10 Easy Steps to Make Money Selling Pallets
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How to Start a Pallet Company
1.Create a business name
Creating a business name is important because it is what people and companies will know you by. Your business name is typically your brand. A business name should be warm and welcoming and unique. You will want people to connect to your business on an emotional level. Try creating a few names and then have some family, friends, or associates provide you feedback. Don’t be offended if they don’t like it or think you are going to be the next Google or Facebook if they tell you it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.
You need to be smart with your business name and make if represent your business mission. There are lots of business name generators that can help your ideas. Once you settle on a name you will also need to check to see if your domain name is available so you can build a website.
2.Register your business
Once you create a business name you will want to register your pallet business. You will need to register your business with local, state, and sometimes federal governments. You will also need to register the type business you will operate. Most pallet companies are for-profit corporations or LLCs (limited-liability company) or partnerships and maybe a non-profit organization. Once you do this don’t forget to register with the IRS and pay your taxes.
3.Find Pallets
Finding pallets can be hard if you do not know where to find them. If you know where to get pallets, your pallet business can really make some money. The best online resource to find pallets is Repalletize.com. Repalletize is a pallet marketplace where businesses that have extra pallets list free pallets or pallets for sale, for others to claim. This is a great place to find pallets. There are 12 basic places where you can find pallets.
Pallets at businesses
Pallets at shopping centers
Pallets at distribution centers
Pallets at recycling centers
Pallets at grocery stores
Pallets at landfills
Pallets at construction sites
Pallets from pallet vendors
Pallets in dumpsters
Pallets at hotels
Pallets at airports
Homeowners with pallet
4.Picking up Pallets
There are several ways to pickup pallets for pallet recycling. Depending on how big your pallet company is when you start will determine the best way you should pickup pallets. For starters renting a truck or van from other companies like Fetch is a good way to keep things simple and have a low investment cost. Next is using the back bed of your pickup truck. If you are finding more pallets than your truck can hold it would be time to move up to pulling a trailer behind your truck. Once you expand past a truck and a trailer you will want to invest in a 24-foot box truck or flatbed truck. Both have their advantages in picking up pallets. When you keep filing your box truck full of pallets you might want to think about purchasing or renting a 53 foot semi-truck to pickup loads of pallets.
5.Storing pallets
Now that you have found pallets and picked them up you need a place to store them. Pallet recyclers that are just starting out sometimes store the pallets in their garages or backyards. Once you grow past that space you might think about investing in a storage unit or warehouse to keep your pallets. Storing pallets is important because you never know when a customer might call you with a large purchase order and you will need the inventory you are building up.
6.Sorting pallets
Sorting pallets is not that hard but many businesses have a hard time with it. Sorting pallets make it safer for employees to work with. Sorting pallets simply means that you stack pallets that are the same size in the same stack. This helps you keep track of your inventory. Sorting pallets will also help you offer clients a better range of standard size pallets and maybe even European sized pallets called EURO pallets or EUR pallets with the EPAL pallet stamp. In the US and internationally there are 6 standard pallet sizes. Here are the list of the six standard pallet sizes.
North American Standard Pallet Size
Dimensions in inches (length x width): 48 x 40 Dimensions in millimeters (length x width): 1219 x 1016Dimensions in inches (length x width): 42 x 42 Dimensions in millimeters (length x width): 1067 x 1067
European Standard Pallet Size
Dimensions in inches (length x width): 47.24 x 39.37 Dimensions in millimeters (length x width): 1200 x 1000Dimensions in inches (length x width): 47.24 x 31.5 Dimensions in millimeters (length x width): 1200 x 800
Australia Standard Pallet Size
Dimensions in inches (length x width): 45.9 x 45.9 Dimensions in millimeters (length x width): 1165 x 1165
Asia Standard Pallet Size
Dimensions in inches (length x width): 43.3 x 43.3 Dimensions in millimeters (length x width): 1100 x 1100
7.Buy equipment
Buying equipment for your pallet business is an investment. Because we have already discussed the need for transportation to pickup the pallets we will discuss the tools and safety equipment needed. First are straps to tie down pallets during transportation. This is important so the pallets do not fall and injure someone. Pallet safety is important. Next you will need gloves to protect your hands. Goggles are important for protecting your eyes when working on pallets. Ear protection is necessary when repairing pallets because you are always around saws. I personally like to wear steel-toed boots because a standard size pallet weighs about 40 pounds. The last thing we should mention but one of the most important is a respirator to keep the air you breathe clean. Sawdust is known to cause cancer.
8.How to Start A Pallet Repair Business
Every business that is looking to make money-selling pallets should have a wood pallet-recycling guide. A wood pallet-recycling guide will be filled with details about the best practices for recycling pallets. Repairing pallets will help increase the value of the pallets you are selling. Broken boards need to be replaced. Nails that are sticking out need to be hammered in. After finishing repairing the pallets you should grade them on condition. The most common type of condition is A-Grade Pallets and B-Grade pallets.
9.How to Start a Pallet Selling Business
Most businesses sell their pallets on Repalletize. It is free to signup for Repalletize and sell pallets. You can start by just selling one size pallet or you can start with selling multiple sizes of pallets. Some of the harder to find sizes can sell for higher prices and you can make more money. If you try to find pallet buyers on your own you will need to be a good sales person. Sometimes finding the right person to buy your pallets is difficult, that is why we recommend Repalletize.
10.Selling Pallet Wood
Even though scrap wood from pallets may seem like trash it is not. Scrap pallet wood has value. A lot of DIY pallet projects require reclaimed pallet wood. Reclaimed pallet wood can be more expensive than new wood. Reclaimed wood can be used in LEED buildings but it will have to be FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. A good option for storing pallet wood is Gaylord boxes.
