It’s remarkably easy these days for anyone so minded to start their own courier business. All it takes is the right vehicle, and the drive and entrepreneurial mind to go out and find clients, providing them with top quality service and peace of mind that their deliveries are in safe hands. If you want to join the wide variety of people starting up their own courier business, then here is a guide to the best way of going about it.
Building a Company
Start out by creating an office using some spare space in your home. If you keep track of the hours you work from home then you may well be able to deduct your home office for tax purposes.
Create a name for your business and go through the necessary steps to register it as a company. Then you can work out where you want to locate your company, and which customers you want to target.
Do you intend to focus for example on residential customers or on other businesses? What kind of packages will you pick up and deliver? You may want to place weight restrictions on what you carry too. You could find a niche for yourself, taking advantage of a gap in the market that nobody else occupies.
Then you must start to establish your rate card. A great way to do this is to call competitive delivery or courier services who also operate in your area and find out how much they charge for various package sizes, and price your services accordingly.
Finding Clients
When you have your name and your target demographic mapped out, it’s time to go out and bring in your clients. If you don’t already have a vehicle then go out and find one that meets your needs.
A van is an ideal choice that offers plenty of space allowing you to carry more. Have a professional website designed, and get it placed high on search engines, as well as featured prominently on business cards, brochures and advertising material. Get in touch with small businesses, offices, hospitals and schools to bring in commercial clients, leaving business cards with the managers.
Make clear what you can offer that beats your competition, stressing the personal service you can deliver. It’s a good idea to leave stacks of fliers in shops and supermarkets so you can attract local residents. Then you can watch your business expand, with some new challenges but whole new opportunities coming with it.
Cover photo credit: Andrew Dallos / Flickr
