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Any Advice

MdcnMnMdcnMn subscriber Posts: 10
edited October 2016 in Selecting a Business
I`m thinking about starting a part-time delivery service, what would be the ideal way of charging customers? Per delivery or I was thinking of a monthly membership type of thing. I felt that would control the monetary transactional flow to a minimum.  Any suggestions?
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    abrummsabrumms subscriber Posts: 6
    We had a delivery business in my area that was REALLY popular and won several awards from the city chamber of commerce.  They eventually went out of business because of gas prices.  I would consider a flat fee minimum + x price for mileage.  Somewhat like a taxi company!  In FACT... why not combine the two?  You could be a cabbie that does deliveries...  You may need more insurance and a different vehicle eventually but I think it would help support the business.  And if you DID do that... I would consider making it a "high end" cabbie business.  Make sure your vehicle is always clean, nice, and tidy so that people choose you over the competitor.Just a thought (or two)Aaron
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    MdcnMnMdcnMn subscriber Posts: 10
    Sounds like a plan, I`m still in the initial phase of this plan...thank you both for the advice. 
    abrumms- what type of a delivery service did you have? (if you don`t mind me asking).
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    abrummsabrumms subscriber Posts: 6
    I didn`t own the service myself (just to clarify).  The service was called "Whateva, We Deliva" and they would deliver... whatever you wanted them to.From Dry cleaning to a case of beer they would pick it up and bring it to your door.  They didnt do people which, like I said, I think was a downfall of the service.  You could do double duty if you were carrying a passanger AND delivering an item.here`s an article the service during home football games in my town (I`m from Iowa City, home of the hawkeyes)Ciao,Aaron
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    MdcnMnMdcnMn subscriber Posts: 10
    Interesting article, I don`t think I`ll be prviding a service like that. I was thinking about catering to a specific niche of people, I think I may be able to fill a void that has existed for some time.  I`m just trying to figure out how to get the word out, and what to charge my customers so I can walk away with a decent profit.
     
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    MdcnMnMdcnMn subscriber Posts: 10
    My thoughts are in line with yours winston2, before I decide on moving forward with this project I need to know what licensing I need. How would I be able to acquire that information?
     
    Thank you all for your thoughts.
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    ankit007ankit007 subscriber Posts: 238 Silver Level Member
    Having an app for the business is always beneficial. You can earn on your app downloads and the business can have a boost.
    Ecommerce Solution|Ride Share|Parse App Migration |Dynamic Website Design
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    Charlie PCharlie P subscriber Posts: 84 Silver Level Member
    The app is a good idea, but I probably wouldn't charge for it. A large part of your potential market may stay away from the app and possibly the service if you charge even just .99 for the app. Think of the cost to produce and distribute the app as part of your advertising and infrastructure costs.

    To your original post, you could mix it up a little with the business model. Do a per item rate (with a mileage limit to save on it costing more in gas) and also offer a subscription that would take off a percentage from the item rate. So like for $30 a month the subscriber would save 20% off of each delivery.

    It's been a few weeks since your original post. Have you come to any other questions that we can help you with?
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    SMBExpertSMBExpert subscriber Posts: 2
    An app or mobile-friendly website with online ordering and delivery scheduling would be a great start. You could even build-in a "tip" feature post-delivery for a job well done.
    Every Door Direct Mail® - Reach every local home | Personalized Mail - Reach targeted prospects
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    YourRetailCoachYourRetailCoach subscriber Posts: 30 Bronze Level Member

    The ideal way to charge customers for part time business is to consider a flat fee minimum or catering to a specific niche of people.

    YRC is a Management Consulting Company, especially for the B-C Sector. Our expertise lies into designing of Standard Operating Procedures, Franchise Development, Strategy & Operations services, Process Audits & Training. 
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    GastonGaston subscriber Posts: 23 Bronze Level Member
    As for the mobile app, I do agree that it should be free since it's hard to justify charging for it, since people will pay for the service you provide either way.
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    RudyRudy subscriber Posts: 11 Bronze Level Member

    Considering that the cost for mobile app development is relatively high compared to web app, why not trying web app first. This is a big challenge for me too as I have an idea for market place in Indonesia.

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