Start a business: Courier service. How to open your own courier service from scratch

Many people have a dream to exchange their stable job “for an uncle” and finally start working for themselves. But competition in most areas today has reached critical mass, and therefore jumping straight into a business with serious investments is quite risky, so it’s best to start with those ideas that do not require significant investments . One of the best options would be. With development information technologies, in particular, with the widespread use of the Internet, an increasing number of people prefer not to waste their time shopping, ordering everything they need through the World Wide Web. In this article you will learn about how to open what type of similar activity is most in demand among our population.

Idea number 1: food delivery

If your starting capital is not as large as you would like, then it is quite possible to start by supplying food from supermarkets. To do this you will need:

• Your own website, which will provide information about food products (name of product, direct manufacturer, shelf life, composition, fat content and other necessary data). If ordering the creation of your own website is not affordable for you at the current time, then you can limit yourself to creating a group on one of the social networks. Clients can go to the resource and leave requests directly on it, which, accordingly, should be instantly processed and executed as soon as possible.
• It is highly desirable to have at least one consultant who will be constantly in touch and accept applications for further transfer of detailed information about it to the delivery employee.
• Courier. At first, you can hire one employee ( best option- a driver with his own vehicle, who takes on the functions of a courier), then the staff can really be expanded as the number of regular customers increases.

Important points

• Decide right away how the system of settlement with the client will take place. The easiest way is to pay the client with the courier after delivery, but it is much better to add a cashless payment system.
• Since the sale of alcohol at night is prohibited, you can make good money by supplying it (alcohol) after 22:00.
• For such a startup, you need to formalize your activities by registering as an individual entrepreneur; it is also worth knowing that the driver should always have invoices and waybills with him.
• Advertising in this service sector plays a decisive role, so do not skimp on promotion, investing in it to the maximum. You can place advertisements on the Internet, organize the distribution of flyers with information about your service near shopping centers and in crowded places.

How much money will it take to start a business?

Since there is no need to rent premises for this type of activity, the investment is initial stage will range from 3,000 to 5,000 US dollars. The payback period for a startup is approximately 6 months, income varies greatly depending on the city and the advertising support of your store.

If you have a little more money to start a business, you can start delivering ready-made meals or sushi.

This service is in great demand among many office workers and other busy people. For an idea to generate income, it is necessary:

• Availability of premises with food preparation equipment that meets all sanitary and other hygienic standards.
• In addition to the courier and consultant, you will need good cook, because at least half of the success depends on the quality of his work.
• Registration of activities (which in the case of cooking will require more paperwork and cash).
• Advertising. The second half of success depends on this factor.

The payback period for such a project is from a year to a year and a half; more investments will be required than with a business delivering food and alcohol at night and will cost from $10,000 and more.

Idea number 2: water delivery

The quality of water that runs through the pipelines of modern megacities leaves much to be desired, so a huge number of people use purified (or extracted from wells) water for drinking and cooking. In this regard, a business related to the supply of water is actually a win-win option. This idea is perfect for those who do not have sufficient experience in the field of entrepreneurship and do not have a substantial amount of funds to invest at the initial stage. So, if you decide to try yourself in this industry, you will need:

• High-quality equipment for disinfecting and purifying water from contaminants, harmful particles and components. You can avoid additional costs for equipment by taking water from a source or well, first passing it to a laboratory and making sure that it is completely suitable for consumption and does not contain potentially dangerous elements.
• A business related to the supply of water requires a warehouse of at least 20–30 square meters in size and containers for bottling water.
• Transport used to deliver water to the client. This can be either a purchased car (minibus, the most economical option is a GAZelle) or a rented one, based on your financial capabilities. Some businessmen hire a driver with his own car, who can take on the duties of a courier.
• Permits received from the Ministry of Health and SES.
• Cash machine.
• Dispatcher-consultant who takes orders by phone.
• Advertising support.

Important points

If you are afraid of difficulties at the stage of obtaining documents allowing you to conduct such activities, you can buy a franchise from a company engaged in water delivery.

Size required starting capital varies depending on whether you buy or lease a car and many other factors. In the first case, you need to have at hand an amount of 100,000 rubles, in the second - up to 500,000 rubles.

