Do you like to deliver (Daily Mail franchise story)

Do you like to deliver??? 

CHRISTMAS is the busiest time of the year for courier and parcels companies, and many of the biggest companies are franchises.

You do not need experience of the sector to get started because franchisors provide training, but before choosing a franchise, consider which type would suit you — a delivery franchise that involves driving a van yourself, running a depot employing a team of drivers, or offering clients a delivery service using other courier and delivery companies.

Sameday UK franchisees drive vans themselves, picking up parcels and packages within their designated area and delivering them anywhere in the UK or Europe.

'You can work from home or an office, and generally you will be back home by nightfall,' says Len Rainford of Sameday.

Deliveries have included salmon to Windsor Castle for Prince Charles's engagement banquet to Camilla.

The jobs are dispatched to you by Sameday's head office, and you do not have to do any customer marketing, so if you just want a straightforward delivery business with a liveried van and uniform, this could suit you. Set-up costs from £5,000.

Fastway Couriers franchises are offered for either drivers or depot operators, who must be businessminded people willing to recruit and train teams of couriers and help them develop their own businesses.

Mark Prince of Fastway, who is looking for driver franchisees in Scotland, says: 'You need to enjoy driving but you also have to be part of a team — parcels is a team business — and be happy meeting people; as a representative of the company. How you treat customers can bring in more business.' Courier franchise start at £11,000.

If you want a depot franchise, business or management experience will be useful because you will be running a team of couriers.

Interlink Express, which is offering six existing franchises as resales, for those who want an instant business, is looking for franchisees with good people management skills as they will be dealing with up to 25 couriers.

Prices vary according to the business for sale. Jaguar Couriers is looking for depot franchises in a hurry, having won a Government contract to provide same-day delivery services in Scotland.

Andy Davies says: 'You will be running a depot and recruiting couriers, but you do not need experience as we provide 20 days' training.' Start up is from £25,000.

Richard Johnson of Express Worldwide, whose franchisees buy in courier and delivery services from companies such as TNT and Business Post on behalf of small and medium-sized businesses, says: 'If you would rather be a deliveries broker buying in couriers and delivery services from logistics companies on behalf of clients, you will need sales skills to market your service. We provide extensive sales training and field support, or you can employ a sales specialist.' You can work from home or an office and need at least two people to start the business — one to do sales and marketing and the other to run the service and provide administration. Start up from £24,500.

Sameday UK 0800 435 740; Fastway Scotland 01698 748 008; Interlink Express 01562 881 030; Jaguar 01952 588690; and Express Worldwide 01706 347773.






'YOU MUST MEET THE DEADLINES'

'FRANCHISEES in the courier and parcels sector must pay meticulous attention to detail,' says Murli Mulchandani.

Murli, 39, and his brother-in-law Rikesh Nichani, 35, run Mail Boxes Etc (MBE) franchises in The Strand and Mayfair, London.

MBE franchisees work from High Street centres offering business services, including courier and delivery services.

'You must understand the importance of meeting deadlines, and finding the best courier to meet each customer's needs,' says Murli. MBE deliveries include packing students' possessions and sending them home, and forwarding holiday luggage in advance of people's journeys, as well as packing and sending Christmas presents. Some outlets provide shipping services to auction houses.

'You must be able to work under pressure to ensure secure packaging, safe dispatch and delivery of parcels, especially in the run-up to Christmas when volumes increase,' says Murli.

Chris Gillam of MBE, who is looking for more franchisees with £60,000 to invest, adds: 'Franchisees in this sector must be customer-focused.

If something needs to be done when there's no one else available, you must roll up your sleeves and get on with it.' MBE 0800 694 2026.