Tips on Starting Your Own Successful Errand Service

There are thousands of individuals who cannot complete simples tasks outside their residence. Whether it is due to a new child, disability, illness, lack of time or age, many of these people often need someone else to complete their errands. Developing an errand service is a fairly easy way to develop your own business and turn a profit.

Errand businesses generally offer services to dry cleaners, post offices, banks, department stores, grocery stores, and additional places of business. Provided that you already posses a reliable vehicle, the start up cost for this business is fairly low. You will need supplies to advertise your business.

Informing the public about your new business is an extremely important task. A good way to target your potential customers is to post flyers and business cards in local businesses and on community bulletin boards. Placing an advertisement in a local newspaper will also bring in new clients. There are many outside companies that can place your company information and logo on magnets. Everyone loves free stuff, so hand these magnets out to customers or you could even place them on mailboxes in the area. Since you will be driving your vehicle around to complete the errands, it may be a good idea to invest in a magnetic sign for your vehicle.

An errand service will typically see more business during the holiday seasons. There are many individuals who do not know what type of gift to purchase or just don’t have the time to go shopping. All year round elderly and disabled individuals and working couples may need errands taken care of. During the non-holiday months, it may be a good idea to target nursing homes and new mothers. The first couple of months after a mother has a new child, it is hard to get certain tasks completed outside the home. It may also be a good idea to offer gift certificates because many new grandparents may give this service as a gift.

An errand service can be highly profitable. Depending on the amount of time you put into running this business and the amount of clients that you obtain, a part-time errand runner starts making around $10,000 a year. The more effort and time you put into finding new customers, the more money you will be more likely to make.

The fee you should charge depends on the type of errand being completed. If you are running multiple errands for one individual, you may want to charge them by the hour. If an errand requires you to travel a longer distance, you may want to charge a set mileage rate. When setting your fees, you should take into account your time and expenses (gas and car wear) to ensure you will have a profitable business.

Starting an errand service is a great way to help others out while making money. If you are interested in starting an errand service you should be reliable, trustworthy, and dependable. Have reference numbers on hand in case a potential customer would like to verify your ability to handle their money and important documents. As with any home-based business, it is recommend that you check out your local and state laws before you being professional running errands.