Forum Courier - New Business?
Discussion
Hi,
Been thinking over the last month or so about starting a new business. I've not been working for the last well nearly 12 months (my own choice, living off my savings etc), i have no previous experience in running a business, i have only been an employee.
Anyway the business is basically a courier driver. What i thought was with all the internet car forums & with members buying / selling / swapping parts maybe there is a market for a (me) specialised courier who would deliver parts (from alloy wheels, engines to body kits etc). I would advertise my services on each forum (e.g. Golf gti forum, pistonheads etc) & organise set routes every week.
I would buy or maybe lease a mid-sized van, something like a Toyota Hiace or Merc Vito.
Any advice or thoughts would be welcomed, as mentioned i am a complete novice
Mike
Been thinking over the last month or so about starting a new business. I've not been working for the last well nearly 12 months (my own choice, living off my savings etc), i have no previous experience in running a business, i have only been an employee.
Anyway the business is basically a courier driver. What i thought was with all the internet car forums & with members buying / selling / swapping parts maybe there is a market for a (me) specialised courier who would deliver parts (from alloy wheels, engines to body kits etc). I would advertise my services on each forum (e.g. Golf gti forum, pistonheads etc) & organise set routes every week.
I would buy or maybe lease a mid-sized van, something like a Toyota Hiace or Merc Vito.
Any advice or thoughts would be welcomed, as mentioned i am a complete novice
Mike
It's difficult to tell what type of REAL demand exists out there for such a service. However, before committing to any large scale capital outlays on vans or equipment, I would be inclined to just try out the concept using your ordinary car as the delivery vehicle for the moment.
The only additional cost would be extra insurance to ensure that you were covered for using your car as a business vehicle.
The only additional cost would be extra insurance to ensure that you were covered for using your car as a business vehicle.
Eric Mc said:
It's difficult to tell what type of REAL demand exists out there for such a service. However, before committing to any large scale capital outlays on vans or equipment, I would be inclined to just try out the concept using your ordinary car as the delivery vehicle for the moment.
The only additional cost would be extra insurance to ensure that you were covered for using your car as a business vehicle.
Yes i thought of going down that route to start, using my own Ford Focus (i also have use of a small estate car for bulkier items). I would only be "a one man band" anyway, so the only real outlay would be a new / nearly new van. I would use the large garage at home to store items between deliveries (fully insured).The only additional cost would be extra insurance to ensure that you were covered for using your car as a business vehicle.
There certainly is a lot of people buying stuff from the internet and different forums so there may well be a market for it, I use Business post for my consignments about 30-60 a day, they give me a great price and I'm always shocked at the prices people are paying for stuff to be shipped around. My only thought is if you don't have enough stuff on for each route you may well be losing money on that route?
I would say, yes there is a call, but it's already serviced by other companies.
Most people will not think of you unless you are "in their face", in opposition to a more main stream supplier - albeit, they may be a lot more expensive.
Also if you are only a on eman band, would you be able to cope with even minimal demand if the logistics of a few jobs were completely unworkable?
I've droped you a mail anyway for a few other bits not relevant here.
Cheers,
JC
Most people will not think of you unless you are "in their face", in opposition to a more main stream supplier - albeit, they may be a lot more expensive.
Also if you are only a on eman band, would you be able to cope with even minimal demand if the logistics of a few jobs were completely unworkable?
I've droped you a mail anyway for a few other bits not relevant here.
Cheers,
JC
Mike,
there is a demand, all this stuff on Ebay has to be delivered or collected. But econmy of scale is your problem in keeping prices competetive.
There is a company, which I stumbled over, that centally organises courier work for owner drivers. You contact them with your known movements and they try to give you a return load or multiple drops to make it worthwhile. Go Google and try and find them or other like minded drivers.
Best of luck.
Graham
there is a demand, all this stuff on Ebay has to be delivered or collected. But econmy of scale is your problem in keeping prices competetive.
There is a company, which I stumbled over, that centally organises courier work for owner drivers. You contact them with your known movements and they try to give you a return load or multiple drops to make it worthwhile. Go Google and try and find them or other like minded drivers.
Best of luck.
Graham
My Brother started with two vans a couple of years back. He has a contract with a national distributor in one direction (50drops in about 40miles )and makes his money with the one off jobs in the other direction (one or two a week). Finding these one off jobs is difficult. He pays part time drivers on a rota basis though and doesn't do it himself.
Trouble is, the deliveries he wants and I guess you'd be looking for are likely to be fairly local (0 - 50 miles). Internet Purchases are frequently national.
Good luck all the same though
Trouble is, the deliveries he wants and I guess you'd be looking for are likely to be fairly local (0 - 50 miles). Internet Purchases are frequently national.
Good luck all the same though
AndyAudi said:
Trouble is, the deliveries he wants and I guess you'd be looking for are likely to be fairly local (0 - 50 miles). Internet Purchases are frequently national.
My idea was national, i would post the routes on each forum about a week in advance & then "hopefully" you would generate enough work. Not sure though...
I set this up to help people out www.sendmy-parcel.co.uk on forums and the like. One thing I didn't expect was the level of service or complete non understanding of how couriers work by joe public. Usually its the buyer of goods who uses the service which means the seller doesnt really care if they are in or not when goods are supposed to be collected .... mare.
Anyway my advice if you do persue this line is to pick up and drop off only from business addresses where people are in 9 - 5.
Good luck.
Anyway my advice if you do persue this line is to pick up and drop off only from business addresses where people are in 9 - 5.
Good luck.
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