With the rise of online shopping, it has never been a better time to start a courier business. People need deliveries every single day, and they need staffed wheels to drive their goods around. If you fancy setting up a business of your own and have an interest in logistics and vehicles, this could well be the business for you. Check out our tips on how to build and run a successful courier company and you’ll be reaching for the stars in no time.
- Purchase Your Fleet
A courier business is one that you are going to initially have to invest some money in, simply for the fact that you will need several vehicles. Whether you’re planning on using vans for larger goods or smaller motorbikes that can zip across city centres, either way, you’ll need a couple of sets of wheels as you start out. As tempting as it can be to buy cheaper, older models, the newer the better as you will want these vehicles to last and be lower cost to repair and maintain than old rust buckets that break and look rubbish. You want your clients to be impressed rather than put off by your fleet.
- Tech Up Your Fleet
Time is money, so you’ll want to ensure your staff are where they’re supposed to be and in a timely manner. Delivery delays can end up costing you money so invest in some tracking tech to keep an eye on your driver’s habits, behaviour, and whereabouts. The service Fleet Management by Trakm8 will handle all your driving data, plus monitor your vehicle’s health, leaving you to focus on running the company.
- Map Routes
Knowing the quickest way around any area and ensuring fast deliveries is what will keep your clients coming back for more. It’s fine to use websites or apps like Google Maps or Waze, but your drivers should at the very least have a basic understanding of your local or most delivered areas. Assign specific areas to each driver so they are accustomed to regular heavy traffic times, back streets ad side roads which means they can navigate from A to B quicker. Either you or your driving team can map the best route and perform multiple drop-offs in one area with enough adequate planning.
- Advertise
Use social media (whether it’s organic or paid ads) to boost your client base and offer discounts or loyalty deals. You’ll need to get your name out there and create brand awareness so create a website that looks good and is user-friendly then plug using your social tools. You also need to make sure your branding and booking details (like phone number, website, and email address) are displayed clearly on your vehicle. You can get pretty affordable graphics and signs made online and employ a company to install the signage on your fleet. It’s best to use a professional for this as they can ensure that the signs are weather-proof and long-lasting.
Do you own a successful courier company? Share your advice on how to offer a great service in the comments!