Idea number 3: flower delivery

Delivery services flowering plants are in great demand in major cities and megacities. This idea has a huge number of advantages: firstly, in our country there are incredibly many holidays on which it is customary to give luxurious bouquets of flowers (September 1, March 8, May 9, February 14, weddings, birthdays and others). And secondly, this business does not require the purchase of expensive equipment, SES permits and other nuances, the costs of which are often quite significant.

What does a startup need?

• Creativity. Without it, plant delivery is unlikely to be successful, so when starting such a business, you need to immediately decide whether you have a passion for this field of activity. If floristry is your hobby, then you can easily turn it into a pretty profitable occupation even with minimal financial investments.
• To begin with, it is realistic to agree on cooperation with a flower shop if they do not have their own delivery service.
• Then you will need to make your own website offering courier services related to plants, placing on it high-quality photographs of all the items offered by the store. The cost of creating a decent website starts at $200. Create appropriate groups on various social networks, where it is best to attract potential customers with discounts, promotions and sweepstakes (for example, every fifth bouquet of flowers is free).
• Find on the Internet all the wedding agencies that operate in your city and offer them cooperation on mutually beneficial terms.
• To deliver flowers, of course, you need to hire a driver ( best option– with your own car). At first, you can even use your home as an office, accepting orders and allocating some space for storing flowers. An undeniable advantage is that the only equipment you need is a computer and a mobile phone.
• Before you begin directly selling flowers, you must register yourself as an individual entrepreneur and obtain documents giving you the right to conduct commercial activities.

Important points

Flower delivery is a seasonal business, that is, the largest sales will be in holidays, so you can diversify the assortment of your own store with seeds, bulbs, and home flowers. You can offer your customers beautiful wicker baskets with compositions of flowers and fruits, which have recently become very popular.

Idea number four: delivery of alcohol at night

This area of ​​business arose quite recently, after the ban on the sale of alcohol at night throughout the country. Currently, only nightclubs, cafes, restaurants and some other establishments have the right to sell alcohol after 23:00. Therefore, the most in a simple way start making money by delivering alcohol at night - become an intermediary between the bar and the client.

Many online stores use this trick: let’s say, in the midst of the fun you run out of alcohol, then you buy a souvenir or lighter from them at one in the morning and receive a bottle of strong drink as a gift. There is actually no need to make any investments in the business of delivering alcohol at night. Just create a group in social network, there are many clients for such services, so income depends on the size of the city.

Today it is not at all necessary to go shopping, because everything you need can be ordered online. Moreover, there is no need to even spend time preparing food - it is much better to order food delivered to your home.

A business created in this service sector can become very profitable, and it has many prospects. Undoubtedly, there is competition, and even more, but with desire and hard work, you will find your niche, which will make you successful.

Food delivery: features and nuances of business

Food belongs to this type of goods that under no circumstances leave the market, because “everyone always wants to eat”, all the time, despite the crisis or other troubles. Food delivery services, although they appeared relatively recently, are quickly gaining popularity for many reasons:

• busy people in big cities do not have time to buy groceries at the store or do not find time to prepare food;
• some companies provide their employees with the delivery of ready-made meals, so-called business lunches (or office and corporate employees themselves order this type of service);
• many establishments (pizzerias, sushi bars or restaurants, etc.) immediately have their own production and delivery (you can eat there or arrange courier services);
• on a large scale, this business is already called catering and assumes that you can serve large events (banquets, various holidays, meetings or special events).

Of course, you can and should start small, because not everyone will be able to conquer the market right away. Before you start home delivery of food, you need to carefully prepare. It is best to create a business plan, because this way you can distribute all the points step by step and not miss anything.

1. To make your business profitable and successful, conduct an analysis of this market segment by collecting all the relevant information on your city.
2. Decide on the form of your business. There are several options:
   • use ready-made food from a restaurant (cafe), but sell it at a certain markup due to the delivery service;
   • cook yourself (this can be a completely family, home business, when you do everything at home, or in a specialized kitchen). In this case, you can also sell your services in different ways, that is, either involve other relatives in the business, or hire a courier with a car;
   • sell not only ready-made food, but also semi-finished products (you need to be able to prepare them), as well as independent products, doing business through online orders and delivery.
3. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. To choose where to start, evaluate your financial opportunities and try to analyze all possible risks. After this, go prepare the material and legal base. Serious work awaits you.
4. Already during the organizational process, you will have to look for a place suitable for preparing and storing food, suppliers of goods, decide on transport and other working issues.
5. Next you will need to do advertising and find clients. This is very important point, because it will be possible to talk about the payback or profit of a business only if there is an established client base and constant development.

