Easy Start-up Delivery Service Business

If you love working outdoors, talking to people, can read a map and are willing to provide superior customer service delivering packages, letters or miscellaneous items might be a good place to start your business. This start-up doesn't require a huge amount of capital and you are limited only by your imagination in creating a fun and profitable delivery business.

Develop a business plan that describes the business. Your business plan should contain a mission statement, business philosophy, target market (customers), industry overview, expected profit and loss, year-by-year projects for business growth and your marketing strategies. If you lack experience writing a business plan you can find a business consultant online or in your local community. There are also free business plan templates available from SCORE (nonprofit organization).

When you decide what you want to deliver check with your city or county to find out what licenses you will need. Will you deliver small packages; specialty items (valentines, relationship messages, pizza or large items like furniture or appliances?). Pick a catchy name for your business. For example if your business is Jackie's Errands and More...file a doing business as (DBA). Research vacant office space to find a location if you decide to have a bricks and mortar office or to save money clear out a space in your home for your office and outfit it with computer, fax and a telephone with voice mail.

Decide if you need a small or large truck and how much it will cost. If you already own a truck you have already saved a bundle of cash-use your own truck. If you have to buy a truck talk to local auto dealers make a deal on the truck that works best for you. Let the auto dealer know what you need the truck for and give him a discount on limited deliveries-that could get you a better deal. What you deliver and your budget will also help determine the size of the truck you buy. Once you have the truck put your advertising signs on the sides and back for instant advertising.

If you have a logo make sure that it is on all of your marketing tools. Make sure the logo is colorful and will represent your business. You can also grab attention and promote your delivery business with hats, uniforms or T-shirts that display your logo prominently. Match your caps and uniform to the truck so people will notice you.

Post your business cards at local copy shops to promote your new delivery service business. Post flyers all over town. Advertise using word-of-mouth and include family, friends and people you do business with. Use index cards and post them at schools, laundromats and senior citizens centers. Contact local colleges to find students to create some cheap flyers. Hire neighborhood kids to pass out the flyers. Put your business online by developing a website that advertises your business services. You can also use the local colleges to get students who will build an effective website for your business.

Tips

Research your competitors! This will help you set fees and see what types of services is competing with you so you can add new twists to be different. Provide good service for repeat business in order to obtain referrals from your customers. Launch your delivery business simply. Invite friends and family to a backyard picnic or potluck, hand out business cards and ask for referrals. Send a press release to your local newspaper about your business. Finally, don't forget to network. Sign up for social networks; Twitter and Facebook to highlight your business and network for success to gain customers.

Reference Sources

[http://www.score.org/business_toolbox.html]

U.S. Department of Labor: Occupation Employment Statistics-Delivery Services [http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533033.htm]