I have been thinking about launching a physical business for some time and would value other members thoughts or experience.
The criteria I have for this business is:
The reason these stores pique my interest is the boom of side hustles and selling online via P2P marketplaces that require pack and ship services along with in the case of businesses, the anonymity a mailbox provides.
Secondly, especially in city, the number of people who order tonnes online and have their deliveries left outside by their front door ripe for damage in the rain or theft. The store would provide a safe place for parcel pick up as part of the mailbox subscription.
So far, I’ve just got the below on paper and haven’t done any deep dive into the financials or marketing.
Mission
The go-to destination for busy people and small businesses, catering to all their packing and shipping needs in the local vicinity.
Services We Provide/How we make money.
Target Market
Busy professional/local resident – personal mailbox (to protect address and/or take parcels on their behalf when not at home), on demand printing, passport photos, send parcels via courier.
Local small business/entrepreneur - business mailbox (to protect address and/or take parcels on their behalf when not at home), on demand printing/shredding, send parcels via courier, business services.
Students – Send parcels, printing, shredding.
Overheads
Retail store rent – should this be based in a central business area or a residential one?
Utilities – power, water, internet
Staff – 1x manager (pay a basic salary + targets to give sense of ownership) + 1 or 2 part time members of staff per store.
Maintenance of equipment
Marketing
Paid social ads in local geographic area.
Sponsor local business communities.
Host monthly business socials – provide basic drinks snacks. Build profile in community
This is just a starting point, there’s are some challenges and aspects of this business I’m not sure about, more research required!
The criteria I have for this business is:
- Low start-up costs
- Minimal overheads
- A simple business – one where the model is already proven. What can bring to be better than what is already out there?
- Scalable though employing operators of each store (an operator would receive a sizable bonus for meeting target e.g percentage of mailboxes rented) this would be a step up for someone who was accustomed to working for minimum wage in a normal retail job.
The reason these stores pique my interest is the boom of side hustles and selling online via P2P marketplaces that require pack and ship services along with in the case of businesses, the anonymity a mailbox provides.
Secondly, especially in city, the number of people who order tonnes online and have their deliveries left outside by their front door ripe for damage in the rain or theft. The store would provide a safe place for parcel pick up as part of the mailbox subscription.
So far, I’ve just got the below on paper and haven’t done any deep dive into the financials or marketing.
Mission
The go-to destination for busy people and small businesses, catering to all their packing and shipping needs in the local vicinity.
Services We Provide/How we make money.
- Mailboxes – recurring monthly income (circa 500 – 1000 boxes per store) target 60% of store revenue - predictable recurring income.
- Personal – pick up your mail from your own numbered mailbox with a key. We also accept oversized parcel deliveries and hold these for 7 days for collection. (Business Challenge: Some couriers already offer shipping to a local convenience store for pickup that costs the consumer nothing extra)
- Business – Use your mailbox as a registered business address, receive business mail (include letter scanning as an added service)
- Drop and pack – sold something on eBay can’t be bothered/don’t have packing supplies? Come into store and have your items packed labelled and picked up by courier. We could also offer an ‘express drop and go’ service where the customer drops off the item and we handle the rest – saving time/hassle.
- FEDEX/UPS/DHL – shipping point, become an authorised retailer, make margin on each package sent.
- Courier collection point – Be a collection point for various couriers make money on each parcel collected (circa 50p - £1 per parcel) (note: does this invalidate mailbox side of the business?)
- Print/scan/shred – self-explanatory, unsure of the business case in the age of paperless, also requires significant capex.
- Passport Photo service– have a small photo booth set up, have your passport photo taken in store.
- Product photography – catered towards local e-commerce stores, drop your items off in store and have them professionally photographed. Could subcontract to local photographer.
- B2B shipping. – win accounts with local businesses and auction houses to be their approved shipping provider. Where could I go above and beyond to win business?
- Company incorporation – offer company incorporation, charge margin for each business setup or bundle for free when you subscribe to a mailbox for 12 months and pay up front. This service could be particularly attractive to overseas directors.
- Mail forwarding – forward physical mail, charge a margin.
Target Market
Busy professional/local resident – personal mailbox (to protect address and/or take parcels on their behalf when not at home), on demand printing, passport photos, send parcels via courier.
Local small business/entrepreneur - business mailbox (to protect address and/or take parcels on their behalf when not at home), on demand printing/shredding, send parcels via courier, business services.
Students – Send parcels, printing, shredding.
Overheads
Retail store rent – should this be based in a central business area or a residential one?
Utilities – power, water, internet
Staff – 1x manager (pay a basic salary + targets to give sense of ownership) + 1 or 2 part time members of staff per store.
Maintenance of equipment
Marketing
Paid social ads in local geographic area.
Sponsor local business communities.
Host monthly business socials – provide basic drinks snacks. Build profile in community
This is just a starting point, there’s are some challenges and aspects of this business I’m not sure about, more research required!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