As you can see, implementing this idea will require a lot of effort, time and money. But, having a clear action plan, you can begin to bring your idea to life.

Where to begin?

Before you open a food delivery business, you need to figure out how you can stand out from your competitors. To succeed, you need to constantly be on top, pleasantly surprise your clients and make them come to you again and again. It’s good if you can organize a full cycle of services, that is, from preparing food to delivering it.

If you already have your own restaurant or other establishment (cafeteria, canteen, pizzeria), then you can simply add new service– food delivery by courier. Then you won’t have to search for premises, suppliers and personnel. The issue of obtaining permits and other documentation will also be removed, and the business concept will be clear.

However, owning a restaurant is not acceptable for everyone. Perhaps at the initial stage you do not have the required amount or experience to start such a business. Whereas opening a food delivery service as a small company or family business is quite possible. That is, you can start from the other side, and having developed and gained a foothold in the market, you can already invest in the establishment of your dreams.

We create our own website

You can order website development from scratch or buy a ready-made project. The second option will cost you less, and besides, you can start working with it right away.

The best option in terms of money and speed of creation is to use the services of freelancers. Also, feel free to entrust them with any tasks that you have as you create and grow your business - writing articles, creating a logo, finding clients, etc. It is best to use a specialized platform, for example, Ispolnu.ru, where the process of interaction with performers will be simple and safe.

Try to come up with an interesting design for the site and work out various marketing strategies so that it doesn’t just “hang” on the Internet as a dead weight, but actually works and attracts customers. Based on the fact of attendance and interest, it will be possible to judge in what other directions you need to move.

Everything is according to the law: the main points of legal preparation

The contents of the package of necessary documents will depend on whether you are already the owner of any catering enterprise. Some entrepreneurs do not want to initially bother with legal registration and begin to deal with it only after some time has passed or in the event of unexpected troubles. But you need to understand that you can’t just cook in your kitchen at home and sell food to people: you may have serious problems with the law.

You should register your business correctly:

• register with the tax office, choose a form of taxation and prepare a package of documents for registration;
• pay the required state fees and submit an application for inclusion in the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs;
• if you plan to make non-cash payments, you need to open a bank account;
• obtain the appropriate permits from the sanitary and epidemiological service for the premises you have chosen and the implementation of all planned services (food preparation, food storage, transportation, etc.). The SES checks both working conditions and food preparation conditions. Your employees must have valid medical records, which will contain data from medical examinations and confirmation of completed hygienic training / certification;
• obtain permission from the fire department, whose employees will also inspect the premises and document that it complies with the necessary standards and requirements, and that your workers have passed the necessary certification and can work with food;
• papers authorizing your activities must be signed by both the consumer market committee and Rospotrebnadzor;
• register a cash register and purchase a stamp.

Remember that your business activity must be related to delivery services (you also need permission!), because you will have to enter into supply contracts, sign waybills and waybills for drivers.

Here's what you need to start a food delivery business from scratch. However, you will only need a complete package of documents if you are purchasing and equipping your own premises.

Important organizational issues

You need to decide how you will start working: can you get by on your own at first or will you hire a staff of workers? It is also worth considering the order of work, that is, how and where you will purchase, store and prepare food. There are several options.

1. Products are purchased in advance and stored in cold storage rooms and other appropriate equipment. Of course, this means that the money has already been invested. However, there is a plus: you can post information on the website about the availability of a particular product, and the buyer will immediately become interested. A pre-menu is also made for customers based on their requests.
2. The second option involves purchasing products and preparing food with subsequent delivery only after the order has been accepted. On the one hand, you have less risk of being at a loss, but on the other hand, you will not be able to quickly accept and fulfill customer orders, which will lead to them leaving in search of someone more efficient.

Equipment and raw materials

If you yourself equip your premises for a full production cycle, then you will need to spend a lot of money to purchase at least the most necessary things. The names and amount of investment will depend on the specifics of your food, how you will prepare it, what figure you are counting on, etc. Initially, you don’t have to buy imported and expensive equipment, because at a much reasonable price you can buy it used u.

