Ready-to-eat food delivery business. How to make money delivering food to your home or office

In Samara in 2018, there were more than 1,205 organizations in the catering sector. Not each of them has its own delivery service. The new service will help solve this problem. Below is a business plan for a food delivery service with calculations.

Brief summary

To organize a profitable food delivery business, in addition to a detailed business plan for the enterprise, you need start-up investments to organize processing and delivery services for daily orders, a web application for clients, renting premises and purchasing the required office equipment. To bypass cash gaps and expenses in force majeure circumstances, it is better to leave a certain amount (airbag) in the company’s accounts.

Considering low competition in the chosen niche and medium-high demand in Samara, you can quickly increase the influence of a new company in the market and reach the break-even point.

Brief characteristics of the project for Samara:

  • Initial investment - 427,890 rubles;
  • Payback period - from 5 months;
  • Monthly profit (predicted) - 117,442 rubles.

The area described in the business plan involves only intermediary services without organizing your own production.

The volume of the Russian food delivery market reaches $1.5 billion. About 150,000 Russians use food delivery to their homes every day. These data confirm that the industry is growing rapidly, and the presence of demand in this area makes it possible to build a successful business.

The advantages of a food delivery business idea are:

  1. Locality - large organizations cannot cover the entire spectrum of regional companies. The service is aimed at residents of Samara and provides more accurate local data.
  2. Convenience - unlike the own delivery service of cafes and restaurants, the service has the functionality of ordering dishes from different catering outlets collected in one place.
  3. Low competition- the project has no local competitors in Samara.
  4. Simple business schemes- food delivery business processes have a clear and well-functioning mechanism that is easy to calculate.

Project Description

Food delivery as a business requires the presence of certain structures:

  • Aggregator for receiving orders (website or mobile application);
  • Call center for processing incoming requests;
  • Courier service (own).

When creating such a business plan, the owner must take into account the presence of fixed (monthly) costs to maintain the operation of the enterprise (salaries, maintenance of transport, etc.).

Enterprise characteristics

Name Characteristic
Organizational and legal form Individual entrepreneur (IP)
Tax system Simplified taxation system (6%)
OKVED 56 - main, 56.1,56.10 and 56.29, 56.29.1 - if you plan to deliver food to special institutions (transport and construction companies, personnel of the Russian Armed Forces, etc.)
Accurate information should be provided by the employee or firm that handles the accounting for your food delivery company.
Office Room of 30 sq.m. for call center and delivery service
Hired personnel 7 people (4 couriers, 2 call center operators, 1 manager)
Schedule from 9:00 - 22:00, seven days a week.

The location of the food delivery company's office does not matter much, since the work is carried out throughout the city. For the convenience of employees, it is preferable to be located near public transport stops.

List of services provided:

  • Finding and ordering food to the office and home for consumers;
  • Cooperation with catering organizations.

Niche in the market

The target audience

Due to the specifics of the food delivery business from various restaurants, the target audience of the project is all residents of the city of Samara from 18 to 46 years old, which is reflected in the business plan.

For systematization, you can divide your target audience into groups:

  1. Men (22-46 years old). They use the service due to the lack of personal time for cooking, up to 7 times a week.
  2. Women (22-36 years old). Mostly unmarried. The service is used to save time spent on work and leisure. They can use the services throughout the working week.
  3. Office workers. The business plan must include the delivery of food (lunch) to offices. Maximum load up to 5 times a week.
  4. Married couples. They use the service to diversify their routine cooking, most often ordering 1-3 times a week.
  5. Students and schoolchildren. Place orders for special events. Orders no more than once a week.
  6. To events. This could include the rest of the demographic groups.

The volume of the public catering market in Samara with a population of 1.1 million people (data for 2018) is more than 15 million rubles per year. The potential revenue of a food delivery business can be 10 - 18 million rubles per year.

When making forecasts for the development of a niche in the market, it is necessary to take into account the growth in the number of city residents, the level of average wages and the demand for the services of public catering outlets.

The advantage of the chosen type of business described in the business plan is its insensitivity to seasonality in sales.

Competitive Analysis

Competitors in this industry are considered to be similar organizations that provide food delivery services. Samara is a city with a population of one million, but there are few local popular food delivery services in the city, and the major players (Yandex Food and Delivery Club) are not very popular.

