Moving Startups Think Outside The (Cardboard) Box

Some entrepreneurs are inspired to create businesses stemming from their jobs. Wesley Rankin founded HiveBoxx, which rents out durable plastic boxes, based on his own experience at work. As a real estate agent, he noticed a “great opportunity to improve the moving experience,” Rankin told PYMNTS in an interview. He said it was obvious how challenging it was for people to protect their belongings and pack boxes without them becoming overpacked and falling apart.

To start the rental process, customers visit the company’s website and indicate the size of their moves. HiveBoxx offers multiple bundles designed for different spaces, such as studios and dorms as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments. Consumers reserve their boxes for a preferred length of time, and then the company contacts them to schedule the drop-off. Once customers are finished using the boxes, the company picks them up so they are not left unattended.

As a result, customers don’t have to worry about hunting down boxes or finding somewhere to drop them off. “We’re going to do all of that for the client,” Rankin said.

For payments, the company uses Stripe and accepts major credit cards.

Reusable Boxes

The boxes themselves are made from durable plastic, so they won’t fall apart and water will not damage the contents. Customers can also easily stack the boxes and put belongings inside them. Overall, Rankin said the boxes are easy to use and provide consumers with peace of mind when they pack their belongings.

Beyond the boxes, HiveBoxx also offers another set of products designed to make the moving experience easier for a family or individual. Hive Essential Kits contain environmentally friendly cleaning materials. The company’s Kitchen Essentials Kit, for instance, has products from brands such as Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers and Full Circle Home. The kits are designed to help people clean their new homes, so they won’t have to go looking for cleaning items when they first move into a new place.

Moving Innovation

Beyond reusable boxes, other players in the moving space are innovating through payment methods and logistics. Zapt, for instances, allows consumers to finance their moves with the help of Affirm. They can choose repayment terms of three, six or 12 monthly installments. Customers can see the repayment amount and view interest in dollars instead of just a rate. The company’s technology platform links consumers and businesses with background-checked professionals to complete different kinds of logistical tasks.

Zapt also provides a finite price to consumers. Bill Catania, who started the company, said in a recent PYMNTS interview that the company has worked hard on pricing algorithms “to understand what the price will be for a move or a delivery task.” By contrast, he found that a lot of competitors only provide a window or an estimate of the potential cost, “but it could change dramatically based on the job itself,” Catania said.

And Callbox Storage seeks to take the work out of moving into self-storage by providing “a team of licensed, trained movers,” according to Co-founder and CEO Kyle Bainter in a previous PYMNTS interview. The company charges a monthly fee for its service, but Bainter said the price is generally in line with the cost of climate-controlled storage facilities. And the pricing is dynamic, as Callbox only charges customers based on the space they are using.

From self-storage space to reusable boxes to financing services, entrepreneurs in the moving industry are looking to tackle the challenge of moving with the help of technology and innovative business models.