However, you will definitely need:

• all kinds of kitchen utensils (pans, pots, graters, knives, forks, spoons, cutting boards, etc.);
• get at least one good multifunctional food processor that will replace your meat grinder, blender, mixer and other necessary appliances;
• gas or electric stove;
• microwave or pressure cooker (ideally both);
• special refrigerators and freezers for storing food.

In addition, be sure to take care of the equipment for the food delivery (transportation) itself: purchase special containers, thermal bags, etc. You can order napkins or plastic dishes, which will contain the logo (brand) of your company. This should be done before opening food delivery.

What's on the menu?

The assortment depends on the specifics of your business: do you prepare a varied menu for every taste or only dishes of a certain cuisine? Here we can advise you not to focus on just pizza or sushi, since the competition with permanent establishments of this kind is very strong. It is better to focus on the variety of choice. This will help you attract more clients.

You can purchase products yourself (at wholesale centers and markets) or negotiate with suppliers. Remember that all products must be fresh and of high quality, be sure to check the documents.

Assemble a decent team

For your business to succeed, you will also need to find good employees. Give preference to people who have work experience and relevant recommendations, as you cannot risk your reputation.

At full cycle production (from accepting an order to its preparation and delivery), you will need to hire:

• operator (dispatcher) who will receive calls and place orders;
• cooks (one or more - depending on the situation);
• couriers (usually they hire employees with their own cars);
• the rest can be hired as needed when your business begins to grow and expand (security guards, warehouse workers, cleaners, staff accountant, etc.).

Your employees must be honest, diligent and responsible.

In the future, it will be possible to purchase special vehicles that will be equipped with a thermal body. Transportation costs will need to be factored into the cost of food, but you should also calculate the real costs of car depreciation and fuel.

tell us about yourself

A competent pricing policy with various loyalty programs (discounts, bonuses and promotions) and a well-thought-out advertising concept can attract people's attention and bring you your first stable earnings.

Don’t forget to talk about yourself on the Internet. It would be good if there are on the site positive reviews your customers, because word of mouth is the best advertising campaign.

Estimated Costs

Business profitability indicators are quite high (up to 60%), and it can pay for itself even in six months (maximum in a year and a half).

The figures are presented in rubles.

conclusions

Now you know how to start food delivery step by step. Despite the fact that at first you may even have to work yourself, performing all the functions and responsibilities, very soon your business will pay off and begin to bring in stable income, and over time you will be able to expand your business, gaining good momentum and replenishing your client base with regular customers.

Business magazine IQR got one more for readers interesting story from the first person about creating your business from scratch. Our heroine delivers ready food to events and offices. This business case is noteworthy for two reasons: the starting capital is $150, the heroine’s starting knowledge in the field of cooking is zero.

How and why I decided to start my own banquet food delivery business

I’m Vika, I’m 28 years old, I live in Kursk. In 2011, I was forced to engage in an activity that I had previously had a very vague idea about - organizing the delivery of banquet dishes.

The reason for the need to cook food to order was my pregnancy, and I didn’t really want to be left without my own income. Due to its “interesting” position, it was not possible to work outside the home, and the “shop for the production of culinary masterpieces” was safely located in a rented apartment of 30 square meters, in which I lived at that time, with a tiny kitchen and two-burner gas stove with oven.

Organizing food delivery, business plan on your knees

Of course, initially I was not particularly enthusiastic about this idea, since I was sure that the service would not be in great demand, given the huge number of all kinds of cafes and restaurants - from the most expensive to budget ones. It should be noted that in Kursk there were already several organizations providing ready-made food delivery services; in our area it was called “Kitchen or restaurant at home.” But I decided to try anyway, since the losses were minimal.

Considering that by the age of 23 I didn’t even know how to fry an egg, the process of preparing dishes to order was the most difficult for me.

So I invited my friend Olga, who worked as a cook in one of the local eateries. Olya had to cook and at the same time initiate me into the secrets of culinary art, I, in turn, did the “rough” work in the kitchen and generated ideas for organizing delivery, compiled a menu, placed advertisements in the newspaper “My Advertising” and on “Avito” in services section. It was planned to buy food and disposable containers at the nearest supermarket and wholesale warehouse.

