Open a courier service from scratch. Delivery of large cargo

Are you interested in starting a courier service business? Do you need a generic courier service business plan template? So here is a detailed guide on how to how to start a courier business from scratch.

Now for those who don't know what a courier business is or what it means, a courier service is a commercial company that delivers packages from one location to another for a fee. The list of popular courier brands that are now not limited to just courier services and delivery but also provide full-time transportation and logistics includes UPS, FEDEX, DHL, ABC Courier, etc.

Starting a courier business can be a lucrative opportunity, but there are practical things to consider and logistics to take into account when there's a chance you might lose sight of them. To avoid wasting your time, see below for the steps to starting a successful courier company.

How to start a courier business – typical business plan template

1. Prepare a business plan.

Prepare a comprehensive business plan that follows the guidelines available from your local small business association and pay particular attention to financial management details.

2. Determine the type of packages you will deliver.

The next step to starting a courier business is to decide whether your services will be limited to envelopes and small packages or whether you will handle larger loads. Naturally, your decision will depend on the capacity of your warehouses and means of transportation. Will you be delivering dangerous goods such as medical and industrial chemicals? If so, you and your team should be well-versed in how to handle and transfer such substances.

You can also choose to have perishable goods delivered. However, you must take into account that this cargo is always time-critical, so your labor resources and vehicles must meet certain requirements. You must make your chapters known. Your ability to deliver a wide variety of cargo will increase your earning potential. However, you should expect to spend more starting capital. For example, to successfully deliver perishable goods, you may need to invest in refrigerated trucks.

3. Decide on your service area coverage.

In other words, you must define a parcel delivery limit. You must select and mark the locations around the world where you intend to deliver. Also decide whether your services will be limited to a region or country. See if you can handle deliveries across the country. See if you have the resources and network to ship internationally. Please note that the same rule applies to everything. Note that the wider your geographic scope, the greater the amount you will be required to invest at launch.

4. Determine your price per supply.

You should set your pricing policy and print it in an easy to read format. There are several factors to consider when creating a price list. The first thing that needs to be taken into account is the proportion of gasoline that will be consumed from, say, point A to B in the total cost of transportation. The second factor is the number of parcels that will be delivered to a certain area. The third thing you should consider is whether it will only be delivery from point A to B or will you be able to take delivery back from point B to A. Fourth, take note of the rates your competitors charge their customers.

In conclusion, the factors mentioned above are only a small part of the whole picture. Keep in mind that you must gain practical experience in the industry if you are truly serious about starting your own courier services. To gain this experience, work for a courier company - this is the only way to achieve development. Working for a courier company will allow you to gain a “feel” for how the system works.

5. Meet with business consultants.

To ensure a successful head start, you should consult with a legal professional who is familiar with the courier business to advise you on issues such as local zonal rate laws, which is especially important if you run a business from home.

You should contact an accountant who is so familiar with the courier service business to provide advice on how to maintain and maintain a history of your business's past performance, tax returns, the advantages and disadvantages of full-time employees versus independent contractors, and how set up an accounting system. You should also consult with an insurance professional who is familiar with the courier business to advise on how to obtain proper business risk insurance for your office and its contents, along with coverage for trucks, workers' compensation insurance (if necessary ), cargo insurance and medical insurance.

6. Obtain the necessary permits for business activities.

Where can I get money to start my own business? This is exactly the problem that 95% of new entrepreneurs face! In the article, we revealed the most relevant ways to obtain start-up capital for an entrepreneur. We also recommend that you carefully study the results of our experiment in exchange earnings:

You must also obtain the necessary business permits and you must license your business and vehicles; Have a discussion giving the pros and cons of registering as a company.

7. Get the necessary equipment.

The material resources you will need to start a courier business are listed below. You don't necessarily have to limit yourself to these positions, but a thriving courier business will certainly require them:

Vehicle

Transportation is paramount for any delivery service. If you plan to deliver large items and packages, investing in a covered truck will be your first step. If you're still getting the hang of the courier business, it's best to work with what you already have in your garage and deliver items that will fit comfortably in your current vehicle.

You should also make sure that you have the resources to cover fuel costs for several weeks before your customers pay their bills. And don't ignore your vehicle insurance, as it should also cover professional commercial applications. Before choosing an insurance company, you will need to know whether you and your insurance company are financially capable of handling any possible contingencies.