The above factors allow us to highlight the following advantages of the current business plan for delivering lunches and food from restaurants:

  1. A detailed system of cooperation with partner catering organizations;
  2. A functional web application - an online service (web and mobile versions) allows you to quickly and easily order any dishes from your favorite cafes and restaurants in Samara;
  3. Loyalty system for regular customers;
  4. Payment is not only in cash;
  5. Cloud CRM system for order control.
  6. High level of service and support.

Given the size of the existing market, an offer of average quality will be in demand even with the current level of competition.

SWOT analysis

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
  • Wide coverage of establishments for ordering;
  • Wide selection of dishes (fast food, kebabs and various restaurants);
  • High level of service (web applications, couriers and call center);
  • Web application (web and mobile versions);
  • Loyalty system for regular customers.
  • The cost of delivery is not a constant factor, it depends on the location of the client and the distance of the catering point;
  • Under high load, the possibility of long order processing.
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
  • Scalability throughout the Russian Federation;
  • Possibility of introducing additional delivery. purchases (related products or from other consumption categories);
  • Possibility of working with the b2b segment (delivery of lunches to offices by agreement with organizations);
  • Great demand in the market
  • There are no external environmental factors that directly threaten our business.

Marketing strategy

The specifics of order processing require the use of online and offline marketing tools equally. However, the effectiveness of investments in attracting new customers and increasing profits from every ruble invested in marketing will depend on the quality of the services provided.

Most of the work needs to be done to develop the quality of services provided and strict control over the fulfillment of obligations to clients. An organization needs free funds for “explosive” growth in an actively developing market. This is achieved by allocating free funds in the company's accounts.

Advertising campaign (during the start of the project)

The approximate start date for pre-launch marketing activities can be considered 14 days before the full start of the project.

The following are suitable for pre-launch activities:

  1. POS materials. You can place advertising materials (flyers, business cards, booklets, etc.) in partner catering establishments. Partners will not refuse this request, as this will increase the number of repeat orders. Accommodation is possible in other organizations in the city (gas stations, car washes, hostels, etc.).
  2. Advertising in public transport. The target audience is quite large, so this promotion tool will be preferable for you. You can place advertising banners in vehicles or on the walls of the subway (depending on the size of the budget).
  3. Mass media. This tool can use both online and offline promotion methods. Advertisements can be placed on city notice boards, on social media pages or in Samara magazines.
  4. SMM and Contextual advertising. Advertising on social and search networks on a paid basis is a quick, uncomplicated and effective way to attract attention to the project.

It is worth allocating at least 75,000 rubles for pre-launch marketing.

Constant advertising campaign

Once orders are processed, you can attach POS materials with your company logo to each order to further promote your brand. The budget for such events can vary from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles per month.

Most of the customers in this food delivery business plan are planned to be attracted from the Internet. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor the performance of applications. The website should be systematically optimized to meet the requirements of search engines, increasing its position and attracting additional users from the Google and Yandex search engines.

Partnership with catering organizations

The enterprise's income consists of the total revenue from the cost of delivering food to the buyer and commissions from the partner organization. Therefore, promotion and advertising of the second direction should be included in the Marketing Plan.

The following rates are available for partners:

Planning the implementation of services

Planning for the implementation of services is based on calculating the volume of daily orders from website visitors. The average bill varies between 900-1000 rubles.

Depending on the location of the client and his distance from the catering point, the cost of delivery can be 150-300 rubles. If a client orders delivery from several points, then each additional catering point adds 150-300 rubles to the order. The average bill for each order is about 225 rubles.

Below is a calculation for the first six months of operation of a food delivery service, with 2 couriers on staff:

This service delivery plan was calculated based on a workload of up to 15 orders per courier.

Production plan

Food delivery as a business consists of several mandatory stages.

  • Business registration

It is necessary to select the form of ownership for the enterprise (LLC or individual entrepreneur). The simplest step is to register an individual entrepreneur and select the simplified tax system of 6%.

  • Web platform development

A food delivery service website is a one-stop platform for customers. Website development and support can be ordered from a third party (web studio). The website will be filled in-house as applications are received from new partners.

  • Affiliate network development

For the owner of such a business, this stage is the most important, as it determines the future success of this enterprise. The more enterprises and types of dishes in your assortment, the greater the potential demand you can cover.

