Top 15 delivery business ideas

Here are some creative and profitable delivery business ideas that you can start right away:

Pharmacy delivery

Pharmacy delivery is a prescription pickup and delivery service that transports medications conveniently between neighborhood pharmacies and patient homes. With many lacking reliable transportation, deliveries bridge critical medication access gaps for homebound elderly and disabled patients especially. Even mobile customers strained for time benefit. Pharmacies maximize outreach in existing regions without added brick-and-mortar outposts. Once pharmacy verification steps are complete for safety, courteous drivers rapidly fulfill same-day or scheduled repeat prescription requests. Both returning and new patients of registered pharmacies appreciate the flexibility when retail visits pose challenges.

For operators, the relatively low overhead sharable transport model scales well across multiple pharmacies contracted per territory. While federal regulations continue appropriately governing medicine distribution chains for accountability, compliant delivery agents help sustain care continuity through improved nurturing patient connections to existing pharmacy allies already trusted locally. 

How much you can make: $50,000 – $500,000 annually
How much does it cost to start: $10,000 – $100,000
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months

Pizza delivery

Operating a pizza delivery service allows you to work with popular chains or homemade pizzerias. Homemade pizza made with care and quality ingredients is always in demand. Beginning a homemade pizza company allows creative entrepreneurs to turn their cooking passion into a thriving business. Start small by creating a compact menu showcasing your specialties. Enable online ordering and develop a website to promote your offerings. Attracting a loyal customer base with delicious food and timely delivery establishes a foundation for expansion. Stay connected with patrons through social media and keep quality high, even during growth.

How much you can make: $30-60k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for car, insurance, equipment
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to get licensed and equipped

Flower delivery service

Sending flowers is a thoughtful way to brighten someone’s day when you can’t be there in person. A flower delivery service allows you to send a personalized floral gift to friends, family, co-workers, and loved ones for any occasion. An online local flower delivery business can be operated from a small home office with just a few drivers for deliveries. Efficient routing software helps optimize the last-mile flower routes to reduce costs and ensure on-time arrivals. Offering same-day delivery can be a competitive advantage for a floral delivery startup seeking to disrupt the flower industry.

How much you can make: $40-80k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $2-5k for car, supplies
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to source suppliers

Wedding favors delivery

Sending personalized wedding favors is a thoughtful way to thank guests for celebrating the happy couple. A wedding favor delivery service allows engaged couples to send gifts to wedding party members, out-of-town guests, and attendees for any occasion. Wedding favor business can be operated from a small home office with just a delivery driver or two. Efficient delivery routes help keep costs low and ensure timely arrivals. Offering custom-designed and specially packaged wedding favors can attract couples seeking creative gifts for their big day. year-round.

How much you can make: $50-100k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $1-2k for packaging materials
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months to source and market

Grocery delivery

A grocery delivery service brings convenience to shoppers by saving them time and effort. Turning a small retail or local grocery store into an online delivery business is a promising approach in the modern age. An e-commerce platform and mobile app can be created, allowing customers to easily order essentials and deliver them straight to their door. Just a few drivers are needed to handle last-mile grocery deliveries from the store. Efficient routing software helps optimize delivery routes to keep costs low. Offering same-day delivery and a customized selection of grocery items can attract and retain customers seeking the combination of online convenience and personalized service that only a local market can provide.

How much you can make: $50-100k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for vehicle, tools
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to get setup

Furniture delivery and assembly

A furniture delivery and assembly service would pick up furniture purchases from retail stores or distribution centers and deliver items directly to customers’ homes. After delivery, service technicians would assemble the furniture, whether it’s beds, dressers, entertainment centers, bookshelves, or dining sets. This end-to-end solution eliminates hassles for the customer. They don’t have to arrange their truck rental or try to assemble furniture themselves. As a business, you can provide reliable delivery appointments and skilled technicians to ensure furniture is assembled properly.

How much you can make: $60-120k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for truck, tools
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to get equipped

Bottled water delivery

A bottled water delivery service targets households and small offices that want the convenience of having water bottles delivered on a schedule. With so many people drinking bottled water these days, an efficient delivery system can build a nice customer route. The startup costs for a sole proprietor are reasonable—a van, bottles, branding, and marketing materials are needed. There is profit in buying jugs in bulk and then selling individual bottles to customers. Success comes down to reliability, branding, being cost-competitive, and providing great service.

How much you can make: $60-100k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for vehicle
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to source and market

Plant delivery and care

People like having plants in their homes and offices. As a business, you could deliver potted plants to customers’ doors. The plants could be indoor types like succulents, air plants, and small flowering plants. Care instructions would come with each plant to help it thrive. There could also be an optional monthly service to come care for the plants, like watering, pruning, and repotting. This would make plant ownership easy for busy people or those without gardening knowledge.