GPS system and mobile phone

A GPS system is also important. Nowadays, many cell phones have this feature and it will of course guide you during deliveries. You should buy city maps for the area you will be covering. The maps are also available in paper format and can be purchased at almost all bookstores. Even if you have a GPS, maps are invaluable, especially if the GPS is malfunctioning.

A mobile phone is also important because it will allow you to contact your clients while on the go or anywhere else, as well as allowing potential clients to contact you wherever you are. You should also establish a communication system between you, your customers and your drivers, keeping in mind that it is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving in many zones.

Computer and printer

You need to print invoices, tax returns, and other important documents for your courier business. You will also need a database of your own clients and firms you have previously dealt with. These are just some of the things you need when starting a courier business.

Buy T-shirts and baseball caps with your company name printed on them. This will create the appearance of greater professionalism. Choose a color, and use it on every conceivable piece of equipment in your business, including personalized pens, clip-on folders, notepads, and your vehicles as your business begins to grow. You should advertise your courier service business by advertising in trade publications, local newspapers, and couriering or mailing your flyers to local businesses.

9. Run your own courier business.

At this stage, you are ready to start and run a courier business; Here are some additional tips to help you. You should take your vehicles to a mechanic for major repairs. Considering that you would not want your vehicle to fail, once you have started the business, you should take it to a mechanic for a full service and you should also think about a backup vehicle. Order magnetic signs for your vehicles. You must order them because you will need one for each front door of the vehicles.

You should consider dedicating one credit card to all of your business-related expenses. This will make it easier for your accountant when it comes time to reconcile your accounts and do your taxes. Also keep records or routes of your work mileage, excluding your personal mileage. Personal mileage obviously cannot be deducted from taxable income subject to tax withholding.

In conclusion, it is important that you know that your personality is another extremely important factor if you want to run a courier business successfully. You will be required to have a customer service orientation, meaning that you are approachable and responsive, caring and adaptable. Building trust with your clients is a combination of quality service and, of course, establishing good relationships with them. Like many other businesses, running a courier service business requires a lot of patience and determination. Expect to make a lot of losses, but with proper management and the right connections, you are sure to earn more.

Have you heard about FedEx, DHL, UPS? If so, then, for sure, you or your friends have used their services. Would you like to open your own courier service?

If yes, then this article will be useful for you and will tell you how to do it.

Especially for preparing this article, we interviewed three experts and found out How open courier delivery service. Meet our guests:

Alexey Prygin, Deputy General Director of MaxiPost. The company specializes in courier delivery of goods from online stores.
Sergey Nevzorov, founder of the Logistics Department service.
Zhurabek Turdiev, director of the courier service BTS Express. The company's specialization is express delivery of documents, correspondence, parcels up to 3 kg within Uzbekistan.

The article was written jointly with our experts and with their active participation. This made it possible to obtain detailed, more complete first-hand information about the opening of a courier service.

How to prepare for the opening?

As with opening any business, it is necessary to conduct a preliminary market analysis. The information received should concern:

Target audience, demand on its part. Who is your potential client, what services does he need, what will he expect from you.
Information about competitors and their activities.
Current market conditions. What niches are still relatively free and other information.

This is the first one. The second is the choice of niche and services provided. After studying the market, you may want to develop a courier service in some narrow specific niche. Or would you prefer to specialize in the delivery of certain packages, for example, goods from online stores or food from restaurants.

Investment size

It all depends on the chosen niche and the services you are going to provide. Alexey Prygin, Deputy General Director of MaxiPost:

“The costs (start-up and monthly) consist of the following expenses:

personnel recruiting;
purchase and branding of uniforms (if necessary);
process automation;
purchase of cash registers (and their further maintenance);
purchase or rental of vehicles (if necessary);
communications (mobile, landline, Internet);
household and stationery supplies;
bank expenses (mainly collection);
fuel (if necessary);
salaries and taxes.

The main consumable part of the “courier” is these are salaries and taxes.

The competition in the courier services market is now off the charts and will only increase in the future. It’s worth opening a new business in this area if you have good starting investments, a cushion for the future and experience in this area.”

MaxiPost has the following format - delivery of goods from online stores. If you do not purchase vehicles, then relatively small investments will be required. But! You need to be prepared for subsequent financial injections in order to stay in the market and continue to grow.

But BTS Express required significant investments to launch and develop its courier service.

Zhurabek Turdiev

director of BTS Express

As can be seen from the two examples, investment volumes can differ several times. Much depends on the niche and services provided. But both of our guests agree that the company will need regular funding for its continued existence and growth.

