learn<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re learning how to start a courier business using the lean startup method, it\u2019s important to know that you\u2019ll be experimenting with various product and marketing ideas to find what works and to constantly improve your small business. Another important aspect of using the lean startup method to start a courier service is finding the cheapest, easiest, and most effective ways to sell your products and services. You dive right in and start learning about the courier industry, but you do so more gradually than the traditional startup method allows for. When comparing the two startup methods, the lean startup method is superior because using the traditional startup method automatically puts your new business at a disadvantage. You\u2019re required to create and stick to a business plan before you really understand your courier company or how to run it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first phase of the lean startup method is the build<\/em> phase. You\u2019ll survey local customers about problems they experience with other courier businesses, identify a problem that your courier service can solve, and finally develop a solution to the problem that satisfies your customer base. Are customers upset because there is only one delivery service in their area? Is it difficult for rural customers to receive deliveries? Do other courier businesses only deliver packages during certain times, or keep odd customer support hours that aren\u2019t convenient for customers? <\/p>\n\n\n\nNext is the measure<\/em> phase. During this phase you get to test the solution that you developed during the build<\/em> phase. The measure<\/em> phase provides you with loads of vital information that you can use to determine whether your solution will be effective for your courier company. What do people think about your delivery service? Are packages carefully delivered on time? Have people noticed that your courier service has been delivering a lot of damaged packages? What is your top-selling service or product? Have you made money making deliveries and selling shipping products? <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe third phase of the lean startup method is the learn<\/em> phase. During this phase you will obtain feedback from your customer base to learn how satisfied they are with your deliveries, packages, products, and the overall customer experience with your courier company. Are customers satisfied with the quality of the shipping products your courier service sells? Which products do they like best? How do your products and courier services compare to other courier businesses in the area? If one of your ideas turns out to be a failure, you can scrap that idea and focus on ideas that are more successful and profitable without wasting time and money on failing strategies, ultimately leading to a more successful small business for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Why use the lean startup method?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you knew that an expensive product had an 80% chance of failing in some way within a year of purchase, would you still buy it? This may seem like a silly question. Who would pay a bunch of money for something that would just fail in less than a year? However, this is the reality of the traditional business startup method. Four out of every five businesses that are started with the traditional startup method close their doors within their first year of business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re required to take significant financial risks when you use the traditional business startup method to start a courier service. Market research and experience in the industry are an afterthought and you dive headfirst into the industry instead, hoping for business success. But as the owner of a courier business started using the lean startup method, you\u2019ll frequently test products and services and get feedback from your customer base about your company so that you can make changes based on their opinions and comments. Starting a courier service using the lean startup method will provide your company with an automatic advantage over other courier businesses that were started using the traditional startup method. Among other reasons, this is because you\u2019ll create a community for your courier service and it will eventually become a customer base for your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting your courier company with the lean startup method means that the startup costs of your company will be less than the costs of a company that was started using the traditional startup method. The traditional business startup method assumes that you have enough money to cover the cost of starting a large scale delivery service. In contrast, the lean startup method allows you to learn about the industry, develop marketing strategies, and run the business to make money before you dive headfirst into running a large business. Because your delivery service won\u2019t be burdened by the added stress of making risky financial investments during its infancy, it has a higher probability of surviving beyond its first year and becoming successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why am I so confident that the lean startup method will work better for your courier service than the traditional business startup method? That\u2019s easy to explain. I\u2019ve started five different businesses over the course of eight years using the lean startup method. Of those five, three were successfully sold and the other two are still in operation to this day. I\u2019ve helped thousands of people start the businesses of their dreams using the lean startup method, and I can help you start your courier business as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How do you use the lean startup method to start your courier business?