When preparing a business plan, first of all you need to collect a list of all catering establishments and divide them into groups:

  • Warm leads. Establishments that require food delivery to your home or office, but do not have their own delivery service.
  • Potential leads. Organizations that do not yet feel the need for your services or do not have the capacity to service additional demand.
  • Cold leads. Companies with their own delivery service that are already your potential competitors.

Depending on the status, different work is carried out with partners. Warm “leads” are processed first, after that, potential “leads” are processed and trained (we explain the need for growth). The last thing you should do is take on cold leads (only if you have exhausted all groups).

  • Office space

For such a business, any type of non-residential premises of 10-35 sq.m for rent is suitable. Employees will need to be provided with office equipment and office furniture.

  • Hiring employees

The first start can be made with 6 employees (2 call center operators and 4 courier). One shift involves the work of half of the above-mentioned staff. You can save a lot if you hire couriers with your own vehicles.

  • Start of pre-launch marketing

This stage involves preparing all the necessary POS materials. The next step will be to search and conclude contracts with contractors for the placement of advertising products (online catalogs, billboards, organizations for advertising in the metro, etc.). After selecting the required sites for placement, a budget is allocated and an order is placed for the development of the required advertising materials.

  • Beginning of work

At this stage, it is important to trace each link in the order processing chain, track errors, check the coordination of staff work and set up customer processing scripts (refusals, complaints, questions, etc.).

Customer Journey Map

Organizational plan

Functions of management personnel:

  • Participation in signing contracts with partners and contractors;
  • Planned work with the web application. Regulation of assortment, control of the functioning of the web resource, control of the process of feedback from users and promotion of the web resource;
  • Financial management (expenses, budgeting, salaries, etc.);
  • Business development, preparation of a promotion strategy to scale the enterprise and connect new contractors.
  • The employee's salary is within 35,000 rubles.

Call center operator functions:

  • Receiving incoming applications and communicating with users;
  • control of the work of couriers;
  • Notifying the partner establishment about a new order;
  • crisis management (resolution of disputes and negativity from clients).

One call center operator is available for each shift. Work schedule 2/2. Salary 12,000 - 15,000 rubles. To measure an employee’s performance, you can link his KPI to revenue per shift (30,000 rubles). If an employee fulfills the quota within a month, he must be given a bonus (1,500 rubles in addition to the salary).

Courier functions:

  • Must receive an order from a partner’s establishment and pay for it;
  • Deliver the previously received order on time, receive payment and issue a receipt;
  • Transfer the received funds to management personnel.

One work shift involves two couriers, each working 2/2. For greater efficiency, we split the salary into two parts. The fix is ​​1,000 rubles per shift and an additional bonus of 70 rubles for each delivered order. Employee performance is measured based on 15 deliveries per shift. If an employee fulfills the quota within a month, he must be given a bonus (1,500 rubles in addition to his salary).

If you don’t want problems with the tax office, you will need to keep accounting for your food delivery service and submit all reports on time. The easiest way would be to delegate this function to an outsourcing organization. It is better to choose companies with experience in accounting and a good reputation, for example service.

Financial plan

Below is a table of initial investments for a successful start of the project. The financial plan includes the cost of developing a web application, purchasing the required inventory and expenses for the first months of operation of the enterprise.

We estimate the development of a web version of our platform at 180,000 rubles.

Project payback

To calculate the return on investment, you need to analyze the costs and revenue of the project in the first 5 months of life.

Operating costs 1m 2 m 3m 4 m 5 m
Renting premises 8000 8000 8000 8000 8000
Contributions to the personal wages 165500 174000 180200 192000 192000
Taxes and social contributions funds 21053 21053 21053 22058 22058
Internet and communication expenses 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000
Communal payments 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000
Marketing 75000 30000 15000 8000 8000
TOTAL 274 553 238 053 229 253 235 058 235 058
Enterprise revenue
Delivery revenue 105000 130 000 160 000 180 000 200 000
% of the order value 80000 112000 138000 175000 175000
TOTAL 185 000 242 000 298 000 355 000 375 000
Profit before tax -89553 3947 68747 119942 139942
Taxes 11100 14520 17880 21300 22500
Net profit -100653 -10573 50867 98642 117442
TOTAL -100 653 -10 573 50 867 98 642 117 442

The table does not take into account the costs of gasoline and maintenance of vehicles, since the business plan involves working with couriers with a personal car.