Calculation of income and expenses, first profit

The first order came in March 2011, they asked for a “memorial” set of dishes, which cost 180 rubles per person, the number of people was 20, respectively, our first sale was in the amount of 3,600 rubles. Spent in total 4350 rubles (products - 1900 rubles, disposable containers - 300 rubles, advertising in the newspaper - 2000 rubles/month, taxi services), as a result, from the first order we lost 750 rubles.

We received income from the next order, since we no longer spent money on advertising. During the first month of work, we had 7 orders totaling approximately 22,000 rubles, the total income was approximately 10,000 rubles. Mostly we ordered it home or to the country (taking into account the spring-summer period), once we ordered it to a recreation center, which provides space for a banquet.

The enterprise achieves stable profits

During the first three months our “enterprise” acquired its own pizzacon website, where the client could familiarize himself with the menu and delivery conditions. We also acquired glassware for decorating dishes, and edited the menu, which is still in use today. The number of orders increased to 7-8 per week. People order ready-made meals for anniversaries, funerals, birthdays, and weddings. All this increased our income to 40,000 rubles per month for two.

New Year's corporate parties and New year's night They gave us two months' income, although we ourselves were destined to completely forget about the holidays - such is the work.

Is it possible to manage such a business alone?

About a year later collaboration Olga and I stopped working together, I began to work alone, the responsibilities of a dispatcher, courier, and cook fell on my shoulders, fortunately, by that time I had learned to cook quite well. I rented a separate one-room apartment for work, since preparing and storing all the attributes of my business in the cramped apartment where I lived with my baby was, to put it mildly, not very comfortable.

I bought a car and now independently delivered finished products to the client. Over the next two years, the work progressed steadily, there was no shortage of orders, but there wasn’t much progress either. I “built up” a client base and didn’t do much promoting my service, until at some point the number of sales dropped significantly.

It even happened that in a month there were 4-5 small orders, this is very little. Most likely, this was due to the fact that such an activity has become quite popular among mothers like me who find themselves on maternity leave; fortunately, superpowers and large start-up capital are not required.

I specifically panicked because this job was my only source of income. Debts arose, and something had to be done urgently.

Business development - food delivery to the office

Service promotion. It's all about the price!

In 2014, I launched a new service - delivery of set meals to enterprises and offices, which provided me with a daily stable income. I had to drive around construction sites, markets, and branches of various banks in Kursk, looking for those willing to eat “hot home-style lunches.” The cost of one set lunch was only 80 rubles, so, of course, there were plenty of people willing - 12 people at the bank branch and 25 at the construction site. I bought a large thermal bag and successfully “fed” 37 people from Monday to Friday every week.

Plus, my orders for banquets did not go away, although there were not as many of them as I would like, but they were enough for me; in total, my weekly income minus the cost of food was about 15,000 rubles.

Switching from home kitchen to professional equipment

That same year I rented space in a shopping center. In the family cafe "Evrasik" the kitchen was not fully used, so they let me work in the empty part for a small rent - 10,000 rubles plus 5,000 (electricity) monthly, providing me not only with space, but also with some pieces of kitchen furniture (tables) , sink, racks for dishes) and some dishes.

I bought a professional stove and oven from my landlords, so my production could be called full-fledged and complete. I didn’t have to register my activities, because now I began to work closely with the owners of the very cafe where my business was located workplace. On the website of my services, I posted individual items from the Eurasika menu that I did not have - pastries, desserts, catering services, which strengthened our partnership and allowed me to act on behalf of landlords.

How much does a successful food delivery business bring?

When the number of orders for set meals approached fifty per day, I hired a professional chef with a salary of 10% of the total turnover - this is approximately 17-20 thousand rubles a month - a normal salary for our city. And now my responsibilities only include accepting orders, delivering raw materials to the enterprise and finished products to the client.

On holidays, when there are a lot of orders and my employee can’t handle it alone, another person comes out to help with the purpose of earning extra money - this is a young student guy who, despite his very young age, really loves his job and treats the process of preparing dishes with passion. trembling and zeal. I, of course, like it, because although I learned to cook, I never got to love this process. Therefore, I will gladly accept this guy into my team on a permanent basis immediately after his training. My immediate plans are to acquire a courier and devote myself to deeper promotion of my services, as I see great prospects of this business, and finally formalize its activities in the form of an independent small business entity.

What are the prospects for this business, is it worth starting from scratch?