How much you can make: $40-80k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $2-5k for car, supplies
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to source nurseries

Liquor delivery

As the pandemic drove life online, the appeal of convenient home alcohol delivery became widespread. With bars and liquor stores often closed, customers flocked to e-commerce liquor delivery services. This trend remains entrenched today; the ease and selection are hard to beat. Americans now spend billions getting cocktails, wine, beer, and spirits delivered to their doors. The global market continues expanding rapidly as well, especially in places where alcohol delivery was not previously available. Starting a liquor delivery startup allows tapping into these shifting consumer behaviors.

How much you can make: $50-100k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for vehicle, license
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months for licensing

Packers and movers

A packers and movers business provides an essential service helping people shift homes or offices. You need some initial investment to buy a truck and equipment but not very high. Hire people with experience of packing, lifting heavy items, and driving trucks for local transportation. Focus on providing quality service, being careful with customer possessions, and charging fair rates to build a reputation. It is a competitive sector so emphasize reliability, safety, and careful handling of items. Expand slowly as you build a satisfied customer base. Technology like apps can improve efficiency and coordination. Good service means customers recommend you to others.

How much you can make: $60-150k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $10-50k for vehicle, equipment
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months to get licensed and equipped

Clothing & accessories delivery

A clothing and accessories delivery service allows customers to shop for fashion items from the comfort of their homes. To start this business, you need a website or app to display your products. Focus on a specific style niche or price range to stand out in this competitive market. Keep up with the latest trends and buy inventory in styles that will sell. Store products in a warehouse to facilitate quick delivery. Offer unique services like custom fittings or style advice to create value. Market through social media and partner with influencers to gain customers. Provide speedy, reliable delivery and great customer support. Success comes from building a convenient, personalized shopping experience.

How much you can make: 50-100k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $1-2k for packaging materials
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to source suppliers

Wholesale egg delivery

Starting a wholesale egg delivery service allows you to sell eggs in bulk to restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. As the demand for eggs is constant, focusing on wholesale distribution creates a built-in customer base if you can provide a quality product at a competitive price. An online system and mobile app can organize orders and delivery routes to maximize efficiency. By specializing in a high-demand food staple, maintaining strong business relationships, and leveraging simple technology, a lean wholesale egg delivery operation can quickly become profitable on a modest initial investment.

How much you can make: $40-80k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for a refrigerated vehicle
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to source farms

Coffee delivery business

A coffee delivery service can be a great small business idea. Coffee is a popular drink that many people enjoy, especially in the mornings. By delivering fresh coffee around the local area, you can provide a convenient service to customers. Your business could take orders online or by phone and then deliver them to homes or offices. Focus on providing high-quality coffee beans and drinks. You may want to offer additions like milk, sugar, muffins or bagels. Promote your business through social media, flyers, and partnerships with local companies. Emphasize speedy delivery and reliable customer service.

How much you can make: $40-80k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $2-5k for supplies
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to source roasters

Bread and milk delivery business

A bread and milk delivery service brings essential grocery items right to customers’ doors. There is steady demand for fresh bread and dairy products. This type of business has the potential for good income and profits since these are items that households and restaurants purchase on a regular basis. The keys to success are offering quality, fresh-baked goods and dairy items from reliable suppliers, delivering promptly before products spoil, and providing good customer service.

How much you can make: $30-60k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for vehicle, equipment
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months to get licensed and equipped

Lunchbox delivery business

How much you can make: $40-100k yearly
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for vehicle, food prep equipment
How long does it take to build: 1-3 months for licensing, menu development

Conclusion

Whether it’s streamlining logistics, enhancing customer experiences, or exploring niche markets, the delivery business presents a canvas rich with opportunities. One of the advantages of delivery business ideas is that virtually anyone can make them into successful delivery startups, with a bit of patience, market research, and persistence.

Top 17 box truck business ideas

Here are some creative and profitable box truck business ideas that you can start right away:

Art supply store

Art supply store is a retail shop selling a wide selection of art materials from paints and brushes to canvases, specialized paper, clay, easels, and more for visual artists and craft creators. Catering to casual hobbyists along with professionals, it understands discerning project needs at different skill levels. Beyond simply supplying gear, knowledgeable staff enables learning about proper handling for different mediums, recommending combinations, and providing overall inspiration that elevates the artistic process. For the community, localized art material access ensures creators have reliable resources to manifest ideas without hassling mail orders. Stores focused on uplifting the creative journey stand apart from general retailers only carrying basic kits.

