How To Start A Delivery Service

There is one thing every business needs: a delivery service. A good delivery service is essential because it gets your products to your customers promptly. Without one, you won’t be able to sell products and make money from your business, which makes it pointless. Luckily, creating your supply chain is not too hard as long as you are organized. These are the simple steps you need to take if you are looking to start a delivery service and don’t know where to start.

Step 1: Call The Local Authorities

There may be a license or a permit you need to acquire to be able to deliver goods depending on where you live. Although lots of places don’t put too much emphasis on delivering parcels, every place is different. And, you could find yourself on the end of a huge fine if you flout the rules. You should double check that you don’t need a license to make sure you can send a parcel to the relevant people.

Step 2: Insure Your Vehicle

If you are just starting out, you may not want to invest in a fleet of company vehicles. It makes sense to wait because you need to see if you can get your business off the ground first. The alternative is to use your car or bike to deliver the goods. The only problem that you need to look into is your insurance liability. Insurance companies have not paid out for much less, so ask them whether your delivery service affects your policy. The last thing you want to happen is for them to find out and then refuse to cover the costs of any damage.

Step 3: Outsource Transportation

Alternatively, you can outsource the job to a specialist. The great thing about outsourcing is that it is cheaper than doing it alone. As they are experts, they know how to deliver a great service at a low price. And, as a small business, you need to cut costs wherever possible. The key is to find a service that fits your needs. For example, you need an international company like FedEx if you need to send a parcel to Northern Ireland or Europe. But, you only need a national or local business if you only deliver within a small radius of your home.

Step 4: Make A List

Make a list of everyone in the area that could benefit from your service and speak to them about a possible partnership. Always be polite and confident when you speak to them, and make sure you highlight the good points. A local florist, for example, may prefer to hire a local company as they know the area. Or, they may prefer to hire your services as you are cheaper.

Step 5: Take Precautions

You need to ensure that you have a safety net once you are up and running. There may come a time when someone accuses you of not delivering a parcel. To prevent this scenario from escalating, get every customer to sign for the parcel when it arrives.

That way, they cannot argue.