Quick Route Courier

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Quick Route Courier is a same-day courier and delivery company in Ohio. We pick up and deliver time-sensitive items for medical offices, labs, law firms, pharmacies, print shops and small businesses. Customers can set up a scheduled route (for example, a daily lab specimen pickup), order an on-demand delivery from a phone or website or book a rush job. Our drivers are trained employees in marked vans, and every delivery gets a signature or a photo and a text confirmation.

Many small businesses and clinics need things moved fast and cannot justify a full-time driver. Big national carriers are built for packages, not for a same-day lab sample or a signed legal document. Gig delivery apps can be unreliable for sensitive items. A local courier with trained drivers, tracking and a person to call fills the gap.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect about 14,000 scheduled stops, 3,200 on-demand deliveries and 600 rush jobs in Year 1, which brings in sales of $250,600, growing to $1,341,637 by Year 5 as we add routes and vans. We expect a loss of about $37,900 in Year 1 and a profit from Year 2 ($15,100), growing to about $133,800 by Year 5. Courier work has thin margins, so we plan carefully for fuel, insurance and cash.

We need $148,000 in total. Of that, $75,900 is startup costs (two vans, dispatch equipment, insurance and setup) and the rest is cash to cover the first months while customers pay. I am putting in $50,000 of my own money, and I am asking for a $38,000 vehicle loan and a $60,000 SBA loan.

I am Dante Reyes, the owner, a former dispatcher and delivery manager with 9 years of experience in medical and business courier work. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Quick Route Courier is a small, independently owned courier company in Ohio, planned as a limited liability company (LLC). We start with two cargo vans and serve customers within about 40 miles of our base.

Our mission. To move time-sensitive items safely and on time, and to give small customers the reliability that large customers get.

What we believe. A delivery is a promise. We confirm every pickup and delivery, track every vehicle and tell the customer early if something is late. We pay drivers fairly as employees, train them well and treat sensitive items with care.

What we offer:
- Scheduled routes. Regular pickups and deliveries on a set schedule, such as lab specimens, pharmacy deliveries and bank bags, priced per stop.
- On-demand same-day delivery. Order by phone or website, and a driver is dispatched, with a text and a photo or signature at delivery.
- Rush, legal and large-item jobs. Direct, one-driver trips for urgent documents, evidence, equipment and larger items.
- Medical courier. Specimen and supply transport with insulated bags, temperature logs and drivers trained in handling and privacy.

Who we serve. Medical offices, labs, pharmacies, law firms, print shops, auto parts stores and small businesses.

What we do not do. We do not carry hazardous materials, firearms, cash in large amounts or passengers. We do not provide moving services. We do not promise delivery times we cannot meet.

How we are run. I am the owner and dispatcher. Drivers are employees. A customer service and billing coordinator joins in Year 2 and an operations supervisor in Year 3. A small advisory group of a clinic office manager and an attorney tells us what is working.

Where things stand today. We have letters of interest from two clinics, a lab, a pharmacy and a law firm. Before we begin, our attorney will review our customer agreement and driver policies, and we will confirm any vehicle and permit rules.

Problem & Opportunity

Small businesses and clinics often need something moved today. A lab sample must reach the lab before it spoils, a pharmacy needs to deliver a prescription, a law firm needs to file a document by 4 p.m. National carriers deliver packages on their schedule and are not built for same-day, hand-to-hand delivery. Gig delivery apps can be fast, but drivers are unvetted, tracking is inconsistent and sensitive items are risky.

Hiring a full-time driver is costly for a small business. A driver who calls in sick can leave a clinic without a lab pickup. Customers want someone accountable, with insurance, who will keep records and tell them when something is late.

For a courier, the hard parts are fuel, insurance and utilization. A van is costly whether it is full or empty, so routes must be dense. Customers pay in 30 days and drivers are paid weekly. Insurance for commercial delivery is expensive, and a single accident can raise premiums sharply.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Demand for same-day delivery is growing, and many businesses already use a courier or a gig app. We will use the most recent numbers for our area in our final plan and will not overstate them. We do not know how quickly customers will sign, which is why our plan builds the route over several years.

Products & Services

Quick Route will provide reliable scheduled and on-demand delivery with trained employee drivers, tracking and proof of delivery.