The table above shows that this enterprise will begin to make a profit from the 3rd month of operation. The payback period of the project is more than 5 months.

  • Initial investment - 427,890 rubles;
  • Payback period - from 5 months;
  • Monthly profit (predicted) - 117,442 rubles.

Risk management of food delivery business

Name Description Risk level
Risks associated with finances The situation is due to the risk of a possible drop in demand, which will affect the prices of similar services or the catering industry as a whole. The degree of risk can be considered “medium” due to the flexibility of demand for similar services (it is not flexible). Which makes it impossible for there to be a sharp decline in demand.
Risks associated with operating activities Possibility of fraudulent activities by visitors The degree of risk is reduced by introducing personal account registration with account confirmation
Market risks The possibility that your service will be unnecessary This factor can be considered “missing”, since the catering industry shows positive growth, and maintaining your own food delivery service is expensive.
Commercial risks The possibility that your operating expenses will not be covered by income. The factor does not cause concern, since the financial plan showed a payback period for the project of 5 - 6 months.
Risks within the organization Possible problems in the functioning of the company due to unscheduled sick leave, errors in the work of partners, etc. The degree of risk can be considered “medium”, because these unfavorable factors can be prevented by carrying out planned preventive measures.

The table above shows that the selected niche has a low degree of risk and does not interfere with its functioning.

Three months of accounting, HR and legal support FREE. Hurry up, offer is limited.

Online shopping is becoming an increasingly popular and in-demand practice in our country. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, lack of time. Walking around the shops in search of the right thing is a rather tedious and often lengthy task. While on the Internet the purchase is completed in a matter of minutes.

Secondly, there are more choices. If in real life the supply is limited to the stores available in a particular city, then in the virtual space you can purchase goods from all over the world. Thirdly, banal laziness or reluctance to go somewhere, if the necessary thing can be brought right to the doorstep. The most popular items to order online are clothing and footwear, electronics, household appliances and other durable items.

When it comes to food, we don’t hesitate to go to the supermarket or market. Like it or not, but if the refrigerator is empty, you have to go. But if it were possible, many citizens would not refuse to order these goods on the Internet. There is a need for such a service, especially among busy people. So why not start a business delivering groceries to your home? Some entrepreneurs have already taken this idea into circulation, but the niche is still empty.

Methods of organizing food delivery: which one to choose?

There are several options for providing this service. The first is to open your own online store with a certain range of products. However, this idea requires large financial investments and is quite difficult to implement. It is necessary to think through transport logistics, organize a warehouse where thousands of items will be stored (if the assortment is small, it will be difficult to compete with ordinary supermarkets), and create a unified IT platform.

The second way to implement this business is an online grocery store based on an already existing, real retail network. This method is much simpler and more convenient, since in addition you only need transport and a courier, and the “parent” company will supply the products. But this option is suitable for those entrepreneurs who already have such a business in real life.

The third is to organize the delivery of products from stores existing in your city, making money on courier services. This method is the most interesting, least expensive in terms of financial investments and quite attractive in terms of profitability if implemented correctly. At the same time, there are free niches in business here. In Russia, this service is not yet so popular, although in some regions it has already become quite popular.

Product delivery implementation scheme and necessary attributes to start

The main working platform of the delivery business will be the Internet resource. It should be as convenient and understandable as possible for all categories of the population. This is where the order will be placed. The essence of the work is this:

  1. Buyers go to your website, fill out a product order form and a questionnaire in which they indicate their name and contact phone number. In addition to the list itself, stores from which to purchase products and specific wishes for the product are selected. For example, brand, grade, fat content, etc.
  2. The operator receives the order and contacts the buyer to confirm it. If there are any clarifications, they are entered into the form according to the customer.
  3. The list with detailed instructions is then handed over to the courier. He makes the purchase, observing all the requirements and wishes, and delivers the order to the buyer.
  4. Payment is made either in cash to the courier or through the website by bank transfer.

This business of delivering groceries to your home is unique in its own way, but in demand. The service will be of interest to both young and old people. And in order for the service to be truly convenient and high-quality, you need to think through all the main nuances. So, the website should have detailed instructions for placing an order, information about the rules for providing the service, and its cost.

