What will I be doing?

We live in a take-out society. Every year, the number of meals eaten away from home increases—as does the number of restaurant meals eaten at home. This is where a food-delivery service can make money. A food-delivery service, obviously, delivers prepared foods to customers. Not as obvious is the related services a food-delivery business can offer: grocery delivery, video delivery, even package delivery.

What will I need to start?

To deliver food to homes you’ll not only need a vehicle, you’ll need one that can carry food safely and efficiently. Because of fuel fumes, the food should not be placed in the trunk, but should ride with the driver. You may need to replace a seat with an insulated box or install one in a van.

You may also need to obtain a food handler’s license or certificate, and maybe a commercial vehicle license, depending on your state and county requirements. Who would tell if you’re using a car without proper licensing? Your competition!

You will also need a cellular telephone so customers can contact you while you’re on the road.

Who will my customers be?

Who will hire you to deliver food and other perishables? In most cases, you’ll be working for the restaurants who want to sell more take-out food. Your customers may also include caterers and even individuals.

One successful food-delivery service specialized in delivering fast-food products made and sold at a local shopping mall. The owner/driver picked up orders at the back door, placed them in insulated boxes and headed out. The restaurants knew that the service would be at the back door on the hour and half-hour between 4 and 9 p.m., seven days a week, and timed food preparation to match these times. Customers knew it, too, and called in orders asking for delivery.

In a smaller town with fewer restaurants, an enterprising delivery service took lunch orders for a factory, then placed the orders with area restaurants and timed delivery for noon. Another developed a pizza-and-a-movie order system that kept her busy full-time.