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nEvery time I start a new business I use the lean startup method and the main ideas that drive it: build, measure, <\/em>and learn<\/em>. The lean startup method will drastically reduce the startup costs of your delivery business, while also giving you solid business foundations and the skills and experience needed to succeed in the delivery field. You can see how this is a better option when compared with the shaky foundations and high startup costs that the traditional business startup method brings with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Build<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe build<\/em> phase is the first phase of the lean startup method, during which you\u2019ll begin creating your courier service. You\u2019ll accomplish this by identifying a problem that local people have with other courier businesses in the area and in the courier field, designing a community of people who will become the customer base of your company, recognizing an opportunity to provide a solution, and developing a solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\nCompleting this phase is important because you\u2019ll gain important information that will help you determine whether your business ideas are feasible and whether the solutions you\u2019ve developed will suit the needs of your customers. You\u2019ll come away from the build<\/em> phase with a solid business foundation for your delivery company, as well as the skills and experience necessary to run the business successfully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Step 1: Identify a problem<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe first step is to identify a problem that your potential clients have that you can solve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ideal as it would be to jump right in and start your courier service hoping that people purchase your delivery services, this isn\u2019t an effective way to start your business. Every day new delivery businesses show up on the market, and customers can\u2019t spend money at each one. It\u2019s far more effective to give your customers a convincing reason to buy your products and use your delivery services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hard part is finding this convincing reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get started finding this reason, you need to find what is referred to in the business world as a \u201cpain point.\u201d This is a problem or concern that causes customers inconvenience or pain so much that they begin seeking a solution. One of two things happens when customers seek solutions: they either find a solution themselves, or they opt to pay someone else to provide them with a solution. In this instance, you want your courier services to be the solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can\u2019t simply create a delivery service and then provide customers with the same courier services and marketing tactics that other courier businesses in the area are providing. It\u2019s more effective to identify a problem that people in your area have and a way to solve it using your delivery company. Do people complain about the high costs of using other courier services? Would they like a delivery service that makes deliveries more than once a week (which is a problem with courier services in rural areas)? Or would they like a delivery service that will take more care with their packages so they don\u2019t deliver damaged goods? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pay attention to the complaints and opinions that customers express. This information is vital for your own courier company, especially in its beginning stages. Do people think that the shipping products that other companies provide are ugly? Do they want a company that hires friendlier drivers? Do they want to be able to keep track of deliveries online? Would they like to be able to schedule deliveries or pickups online? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Common problems will become evident to you once you\u2019ve talked to several customers, and you can use these common problems as questions on surveys with future customers. You could ask how much these problems affect customers, as this is important information. Ask about other couriers, the overall customer satisfaction level with other companies, the types of services people most often purchase from delivery couriers, how they feel about the vehicles and drivers that other companies use, and how fast and in what condition their packages arrive. Use this information to identify a problem you can solve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How do you choose which problem to focus on?<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\nUnfortunately, there\u2019s no strict method for this process specified in the lean startup method. However, here are a few tips that should make choosing the right problem to focus on a bit easier: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Choose a problem that affects many people. If it\u2019s not something that affects the majority of people that use other couriers,1` it\u2019s not going to provide you with many customers. Are there enough couriers in your area? Do they provide online services to make deliveries more convenient? Does the local delivery company use beat up, shoddy-looking vehicles, or not vet their drivers enough? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure that you choose something that is a \u201cpain point.\u201d If you don\u2019t choose a problem that people want a solution to because it inconveniences them, it isn\u2019t a problem that people care enough about to pay for. Do people living on the outskirts of town deal with inconsistent delivery schedules? Do drivers mark packages as \u201cdelivered\u201d at the end of the day without delivering them, so they can go home and deliver the packages the next day? Do customers have problems with creepy drivers acting unprofessional while delivering their packages? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choose a problem that you can reasonably solve. If people want same-day delivery on all packages, that\u2019s not going to be something that you\u2019re going to be able to provide. But it\u2019s likely that you can provide same-day service for local deliveries, and you could even team up with local businesses to provide this service. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The objective of this goal is to identify a problem that affects a lot of customers, is a source of pain or inconvenience in their daily lives, and that they\u2019re desperate for a solution to. This combination of factors means that customers will be more likely to pay for the solution you provide them with, and your company will have a better chance of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n