Small businesses such as bakeries could grow their business by adding delivery via a courier service. (Photo from flickr Kurman Communications)
“Don” owns a bakery and knows he has increasing competition from both local establishments and the bakery departments at large grocery stores. His products are already amazing and he offers a delectable variety of sweet and savory items. Yet, he knows he must do something to differentiate himself from the competition.
Don decided to start offering a delivery service for a minimum size order. He first hired a new employee to handle the deliveries, who used their personal vehicle much like in pizza delivery. The employee would often get lost on their route, which wasted time.
The delivery frequency also varied with sometimes there being not enough deliveries to keep the employee busy, but then sometimes there were so many deliveries that the employee couldn’t keep up. It didn’t make sense to hire more delivery drivers, so Don looked into hiring a professional courier service for his deliveries.
He now has a thriving component to his business that his competitors don’t offer. The benefits outweigh the costs and Don is pleased with his decision to hire a professional courier service.
“Don” is not alone. Businesses of all sizes must work even harder to differentiate themselves from their competition. Have you tried Walmart’s new curbside pickup at specific locations in Northwest Arkansas yet? The convenience is a game changer for many customers. Any time a business can make it easier and/or less expensive to do business with them, it’s usually worth it.
We at On Time Logistics are a professional courier service that transports everything from documents for a lawyer’s office to medical supplies for a doctor’s office. To be clear, we are not a catering company but we love to work with local food businesses to make large food deliveries such as for an office party.
We see four primary reasons it would benefit local small businesses to hire a courier company to add delivery to the small business’ list of services:
Scalable
Remember how “Don’s” company saw an ebb and flow when it came to the need for deliveries? A contract courier makes it easy to scale back or rev up a business without having to hire any new personnel.
Professionalism
Our couriers wear uniforms and bring an air of overall professionalism to the client they represent.
Qualified
Our couriers are familiar with driving in the area and know the best routes. They are also experienced in making deliveries of all types.
Do what you do best
The last reason is one we often discuss with potential customers. That’s the idea of “do what you do best and outsource the rest.” Is your specialty flower arrangements or baking? Great. Don’t take time away from that to do deliveries. Let us make your deliveries because it’s what we do best.
Are you the owner of a local catering company, bakery, florist, lawyer’s office, real estate office or some other type of business that could benefit from offering deliveries? Contact Tim Ward today to discuss how we can customize a route for your specific needs.