Step-by-step instruction

As mentioned above, opening a courier service begins with determining the client’s portrait, his needs and expectations. Based on this data, you need to decide on a niche and a specific list of services that your company will provide.

After clarifying these key points, you can think about what the investments will be used for, how to further build the business, and what service geography you will have.

Staff. Hiring, training, motivation, relationships

Our guest Alexey Prygin, Deputy General Director of MaxiPost, talks about working with staff:

A staff of couriers is one of the very first steps when organizing a courier service. To create it, you need:

Recruit couriers, having previously calculated their number and workload based on the planned sales volume and sales schedule;

Train couriers by developing a training system in advance, including the ability to communicate, work with cash registers, follow the rules of cash discipline, etc.;

Develop a system of motivation and control of couriers: how will you pay them - fixed or piecework? How to calculate the premium part - based on the number of purchased or delivered parcels? How will you control their work and negate the risks of unscrupulous performers, which is especially important given the fact that the courier is a financially responsible person?

The motivation system for couriers should be built based on the company’s business goals. For example, in our company, the first place is not quantity, but the quality of delivery, the percentage of redemption of delivered parcels. This means everything is tailored exclusively to this KP

Zhurabek Turdiev

BTS Express Director:

When working with personnel, the main attention and effort should be directed to couriers, because the courier:

The face of the company, and he mostly communicates with customers and package recipients.
It largely determines how and in what condition the parcel will be delivered.
A courier is a financially responsible person.

When selecting couriers, we look at the following points:

Filling out the form. Is it completely filled? If yes, then this indicates that the candidate is serious about the business and that he wants to work in our company.
Ability to communicate. Whether the person makes contact easily, is not aggressive or rude.
Age and driver's license. In our company, only young people work as couriers.

Our trial period lasts for a month. During this period, we pay attention to other indicators of couriers:

How does the courier keep documents? Is everything filled out on time? Are reports submitted on time?
Compliance with established schedules.
Ability to communicate with customers and parcel recipients.
Feedback from clients and employees. If a courier is rude, breaks the rules, and clients and employees complain about him, then such a person will not stay with us.

We also have a training and adaptation system. It allows a beginner to quickly get involved and successfully complete their tasks.

A separate conversation is motivation. We need purposeful people, and we promote them to higher positions, if, of course, the employee has the desire.

The main principle of building relationships with couriers, and with all company employees, is to let them know that they are valuable and that their work is important not only for the company, but also for clients and society. And the most important thing is not just to make it clear, but to prove it in practice day after day.

At the initial stage, it is better to concentrate on attracting and providing high-quality service to the Nth number of first clients. I would recommend starting with 200 clients. This approach will allow:

identify weaknesses in your business and eliminate them,
understand the expectations and needs of your clients,
based on the feedback received, further build your marketing strategy.

Promotion channels may be different. You need to take into account the specifics of your niche and focus on customers.

Zhurabek Turdiev, director of BTS Express, says:

In our case, SEO, sending commercial offers to organizations, and word of mouth work well. We mainly use social networks to collect feedback.

When choosing a promotion channel, you need to take into account the characteristics of your clients. Namely, to know:

Through what communication channels can you reach them?
Through what channels are potential clients already looking for information about you?

The niche and services provided by your courier service play a major role in deciding where to locate your office and warehouse.

For example, food delivery from restaurants does not require a warehouse, because... the package is delivered directly from the kitchen to the recipient. The situation is similar when delivering parcels within the city, because... Delivery is carried out within a few hours.

But in the case of intercity delivery, the presence of a warehouse is mandatory.

Zhurabek Turdiev

director of BTS Express

When choosing a location, we took into account the following criteria:

Convenient location for clients, because... Some of our clients come to the office to send a parcel. Also, some recipients pick up the package from the office. This is an economy rate with pickup from our offices. The main thing is that it is convenient for clients to approach us, that we are easy to find, and that there is parking.
Proximity to the airport, because To increase delivery speed, we send parcels to remote cities by plane.

Sufficient space for all departments (reception, warehouse, administration). This applies only to the central office in Tashkent. Offices in the regions are simpler

Documentation

The courier service can be registered as an LLC or individual entrepreneur. LLC is convenient for the following:

Investors are more willing to invest money in a business because... may act as co-founders. Banks are also more willing to issue loans.
More trust from organizations. It matters if organizations are your potential clients.

IP has the following advantages:

Easy to register.
You can pay taxes in a “simplified” manner. Tax reporting is simpler.

