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Chances are you’ve heard of hyperlocal local delivery businesses in India. The need for these services has especially surfaced in the Covid era, where one can no longer physically head to a store, stand in line, and pick out what they want. With people confined to their homes, delivery businesses have taken over and changed the way we shop. In this article, we shall look at hyperlocal delivery businesses and what you need to have to start one.
What Is A Hyperlocal Business?
In a nutshell, ‘hyperlocal’ refers to a specific area. This could be the area where you live or the one after that. This business is centered around delivering on-demand goods and services quickly within your area or other areas in question.
This type of business picked up because people across cities and countries needed (and still need) groceries, medicines, food, and other on-demand goods and services quickly, which gave rise to a hyperlocal delivery system. As a result we have hyperlocal delivery businesses in various areas in our cities that deliver the products and services we need in an hour or two.
What You Need To Start A Hyperlocal Business
If you are looking to start a hyperlocal food business, there are a few things you need to have in check.
Logistics
Invest in logistics because this will probably pose the biggest challenge to your business. It is difficult to complete deliveries, especially during peak hours or unfavourable weather conditions. It can become even more difficult if you are running low on delivery executives and get an unprecedented amount of orders.
The last thing you need in such situations is confusion, which is why you ought to have your logistics sorted. Invest in logistics optimization and automation software that can help manage multiple orders and delivery schedules in the most hassle free and cost efficient manner possible.
Navigation System
If you are looking to deliver goods and services, you will need to use GPS and real-time tracking to ensure your deliveries happen seamlessly. These GPS features help hyperlocal businesses keep track of the driver’s location, store location, estimated delivery time, nearby retailers, and so on, making it easy to deliver products on time.
E-commerce platform
This should go without saying but you will need a robust eCommerce platform that facilitates seamless communication between you, the retailer, and the customer. The three main types of eCommerce platforms include Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and on-premise. You will need to analyze your business requirements and figure out the right eCommerce platform for your business.
Payment Integration
You probably know by now that people prefer to employ various payment methods to pay for their orders. If you want your hyperlocal delivery food business to work, you will need to integrate multiple payment options, including UPI, Debit, Credit, Cash On Delivery (COD), and so on. Ultimately, you want to provide your customers with a good shopping experience.
CRM Tools
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is easily one of the most essential cogs of your hyperlocal food delivery business. It allows you to forge a solid relationship with your customers and service providers. CRM allows customers and your retailers to file complaints when required, which is vital if you want them to trust you and stick to your platform long-term. Customer relationship management also involves customer feedback, which you will need to take very seriously.
Starting A Hyperlocal Food Delivery Business
Now that you know what tools you ought to have in your arsenal, here are a few things you need to set up before you get your hyperlocal food delivery business underway:
Identify your target audience and products
You will need to figure out what products you want to deliver before you do anything else. Simultaneously, you must ask yourself who you want to deliver these products to. Do you want to do night-time delivery? Do you want to focus mainly on bachelors in the tech field? Figure out what you have to offer and who you want to offer that to.
Set up an app
This is a no-brainer. You need to have an app for your business that runs on Android and iOS to let people place orders. Make sure this app is easy to use and navigate. Placing and managing orders, making payments, and tracking orders should not be an issue. You must offer a stellar shopping experience if you want your customers to return to you.
Define your business
At this point, you will have to figure out how you want to do business. You may act as an aggregator of local stores or focus on a single local store or restaurant that has a stellar reputation and wants to go online. Then, figure out if you want to get an agency to conduct all deliveries on a contract basis or if you want to get a few delivery boys on payroll. This will depend on how many delivery orders you get consistently.
Conclusion
Besides the above, you will have to set up a revenue model because this will dictate your business. Once you have these things in place, you should have no problem starting a hyperlocal food delivery business, which is in high-demand today.
