he benefits of being a courier, especially a freelance or self-employed one, are many. You can set your own schedule, take all the days off you wish, and have the time to pursue other interests. You get to spend time outdoors and to travel, and meet new people everyday. You don't have to dress up in a suit and can wear sneakers to work everyday, and you often get gratuity and people are generally always happy to see you. On the financial side, you need low initial investment and have low overheads. That said, like all jobs, a certain amount of economics is involved. No matter how low your expenses may be, you still need to make sure that your earnings are higher than your expenses.
Joining a courier network can help ensure that you reach your maximum earning potential in several ways. Listed below are only a few of the ways joining and becoming an accredited member of a courier network can be good for your business.
Clients and Contacts
Reputation is everything in the delivery business; after all, clients are entrusting you with important documents and items to deliver safely and on schedule to the destination. Finding clients can therefore be difficult for a new driver who has no reputation to speak of. Joining and becoming an accredited member of a courier network not only gives your potential clients a way to find you and be informed of your services through their database, but checking your feedback can help assures them of your efficiency and trustworthiness. You can also build contacts with others in the business, thereby opening the way to more jobs and potential opportunities.
Information and Insider Tips
There is one uncontested rule in business: information is power. In the delivery business, useful information can be anything from real-time knowledge about traffic or vehicular accidents on your delivery route to new laws on haulage and transport. Being part of a courier network means access to the latest and most pertinent information, not only from your colleagues on the road, but from experts in related fields such as technology, navigation, travel, transportation, business, and many others. You'll also get insider tips from fellow drivers based on their experiences - such as the best route to get to your destination or the best deals on petrol.
Support
Although being in an independent businessperson has its advantages, it also presents its own difficulties. Everyone needs help every now and then, and the help you need can sometimes be as insubstantial as knowing you aren't alone in your struggles in getting the funds you need to purchase or upgrade equipment, for instance. When you join a courier network, you not only become part of a community with fellow members who support one another, but you also gain access to (among other things) logistical and financial support - such as member rates for things like insurance and business loans to improve your services.
Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading courier network
providing and matching jobs in the express freight exchange industry.
Over 3,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through
their website, trading courier jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale'
environment.