My Native sister, who lives in a village 25 km from Kursk, and in that area her services are even more popular than mine in Kursk. She cooks at home, takes orders on my website, she has a three-room apartment and a huge kitchen with an area of ​​22 square meters, so her activities do not particularly constrain her household. So my company now has a kind of branch.

To summarize, I can confidently say that it was not in vain that I once decided to organize the delivery of banquet dishes and set lunches. My initial capital was only about 4,000 rubles, after 4 years my monthly net income is 60-70 thousand rubles - this is not much, I know that you can earn much more, and I am ready to work on this project to get the most out of it.

Starting any business is impossible without detailed analysis, market research and drawing up an indicative development plan, the so-called business plan.

One of the most rapidly growing areas is the service courier delivery, whose services consist of fast and high-quality movement of the customer’s goods or documents from one point to another destination.

Main advantages and disadvantages of business

Of course, like any other type entrepreneurial activity, which is quite developed, popular and, accordingly, profitable, organizing courier delivery has many more advantages than disadvantages.

The main beneficial and advantageous indicators in relation to the owner and organizer of this type of activity include:

• Enough high level profitability and profitability. In this case, it should be noted that concentration and universalization in the person of one delivery operator allows significant savings on costs that are aimed at moving cargo. How individuals, and legal entities, it is much more profitable to contact a specialized company in order to obtain cargo transportation services than to do it yourself, especially when we're talking about about small volumes. This is why various similar ones have been so popular lately, which, in turn, has caused a surge in the growth of the number of operators.
• To organize a small-scale service provision Relatively small capital investment required. At the first stages of its development, an enterprise can use rented warehouse space, as well as cars or other vehicles necessary for carrying out business activities.
• No special requirements for ordinary personnel(this thesis does not apply to the administrative group of employees and specialists). When recruiting personnel, it is enough to conduct a short introductory briefing or internal training in the basics of logistics, internal orders and methods. In this connection, a simple conclusion should be made that the cost part relating to wages ordinary employees will be at an acceptable level for the business owner, if we talk about the average statistical indicators of this cost item among similar enterprises and institutions.

The disadvantages include the following facts from the experience of developing and already established companies:

• If you have your own vehicle fleet, there are large costs for its maintenance, such as current and major repairs, licensing, insurance, mandatory government payments and fees, etc.
• Quite a large number of small operations that require perseverance from staff and a large share of responsibility, since we are talking about handling someone else’s property, often very expensive.

In order to determine all the advantages and disadvantages of this type of business, you should clearly understand the level of investment in its development, the territorial level of coverage of the service area and other important factors.

You can watch the conference on the topic of opening such an enterprise in the video:

Required permits

In accordance with current legislation, business entities who want to provide services related to the delivery of goods, are required to obtain a license for freight forwarding and transportation activities. This permit is issued in case of mandatory compliance with technical and environmental standards and requirements.

If the requirements are met, the license is issued for a period of 5 years. Particular attention should be paid to the possible transportation of dangerous goods, which is regulated on the basis of separate rules and regulations.

It is worth noting that activities related to the transportation of goods across the territory of one city or region are not subject to licensing if third-party or even public transport is used.

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First steps to get started

Any activity that is aimed at making a profit is recognized as entrepreneurial; accordingly, it must go through all the stages and stages of state registration provided for by the norms of the current legislation:

1. After you have been or whose main activity is the delivery of goods and other material assets, you should take care of branding your business, the so-called bringing it to the masses. Even if at this stage the founder does not have the necessary assets (real estate, transport, personnel, automated accounting and control systems have not been established), it is necessary to start with advertising, albeit with suspensive conditions, for example: “SOON! Opening of a new courier delivery service.” It should be taken into account that a bright and resounding name will immediately be imprinted in the minds of potential consumers of these services, and the time during which the owner will be engaged in processing transactions for the purchase and sale or rental of real estate and vehicles will only play into his hands.
2. At the next stage, of course, you should decide on the location of the warehouse where loading and unloading operations will be carried out. This premises should have the most favorable geographical location within the city, be close to the main transport interchanges and hubs, with public transport stops located nearby. As such, there are no special requirements for the room, but it should be noted that it must be heated, dry, and electrified. Deratization work must be carried out, since the presence of rodents in a warehouse is not the best bonus for a new entrepreneur in disputes with injured clients. It is advisable to locate office premises for administrative personnel in close proximity to the place where the main activity is carried out.
3. Renting or purchasing vehicles. Particular attention should be paid to this stage, since the high-quality and timely provision of services to consumers depends on it. In many ways, the selection of transport also depends on the owner’s plans for developing his business. If the delivery service only provides for movement within city limits, then having huge trucks in the fleet is not at all advisable, and delivery of large cargo on scooters to cities in the neighboring region is unrealistic.