Hands-on curriculum and workshops further spotlight community commitment versus merely making sales. As e-commerce efficiency continues disrupting physical retail viability, an intimately helpful art supply outlet holds space for nurturing growth on artistic paths that online searches cannot always nurture through human bonding. 

How much you can make: $50,000 – $500,000 annually
How much does it cost to start: $10,000 – $100,000
How long does it take to build: 2-6 months

Provide local moving services

A local moving service can be a great business to start up. You would help community members move from one house or apartment to another, providing an important service that most people need at some point. All you need to get started is a truck and some moving supplies like boxes, furniture pads, and dollies. You could start small by offering your moving labor and truck to local homeowners and renters. Over time you could expand your fleet and range, eventually offering things like packing services, storage services, and even piano moving. Running a moving company allows you to set your own schedule while helping folks out during a stressful time.

How much you can make: $60-150k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for truck & supplies
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to optimize

Cater and deliver food

How much you can make: $80-250k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $20-50k for truck, licenses, supplies
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to establish

Deliver to local stores

Box truck offers an opportunity to generate income by providing delivery services to neighborhood retail stores and other local businesses. These establishments frequently require timely and reliable delivery of inventoried goods. By positioning your trucking venture as the preferred provider for surrounding stores’ delivery needs, you can establish ongoing working relationships and become their regular driver for pickups and drop-offs.

If specific products are popular in your region, specializing in deliveries for certain types of merchants that sell in-demand items is a smart approach. With hard work, this can enable you to optimize routes, increase efficiency, and grow your customer base. Additionally, partnering with delivery startups can open up new opportunities for expanding your business and reaching a wider client base.

How much you can make: $50-100k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for truck & supplies
How long does it take to build: 6 months to build clientele

Offer package delivery services

If you have a box truck or van, think about starting a delivery service to make money. With this business, you would pick up packages from shippers and deliver them to homes and companies in your city or town. There is a lot of demand for dependable and timely package delivery, especially with more people shopping online. All you need to get started is a reliable vehicle, some low-cost supplies like boxes and labels, and good customer service skills. Promote your new delivery service to local online sellers, stores, offices or even neighbors. Providing reliable package pickups and deliveries can be a simple and profitable small business.

How much you can make: $75-200k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for truck and insurance
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to optimize

Provide storage services

People moving need temporary places to store belongings between homes. Businesses wanting to clear out office clutter also need storage. Flexible short and long term rates allow customers to store items for days, weeks, or months. Simple advertising and word-of-mouth referrals spread awareness. Providing good service brings repeat business. Easy loading and unloading access draws customers with items needing protection during transitions between locations.

How much you can make: $100-300k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $50-100k for truck and warehouse
How long does it take to build: 1-2 years to build occupancy

Rent box trucks

Renting box trucks can be a smart way to start a delivery business on a budget. These versatile vehicles can haul loads for moving services, small freight shipments, wholesale goods delivery, and more. To get started, research your local regulations and acquire proper licensing, insurance, and any commercial driver’s credentials needed. Then spreading the word to potential customers and partners through websites, ads, networking. With hard work, this flexible and low-overhead transportation model can grow into a thriving local enterprise.

How much you can make: $50-150k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $50-100k fleet investment
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to establish

Open a grill food truck

Operating a mobile grill food truck can be a rewarding small business. Identify a busy area with significant foot traffic during lunch hours, such as near office buildings or parks. Offer quality grilled fare like hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausage sandwiches. Keep the menu simple but delicious. Focus on convenient service and affordable prices to attract nearby workers looking for a quick, tasty meal. Building a customer base for your food truck takes consistency, word-of-mouth marketing, and providing good value to customers.

How much you can make: $60-150k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $20-50k for truck & supplies
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to build following

Start a beer truck business

A beer truck could be a fun and profitable small business idea. You could buy or rent a truck and outfit it to serve draft beer. The key is finding locations where people gather, like parks, beaches, or festivals, that don’t already sell beer on site. With an eye-catching truck design and cold, tasty beer options, you could draw thirsty crowds. As a mobile business, you have flexibility to try out different spots to see where sales are best. Keep costs down by starting small, doing your own marketing on social media, and offering simple food like pretzels. With smart planning, hard work, and delicious beer, you could taps into success!