When calling the buyer, the operator must warn that if the list does not indicate the wishes for the product, for example, the fat content of sour cream, then the purchase will be made at the discretion of the courier. Therefore, it is in the interests of the buyer himself to fill out the form in as much detail as possible (when developing the site, pay special attention to the purchase field).

Features of ordering products: payment and other nuances

It is necessary to think in advance how payment for delivery services will be made. Will it be a fixed price or a percentage of the purchase price? Both cases have their pros and cons, so choose the one that is more convenient/profitable for you. You can offer express delivery to especially impatient customers, when the purchase of products will take place as quickly as possible, but at a higher price.

It is also worth offering customers the opportunity to indicate their wishes for a specific delivery time. For example, place an order in the morning, taking into account that the courier will deliver it at 7 pm. It will be convenient for clients who are at work to make purchases and receive them when they arrive home.

In addition, some buyers will be interested in specific services, for example, home delivery of village products. It can be offered as an additional option if you have the opportunity to establish cooperation with producer farmers. However, this option is suitable as a seasonal one.

What is needed to organize a delivery service?

We figured out how to place an order and deliver products to your home. The business plan should include detailed information about all the attributes necessary to start a business. Let's talk about what you need to get started.

The site of the company

It should be convenient, understandable, and functional. If customers are confused about how to place an order, what needs to be filled out, where to find out about the price and other conditions, then they will simply refuse to complete the application.

Staff

This is a dispatcher who will receive and process orders, transfer them to couriers and provide comprehensive customer support by phone. He can work both in the office (then you will have to rent a room and equip it with a workplace) or remotely. The main thing is that during the working day he is constantly in touch and monitors the receipt of orders.

The most important employees are couriers. Their number depends on the frequency and number of orders. Minimum - two people. It is best to hire people with a personal car and just pay for gas. This will significantly reduce the required investment.

Transport

As mentioned above, the most convenient option is to hire employees with personal vehicles. Otherwise, you will have to buy it, and this is a significant expense. The only thing that is advisable to do is to purchase one van equipped with a thermal body, which will be used to deliver specific orders (for example, very large ones or those that require maintaining a certain temperature).

In general, that's all. In order to organize a business delivering groceries to your home (not to be confused with an online grocery store), you don’t need anything else. The most important thing is to competently organize the work of the dispatcher and couriers. It would be good if employees report on the status of the order (purchase/delivery) to the coordinator so that he can monitor the progress of its execution and, if necessary, inform the customer.

Along with the ordered purchases, the courier must hand over a receipt to the customer - directly into his hands, and not just in a bag with products. This will avoid possible misunderstandings and complaints. It is also necessary to organize feedback from clients in order to know what points need to be improved/corrected.

Registration of food delivery activities

The company can be registered as an LLC or individual entrepreneur. You only need to have permission to carry out business activities related to courier services. Since you yourself will not produce or sell anything, there will be no difficulties here. Your job is delivery services. This is a huge advantage compared to other types of business, when the company itself rents a warehouse, purchases and resells grocery products.

Conclusion

Running a business delivering groceries to your home is very profitable these days. People now don’t have much free time, which is often expensive. Therefore, many of them are willing to pay to have someone else do the purchasing and delivery of groceries for them. For a novice entrepreneur, this is an opportunity to start their own business with minimal financial investment and the prospects of good earnings.

How often, after a hard day at work, do you want to stand in line at the supermarket and then at the stove to cook dinner? Or maybe you like, being tired and thinking about sleep, to go to a restaurant, waste your time on the road, overpay for dinner and leave a tip to the not always kind waiter? If not, then the idea of ​​delivering groceries to your home can not only be a pleasant end to the evening for you, but also bring in a good income over time.

In the age of nanotechnology development, public catering places are losing their popularity. Almost everyone finds it more convenient to order groceries or ready-made food by phone or online. So let's look at what it takes to open a food delivery business from scratch.

Relevance and market analysis

Let's look at in what situations our future business will be useful:

Registration and organization of business

An organization can be registered as an individual entrepreneur. The main thing you need to have is a permit to conduct business related to deliveries. As when registering any business, in addition to the main permit, you need to collect a list of documents and comply with state standards.

Required Documentation

You need to get the following:


Necessary documents for conducting business:

  1. Contract confirming delivery.
  2. A waybill that every driver should have.

This list of business papers is needed for signing contracts between the customer and suppliers. The responsibilities of each party are prescribed by regulatory standards. Fulfilling these simple requirements will make it possible to deliver food around the city without breaking the law.

