My aunt told me to always charge for delivery, even if it's just down the street.

I gave free delivery for a year to be nice, but last month a regular 2-mile trip cost me $15 in gas and time for a $40 bouquet. Now I add a flat $8 fee and no one has complained. How do you all handle local deliveries?

3 comments

3 Comments

webb.keith25d ago

Your aunt was right... it's a tough lesson to learn. We all want to be nice, but you can't run a business on fumes and free time. That $15 loss on a $40 order really shows how it adds up fast. An $8 fee sounds totally fair for a two mile trip, and it's good to hear people understand the value. I had to learn the same way, and charging a small fee just makes the whole thing work.

lee_gibson25d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, $15 lost on just one $40 order? That's crazy... I didn't realize the margins could be that thin. You're basically working for free at that point, maybe even paying to work. An $8 fee for two miles sounds more than fair, it sounds necessary just to keep the lights on. It's wild how fast those small losses can sink you if you're not careful.

oscarb717d ago

Yeah, you gotta set a minimum order amount or a delivery fee from the start, no exceptions. It's the only way to stop those small orders from killing your profit.