Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:38:24 +0000 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.5a http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4824#Comment_4824 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4824#Comment_4824 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:42:49 +0000 chickin and im thinking as theres no other bike couriers in liverpool that i could just undercut all the van/motorbike couriers
and just spend like a week goin round lawers/archetects etc handing out like 1st delivery free vouthers etc


am i goin down the right path?
any tips?]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4826#Comment_4826 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4826#Comment_4826 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:11:47 +0000 nomoreknees It went into the harsh realities of being a sole rider/depatcher courier business.

I don't want this to sound crass, but if you dream of tearing up liverpool on a brakeless fixed wheel with a swish messenger bag on your shoulder sporting knackered jeans, this isn't the route to go.


I've dreamt about and spent alot of time seriously considering the business side of things.
My london figures came out at a gross of£40k (yes gross not profit).
Any less and it wasn't worth it.
You needed a certain level of business happening to keep generating business.


no doubt some will gasp at such a "huge" sum of money.
It's a shit salary considering what the realities of what you are doing are.
remember you aren't riding for someone else now you are riding for yourself.
It's shit money for a minimum of 250 days a year working.
you'll lose weekends doing a lot of paper work:
a limited companies figures are public.

insurance:
yes you'll need insurance for what you carry.
You should also think very hard about personal insurance and loss of income insurance.
Why should anyone want to use you again after you've failed on their contracts for the last 6 weeks because you've been repairing a broken wrist?
Bike insurance too.

As these are all trade use not domestic insurance packages they aren't cheap.
They will be cheaper in liverpool than the london quotes i got.

How will you be able to provide a service (I'm asking rhetorically, but you need to be aware of this) monday to friday 52 weeks a year?
What do you do if you get sick?
get a mate to cover?

You will never be able to go on holiday without telling all our clients way in advance and then you risk losing them.

being a limited company is a very good idea, not because you'd go bankrupt, you wouldn't as a sole rider/despatcher courier business, but incase someone chose to sue your company. They'd be suing the company and not you personally.

Don't go into business intending to undercut the established big boys.
Cheap is not good, especially for you.

You need to be aware that you will be providing a very personal service>>>you will be able to account for every aspect of the business from your bike instantly.
Why should this better service be cheaper?

Ring up every courier firm in liverpool and ask for a cash quote on a simple motorbike single drop 3 mile journey.
This should give you an idea of what you should be charging, not an idea of what to charge less than.

You'll rely on cash jobs to begin with.

No one is going to open an account with an unknown entity.
You'll need to be ready to invoice on the go.
A mini laptop (that new asus eee at £220 would be ideal) and portable printer would be very slick and sharp, but nowhere near essential.
All you'd need is pre-printed invoices, pen and carbon paper.

managing accounts on the go would be slighty trickier, but at it's most basic level would just be a log book.

Don't give out freebies.
You'd spend a week doing those and never get anymore work from the companies.

I'd written more yesterday, but can't remember it now.

basically if you want to be a cycle messenger move to london.
If you want to go into business remove any romantic notion of cycling etc from your head and think money and how it impacts on your life. The basic model could be a good one, but you will need to think very creativley about how to generate business.
flower shops spring to mind.
Those ebay companies that sell your stuff for you. I'm sure there would be one in liverpool.

it makes earning £11000 pedaling for someone else a lot less depressing.

Don't take my word for it though.
There is a guy from manchester who actually does it rather then thinks about it like me.
He'll be able to give you pointers.]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4827#Comment_4827 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4827#Comment_4827 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:52:44 +0000 jontyponty http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4829#Comment_4829 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4829#Comment_4829 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:57:52 +0000 overdrive http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4839#Comment_4839 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4839#Comment_4839 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:54:29 +0000 caspar
BMS (Bicycle Messenger Service) are still going strong in MCR.]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4853#Comment_4853 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4853#Comment_4853 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:30:50 +0000 chickin and also there website was down yesterday]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4854#Comment_4854 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4854#Comment_4854 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:59:22 +0000 Count Basie http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4881#Comment_4881 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4881#Comment_4881 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:03:53 +0000 zero cc


btw, ask around - who's the real Manchester legend...]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4882#Comment_4882 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4882#Comment_4882 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:05:30 +0000 chickin oh well ill keep lookin but i need a job soon]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4883#Comment_4883 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=4883#Comment_4883 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:48:37 +0000 Josh http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8107#Comment_8107 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8107#Comment_8107 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:21:24 +0000 Banned Man 2 Me deliver lead shell from gun to heart.
Any time you pay, me kill any blood clart;
From dis mortal coil so dem must depart!
Don't have no worries, nor any suspicion;
De only signature me need is from de mortician.
Bwoy you betta really enjoy your last breath,
'cause when me get POD it's Proof Of Death!]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8108#Comment_8108 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8108#Comment_8108 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:49:20 +0000 overdrive ]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8109#Comment_8109 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8109#Comment_8109 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:50:19 +0000 The.Pike http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8111#Comment_8111 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8111#Comment_8111 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:51:19 +0000 overdrive http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8112#Comment_8112 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8112#Comment_8112 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:52:32 +0000 The.Pike http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8114#Comment_8114 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8114#Comment_8114 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:54:51 +0000 overdrive ]> http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8115#Comment_8115 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8115#Comment_8115 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:56:30 +0000 The.Pike http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8122#Comment_8122 http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/613/?Focus=8122#Comment_8122 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:16:58 +0000 fromemory
Lovely.]>