Required Personnel

Personnel selection is the most critical stage in the development of a high-quality, reliable and popular delivery service. The administrative personnel who act as support or serve the main administrative processes must include:

• Director or directorate.
• Chief accountant or accounting department, cashier.
• Responsible for the condition of the vehicle fleet (for example, chief mechanic).
• Safety engineer, since the work involves equipment and basic or working capital(cars, racks and loads on them, etc.).
• Head of warehouse.

The main working personnel must have knowledge in the field of logistics. To do this, you should either select employees with relevant work experience, which in itself is optimal, or organize small courses for them to obtain the appropriate qualifications.

Customer acquisition and marketing campaigns

None of modern enterprises or organizations will not fully and quickly develop without proper advertising campaign and high-quality positioning of oneself in the market of services of a certain segment.

In addition to visual advertising of the opening of a new service also various marketing “traps” should be used. These include bonuses and privileges for the first certain number of clients and consumers, the introduction of a discount card system or the organization of a so-called client club.

It is important to remember that the majority of both potential and existing customers will be attracted to financial benefits - discounts or gifts.

A plastic discount card with the logo and slogan of the courier company will always be in front of consumers, and the system of discounts and accumulative terms of the affiliate program can significantly increase the number of customers.

Business development options. Summary of Costs and Profitability

Of course, the development and direction of the functioning of a business, its volume and sphere of influence largely depend on the initial capital allocated by the owner at the formation stage. In the case of a courier service, several types of organization of its activities are possible, depending on the territorial coverage, these are:

• City service, which operates within one city and is the most economical in terms of cost.
• Service carrying out its activities throughout the state. In this case, the initial costs of organizing it are several times different from its urban counterpart.
• International format. Here the enterprise covers not only individual countries, but also continents. It is not difficult to conclude that the costs of the organization are incommensurable with previous analogues, and the development of any service to the international level indicates the colossal work of top management and financial investments.

Of course, in history there are many examples of the development of enterprises from small unitary to international and transcontinental concerns, all this depends on the approach to doing business, compliance international schemes and development standards, and, importantly, the desires of the owner.

The issue of costs when establishing a delivery service is also very relative and largely depends on the capabilities of the owner, the level of expected compliance with world leaders and many other factors.

Based on the existing experience of registering and founding such startups, we can conclude that the minimum amount, which includes only the costs of purchasing the necessary fixed assets, office equipment, furniture, equipment, can begin from 100,000-150,000 rubles. Payback on average can take up to several months, which depends on the right advertising campaign, geographical location, loyalty to first customers and the quality of services provided to them.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that due to the expansion of business and an increase in the total volume of services provided, the expenditure part also increases, and it is in this case that it is very important not to lose the balance and ratio of expenditure and income, skillfully using the potential of professional administrative personnel.

Organizations daily need to send correspondence, goods and cargo using couriers. Therefore, debutant entrepreneurs are thinking about opening courier service delivery, bypassing existing pitfalls. In addition, to open and develop such a company you do not need huge financial investments.

Existing services do not fully satisfy the demand for goods delivery services, so this business is a popular area among novice businessmen.

Often, delivery of goods by mail occurs with long delays. Good money is charged for urgency. Many people are starting to look for such a service, and some are thinking about how to open such a business.

Creating a goods delivery company: first steps

If you are a law-abiding entrepreneur, then you must follow the sequence when starting a business:

• Initially, you need to open and visit the tax office to officially register the delivery company;
• then - a bank in order to open a current account for its own service.

This is where the basic legal formalities for business end. The next stage is solving material issues, without which it is impossible to open a delivery company:

• office;
• equipment: computer, telephone, car;
• advertising.

The ideal office is your own space. If you don’t have enough money to buy, then use rent. To open a delivery establishment, you don’t have to look for an office in the city center.

Without technical support, a courier company will not be able to operate. Computers, telephone and Internet connections, and vehicles are required. You can use your own car or rent it.

