Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other manmade structures. Scaffolds are widely used on site to get access to heights and areas that would be otherwise hard to get to. Start your own business hiring out scaffolding to builders and building contractors.
The business
Scaffolding hire is an interesting business, it does not require the capital of a tool hire business and it is something that can be run as a sustainable one product hire business. It is also part of the construction industry and sometimes it is rented for long periods at a time for large projects. While this business can be grown quite large on its own it can also be grown by offering supplementary products such as cement mixers and wheel barrows (this is how Mohed Altrad built his billion euro business Groupe Altrad).
Business model & growth
Scaffolding is rented over a period of time, usually invoiced a day at a time. The goal is to grow this business by acquiring more scaffolding so you can service more sites at a time. One or two very large sites are good and well but this is a business that scales in volumes and getting more sites is better than to only depend on large jobs.
Understanding the business
Like any other business this requires some research regarding the various types and techniques used in the scaffolding industry. Some building experience is a plus it is not required. One thing that is important is networking, you have to build contacts so that when a new projects start you are the go to for person scaffolding.
You will also need a storage area (an open yard or large garage is fine as they can stack vertically) and may have to offer a drop off and collect service. A bakkie with a flatbed or panel van will be sufficient starting out. I would suggest that you brand the scaffolding and the warning signs with your company name for extra brand exposure.
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