Though some industries may vary in how relevant and lucrative they are throughout the years, others will always be necessary. One example is the courier and local delivery services industry. As long as businesses or individuals need items delivered to a secondary location, the delivery business will remain alive and well. In fact, since the COVID-19 pandemic, carrier companies have really taken the stage.
If you’re looking to start a small business of your own or simply make some extra income each month with a side hustle, creating a delivery business could be the right move for you. This industry has a low barrier to entry, making it easy for people of all lifestyles to participate on their own schedule and increase their monthly earnings.
Are you interested in starting a delivery business but not sure where to begin? Let’s learn a bit more about what you’ll need, how much it will cost, and how your business should run to create maximum profit.
What Do You Need to Start a Delivery Business?
You don’t need much to get started in the delivery business, but it depends on the type of items you’re willing to deliver. For example, if you’re looking to help locals in your community transport bulky items from place to place during a move, you’ll need a pick-up truck or similar vehicle that can handle heavy loads. Plus, it’ll help to have a dolly and cargo-securing straps, especially if you’re working alone without a partner to help lift items in and out of the vehicle.
When you become a Sharetown rep to find delivery clients, you’ll need a smartphone in addition to your vehicle to access our app and connect with members of your community that need assistance delivering heavy items to new places. You’ll also use your smartphone to communicate directly with your customers to schedule pick-up and drop-off dates and times.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Delivery Business?
Working with Sharetown makes it easy to start performing pick-ups and deliveries of all types of items with no entry cost to you. Once you sign up as a Sharetown rep, you can set your own parameters around how often you want to work and how far you’re willing to travel in order to tailor the delivery business to you.
As long as you already have the items needed to stay connected (e.g., smartphones, a pick-up truck), you can begin making deliveries as soon as today with minimal expenses.
How Much Money Can a Delivery Business Make?
Like most jobs within the gig economy, you’ll set your own hours and rates with your delivery business. Therefore, the amount of money you can make will largely depend on how much time and effort you’re willing to put in, with the availability of customers in your area playing a role as well. Some Sharetown reps increase their income by thousands of dollars per month, while others work with smaller pockets of time and increase their income by hundreds.
How Much Should You Charge Your Customers?
Most delivery business workers set their rates according to mileage as well as fuel needed to complete a delivery, with $0.50 to $2.50 per mile being the standard range. If you’re moving bulky items such as furniture, you may want to apply an additional fee based on the effort needed to move the item safely. Plus, if a customer wants an item delivered faster than your normal timeline, a surcharge could be added for that, as well.
Steps to Starting a Small Delivery Business
Before starting your delivery business, it’s important to determine your financial goals and how much time you can put into your business. Make sure you have all of the right materials and set a fair rate for your customers while also earning you a profit for your labor.
With Sharetown, you won’t have to jump through the same legal hoops that a small business owner would, though you can reap many of the same benefits. Though some Sharetown reps keep their delivery business as a side gig, many develop it into a full-time job over time, giving them the ability to create their own schedule.
Create Your Dream Delivery Business Today with Sharetown
If you’re looking to boost your income significantly each month on your own timeline, starting a delivery business is a great way to do so. Whether you have a debt to pay off or simply want more money in the bank, you can get started earning today with Sharetown.