The choice of legal form is at the discretion of the business owner. Registering a company is one of the simplest steps when opening a courier service.

Opening checklist

Is it profitable to open

To answer this question, you need to consider the following:

Courier service as a business is a long-term business project. There is no way to quickly “make money” here. Like factories, courier services do not give returns immediately, but after some time. When starting a courier business, you need to be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint.
Much depends on the chosen niche and services provided, and the market situation.

Alexey Prygin, Deputy General Director of MaxiPost:

Services in general are rarely a high-margin business in themselves, and in an unfavorable situation (and this is the case now), the difference between the tariff and the cost tends to zero. It is very difficult to increase this gap: raising the price means losing customers, and reducing costs is very difficult.

Zhurabek Turdiev

director of BTS Express

We were able to achieve operating profit only in the fifth year of development. There is still time before full self-sufficiency. We invest the proceeds in development. Courier services are a long-term business. You need to have a fair amount of patience to set up such an enterprise.

Seasonality

As in a number of industries, there is seasonality in the courier business. It is associated with the period of commercial activity of the population before significant holidays and other events:

New Year
February 23
March 8
Black Friday, etc.

Alexey Prygin

Deputy General Director of MaxiPost

The courier business is subject to seasonality, which directly depends on the surge in sales in online stores. The busiest season for courier services is New Year. Even if you spend a whole year switching from order to order, you won’t be bored from the end of November. Our people will never stop buying gifts for this holiday, so there is always a chance to make a good turnover in one month. December is guaranteed earnings. There are also February 23, March 8, Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays, preparation for school in August and a bunch of all sorts of more or less successful seasons and sales that provide couriers with reliable income.

collapse

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 the development of information technology, in particular, with the widespread spread of the Internet, an increasing number of people prefer not to waste their time on 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 (the best option is a driver with his own vehicle, taking on the functions of a courier), then the staff can actually 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 initial investment 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 a 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.

The amount of starting capital required 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

Flowering plant delivery services are in great demand in large cities and metropolitan areas. 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 fairly profitable activity even with minimal financial investment.
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 (the best option is 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 on 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 easiest way to start making money by delivering alcohol at night is to 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. It is enough to create a group on a social network; there are many clients for such services, so income depends on the size of the city.

Starting a business from scratch is always difficult. It is necessary to carefully consider every nuance regarding the planned business. This requires a lot of effort, but the result will certainly please you. In this topic we will describe a productive business idea.

The courier service is undoubtedly popular among the population. Delivery of goods is necessary for many firms, enterprises, and institutions. Such a business is one of the inexpensive ones for starting a career and would be quite suitable for a novice entrepreneur. If you are interested in how to open a courier delivery service, our topic is for you.

It is known that today the choice of courier services is limited, so this type of service can safely be called in demand and relevant. Many post offices deliver goods, but many customers are not satisfied with the delivery time, which can be 3 days or more. In addition, urgent applications submitted by post are very expensive.

If you are seriously thinking about how to open a delivery service, it's time to start a business! It is no secret that there is competition among many companies, including courier companies. The success of a delivery service depends on the quality of services provided and reasonable prices.

Return to contents

Identification of competition

Some goods delivery companies have a wide field of activity. Their branches can be located throughout the country in cities and towns. These companies deliver products in a matter of hours, since they have a large number of employees and vehicles in their arsenal. Such services are popular, they have proven themselves in the market for goods and services, and have a good reputation among partners and the population in general.

One of the main business strategies is to identify such a competitor in your region. What is the need? The success of your future company directly depends on this. If a large, reliable courier service is already open in your city, has a good reputation and a good name, people will continue to use its services. If you are determined to compete with such a company, you need to come up with some feature for your courier service that will serve as an advantage over a competing company. This could be 24/7 or affordable. It could be both. Find a good idea on how to distinguish your company from others, how to interest a potential client.

Return to contents

First of all, you should decide on the place where the company will be located. Ideally, this should be a regional center, a large city with a lot of people. In rural districts, such a business may not work. The reasons are obvious: a small number of companies, organizations, or even the absence of them. If anyone uses your services, it will be extremely rare; the order will be small. Accordingly, the business will not bring profit. Possible option. The small town has entertainment centers, cafes, and restaurants. In this case, you cannot do without the help of a courier; people often order restaurant food to their home. But it’s still better in a big city.