Methods of organizing delivery

Delivery methods include:

  1. Own online store with an extensive product catalog. At a minimum, you will encounter two problems, the solution of which requires large material costs:
  • to create a website, you need to hire a programmer and collaborate with him constantly, since the site may be unstable;
  • It’s hard to create a warehouse where the entire offered range will be stored, because everything that is in the website’s database must be in stock.
  1. Delivery of goods from shops and supermarkets. This type of work is simpler to implement than the first. After all, all that will be needed is a vehicle, a smart manager and time to find the necessary goods.
  2. Courier delivery of products to your home. This option can be considered the most convenient and easiest way to make money on the supply of provisions with small investments.

Work algorithm:


Important! All products with which work is carried out must be fresh, of high quality and delivered on time. To do this, you need to correctly create an order form template, indicating your services and prices in as much detail as possible.

Payment issues and other nuances

All delivery offered by such companies can be divided into 4 types. Namely:

  1. Express delivery. As a rule, it is one of the most expensive. The customer's order is delivered as quickly as possible.
  2. Delivery on exact time. It is cheaper than the previous option. The essence of this type is that the client negotiates with the manager the exact date and time when they need to provide their services.
  3. Delivery within one day. Its price is average.
  4. Delivery in a couple of days. No exact date. The completed application is completed within 2-3 days. It's the cheapest.

Starting steps to create a grocery delivery business from scratch:

  • creation of a website for the company;
  • selection of employees;
  • purchase of transport;
  • high-quality advertising.

Equipment

You can work either in a specially rented office or remotely from home. To save money, you can hire a driver with your own personal car.

For quality work you need:

Transport

It is best to have a car with a thermal body. It is with such a vehicle that goods can be delivered without violating the rules of storage. The ordered product may be very specific and require precisely fixed temperature conditions, humidity, etc.

Staff

The team of employees must include:

  • manager;
  • driver;
  • courier.

The driver and courier can be one person.

The manager will:

  • work directly with the customer;
  • make shopping lists;
  • conduct consultations both online and by telephone.

The business will pay off only if managers and delivery workers work well together. It is necessary to ensure that each employee fully fulfills his obligations. Monitor reporting for each order.

The main rule when delivering groceries is to remember to provide the client with a receipt from the store so that the client can trust the organization with which he is working and understand that he is not being deceived.

Advertising

This business has a significant disadvantage - it requires a lot of advertising. Initially, you need to submit advertisements in all issues of city newspapers in large print. This will help create a large customer base. You can also contact your local radio station.

In smaller towns, you can hire promoters to hand out your flyers. This will distribute information about grocery delivery among all classes in the city.

Financial component of business

Possible income directly depends on the number of completed and paid orders. Initially, the young entrepreneur will have to perform the functions of both a boss and a courier, and also work for a minimum price to develop authority.

A grocery delivery business is a low-cost and easy-to-implement idea for development. Everyone can try themselves in this field and receive a stable, regular profit. It is only important to approach the idea competently and not abandon it halfway.

Cost of opening and maintaining

Let's consider the remaining points:


Amount of future income

We ultimately receive the necessary income by increasing prices on delivered products. It can be up to 200%, it all depends on the popularity of your services. Initially, income can vary from 30 to 60 thousand rubles. With an increase in the client base and range of services, the level of income will also increase.

Payback period

The payback period depends on the intensity of work. If you pay attention to business development and its advertising, then on average all the money invested will pay off in 3-5 months. After this period, you will start working, not to break even, but to make a profit from your efforts.

If you approach the matter with all responsibility and understanding, then you will succeed. The main thing is to carefully think through your business plan and select good employees.

There are many ideas for starting your own business at home. For example, lunch delivery as a business: profitability, a business plan with calculations and a detailed description of the necessary actions for the development of a micro-enterprise.

Often this type of business begins as an additional type of income for people with limited financial capabilities - pensioners, young mothers on maternity leave, students. Everyone faces the same type of problems - where to start, where to find clients, how to get back your investment as quickly as possible.

