Advice Needed - Courier Service

[projekt]

Hi, just need a bit of advice on a business idea I've had, namely a courier service which would basically involve delivering products for a range of businesses. I'm just wondering if this is a decent idea, how to get into it, I'm just looking for any advice really, whether or not the idea could work.

I'd be grateful for any advice at all, thanks in advance!

 

[MikeJ]

What a great idea. Just amazed nobody's thought of it before.

 

[Hedgie]

Hi, just need a bit of advice on a business idea I've had, namely a courier service which would basically involve delivering products for a range of businesses. I'm just wondering if this is a decent idea, how to get into it, I'm just looking for any advice really, whether or not the idea could work.

I'd be grateful for any advice at all, thanks in advance!

Careful, there are some companies that may steal your idea. Hermes, DHL, Royal Mail, UPS, CityLink, Interparcel to name just a few.

I would keep it quiet if I where you

 

[The Cue Store]

Are you going to be specialising in products you are going to be delivering or is it the same as the courier companies already out there?

 

[Floyd Pink]

What a great idea. Just amazed nobody's thought of it before.

Brilliant

 

[projekt]

Sorry I must have been unclear, didn't mean for it to come across as an original idea, just a thought about setting up a courier service to start as a business, and I was more looking for advice on whether it would be worthwhile and how difficult it would be to find work, as I am aware that there are a lot of large firms who do this.

 

[projekt]

And in reply to The Cue Store, I was thinking of keeping it quite general, so probably the same as the others deliver, as I get the impression that "specialising" would just eliminate a lot of possibilities of work. I would certainly buy a large van that would be suitable for furniture and larger things, not just letters and parcels for instance.

 

[MBE1]

Not totally impossible, but it will be very hard, for the simple reason that every man and his dog buys a van to do the same, as soon as one goes broke two others start.

Add to that fuel and insurances are constantly going up and the returns are going down, you won't have any economy of scale. You might get some removals and man and a van type jobs direct, subbying expect to wait 60-90 days for your money.

 

[Hedgie]

Not totally impossible, but it will be very hard, for the simple reason that every man and his dog buys a van to do the same, as soon as one goes broke two others start.

Add to that fuel and insurances are constantly going up and the returns are going down, you won't have any economy of scale. You might get some removals and man and a van type jobs direct, subbying expect to wait 60-90 days for your money.

General courier work in the current climate is hard going. Apart from the small pickings for independent drivers, there is the high cost of insurance, fuel and slim margins on jobs.

Multi drops can be gained from the big courier firms such as Hermes and DHL but the reward is small. To give you an idea I was delivering 80-120 parcels a day in a 4 sq mile area and was paid 45p per parcel. Once you have taken off your insurance and fuel costs it equate to only a couple of quid an hour profit.

 

[Judge_Joolz]

have a look at codforum.org.uk

that should tell you all you need to know !

Best regards

JJ

 

[projekt]

Thanks again people, from what you're saying it does seem difficult to get into, I'll check out the other forum!