New guy! Need help to start!

resnicdan

Hello everyone, my name is Dan Resnic and I've been lurking the forums for a while but just decided to join.

I'm creating a very simple collaborative delivery system (combining ideas from Ubr RUSH and Amazon now). Basically the idea is to have companies register (dry cleaners, restaurants, etc etc) and provide them with a network of drivers that upon request will come and pick up the item. Benefit to the driver is that they can make as many pickups as the system will allow, depending on what items they have (i.e. if they have food, flowers, etc the system wont allow more pickups until those are delivered) and have google map's api reconfigure the route. They get to keep the tips plus most (or maybe all, not sure yet) of the delivery fee.

I'm a mechanical engineer with some understanding of developing, but its definitely not my forte. I've been dealing with freelancers to have an MVP made, which consists of the iOS app, web admins and api's for a relatively cheap amount (I need to boot strap hard, at least until my concept is proven).

My question is (other than a website) what else would I need? My main concern is that whatever I make wont crash

I haven been able to find a more technical partner but I still want to go and figure things as I go, you know what they say, If you're not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you launched too late

betty cauley

Find new client or partner with Linkedin, i'm sure you will get more chance fo your project..

rediansoft

get in touch with us :-
Fb:- https://www.facebook.com/rediansoftware/

website- www.rediansoftware.com

resnicdan

betty cauley wrote:

Find new client or partner with Linkedin, i'm sure you will get more chance fo your project..

Havent had any luck with that yet. Seems like technical partners are scarce these days

kshifters

You may need a couple of things that you may not have thought about like CRM. Assuming you haven't thought of it yet, you need to manage your database on clients and database on drivers. Creation of a website is one thing, have you considered other issues like payment systems and advertising?

QuickFMS

Only having a website is not a solution. You'll need a proper optimization for your websites to be ahead in this digital world.

Ryan O'Bleness

I like your business idea, Dan.

First and foremost, I would say you need passion. Make sure the subject matter is something you're passionate about, and it sounds like you are. If not, your heart won't be in it and it likely won't get to where it needs to be.

You mentioned a website. That is obviously important, but social media would also be a (mostly) free way to get your brand and idea out there to mass audiences. Once your company is more established, you can look into earned media options, which can be relatively cheap, or look into public relations firms (which can get pricey).

If you are looking for tips and strategies for your bootstrapping efforts, I would refer to these articles (somewhat older, but still good information) on the StartupNation website:

https://startupnation.com/start-your-business/fund-your-business/bootstrap-your-business/four-lessons-learned-bootstrapping-bought-business/

https://startupnation.com/start-your-business/fund-your-business/bootstrap-your-business/finding-your-niche/

zipp853

I really like your idea. There's a simple answer to what else you need: MARKETING. You need to get a word out of your business. There's various ways to go about that. One thing you can do is contact the businesses you want to sell the service to directly - but that won't cut it. You also need drivers. How are you going to market to them? This is a lengthy subject, and I don't think I can help you anyway without knowing more business specifics, but in short - start thinking about how to market your business. If you don't know how to go about doing it, google - there's plenty of information available. I would consider partnering up with a marketer, or raising some money so you can hire an expert - crowdfunding and VC-s would be your go-to.

millahjovich

Find new client or partner with Linkedin, i'm sure you will get more chance fo your project..

Charlie P

It sounds like you are in need of two partners. The technical one to help make sure the app/website are stable and fully functional. The other is a marketing/sales partner to work solely on getting clients and drivers. Basically it looks like you are building a great structure for getting non-conventional delivery, but the largest part is going to be making sure that you have drivers ready so that when your first clients start needing your service you are ready to deliver (in this case literally).

Also, it has been about a month since the first post, have you found any candidates for your partnership?

Sounds like a great idea and I wish you the best of luck on your endeavours!

frenchcinch

I believe it's a good idea. If finding a LinkedIn partner didn't work, then maybe try to find a startup conference somwhere near you and participate in it Usually people there pitch their startup ideas. You can pitch yours and i'm pretty sure that you'll find people that will share your enthusuasm and will join you at work Good luck!