How to Open an Estate Sale Business ~ Biz.com Small Business

By Lanee’ Blunt

Start an estate sale business.

Starting an estate sale business can be lucrative if you love to deal with antiques and organizing things. An estate sales facilitator is called in when a loved one has died or if the family has to put someone in a nursing home. The family may not want to deal with the cleaning up and organizing of the loved ones items and getting the items sold so that the home can be sold.

Set Up our Business

You must set up your business as a legal entity. Decide which form of ownership is best for your particular business: sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), corporation, or S corporation. You can operate your business under your own name or get a fictitious name DBA and operate as a sole proprietorship. Get bonded because most families won’t work with you if you are not bonded. Obtain insurance to protect yourself if you accidentally damage property or if you get hurt while on the job.

Hire employees

You may have to work for families that have not cleaned up. And you may need to hire someone on days when you have a lot of organizing to do for the big sale.

Advertise

Advertise your estate sale business. Market your business by passing out fliers. You can put up signs announcing the sale. Put an ad in the newspaper.

Building Customer's

The estate sale business is a good business and is almost recession proof. There will always be someone that will need your service for their love one. If you are not great at appraising antiques you can always outsource and have a professional appraise the antiques. Develop relationships with Realtor's and ask if they can recommend you to their clients.

Reference:

Entrepreneurship: Starting a Low Start up Cost Business; Rae Morvay

[Image of estate sale]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.estatesaleshouston.com/

Biz.com Small Business

3/2/12