As we know that people would enjoy making meals for themselves and their loved ones. However, in recent times the demands for jobs and busy schedules have made cooking a luxury, where food delivery business has gained a lot of attention and popularity. The idea of food delivery is making all the working people’s life easier as it is easily accessible. Hence, there is a huge demand. The food delivery business is one great idea to start if you are planning to be an entrepreneur with a decent amount of investment. Here are some procedures that are to be completed to start food delivery.
Research on the signs of demand.
Researching is a basic step in any business startup. You have to make a study on what your market should have in their meals menu and the locality where your market is situated. For example,
If your target market is the students, you will have to focus on providing a good atmosphere with the customization of lights and music to attract students and with heavy snacks.
If there are employees, you will have to focus on providing healthier lunch/meals with a decent atmosphere.
If your target market is the residents of the locality, know what their meal needs, such as if they have kids.
Once you are aware of your target market choosing a suitable name for your business/company is very important. Then customize according to your customers.
Know the required materials.
A food delivery startup is a great choice because it does not need a huge amount of capital to start with. You can start with the basic utensils that are available at home. You may need the following materials other than the utensils.
- Meal containers (plastic/cardboard)
- Big pans and pots to make meals in large batches.
- Big containers to store cooked food.
- Required ingredients according to the menu (fresh and large quantity)
Marketing.
Marketing is very important for a business. It helps people to know about your services and contact you accordingly. Your business also depends on how unique your marketing strategy is.
You can make websites and create apps of your own to connect with people online, making your own app and ordering food online is easier as ordering through call is a bit hard thing for your staff who don’t understand different languages.
You can put up posters and pamphlets to spread a word in your surroundings.
Creating a meal plan and accomplishing a license.
Make a plan for your meals every week. So that you know, your daily statistics if you are improving or you are on a negative opinion and what can you make to improve your business. Listing out things you require, cost, discounts, paying staff are also the business plan that you have to focus on.
Applying for a license would make your business secure and your customers will trust you. Which also avoids legal troubles.
Once you decide to start the food delivery services, there are certain licenses that are mandatory to start your business.
- Shop Act License: This license is compulsory to start any type of foodservice. Be it on wheels or a fine-dining restaurant. Shop Act License is state-specific and hence, needs to be registered with the respective state.
- FSSAI license: FSSAI is responsible for ensuring quality and safety. Hence, it is crucial. You can register it inFood Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
- GST Registration: The threshold limit for other businesses is Rs.40 lakhs. As stated under section 2(44) of the CGST act of 2017, it is mandatory for the e-commerce businesses to acquire GST registration, irrespective of their annual turnover.
- Health Trade License: This license is compulsory for trade whose goods and services may have a direct effect on the public such as eating outlets, storage and sale, and manufacturing units.
- Trademark Registration: Trademark is a logo or name which gives a unique identity and distinguished service. It is mandatory for an e-commerce business to get registered with the trademark to protect your logo against malpractice
- Signage License: Marketing offline with posters, images, and testimonials is understandable. But for marketing online and employing marketing strategies, a Signage License is compulsory which is obtained from the municipal corporations.
These are the things you will have to undergo while astart-up. Below mentioned are the procedures that you need to know during the time of delivery.
- Designate space for delivery: Separate space to pick up their orders and increase their efficiency instead of standing in the queue with the customers.
- Technical updates: Getting POS(Point Of Sales), error-free websites, and the mobile app to decrease the customers waiting.
- Delivery staff training: Training your driver’s in communication, transportation, and hygiene is required. Because reviews are important for uplifting your business.
- Create a delivery menu: Simplifies cooking and packaging.
- Stock delivery supplies: Make sure your staff does not find difficulty in packing. Stock up all the required packing items like containers, napkins, cups, boxes, etc…
- Track your delivery: Make sure your app has this feature of tracking the order so that the driver delivers on time. Keep the transparency in delivering the food to the customers.
Make sure you keep good contact with your staff so that they take care of all the steps required with utmost sincerity and responsibility.