How much you can make: $50-100k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $20-50k for truck and licenses
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to book events

Advertise with your box truck

How much you can make: $20-50k annual profit
How much does it cost to start: Under $1k start-up costs
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months to get campaigns

Ice-cream van

An ice cream van can be a fun and profitable box truck business idea. You get to drive around neighborhoods playing happy ice cream truck music to attract customers. Kids love chasing down the truck for treats. It’s all about location – find parks, beaches, busy areas where people gather so you get good foot traffic. Keep costs low with a used van and basic equipment. Offer creative flavors and toppings so customers of all ages keep coming back for more. With minimal overhead, you can scoop up decent profits if you find the right spots.

How much you can make: $50-100k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for truck and supplies
How long does it take to build: Summer season to establish

Hippie bus tours

A creative box truck business idea is to offer hippie bus tours in colorful painted buses or Volkswagen vans. You could plan tours starting in free-spirited cities like Amsterdam or San Francisco and ending in spiritual destinations like Nepal or Peru. Appeal to travelers who embrace hippie ideals of community, self-expression, and connection to nature. Your buses just need comfy seats, psychedelic paint jobs, and flower power decals to attract fun-loving customers seeking adventure. Market to young backpackers and nostalgic baby boomers longing for the carefree days of the 1960s and 70s. Offer a far-out experience celebrating peace, love and the open road.

How much you can make: $50-150k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for bus, supplies
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to book tours

Retro waffle food truck

Looking to start up your own food truck business? Consider serving sweet and savory Belgian waffles out of a flashy, retro-styled vehicle. Waffles are a universally loved food that appeal to people of all ages. With a small initial investment and low overhead, a mobile waffle shop can be a profitable endeavor. Use social media to spread the word and bring hungry crowds to your eye-catching truck. Who doesn’t love a tasty waffle on-the-go? This nostalgic concept could satisfy customer cravings while achieving your entrepreneurial dreams.

How much you can make: $40-100k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $20-50k for truck and supplies
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to build following

On-demand courier

On-demand couriers offer rapid delivery services to customers who need items transported urgently on the same day. To provide this useful service, on-demand couriers use personal vehicles to pick up items from businesses or customers and quickly deliver them to their destinations around town. Becoming an on-demand courier requires a reliable vehicle to carry the items, as well as knowledge of the local area to find the quickest routes for same-day deliveries. On-demand courier services meet the needs of businesses and customers with time-sensitive deliveries while also providing couriers an opportunity to earn extra income. The on-demand delivery model offers a flexible way for couriers to choose their own hours and use their own vehicles to provide a valuable service when rapid delivery is essential.

How much you can make: $50-100k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: Under $5k for supplies
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months to build contracts

Mobile box truck carpet cleaning

Consider starting a mobile carpet cleaning business using a box truck. You can drive to customers’ homes and clean their carpets on-site, eliminating the need for them to transport their carpets to a cleaning facility. Your box truck would be outfitted with carpet cleaning equipment like portable extractors and drying fans. Market yourself as a convenient and client-focused service that spares customers the hassle of dragging dirty carpets around. With low overhead and the ability to serve residential and commercial clients over a wide service area, a mobile carpet cleaning operation can be profitable if you build up an eager customer base through quality work and smart marketing.

How much you can make: $75-200k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $20-50k truck and equipment costs
How long does it take to build: 6-12 months to optimize

Mobile pop-up shop

A mobile pop-up shop is a retail store set up temporarily in a truck or trailer that moves between different locations. It provides entrepreneurs and small business owners a creative way to sell their products directly to consumers without the overhead of a brick-and-mortar store. The flexibility of the pop-up shop allows vendors to bring their merchandise right to their target customer base. This unique shopping concept offers consumers a fun, convenient shopping experience while supporting local artisans and designers.

How much you can make: $50-150k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $5-10k for build-out and inventory
How long does it take to build: 3-6 months per location

Mobile farmers market

A mobile farmers market is a truck that brings fresh, local produce and goods directly into communities. The market partners with area farms and makers to fill the truck with seasonal fruits and vegetables, farm-fresh eggs and dairy, artisanal breads and baked goods, honey, jams, and more. The truck travels on a set route to different neighborhoods or sets up shop at designated locations so community members have convenient access to healthy, affordable foods. Buying local supports regional agriculture and food producers. The mobile market model makes eating fresh possible for more people.

How much you can make: $50-250k profit potential
How much does it cost to start: $10-20k for vehicle and supplies
How long does it take to build: Summer season to establish

Conclusion

A box truck business presents a promising entrepreneurial opportunity given the consistent demand, versatility, and relatively low start-up costs of operating a commercial box truck. By identifying a profitable niche aligned with your skills and local market needs, you can launch a distinctive business from among the many box truck options, from hauling to catering services.