is a risky venture. After all, doesn't USPS already offer mailbox and home delivery?
In fact, there are a variety of reasons why some consumers prefer a private mailbox rental address -- all of which can be exploited by entrepreneurs as value propositions. Unlike USPS, mailbox rental providers offer 24-hour secure access, certified mail & package receipt and a host of other services you can't get through standard mail delivery.
Staffing a Mailbox Rental Startup
After you have secured a rental space and priced the basic equipment you'll need to get started (e.g. a counter, individual mailboxes, surveillance systems, etc.), you will quickly need to turn your attention to hiring.
Mailbox rental startups don't necessarily need to be staffed around the clock. But you will need enough personnel to expeditiously process mail, shipping and other services. Finding good employees is critical to your mailbox rental startup -- you simply can't proceed unless you're confident that your team is trustworthy, loyal and trained in operational essentials.
Supplemental Revenue Streams for Mailbox Rental Businesses
Mailbox rentals alone won't be enough to sustain your startup business. Consequently, you'll need to explore supplemental revenue streams that meet the needs of your rental customers and generate additional traffic to your location.
Package shipping, freight & logistics and relocation assistance are natural candidates for additional service offerings. But since entrepreneurs are inherently innovative people, you should also consider testing services that are less obvious as a way to take your startup to the next level.
Successful Business Plans for Mail Box Rental Businesses
If you've done your homework, you already know that writing a business plan is the most critical thing you can do for your company.
Although it might seem like an unnecessary formality, your mail box rental company's business plan is a document that will shape your goals and strategies on a go-forward basis.
Furthermore, a good business plan will help you avoid key startup mistakes. Lacking a solid business plan, many startups find themselves rudderless and incapable of executing consistent decision making processes, while committed business planners rely on their plans to guide all of their decision making and short-term planning efforts.
Evaluating Market Potential
How many potential customers will be within a fifteen-minute drive of your business? How many will be within an hour's drive of your business? It's important to run the numbers to understand how many customers might be interested in coming to your local mail box rental business.
Check Out the Competition
Long before you open a mail box rental business in your area, it's worthwhile to determine what the competition looks like. We've provided the link below to help you generate a list of competitors near you. After following the link, enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of mail box rental businesses in your area.
If there's too much competition, it may be wise to consider starting the business in a less competitive marketplace.
Finding a Non-Competitive Business Mentor
If you are interested in starting a mail box rental business, it's a smart move to learn from folks who are already in business. If you think owners of nearby mail box rental businesses will give you advice, think again. The last thing they want to do is help you to be a better competitor.
However, an entrepreneur who owns a mail box rental business outside of your community will be much more likely to talk with you, provided that you won't be directly competing with them. Many business owners are happy to give advice to new entrepreneurs In my experience, you may have to call ten business owners in order to find one who is willing to share his wisdom with you.
How do you go about finding a mail box rental business owner in a different locale who can assist you?
No problem! Just use the link below and try a random city/state or zipcode. Then start dialing for advice until you are successful.
Should I Buy or Launch a Mail Box Rental Business?
Unfortunately, many inexperienced mail box rental business entrepreneurs approach ownership with the mistaken idea that a startup is their only option when they could also pursue a business acquisition.
Unless you have compelling reasons to launch a new business, buying an existing mail box rental business may be the better choice.
An acquired mail box rental business is a known quantity; a startup is less certain because its forecasts depend on estimated outcomes. If you're diligent about finding the right acquisition prospect, you may be able to leverage a business buying strategy to rapidly propel yourself into a position of industry leadership.
Don't Rule Out Franchising
Your odds of thriving in your new business zoom upwards when you franchise instead of doing it all on your own.
As part of your process in starting a mail box rental business, it's worthwhile to determine whether purchasing a franchise might alleviate your startup process.
The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.
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