There are plenty of opportunities for delivery companies these days. And, if you are looking for something a little different and a business that gets you out and about on a daily basis, there is plenty to enjoy by becoming a delivery driver or courier. There are several routes into the industry for individuals and freelancers, but there is also an opportunity to stake a claim as one of the best delivery companies around. In today’s guide, we’re going to go through some of the things you need to consider if you want to turn your delivery company into a genuine success.

Choose your weapon

When you are just starting out, you will need to focus on one particular mode of transport when you are just starting out. Bike riders can get started as a courier almost straight away, but you’ll need to bear in mind that your scope of work will be limited to a particular radius – ten miles or so, perhaps. If you are a van courier, your costs will be a little higher, but you will also be able to serve a wider area. Motorcycle couriers might have the best of both worlds – they can access a broad range of locations and are cheaper to run than cars, vans and larger vehicles.

Finding customers

One of the hardest parts of starting a delivery company is finding customers. The longer you spend marketing, the less time you will have to spend actually earning money for your business – but you won’t have a business without finding customers. It’s something of a vicious circle. However, there are plenty of customers out there – virtually every business uses couriers to some extent. When you are just getting started, focus on finding companies that need small packages, parcels and documents sent on the same day – you should find that many businesses will be happy to give you a try.

Reinvesting your profits

Once you have some customers, you can start thinking about expanding your business. The first step in this process is to start reinvesting your profits back into the right areas. Hiring bike riders is an obvious starting point, and costs you nothing – all you need to do is pay them to deliver the goods. Once you have a decent amount of profit, you might consider starting to build a fleet of vehicles and moving into proper delivery company territory.

Controlling costs

Make sure that you are controlling your costs before you start expanding your delivery business. There’s a lot to think about. For example, as New Era Fuels suggest, buying diesel in bulk is much cheaper than filling up at the pumps – and fuel will be one of your biggest cost factors. Logistics is another area where you need to put your focus. The idea here is to ensure that every journey is as short as possible, and also that every van is as close to full as possible, to ensure you aren’t wasting time, energy or money.

Dealing with price wars

As a delivery company, you will find that many businesses new to the distribution game will focus on one thing: price. However, it won’t take long for them to realise that the cheap service they are using is damaging their reputation. Late deliveries, careless drivers, and damaged goods are all signs of a poor quality delivery company. If you can avoid all these things, you will also avoid having to engage in unnecessary price wars. Good luck with the business – and let us know how you get on!