How to start a delivery business in Nigeria. 

If you are on this page, it simply means that you are inquisitive about how to start a courier delivery business in Nigeria. 

You are at the right place. This article is here to widen your knowledge on how to start a delivery business in Nigeria. 

Before I forge ahead, let’s discuss the meaning of the context of ” Business Delivery” 

What is Business Delivery? 

Business delivery in this simple term can be said to be a release of commodity made to a marketable or enterprise premises, except homes, private residences, and B2C Shipments.

Business delivery creates opportunities for people to visit almost all parts of the states. It also creates an avenue for your customers to patronize you without considering the distance. 

Business delivery has become one of the best lucrative businesses that you can do to accomplish your financial needs. 

It doesn’t require much capital for a start. It doesn’t demand much planning on how big or small your shop can be. 

As a budding entrepreneur in search of a business to commence, you could also consider a delivery business. Business delivery has created more employment for our youths. 

You might be asking, what are the different types of delivery businesses which you can pick up a start? Keep going through the article. 

What are the different types of delivery businesses?

1. Courier Delivery Business. This is the type of delivery service which involves the exchange of commodity(s) from a company/individual to another party. In fact,  it is a delivery industry that is concerned with sending a parcel, via a company, to a recipient. Courier Delivery Business is a form in which a delivery driver picks up a route and makes deliveries to a specific area or route. They deliver individual orders that are placed the same day. Courier’s deliveries work either a company procures its on fulfillment to a local depot, which is then picked up by the courier and dispersed to customers. It may occur this way in which couriers pick up packages directly from the seller. Couriers often pick up many different orders to deliver to a specific area or region to reduce overall transport and time.
2. Food Delivery Business. This is a type of delivery business in which people do have their favorite dishes distributed from their favorite restaurants via a food delivery app. The food delivery business has resulted in an unprecedented growth of food delivery apps like DoorDash, SkipTheDishes, and many more. The food delivery business helps to curb hunger and inconveniences. For instance, the working class persons who live in the house very early in the morning to meet up with their day-to-day activities in the company. He or she can order food from any restaurant and get it on a platter of gold. By doing so, that delivery retains the person because he or she couldn’t have worked effectively that day without food. The food delivery services industry has witnessed a great increment in the last few years due to upcoming trends. The food delivery business is actually the best delivery service so far because no matter how hard the country might become, food is an essential need of man. 
3. Laundry & Dry Cleaning Delivery Business. This entails the types of delivery that involves people’s laundry picked up from their places and then delivered back to their homes. It allows individuals to get their daily tasks handled by a third party without bothering too much about it. To be effective in this kind of delivery service, you need to avoid promises and fail. 
4. Flower Delivery business: At times, due to business or other things, people do not meet their loved ones in person, so to keep the love booming, they send flowers to their loved ones for various occasions in their homes, workplaces, etc. A flower delivery business doesn’t have to be recognized as a regular flower. A flower delivery business is a great option for local flower sellers who cannot go out for business but still need to make sales. To make profits from the business, all you need is an efficient software for flower delivery planning and route optimization for last-mile deliveries.
5. Grocery Delivery Business: The Grocery Delivery Business is a kind of business that is operated in a grocery store or retail store. To make more money from it, you can convert it into a grocery delivery business plan that can adapt probable customers online. You can go ahead to create a mobile app for grocery shopping and start selling your products.

For example, selling on AmazonFresh, Walmart, and instacart. 

6. A meal-kit delivery business: This is concerned with sending meals to people who require them. Examples of fresh meal kit delivery in the fresh meal are Apron, purple carrot, and HelloFresh. You can attempt by beginning a homemade food delivery business.
7. Wedding Favors Delivery Business: This type of delivery is a seasonal business but people make a whole lot of money from it. The delivery business is only offered during birthday parties, bachelorette parties, baby shower favors, weddings, engagement parties, and other such occasions. It is a productive business enterprise for anyone who has time and lots of creativity. 
8. Furniture Delivery & Assembling Business: This delivery business is one the most profitable delivery. Someone sells furniture online and delivers it to the person’s house. Many would like to purchase your furniture online without considering the distance. 

We have different types of business delivery which weren’t mentioned above like

1. Standard Delivery business. 
2. Same Day delivery business. 
3. Overnight Shipping delivery business. 
4. Rush and On-Demand Delivery business. 
5. Parcel delivery business. 
6. Luggage Delivery business. 
7. Clothing and accessories delivery business. 
8. Human hair, wigs, and attachment delivery business. 
9. Pizza Delivery Business. 
10. Newspaper delivery business, etc. 

How much does it cost to start a delivery business in Nigeria? 

