This business is as varied as the many errands individuals or businesses need to run almost every day. Trips to and from day care centers, pharmacies, grocery stores, post offices and mailing centers, bill payment centers, and libraries are just a few of the errand services. You can specialize in picking up and delivering forms and documents for businesses, or go food shopping for individuals or you can diversify and perform any number of tasks for people who cannot get away from their jobs or homes to offer errand service themselves. Conduct market research surveys in your community to see which errands are most in demand. Once you start, you may find other errand services need to be provided that you did not know existed until you receive requests for them.

Start-Up Costs And Financing Sources

* From $ 150 for basic ads and the printing and copying of flyers and business cards to $3,000 for a computer and cellular phone and/or pager.
* Personal savings, small business loan, personal line of credit on credit cards.

Pricing Guidelines

* $9 to $55 per hour ($101 per hour in large metropolitan areas)
* You can charge weekly or monthly fees for an agreed number of errand service lists within a certain mile radius (charge more for mileage if outside that radius).

Marketing And Advertising Methods And Tips

* Place classified ads in the local newspapers.
* Post flyers on community bulletin boards and leave at individual residences and businesses.
* Send a press release to your local paper to prompt a follow-up article on your business.
* Purchase local radio and cable television ads.
* Offer free hours of errand running at a community benefit auction.

Essential Equipment

Reliable vehicle for use in all kinds of weather that gets good gas mileage, record-keeping and billing files or software, business telephone line with answering machine, answering service, or voice mail, car phone and/or pager.

Recommended Training, Experience, Or Needed Skills

* Work for a messenger or errand service.
* Volunteer to do your relatives' or family's cost of errand services for a time to see if it will be profitable.
* Know your area and the location of errand services, businesses, and stores.
* Be well-organized, prompt, and use your time as efficiently as possible.

Income Potential

* $10,000, part-time; $28,000, full-time
* Earnings can be more if you hire others to give errand service information.

Type Of Business

¼ in-home running the business and scheduling runs; ¾ out-of-the home, running the errands.

Best Customers

New mothers, persons recuperating from illnesses or injuries, shut-ins, persons with certain disabilities or serious illnesses, people on business trips or vacations, seasonal customers who do not have time to shop for gifts or fill out and send tax forms, working couples.

Helpful Tips

* Check licensing requirements and tax laws.
* Check with your insurance agent for liability coverage. See if you need to be bonded.
* Consult with your lawyer on contracts you should have.
* Have the option to turn down a job if the distance is too far (unless the client is willing to pay for your extra time and mileage) or if the job is not one you want to do.

Essentials Of Errand Services

If you are interested to establish your home based business of providing errand services, make errand services list according to the given errand services information. Errand services pricing should be fixed according to the cost of errand services which is needed to be invested for the establishment of profitable business. Fill the errand service forms if you are willing to introduce the personal errand services in your area, having a potential figure of consumers.