Profit With Your Own Grocery Delivery Service
While the idea of paying someone to do your weekly grocery shopping may be foreign to some, for many two-income families, a grocery shopping service is a godsend. For the entrepreneur with a little imagination and determination, this is one area that is virtually untapped. Not only that, but the demand for this specialized service is all but guaranteed as more and more families opt to have both parents working to cover ever-increasing financial obligations.
Like any other home service, this opportunity is created because people are simply running out of time during the day. While career responsibilities take priority in most households, many folks will want to spend their leisure time with their families or unwinding from a hard days work. This leaves very little time for the mundane (though necessary) tasks needed to run the household.
A grocery delivery service can be started on a shoestring. Even though there are companies out there that operate fleets of trucks and delivery vehicles (in some cases, it’s the actual grocery stores that are operating the delivery service), you can still create a very livable income catering to families and individuals that have simply run out of time during the day.
While most of the major grocery delivery companies stock their own products and customers order online or over the phone, you will be taking custom orders which will allow your customers to specify particular products at a particular store. Of course, they’ll be paying a little extra for each stop, but you’ll also be offering something that the larger companies can’t – custom grocery shopping.
Starting your grocery delivery service should be fairly straightforward. One of the first things you’ll want to do is make sure that your business is compliant with any government regulations. This will more than likely vary from location to location – it’s best to head down to your municipal offices and have a chat with someone about any special requirements needed. After the legalities are taken care of, you’ll want to get a cell phone, place an ad in your local paper, and take orders over the phone. Flyers also work well and are an inexpensive method – especially when you’re first starting out. Like many service businesses, you should eventually build a list of regular customers.
Another tactic you may want to consider is asking individual supermarkets if they wouldn’t mind displaying your ad on their bulletin board. After all, if your business is thriving, you could be bringing in a lot of custom for them over time.
The customer will need to know exactly what they want and what store carries it before they call. Always have a note pad with you at all times and make sure that you record the information accurately. Any mistakes you make will cost you time and money.
The money you make at this business should be directly proportional to the time and effort it takes you to fulfill the customer’s order. Thus, your pricing structure should take into account things like the number of stops, the time needed, and the distance traveled. Keep in mind that it might take you a while to establish an accurate fee schedule.
Inevitably, you will be asked to deliver questionable products such as alcoholic beverages. Make sure you do things strictly by the book or you can be fined and your business license taken away. Talk to someone at City Hall and find out what the bylaws are regarding the purchase of alcoholic beverages for third-parties. You may even need approval from the police department. At the end of the day, you might want to adopt a policy that prohibits you from purchasing such items for your customers because you start getting into legalities regarding the recipient’s age and other factors such as liability. Honestly, do you really want to be put in the position where you need to ask for ID?
As an independent grocery delivery service, you will always have an advantage over the bigger operations. That advantage is, flexibility and the fact that the customer is in complete control of the products they buy, how much they pay, and where they are purchased. Simply put: you are filling a niche that the larger companies cannot. This can be a huge advantage in a competitive situation.
Delivering groceries can easily provide you with a full-time income. This is especially true after your business becomes established and your clientèle consists mainly of repeat customers. After a while, you can drastically cut down on advertising expenses and concentrate on customer service.
Whether you decide to stay as a one-man operation, or expand by hiring employees and getting more vehicles on the road, one thing you can be sure of is that the demand for this service is bound to remain strong. Duel income families, as well as our aging population are sure to need your services in the years to come.
Leave a Comment