Moveminder

Client: Claire Hose

Having moved house eleven times over the past six years, Claire Hose is no newcomer to the stress and inconvenience that relocation can bring. On her latest move to London, Claire soon noticed similar professionals who were ‘cash rich time poor’, finding the logistics of a move impossible to negotiate, and the entire experience as a “daunting experience”.

Growing up in Yorkshire and seeing the growth and demand of her parent’s concierge business, Claire recognised that “if her move management service was going to work anywhere, London would be the best place to start!” Offering services ranging from sourcing and liaising with the removal company, to redirection of mail, unpacking boxes and making a home liveable within a few hours of the move, Moveminder was born in 2007.

With a “genuinely good service” established, Claire began to face the logistics of setting up her own business. With no prior “entrepreneurial experience” Claire soon began to look for a business support service to assist her in the process. Following an internet search, Claire discovered the LDA’s Business London programme where she found and quickly arranged a consultation with a free business adviser from GLE oneLondon.

After an indepth discussion of how her business worked and where she wanted it to go, her business adviser helped Claire with her business plan, detailing “all the areas I needed to cover, and just hadn’t thought of!” Once Moveminder’s plan was solidly in place, Claire recognised that she needed an initial cash injection into her business. Due to the current economic climate in which banks are becoming increasingly cautious about lending, Claire was unable to access all the funding required from her local high street bank.

Claire’s business adviser therefore referred her to the GLE oneLondon Loan Fund, who specialise in lending to London’s small and growing businesses. Unlike banks who are “only interested in finance”, Claire felt the real advantage of accessing this crucial funding was that the Loan Fund were generally “interested in the business working”, and further provided a free business mentor to “keep you and your business focussed.”

Claire has since seen her business grow from strength to strength and has been involved in over 40 relocations, ranging from a young professional who wanted to save his annual leave, to a successful film and television actor scarce of time, and a move from a one bedroom flat to a seven bed house in Ireland!

The future looks busy for Moveminder as Claire further develops her links with estate and relocation agents across London, whilst spreading their services into Surrey through new associate partners. Claire’s expertise has also been recognised by the new BT Exchanges website which cites her as the moving expert – able to advise individuals about the whole moving process!

Over the next few years, Claire is looking to fully establish Moveminder as a solid model, and franchise this out across the UK, whilst also “establishing move management as an industry.” This might seem like no easy feat, but Claire remains undaunted with this challenge, who loves that “every day is different”, and has the support behind her to succeed.

For more information about Moveminer, please visit www.moveminder.co.uk

For more information about how you can develop your business idea and access free business advice, please visit www.enterprisecentral.co.uk