The next thing to do when planning is to decide what types of cargo you intend to work with. Some companies deliver paper documentation, others deliver large cargo within not only the city, but throughout the country. Some courier services provide international transport. Some companies deliver precious items. Decide on the areas where you will transport the goods - either within the city, or region, or throughout the country. This directly determines what kind of car the company should have, a passenger car or a truck; one, two or three cars. To deliver documents within the city, the courier can also use public transport. You can also walk if the distance is short.

If you have already purchased a car, you should decide on hiring a driver. And not only the driver. In general, you need to decide on the size and scale of your company, the number of staff, their workload, and employee salaries. Don't think that one courier will be enough. At a minimum, there should be 2 people, since one worker will not be able to cope with orders. You can hire a taxi driver with a personal car and one employee without a car. Thus, the company will have 2 couriers and 1 car, this is very convenient.

Return to contents

The role of personnel in the company's work

So, let’s take a closer look at the work of personnel in the company. To successfully organize a business, a company must have a director, an accountant, a secretary-dispatcher, couriers, and technical staff. employees if you rented premises. The duties of the director include monitoring all affairs of the company. The secretary-dispatcher accepts requests, registers them, transfers them to couriers, and informs the client about the location of the cargo and delivery time. Couriers carry out the instructions of the secretary; they must deliver the cargo to its destination on time, safe and sound. The accountant is responsible for the work of employees, makes comments to them if necessary, and is responsible for the company’s profit. When an entrepreneur does not have the opportunity to organize such a staff, you can get by with a director, dispatcher and couriers.

The company's opening hours are set at your discretion. The optimal time for delivery of goods is from 8 am to 5 pm. At the moment there are few services where couriers work at night. Working around the clock is a good business idea. Employees may work night shifts, which may start from zero o'clock until 7 am. Depending on your plans, you can implement an urgent delivery option, which can be useful in emergency situations. Consider carefully whether you will be able to hire employees who will work at night.

An important role in the reputation of a courier company is played by the quality of service and timely delivery of goods. What does quality of service mean? This is the ability of employees to communicate warmly with customers, conduct a conversation competently, be attentive when filling out an application, and take into account the wishes and needs of customers during the delivery process. The courier’s ability to deliver the package quickly and on time without damaging it is the most important thing in the job. Try to hire decent, neat, polite, efficient people. The dispatcher must be a person with good communication skills and correct diction. Encourage employees to understand each other and get along well with each other.

If you do not have any special knowledge in a particular area of entrepreneurship, this does not mean that you have no chance of opening your own business. If you have a certain (not necessarily impressive) amount of money that you are willing to give in favor of the development of your business, and an obsessive desire to work, as they say, for yourself, then you should think about how to create a courier delivery service.

This type of activity does not require special skills or knowledge, the purchase of expensive equipment or the investment of exorbitant funds, so this business idea is an excellent solution for a novice entrepreneur with a limited budget.

Of course, it is better to open such a business in a large populated area, where home delivery services are more in demand, but with perseverance and desire, you can succeed in any city. Where to start? Of course, the first thing you need to do is draw up a business plan to take into account all the expenses and calculate the possibility of making a profit.

Organizing a courier service: where to start?

So, if the desire to earn income from your personal business is firmly stuck in your head, and you don’t know what to do, then this article is just for you.

A legal business requires state registration, so first of all, go to the tax office and register your type of activity. Then you need to open a current account in the name of the organization in any bank that is profitable for you (here you will be asked for documents from the tax service about the registration of your enterprise and a certificate from the State Statistics Committee). In principle, from the formal side of the issue, that’s all.

In parallel with the preparation of all documents, begin searching for office space. If your budget is very tight, then rent it. If you succeed and prosper in this matter, in the future you will be able to purchase your own corner.

Then, when drawing up a business plan for a courier service, take care of the technical side of the issue. Today you can’t get anywhere without modern equipment. We need telephone and computer networks, as well as transport. It is advisable that you have your own, although at first you can rent it. If your budget allows, you can create a fleet of several cars, and also acquire bicycles for mail delivery. It’s even better to hire couriers with personal cars.

The scope of your activity will most likely be limited to one city at first. After all, at this stage of development it is important to get a good reputation, and if you deliver orders late, then no one will want to work with you. In order for the business to have a good start, it is recommended to find a couple of large clients who would place regular orders. By fulfilling the orders of such customers in a quality manner, you can count on receiving a stable profit, which can be immediately used for advertising.

How to promote your business?

A courier service, like any other type of business, requires investment in advertising. Start by creating a website. This marketing tool is considered the most effective today. Don’t skimp on creating your own website on the Internet, because it will later become the face of your organization. Order a website promotion service for a web company. Its specialists will analyze the market in which you operate and will be able to create a truly competitive resource.

Don't forget to include the cost of business cards in your courier service business plan. They should also characterize you from the best side.

A high-quality, tactile and eye-catching business card with full information (your company name clearly visible, all necessary contacts, opening hours, any special conditions or discounts, etc.) will encourage its owner to use your courier service again.

Place advertisements in the most popular newspapers in your city, and don’t forget about radio and television. And just share the information with your friends and acquaintances. This simple method of advertising is often most effective.

You can also distribute flyers, the presentation of which guarantees the client a discount. It may be very small, but the opportunity to save at least a little always encourages clients to further cooperate.

Use your imagination!

Promotions and discounts are, of course, good, but it’s even better to come up with your own “trick”, which can be a decisive factor when a customer chooses a courier organization. After all, there are many similar services today, they compete with each other in the quality and speed of delivery, the cost of their services, etc. But modern people want variety, and this can play into the hands of a newly created courier company.

Anything can be your “trick”. For example, let female models deliver the goods, then the circle of your customers (especially males) will definitely increase.

You can also hire several guys of model appearance. Then women will turn to you for services much more often.

To make the ordering process more interesting, create an online catalog on your organization’s website in which you post photos of your charming employees.

Thus, by leaving a request, the client has the opportunity to choose what he wants from the couriers provided to him. In general, use your imagination, creativity is always welcome!

This “zest” of your business will allow you to slightly increase the cost of your services, but in most cases this will not affect the client’s choice.

Recruitment is an important matter

It is impossible not to include labor costs in your courier service business plan. The issue of recruitment must be approached with all responsibility, because only serious and diligent employees will help to get good reviews about the company as a whole. If you do not have experience in providing courier services, then it is all the more advisable to hire professionals in this field who will help you organize the entire process and organize proper work with clients.

Don't hire people who want to make good money and still work a 9 to 6 job. These types of employees usually won't give their all to help grow the business. Before official employment, arrange a trial period for at least a week. This will help you understand how the future employee relates to the client, whether he is capable of providing the level of service you have specified.

Price policy

When it comes to setting prices for delivery, you cannot act “at random”; it is important to analyze the cost of such services in your city. You can qualitatively “monitor” information by using the Internet, because today every serious company has its own website. But don't rely solely on information you get online. It is better to call the courier service you are interested in.

Typically, telephone consultants are very talkative and will tell you about some conditions, promotions or other points that you can use in your activities. And in general, such calls are the best way to find out how the courier service works.

Providing services for the delivery of documents and goods within one city usually requires minor expenses, therefore the cost of such delivery should be small. But don’t lower your prices too much to fully recoup your expenses. To do this, carefully calculate all possible exit options and the distances that will need to be covered. A well-structured pricing policy can recoup all costs in almost three to four months.

Your business abroad?

The homeland of the business we are considering is France, so let’s see from its example how to open a courier delivery service and make good money abroad while in Russia.

If you follow French law, the delivery service personnel must consist exclusively of French citizens. Therefore, first, find a native Frenchman for the position of director, preferably an acquaintance. Accordingly, you, as the founder of this organization, will need to obtain a visa.

The so-called “merchant card” is long-term and is issued to the founders of legal entities with French registration for a period of 1 to 5 years. Obtaining such a visa gives its owner many rights, which will be more than enough to bring your business idea to life. The courier service can now be headed by you personally.

What other formalities must be observed in France?

French legislators have clearly defined the entire procedure for the establishment and operation of enterprises with foreign capital.
Therefore, in order to find out how to open a courier delivery service for a citizen of the Russian Federation in this country, you need to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the norms of local legislation. Overall, it all comes down to a few basic questions:

To begin, you must submit all registration documents of the founder to the commercial court of the city you have chosen to conduct your activities;
after considering the above papers, the commercial court decides to register the enterprise in the unified trade register;
after this you can apply for a “merchant card”;
obtaining a residence permit for a period of 1 year; If you become the head of your courier service, it is automatically extended for the duration of your leadership.

Let's sum it up

After reading this article, you have a general knowledge of how to open a courier delivery service and where to start working on the domestic or foreign market for these services. In general, the most painstaking activities require activities related to the selection of personnel, the organization of work processes and their improvement, as well as the policy of attracting clients.

Your individuality and creative approach to work are also important - only interesting and exclusive projects reach the desired heights.

Don't forget to take all these points into account when you create your courier service business plan.