Monday, September 13, 2010

Things to know before starting a courier service business

With technological advancements, the world has become more interconnected and globalised. This in turn increases the demand for more business services. Over the past decade there has been a huge increase in demand for courier service. If you are focusing on a business oriented career, the best profitable option would be to start a courier service business. It would be a perfect opportunity to capture the ever growing share of the courier market. However it is not an easy task to launch and flourish the business. You need to prepare well and keep in mind certain things for gaining success.

Mode of transport is the basic part of the couriers. Hence you need to define your area of operation as the first step in building the career. You have two options; either to use your car for delivery or you can be bicycle courier man. There are benefits for each service as with a car you can pick up and deliver items across the town while there are limitations with the bike. For starters, the bicycle courier would be a best option if your business is bustled with clients like law firms, banks and other offices that cab sustain your business. On the other hand, if there is no high density of offices, a car courier will be sufficient. So kick off the service by defining the area of operation.

Couriers are not something garden fresh. So there are chances that the area you wish to work would already be mushroomed with many established businesses. Here you must think wisely and become a sub contractor instead. Many times the established business may face overflow and they would be happy to distribute the work among sub contractors. It is good if you can manage both bike and car as it would you to dash form one part of the town to another.

Being a sub contractor means you can make some relaxations in the delivery charges. You can charge less than the actual business fee. But make sure that you charge enough to gain some profit from. Money is needed for operating bike or car. So make some worth out of the bills. In the beginning itself, realistically consider how much money you need to make to break and then approach other couriers in your area for finding their delivery charges. Try to come up with a fee within the range that you have quoted and hand over the prepared fee schedule to the customers.

Marketing and promotion is the core of any business. People tend to opt for reliable and professional services. Hence it is necessary to do marketing and project the company as completely official. The basic thing in this regard would be to set up a bank account for your business, getting license, buying insurance and also printing of business cards. If you can successfully establish a professional setup, potential clients would take you more seriously. Advertising should also be done using locally distributed handouts and also online. This is applicable for both bike as well as car couriers and sub contractors.

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