Business Overview

Let’s face it; today’s busy lifestyles mean that a lot working people just don’t have time for even the simplest of errands, such as taking the family pet to the veterinarian for a routine checkup, buying AuntSue a birthday present, or picking up the kids after school.

Which is great news if you’re a multi-tasker looking to start your own simple,inexpensive, yet potentially very profitable business. An errand service can be operated with nothing more than a cell phone and reliable transportation.

Land clients by networking and by creating a simple marketing brochure explaining the services you provide along with your contact information.

Related: Start A Small Business, Become Self–Employed

The brochures can be pinned to community bulletin boards, hand-delivered to homes and businesses and distributed with the local newspaper.

A few promotional items such as pens and memo pads emblazoned with your company logo, name and telephone number given out to potential customers will go a long way as a daily reminder of your fast, reliable and affordable errand services.

This is the kind of business where growth is fuelled by referrals, so customer service and satisfaction are the most important goals.

Business Overview

Here’s the problem: You’ve got half a dozen good suits to wear to theoffice. Five are lying dirty at the bottom of your laundry hamper, andyou’ve just dribbled mustard all down the front of the sixth. If onlythere were time to run out to the dry cleaner and then more time topick up the suits afterward.

The solution: a dry-cleaning pickup anddelivery service. If you’ve got good organizational skills, you likebeing on the run and hope to earn good money, then this might be justthe business for you. You’ll contract with dry-cleaning establishmentsto service your customers’ clothes.

Then you’ll pick up the dirtiesfrom homes and offices, take them in for cleaning, pick them up afterservicing and return them to their rightful owners. You can arrangeregular biweekly stops, picking up fresh dirties as you drop off yourlast visit’s load of now-clean garments, and you can have customerscall for emergency pickups.

The advantages to this business are thatyou can work from home, and you’re always on the go, so you’re notsitting around waiting for activity. You’ll need organizational andlogistical skills as well as good sales and marketing techniques toconvince dry cleaners and customers to use your company.

The Market

Your customers will be busy business and residential people who don’twant to spend their time trotting to and from the cleaners. Businessesmake excellent targets because people at work are generally on-site (ortheir secretaries or other employees are) and easily accessible.

Youmight also target military bases if there are any in your area–peoplein the uniformed services always need clean, pressed clothes and are agood source of revenue. Be sure to check with base authorities first tomake sure you’ll be granted access. Direct mail brochures to prospectsin the neighborhoods you plan to service–target middle- andupper-income areas where people can afford your service.

Deliver yourbrochures to businesses–particularly large office complexes where youcan hit a lot of customers in one stop–and explain the advantages ofusing your company. Stop in often, even if you don’t get requests forbusiness right away. Sooner or later, people will start piling on theclothes.