There is no type of delivery business that is expensive to start up. you can begin with just 100,000 naira or lesser, depending on the kind of delivery business you would want to venture in. For example, the person in cake delivery, you don’t need up to 100,000 naira to begin. 

Cakes don’t stay longer except if they are in a refrigerator. You can start by baking cake for anyone who needs it and then deliver it to the person. 

In addition, there are companies to work for as delivery agents whose capital is not even needed. All that is required of you is to apply to the delivery company and get employed. Then you can now be the one to deliver all kinds of packages to your customers like clothes, accessories, shoes, wigs, body scrubs, etc.  

The next thing is to draft a business plan for management and growth of the business. In that case, you will determine where your delivery boundaries will be, how much you will charge based on the cost of transportation and time.

From here you can make profits from it. You can do it as a part-timer. For instance, you can have another job and then combine it with the delivery business. You could be working in a flower company, then people can purchase flowers from you unbeknownst to your manager, then in your leisure time you deliver to them and make small money from it. 

How do I make money from the delivery business?

A delivery business individual earns huge amounts of money and it relies on what they are delivering, the neighborhoods they are delivering in, and the cost they charge for each delivery. A person who is into the delivery business makes money in the aspect of delivery fees, commission, and publicity. The income criteria can be business-to-consumer, peer-to-peer, subscription-based, or business-to-business. 

You have to be consistent and dedicated to succeed in the delivery business. 

You can make money through the delivery business by delivering packages to offices, banks, malls, etc. 

How to start a delivery business in Nigeria? 

The delivery business is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria. It is a business that doesn’t require much capital before you can start it. 

The major steps to follow while starting a delivery business are:

1. Creating a legal business identity. Before commencing a delivery business, you need to establish a valid or formal business personality. Focus on one or two delivery businesses. Try your best to make sure that you are acknowledged in your business. Create awareness. Advertise your business. Let people know that you are into it. 
2. Setting up business accounts. To succeed in the delivery business, you need to set up your business account. An account where people pay in money to. The account should be a valid one. 
3. Creating & defining your brand. To create and define your brand you need to do research concerning your target audience and your competitors. Try to pick your focus and personality.

Let people know your business name. Choose how you want your brand to look by considering the colors and fonts. Design your brand logo and then apply your branding across your business.

4. Acquire potential clients. The delivery business is lucrative but it is more profitable when you acquire potential clients. Meet people who value delivery services like bankers, marketers, teachers, lawyers, etc. 
5. Start With a Solid Plan. Before you start a delivery business, you need to set your plans, a solid one. The plan will make you stay consistently in the business. State your objectives, your strategies, etc, and try to follow them. 
6. Decide on Your Location. Location matters a lot in the delivery business. Stay close to places where companies, industries, markets, restaurants, etc are far. They will make them require your services easily. An urban region is best for this business to allow you to maintain track of your customers and reach them in time.
7. Choose Your Name and Structure. Choose attractive names and structures for your delivery business. The delivery business is not a costly business start up-up; you can begin with just 100,00nairasra. You can create a business/brand name and logo. For instance, the leading e-commerce companies that deliver packages to individuals include Jumia, Konga, Yudala, SME Markethub. You can partner with them or create your name and structure. 
8. Getting the Word Out to Customers. Before you start a business delivery, make sure that you have good communication skills. Learn to get words out to your customers. Be polite and humble. Know the kind of words you use on people. Don’t discriminate. 
9. Create a Budget: Before you begin any delivery business, you are expected to create a business plan. You need the business plan because you’ll probably be working out of your home, your plan will primarily consist of monetary expenditures and requirements.

Here, you decide how to charge your customer or in any delivery. You need to decide whether your charges should be either by time or distance. You need to charge them based on how much you spent while delivering the packages to them. For example, if you spend $3onin delivering to closer places, it is not in your place to charge $45. You can consider adding fuel or mileage surcharges for longer routes.

10. Keep Up Your Reputation: 

After you start your delivery business off the ground, you need to establish lasting relationships with repeat customers. You need to consider creating a loyalty program, such as free delivery for every 15 deliveries or package deals for businesses that give a flat rate for a specific number of deliveries per week. Check out what makes you the best deal for your customers, and play to your strengths. This will enable them to trust you and they would always like to patronize you. 

Conclusion 

On close observation, the delivery business has expanded to the extent that it has appeared to be one of the most lucrative businesses you can venture in. 

Remember that you can start home delivery with a little capital. 

Delivery business doesn’t require much capital before it could be established. 

You can make money through the delivery business by accepting delivery to your prospective clients. 

There are many types of delivery businesses such as newspaper delivery, courier delivery, food delivery, flower delivery, and cake delivery, just to mention but a few.