Developing An Errand Service To Make Money

<P>In this economy where rich and poor alike are struggling to pay bills, running an errand service might not sound like a great money opportunity.  But, in large cities, these services are popping up all over the place.  In order to make ends meet, some people have had to take second jobs.  Working 60 to 80 hours a week leaves little time for completing house hold chores and running errands.  Some people have learned that there is a niche to be filled here, and are making money doing just that.  </P> <P>Starting an errand service is very easy. No special skills or education is needed to be an errand runner.  All anyone really needs to get started is a vehicle.  In some cities, and errand runner will be more effective on a bicycle, as they will be able to dart through stalled traffic to accomplish their tasks or deliver small packages of important paperwork.  Because it is a business, the cost of renting a vehicle would be seen as a deductible business expense to the business.  </P> <P>Finding clients is perhaps the hardest part of starting this business.  You can take advantage of classified sites like Craigslist to promote your business, but you are probably better off introducing yourself personally to area businesses to offer your services.  One visit will most likely not be enough.  You should plan on visiting each business two or three times so that you will eventually be recognized.  You can also transform yard sale signs into homemade advertising and place them at busy intersections if local ordinances will allow such signs.  </P> <P>Once you get your business started, you must be competitive and dependable.  Being competitive means charging errand service rates that reflect how new you are to the business and that you understand the rates other businesses are charging.  To find out the errand service rates that your future completion is charging, just call and ask.  When starting out, you nee3d to price yourself competitively and even offer discounts for first time service.  </P> <P>This means being dependable on coming across on your service promise every time. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred is not good enough.  You must be consistent to drive your business forward.  The service you are offering can be done by anybody.  Something about your business needs to be special.  Dependability needs to be one of the hallmarks of your business.  Professionalism is also important.  That term covers everything from the way you charge for services to the way you answer the phone and how you dress while working.  You also need to understand your business, especially by learning the geography.  You cant promise to finish a task in a certain time if you do not understand how far you need to travel, and how traffic will affect travel times.  </P> <P>Starting an errand service is easy an inexpensive.  It is a low overhead business, meaning a large initial investment is not required, nor are there really any large recurring costs.  You can run the business out of your home, and use your personal vehicle.  There are tax advantages to doing business from home, including the ability to take a credit for the office space, computer and internet access necessary for the business, and the amount that you use the vehicle for legitimate business purposes.  Marketing yourself is the key.  This kind of business is not right for you if you do not enjoy dealing with people, because at first you will be spending more time talking about the business to others than actually running errands.  If you follow these tips, however, you will soon be running a thriving errand running enterprise.</P>