Due to the rapid increase in the number of orders in online stores, the services of a professional delivery service are becoming very popular. This type of business does not require large investments and can be very interesting for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Features of the courier services market
Russian Post is the largest delivery service in the country. However, this organization is slow and unreliable. Many mailing companies choose to partner with alternative organizations.
The choice of organizations involved in delivery is rather small and the prices for their services are somewhat overpriced. Based on this, small courier companies can successfully compete with large companies due to an individual approach to each client, their mobility and lower prices. Prompt delivery is the key to the success of any company that operates on the courier services market.
How to start organizing a delivery service
Densely populated areas are suitable for this type of business. In a village or small town, such a company can go bankrupt.
You should immediately decide what kind of goods you will deliver. In order to work with bulky cargo, you need to acquire the appropriate transport and it is advisable to have more than one vehicle available. Therefore, it is necessary to hire a driver (at least one), to resolve the issue of paying for operating costs and a parking space.
Alternatively, you can conclude a contract with a transport company or hire drivers with personal vehicles.
Your company should have a permanent dispatcher who will take orders. At first, you can work on the phone yourself. The main flow of orders usually arrives during working hours (from 9 to 19), however, it is the round-the-clock prompt delivery that can become your kind of "chip".
If you plan to deal with the delivery of bulky goods, then you will need to have a team of movers on staff.
Competent selection of service personnel will help you avoid many problems in the future. You should not hire people from the street who will agree to work for a meager pay. You will trust them, sometimes a very valuable product, for the safety and timely delivery of which your company is responsible.
Couriers working in your company should be able to communicate competently with people, dispatchers should be as polite as possible, loaders should not drink, and drivers should be able to navigate well in the city.
Cons of the courier business
As with any other field of activity, the courier business has its drawbacks.
The main customers of the delivery companies are individuals who pay for your servants in cash. For such operations, it is required to purchase a special banking license, which is very difficult to obtain and it is quite expensive. That is why most small courier companies operate without a license and at the same time are very risky.
In this business, you will often have problems with the service staff. In such companies, there is always a high turnover of personnel. Most often, students go to work as a courier, who are often very frivolous about their duties. For them, this job is temporary and they often violate the established rules. Older people are more responsible, but, unfortunately, not quick.
Numerous competitors can hinder your firm's development. For example, many restaurants deliver free of charge if the order exceeds a certain amount. A huge problem is traffic jams on the central streets.
Delivery service: where to find customers
Customers of your company may include banks that still prefer to send important documents by courier, law firms and other organizations that send documents to their partners.
Some delivery services specialize in the delivery of goods from Russian online stores and company invoices. You can try to conclude contracts with stores that specialize in home delivery.