How it works, step by step:
1. Customer setup. We sign a simple agreement that lists services, prices, pickup windows and what we do not carry. Medical customers sign a business associate agreement as needed.
2. Scheduled routes. We design a route for each customer or cluster, assign a regular driver and confirm times.
3. On-demand orders. Customers order by phone or website. A dispatcher assigns the nearest driver and sends an estimated time.
4. Pickup and delivery. Drivers scan or photograph each item, deliver to the named person and capture a signature or photo.
5. Tracking and updates. Customers see the driver's location, and get a text at pickup and delivery. We tell customers early if there is a delay.
6. Medical handling. Specimens travel in insulated bags with temperature logs, in the order and time the lab requires.
7. Billing. Scheduled customers are invoiced monthly, and on-demand customers pay by card.
8. Quality. We track on-time rates, missed pickups, damage and complaints.

Why this approach is strong. Customers value reliability, and a small company with a dispatcher who answers the phone and drivers who know the route can be more dependable than a large carrier.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: medical offices, labs, pharmacies, law firms, print shops, parts stores and small businesses within about 40 miles.

Our primary group is clinics and labs with regular pickups. Our secondary group is businesses that need same-day delivery from time to time. We will use the most recent numbers from the census and business directories for our area in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan 14,000 scheduled stops in Year 1 (about 47 a day), 3,200 on-demand deliveries and 600 rush jobs, growing to 62,000, 15,500 and 3,400 by Year 5. Our Year 1 prices are about $9.50 a scheduled stop, $24 an on-demand delivery and $68 for a rush job, rising about 3% a year.

Demand data. Our letters of interest cover about 40% of the Year 1 scheduled stops. We do not count on any one customer.

We do not take every job. We do not carry hazardous or prohibited items, and we tell customers when we cannot meet a time.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for same-day delivery, and what makes us different.

- National carriers. They are built for packages on a schedule. We do same-day and hand-to-hand work.
- Gig delivery apps. They are fast, but drivers are not employees, and sensitive items and records are risky. We offer trained drivers and records.
- Other local couriers. Some are excellent, and some are unreliable. We compete on tracking, dispatch and communication.
- Taxis and ride apps. They are not set up for deliveries.
- Customers' own staff. Many small businesses send an employee. We save them time.

What makes us different.
- Employee drivers who are screened and trained.
- Live tracking and proof of delivery on every stop.
- A dispatcher who answers the phone.
- Medical handling procedures and privacy training.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger couriers have more vans. We plan to earn trust one stop at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach customers.

Medical customers. We will meet office managers, labs and pharmacists, offer a free trial week on a scheduled route and show our handling and privacy procedures.

Businesses. We will visit law firms, print shops, parts stores and small manufacturers, and offer a sample route and a clear price sheet.

Referrals. We will ask each customer to introduce another business on their block and give them a discount.

Digital. A simple website with online ordering and tracking, a Google business listing and reviews.

Pricing. About $9.50 a scheduled stop, $24 an on-demand delivery and $68 for a rush job in Year 1, with a monthly minimum for scheduled routes.

Operations Plan

How the business will run.

Setup (the 3 to 4 months before the first stop). We will form the LLC, buy and equip two vans, buy commercial auto, cargo and general liability insurance, set up dispatch software and tracking, write our driver policies, complete any registrations and hire and train the first drivers. We will not carry an item until we have the required insurance.

Vans and dispatch. Two cargo vans with racks and tie-downs, phones with a dispatch app and GPS. Dispatch runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Drivers. Drivers are employees, paid hourly, with overtime as the law requires. We screen each driver with a background check and driving record, drug testing and a road test. The cost of driver pay, fuel, maintenance and insurance is counted in the cost of each stop (about $6.20 per scheduled stop in Year 1).

Staffing. In Year 1: I serve as owner and dispatcher. A customer service and billing coordinator joins in Year 2, an operations supervisor in Year 3 and a safety and compliance coordinator in Year 5.

Safety and privacy. Drivers are trained in defensive driving, lifting and, for medical routes, bloodborne pathogen and privacy rules. We follow the laws on hours and weight. We keep records of every stop.

Billing and cash. Scheduled customers are invoiced monthly and pay on average about 33 days later, so we hold cash to cover payroll.

Insurance. We carry commercial auto, cargo, general liability, hired and non-owned auto and workers' compensation insurance. Insurance is about $16,000 a year in Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Quick Route.

Dante Reyes, owner and dispatcher. A former dispatcher and delivery manager with 9 years of experience in medical and business courier work. He leads sales, dispatch, hiring, safety and finance. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Drivers. Employees whose pay is counted in the cost of each stop.

Customer service and billing coordinator (part-time, from Year 2). Handles calls, billing and collections.

Operations supervisor (from Year 3). Manages routes and drivers.

Safety and compliance coordinator (from Year 5). Runs training and records.