But it is impossible to open or organize a profitable delivery service business with one car. You need several cars, mopeds, scooters or bicycles. The latter will be useful during daytime traffic jams. An excellent solution is to hire couriers who have their own vehicles.

The territory served by couriers at first will be small. But if orders are delivered without the slightest delay, they will quickly find out about the open courier organization. Carefully fulfilling the requirements of your first customers will turn them into permanent ones for your business. This will help generate profits and serve as good advertising for the delivery establishment.

If you want to open an international express delivery service, it is better to buy a franchise. They will help you write a plan for the development of your business, register your business and make it profitable.

Advertising

Any new company you decide to open needs advertising. To do this, create step by step plan advertising campaign for your business. Don't skimp on a colorfully designed website with detailed information about the activities of the delivery establishment. Contact professionals who will create an Internet page that represents the company you have opened in a favorable light.

Customers may be attracted to a business card if it is made of high-quality paper, is pleasant to look at, and contains comprehensive information about the activities of this service. Having seen the meticulousness with which business cards are made, a person will become confident that his order is guaranteed increased attention. This will encourage customers to seek the services of such a service.

It is necessary to organize the dissemination of information about the courier company in accessible media. Discuss your business or the fact that you are thinking of opening one with relatives, friends, and classmates. Often such conversations bring more popularity to the company than expensive advertising.

Courier service personnel

When thinking about setting up a courier service, be sure to consider the topic of hiring employees. To open and properly organize a successful drinking bottled water, sushi, alcohol, barbecue, set lunch and other food products, you should hire a director, couriers, dispatcher, accountant, and technical staff.

Be especially careful when hiring employees. The company’s reputation and income depend on their interaction with customers. You need to develop instructions for customers and create a book of complaints on your website.

Couriers must have such qualities as punctuality, communication skills, tact, and diligence. Their responsibility is to deliver the goods safely and within the time period specified by the customer.

Many people believe that being a courier is not prestigious - and this is a big disadvantage for your business. Therefore, the company needs to ensure that employees understand the value of their work. To prevent cases of missing money, it is best to enter into official employment contracts with the courier.

It is necessary to establish clear interaction between employees of the organization, especially between the dispatcher and the courier. The dispatcher receives and registers orders, informs the delivery people about them, and is in touch with both parties simultaneously.

There will always be a need for a messenger

Despite the widespread use of electronic document management, no organization can do without paper copies. Financial, legal and other firms need to constantly send correspondence to their partners. Industrial enterprises urgent delivery of any goods may also be required. This is a huge plus for your courier delivery business from scratch.

They may contact you if you have a well-organized delivery service.

There are delivery companies that only serve online stores. If you open a delivery business, it can bring good profits. In any city there are companies engaged in trading through online stores. Small firms do not have the ability to independently deliver their goods to customers. It is more profitable for them to contact a courier organization.

An interesting direction is servicing restaurants, pizzerias, and shops that do not have the conditions to organize their own network of delivering goods to customers at home. Such a business is very profitable, since the demand for these services does not weaken. If the business is related to the transportation of products, couriers must obtain health certificates.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the delivery of flowers and gifts. The development of your courier business depends on you.

Use your imagination!

If you decide to open a business, then you should remember that pleasant bonuses and discounts play a big role. Your company must be different from those of your competitors. It is necessary to come up with a “zest” for the service that will attract customers. Today, the business of delivering food and other goods includes a large number of different companies advertising the speed of transportation of goods, low prices, quality service. But this has long become boring. Customers want novelty.

The “trick” can be absolutely anything. Business can be influenced by female couriers with model appearance. With such a “twist” the number of male clients will greatly increase. If athletic, attractive young men appear among the messengers, it will become clear why the female contingent will choose your business.

A business idea for delivering small and large goods in a box is a great idea for attracting customers.

Create a catalog on the service’s website that will feature photographs of your charming workers and lovely female employees. In this case, when applying, the client can indicate a specific courier who will fulfill his order.

A non-standard offer for your business will be the ability to use a courier during a set period of time. This “rental” is beneficial to large clients who need constant delivery of various goods. In this case, only the amount of time required to transport orders is paid, and the courier is always nearby.

Introducing a night shift is a great idea. Such services operating around the clock are rare. Therefore, the ability to deliver at night will attract more customers.

Try to open a delivery service with a variety of “features”, thanks to which any customer will always want to contact you.