Advantages and disadvantages

An entrepreneur who decides to start delivering lunch should know about the advantages and disadvantages of this business:

pros Minuses
1 To start a project from scratch, a minimum amount of cash is required. If the entire production process consists of cooking in your own kitchen and delivery in a personal car, then you can “fit in” 5,000 rubles. Big competition. There are many companies operating in the market - from entrepreneurs serving 2-3 orders per week to large catering enterprises with a large customer base.
2 A budding entrepreneur does not need to have the skills of a chef. Lunches can be ordered from the deli or you can hire an assistant who knows how to cook. It is difficult to build trust among consumers. Usually they order food to their home or office in trusted and popular places.
3 The work process does not take up the entire day, which allows you to allocate time for business development. Lunch delivery activities are classified as catering, with all the attendant difficulties in official registration and inspections by supervisory authorities.
4 There is no pronounced seasonality; the service is in demand all year round.

In order not to come to the attention of the sanitary station, many novice businessmen do not register until the business becomes stable. This is risky from a legal point of view, but allows you to save on mandatory payments and permitting documentation.

Step-by-step instruction

Based on the experience of predecessors, in order to organize lunch delivery, you must adhere to the action plan:

  1. Study the market.
  2. Choose a suitable business form.
  3. Create a menu.
  4. Get equipment.
  5. Hire assistants.
  6. Place an advertisment.
  7. Register a business.
  8. Plan financial flows.

Market research

Before you invest money in a lunch delivery business, you need to make sure that this service is in demand. The metropolis has a fast pace of life, a shortage of free time among the working population, and there is definitely a demand for hot food. The periphery has its own niche in this area, but if someone is already working in the market, the competition is unlikely to be successful.

Potential customers include offices of small companies that cannot organize corporate meals for employees. The target audience is divided into those who prefer:

  • have lunch in a cafe;
  • order food from restaurants;
  • homemade food.

You should focus on the last category, taking into account that it is not always possible to get a “brake”, and there is nowhere to warm it up. Such workers are not satisfied with the restaurant menu due to the prices, but the delivery of lunches to offices from a private company is attractive at an affordable price.

It’s worth doing “reconnaissance in force” and calling suitable enterprises offering your services, or even better, spending time and coming in person with cooking samples. To develop your own menu, it is useful to learn from the experience of competitors - to study the range of cafeterias, canteens, and snack bars.

Concept

The next step is to choose a business format from several possible options:

  1. Mediation in its purest form. An agreement is concluded with a cafe or other catering establishment for the distribution of products. The responsibilities of one party are to find clients and deliver food, the second party provides quality food. The entrepreneur receives income from the cafe for services or puts a markup on the menu.
  2. Full cycle. In this case, the businessman sells food of his own making. Here the field for activity is much wider, but there are also more risks - you will have to be responsible for the quality of products, try to please customers with a variety of dishes, and manage to deliver orders on time. If at first it is difficult, but quite realistic, for one person to combine many functions, then with an increase in customers, assistants, a separate room, and additional equipment will be required.

The first option is attractive due to the minimum of responsibilities, however, it is not always possible to attract an inexpensive catering establishment with high-quality products to cooperate. Therefore, the entrepreneur needs to develop his cooking skills in order to organize the delivery of lunches according to the second scenario.

Menu

A varied assortment of food implies a large selection of products and recipes, which is difficult for a novice businessman to master when starting a business on his own. Therefore, in the absence of specific orders, it is preferable to focus on ten popular dishes:

  • hot liquid (chicken soup, solyanka, borscht);
  • cold first (okroshka, beetroot soup);
  • side dish (mashed potatoes, buckwheat porridge, rice);
  • meat (cutlet, chop, chicken);
  • fish (fried, steamed);
  • semi-finished products (dumplings, dumplings);
  • vegetable salad (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes);
  • mayonnaise salads (Olivier salad, crab salad, herring under a fur coat);
  • baking and bakery products;
  • drinks (tea, coffee, mineral water, juice).

You can offer set lunches (includes salad, first and second) in several variations at a discount. For example, Olivier + broth + puree + cutlet.

If orders are delivered on a regular basis to any office, then the menu is compiled in such a way that offers are not repeated every day. This guarantees customers freshly prepared dishes and creates the appearance of variety.

Cooking products are purchased from wholesale markets at discounted prices. It is best to check freshness and quality using certificates and supporting documents from the seller. To save on the main cost item, you need to have a detailed menu for the week.