Outside advisors. An attorney, an accountant, an insurance broker and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner and dispatcher $46,000, part-time customer service and billing coordinator $24,000, operations supervisor $44,000 and safety and compliance coordinator $46,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (3 to 4 months ahead): get at least 5 letters of interest from clinics, labs or businesses, get insurance and van quotes, form the LLC, get an EIN and open a business bank account. Buy the vans only after the letters and the insurance quotes are in hand.
- Year 1: two vans, about 14,000 scheduled stops, 3,200 on-demand deliveries and 600 rush jobs; $250,600 in sales and a loss of about $37,900.
- Year 2: about 26,000 scheduled stops and a customer service coordinator; $506,272 in sales and a profit of about $15,100.
- Year 3: about 38,000 scheduled stops and an operations supervisor; $769,190 in sales and a profit of about $43,000.
- Year 4: about 50,000 scheduled stops; $1,047,512 in sales and a profit of about $106,600.
- Year 5: about 62,000 scheduled stops and a safety and compliance coordinator; $1,341,637 in sales and a profit of about $133,800.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: stops per day, on-time rate, missed pickups, cost per stop, vehicle downtime, unpaid invoices and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $148,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $75,900, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $44,000 for two used cargo vans, inspected, with racks and tie-downs; $5,500 for dispatch software setup, tablets, scanners and in-van phones; $3,500 for insulated medical and lab transport bags and temperature loggers; $1,900 for business license, vehicle registrations and local approvals; $4,500 for attorney: customer agreement and driver policies; accountant setup; $4,000 for van lettering, uniforms and a website with online ordering; $9,500 for driver background checks and driving records, training and the first insurance down payment; $3,000 for office or parking deposit and first month.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $28,816: because we pay drivers weekly and customers pay about a month later.
- A cash cushion of about $24,950: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together that comes to about $129,666, rounded up to the nearest $500: $130,000.
We are raising $18,000 more than that, $148,000 in all, to cover the loan payments and the extra cash the early years take. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $20,000, at the end of Year 2.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $50,000.
- Vehicle loan for two vans: $38,000.
- SBA 7(a) loan for working capital: $60,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. A vehicle loan from a lender that finances commercial vans, with the vans as collateral, plus an SBA 7(a) loan through a bank or community lender for working capital.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $37,900 in Year 1 and a profit of about $15,100 in Year 2, then a profit of about $43,000 in Year 3, a profit of about $106,600 in Year 4 and a profit of about $133,800 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. The loan is planned at vehicle loan for two vans at 10.5% over 5 years, about $817 a month; sba 7(a) loan for working capital at 12.75% over 10 years, about $887 a month. That is about $1,704 a month in all, and it is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: the vans as collateral and my personal guarantee.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start with one van and a smaller route, with the owner driving part of the time.
- Phase 2: once you have steady scheduled routes, add a van and a driver and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume and your driver's license and driving record.
- A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- Insurance quotes or proof of insurance.
- Van quotes and inspection reports.
- Your customer agreement and driver policies.
- Signed letters of interest from future customers.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Scheduled Route Stops: about $9.50 in Year 1, rising to $10.69; about $6.20 in direct costs, rising to $7.25; about 14,000 in Year 1, growing to 62,000.
- On-Demand Same-Day Deliveries: about $24.00 in Year 1, rising to $27.01; about $15.60 in direct costs, rising to $18.25; about 3,200 in Year 1, growing to 15,500.
- Rush, Legal and Large-Item Jobs: about $68.00 in Year 1, rising to $76.53; about $42.00 in direct costs, rising to $49.13; about 600 in Year 1, growing to 3,400.
- Scheduled stops about $9.50 each in Year 1 with about $6.20 in direct costs (driver time, fuel, maintenance and insurance); on-demand deliveries about $24 with about $15.60; rush jobs about $68 with about $42, rising about 3% to 4% a year.
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner and dispatcher $46,000; customer service and billing coordinator (part-time) $24,000; operations supervisor $44,000; safety and compliance coordinator $46,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: commercial auto insurance, cargo and general liability $16,000, dispatch and tracking software, phones and data $6,000, office or parking rent and utilities $9,000, marketing and customer outreach $6,000, accounting and legal $4,800, driver screening, training and drug testing $4,200, vehicle permits and registrations $1,800, payroll taxes and benefits (office staff) $6,000. These grow between 6% and 22% a year.
- Startup costs and equipment ($75,900 in Year 1, then $5,000, $5,000, $6,000, $6,000) are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books.
- Customers and payers pay about 33 days after service. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs