June 12, 2019 at 4:19 PM
Vans are typically used to transport tradespeople and their equipment between jobs. However, a van is a very valuable asset that you can easily turn into a money-making machine without having a specific trade.
The best thing about a van is the versatility of the load space. Unlike a car, a van has a lot of empty space to carry a large amount of smaller items, or it could be used to transport a couple of bigger items (e.g. sofas or appliances).
Here are seven different business opportunities that vans owners could do to start making money straight away.
Most of us are guilty of hoarding to some extent and sometimes a good old fashioned clearout is needed. Similarly, in the unfortunate event that someone passes away and the property is being sold, it will need to be emptied before new owners move in.
Instead of hiring a skip to sit outside the house, you could offer a house clearance service whereby any unwanted items are loaded into the van and taken away immediately.
Depending on how much time and space you have on your hands, you could make extra money from this service. Instead of taking the items to the dump or dropping them off to charity shops, you could sell them yourself online.
In 2017, an estimated 370,300 people moved home which equates to around 1,015 house moves completed every day. This is a physically demanding task that often requires a van and frequent trips between properties.
Moving companies can be very expensive, so if you're willing to put your back into it, there's money to be made from removals - particularly if you've got a larger van such as a Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter.
Since you're likely to be moving heavy furniture around, you'll probably need at least one other person to help you on any job you secure.
More companies - especially smaller ones - are depending on drivers who have their own van, rather than shouldering the expense of running their own fleet, to complete last mile deliveries.
Although this job can easily be done with a car, a van is much bigger and has more capacity to carry larger and heavier items. There are plenty of opportunities out there for van owners to use their commercial vehicle for courier work.
You can either choose to find your own clients or to team up with businesses. Your van could be used to deliver goods and parcels, or you could partner with a service-based business such as an events management company that needs to transport lighting and decorations.
Unlike cars, there isn't a sophisticated nationwide system to transport motorbikes to a buyer that wants a delivery service. Depending on the size of van you've got, you could easily fit one or more motorbikes in your cargo area.
All you need to complete a motorbike transport job is a ramp and some straps to safely secure it in the back. You could team up with a dealership, or a few sellers in your area, and either charge by the mile or by the job.
Most larger vans have a decent towing capacity that you could use to provide towing services to people who need help moving trailers, horse boxes, boats and other large objects.
Tips For Towing With A Van
Believe it or not, you could make money from your van without having to put anything inside, or having to do any manual labour. Some companies will pay for the opportunity to advertise on your van.
With lots of large surfaces, a van makes the perfect blank canvas for a mobile billboard, and in much the same way as a bus or taxi, you could offer prime advertising space that you're not using.
Without trying to be sexist, 'man with a van' is a well-known phrase. It advertises the availability of a person with their van to do a mix of random jobs that people need completing who don't have access to a van.
The difference between this and the other money-making ideas on this list is that it isn't specific or specialised. It could be delivering a sofa bought on eBay or dropping off some rubbish at the tip. If it fits in your van, you can take the job.
Only 10 minutes from M4 Motorway ( J24 )
500 yards from Cwmbran Train St
15 Minutes from the Severn Bridge
Free Pickup from Cardiff Airport