Equipment

The first thing you need to implement a lunch delivery business idea is a place to prepare food. If a business is opened by an entrepreneur with a minimum amount of funds, then renting a separate room will be postponed until better times and the working area will become a private kitchen.

If finances allow you to do everything according to the rules, then the best option for locating the workshop is next to the customers. Renting in the city center is expensive, but overhead transport and time costs will be kept to a minimum.

The technical equipment of the kitchen also depends on the financial capabilities of the businessman. The basic set is the same for everyone:

  1. Cutting tables.
  2. Cabinets, shelves, racks.
  3. Refrigeration and freezing equipment.
  4. Hob.
  5. Oven.
  6. Hood.
  7. Multicooker.
  8. Microwave.
  9. Scales.
  10. Blender and mixer.
  11. Meat grinder.
  12. A set of pots, pans, bowls, stewpans.
  13. Assorted baking dishes.
  14. Cutting boards.
  15. Kitchen knives for various purposes.
  16. Forks, spoons, spatulas, plates, potholders.

A housewife's kitchen will contain most of the items on the list. In addition, you will need disposable tableware and packaging for lunch delivery:

  • boxes;
  • boats;
  • containers;
  • glasses;
  • forks/spoons;
  • napkins.

To maintain the desired temperature of food during transportation, it is advisable to purchase several thermal bags. For delivery over long distances, a car is required, although in megacities like Moscow or St. Petersburg the metro is faster and more reliable.

Staff

Depending on whether the businessman knows how to cook and whether he has a car, the following assistants may be needed for a lunch delivery business:

  1. Cook.
  2. Driver.
  3. Manager for customer acquisition and order processing.

It is not advisable to delegate the accounting of income and expenses, the purchase of products and equipment. These are important components of a business that the owner of the enterprise needs to control.

All employees involved in the preparation and delivery of food must undergo a medical examination and have a properly issued health certificate.

If your lunch delivery service has its first customers, you still need to invest in attracting new customers. Firstly, the larger the customer base, the greater the income. Secondly, the situation is constantly changing, and regular customers stop using delivery services.

Therefore, it is necessary to take various measures to inform the target audience:

  • Place advertisements on online trading platforms, in print media, on street boards, and in crowded places.
  • Create a website yourself or order layout from a designer. It is advisable to add the function of online ordering and remote payment using various services. The reviews section will serve as additional advertising if the majority of customers are satisfied with the quality of food and service.
  • Register an account on social networks, publish current information about the menu, prices, promotions.
  • Order direct mailing.
  • Place business cards in business centers, banking institutions, supermarkets, service stations.
  • Distribute leaflets on the streets.
  • Place contacts on the delivery vehicle.

In the future, when the business reaches a stable level of income, you can come up with an original name for the company, order napkins and packaging with a logo. It’s not for nothing that advertising is called the engine of trade. If you constantly promote your services, you can actually build up a large customer base and expand your enterprise within a year.

You can download it here for free as a sample.

Registration

Working without permits is illegal; you can officially register a business at any time. Typically, a merchant acts as an individual entrepreneur; a legal entity is rarely created in this area.

Registration with the Federal Tax Service does not take much time, the cost of the state fee is 800 rubles. It is advantageous to pay taxes using one of the special modes:

  1. Simplified.
  2. Single tax on imputed activities.
  3. Patent.

Problems for all entrepreneurs arise when obtaining approvals from the SES and Rospotrebnadzor, bringing the kitchen in accordance with sanitary, hygienic and fire safety standards. To simplify the procedure, you can enter into an agreement with a consulting firm and shift bureaucratic concerns onto the shoulders of professionals.

Video: how to make money delivering food?

Financial part

What is the profitability of a lunch delivery business? Experts estimate the economic efficiency of the industry in the range of 10-25%. Estimated cost of starting your own business in the “home kitchen” format in your personal living space with minimal investment:

You can save on any costing items, except groceries - the quality and freshness of the ingredients of the dishes determines whether customers will order delivery on an ongoing basis.

The income of a lunch delivery company directly depends on the number of customers. Let’s say that at first we managed to conclude an agreement with one company to supply 6 set meals daily. The average cost of one serving is 150 rubles. Revenue for a month with 20 working days will be:

As the customer base increases, business income will increase. Entrepreneurs working in this area claim that in a year of active development of their business they can reach a profit level of 60-70 thousand rubles. per month.

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