The Mechanics of Starting an Errand Service

Starting an Errand Service

If you are interested in Starting an Errand Service, you need to know everything that is involved. First of all, an errand business has relatively low start up costs. It is also a business that has plenty of profit potential. This is because more and more people are working longer hours and wouldn’t mind paying to have someone run errands for them.

If starting an errand service sounds good to you, take the time to think about what services you’ll provide. The following is a list of common errand/concierge services:

Grocery shopping

Delivering forgotten items to work or school

Pet sitting

House sitting (including watching the house while their away, collecting mail, watering plants, etc.)

Gift shopping

Clothes shopping

Pickup and delivery

Ordering and/or delivering meals for home or work

Waiting at a customers home for deliveries or maintenance workers

Ordering and obtaining event tickets

In order to be equipped for starting an errand service, what you will require includes:

Vehicle – so you can run errands

Home phone and cell phone – this way clients can reach you at all time.

Computer – this is a great tool to help you stay organized and market your business.

Business insurance – make sure that your vehicle and business is insured for standard business risks.

As you can see, the equipment you’ll need for starting an errand service is minimal. You likely already have most of these items already, which is why the start up cost is minimal compared to other business ventures. Nevertheless, even if you have all of the equipment, business insurance and a license, you still need customers in order to be successful.

While you may think at first that finding customers will be easy, you may be surprised to find that’s hardly the case. Why? Think about it, would you let just anyone run your errands for you, or give a total stranger the key to your home? Of course not! You need to trust them first.

Gaining your customers trust may be a slow process. But the more you prove your serious about helping them, the more they’ll continue to request your services. Patience, integrity, proficiency and dependability are all key to starting an errand service. The more you impress a client, the more likely they are to recommend you to others and continue to hire you.

Other ways that you can market yourself aside from spreading the word yourself, is to have a website. You can also join networking groups, write a press release and make flyers. Don’t forget, when you are marketing your concierge service, you need to know who your customers are and target them.

Finally, another part of starting an errand service is to figure out how much you will charge for your services. The average cost per errand can be anything from $8 to $30, with additional charges for longer errands that require more mileage. An hourly charge can be anything from $12 to $40. Basically you need to decide what each errand is worth based on time and how much it will cost you to complete. Keep in mind that the cost of living in your area will also need to be considered when figuring your charges for various services.

Good luck starting an errand service. Remember, this is one business venture that is totally about customer service.

Starting an Errand Service