If the goal of the modern business world can be summed up in a single word, it would be “convenience”. Any business owner who wants to enjoy success has to ensure that their business’ products or services are easily accessible and conveniently obtained for their consumers – and a failure to achieve this can result in a business stalling.
One of the most popular convenience choices that businesses have sought to offer over recent years is local delivery. Once the reserve of takeout businesses, local delivery options have now become widespread, with pharmacists, retail outlets, and many more offering free delivery to their customers. If you would like to see if providing local delivery can benefit your business, here are three things you’ll need to keep in mind…
Ensure there is an appetite for a delivery service
While delivery services have become more common in recent years, they are not suitable for all types of business. It is therefore worth asking your customers if a delivery service would be appreciated or beneficial, either by sending surveys to your email list or just politely asking any customers you encounter in person.
Decide who supplies the vehicle
To answer this question, you need to choose from one of two options:
- The employee supplies the vehicle. This arrangement requires the employee to own their own motorcycle or car, which they will use for business purposes.
- You supply the vehicle. You will need to purchase a motorcycle or car yourself, which the employee is then able to drive while at work.
There are significant benefits to both decisions, but you may ultimately find that purchasing your own car or motorcycle for business purposes is the best choice – this decision gives your business an asset, and allows you to brand the vehicle for additional advertising benefits, while also allowing you the opportunity to ensure all the paperwork is in check. If you’re concerned about cost, explore the inventory of a used motorcycle store or car dealership; you should be able to find substantial discounts when compared to buying a new vehicle.
Get the paperwork right
As briefly touched on above, you will need to ensure that all paperwork is in order before providing a delivery service.
- The driver must be fully licensed for the type of vehicle they will be driving.
- The vehicle must be insured for business use; standard insurance will not be sufficient.
- The vehicle must have passed all regulatory tests and be fully compliant with local laws.
Train and monitor your delivery employees
Delivery is often seen as an easy task, and one that requires relatively little training. However, try to remember that every delivery driver is a representative of your company, so you need to ensure they are professional and pleasant to the customers.
To ensure your training has been sufficient, it may be useful to make a ‘false’ delivery to a friend or family member, who can then provide feedback as to how the driver performed.
In conclusion
If you keep the above points in mind, you should be well-placed to enjoy all the benefits of being able to offer delivery, allowing you to provide a genuinely beneficial – and highly convenient – service to your customers as a result.