I am looking into offering a courier service from Miles City to the Billings SamsClub (Just Opened) and Costco. I would be driving to Billings once or twice per week, pick up your items and deliver them to you. If you are interested please post on this forum. I want to make it cheaper than you personally driving to Billings and back. The more people who are interested the less the cost will be per person for this service.

All the specifics will be worked out later, at the moment I am just trying to see if there is a demand.

Thank You!
Mariah Kosel

I'm not a lawyer and have never played one on TV, but I believe that courier services need to be licensed by the state and there's additional details like bonding required. You may not fall under those regulations if this is an informal group of people banding together, but you might want to check with a lawyer or at the very least your insurance agent to make sure you're covered.

I would be interested in someone taking dry cleaning to Billings. Courier or not.
Craig
951-2939

My state license cost me less than $50 a year, and a bond, for what you are proposing, might be $100 a year. Go for it. 11 years ago, I saw a need, and am now filling that need and making a handsome living here in Bozeman. Think outside the box. Talk with local attorneys, and consider adding a legal courier service to your business. Attorneys are notorious for needing papers filed with the court, right now dammit! They would rather pay you to file those papers, than drive to Billings themselves. It's easy. I drive to Helena all the time to file papers with the Montana Supreme Court. It takes minutes, pays a filing fee, and you can charge them $.55 a mile for the drive. You can do the same thing with the Federal Court in Billings. When 3 people are paying you to drive to Billings, it can add up quickly. And the need for delivery of "dry clean only" items is there. Drop for a fee, and pick up for another fee. 3 Days later. Call every food vendor that delivers to Miles City once a week. For a fee, you can be their personal "get my ass out of a jam person" They would rather pay you a fee, and mileage, than pay their driver union wages for a drop that is way over his pay scale. You are going home to Miles City anyway. For a fee, you would be happy to drop that box of shrimp at Gallaghers when you get back to Miles City. Make it pay. Lots of people buy things in Billings, and have to borrow a truck to get their purchase home to Miles City. For a fee and a smile, they can avoid that trip. Golden opportunity here. Haul whatever needs to be hauled, and charge for it. Good luck!

I believe there is a need for a courier service from Miles City to Billings. Not just for stuff but for people. I know a lot of the ageing that do not like to drive to Billings that would gladly pay to have someone drive them. Many other situations would me utilized in a courier service. Such as dry cleaning, parts, or just groceries. Keep the community updated on the progress. I believe the business would even get on board if the service was there.

Costco offers FAX in order service where the order is assembled and ready for pick up when you arrive. It makes for a fast Costco trip. It would tie in well if you're paying and picking up for someone else.

Re: Matt's contibution about bonding and license, could you possibly expand that business to include MC and hire drivers locally? Or even Glendive? Maybe sub-contractors.

A business to check with about liscening in Critelli Couriers 254-1761; they do courier service in this area. I recently heard on a local radio station that they where going to pick up drycleaning and take back to Billings didn't get all the details where the pickup or dropoff area will be. It solds like a great service for everyone.

The original post was to see if their was a need for the service from a local person wanting to start a business. I'm all for competition, but posting a Billings Business on here and telling them to ask what they need to do. Makes no sense. Do you thing they would help out a local person who might take their profit away?

[This message has been edited by Scott P (2/3/2010)]

Mariah,
Not long ago I read a magazine article about a lady with a courier business in Alaska. She had a little pickup with a topper. She delivered a variety of items portal to portal. The picture showed the back of her pickup filled with truck parts, boxes of baby chickens, & prescriptions for the local hospital.

Here in Coos Bay, Ore, where I live we have a courier service called Land Shark, which makes trips to Eugene (a little over a hundred miles) daily. I think they will pickup or deliver almost anything that will fit in their small truck. I have only used them for parts that I can't get here. They have several places in the North Bend Coos Bay area where they pickup and deliver. I don't recall what they charge, but it is much less than what it would cost me to drive, let alone the time it would take. I think it would be a very viable business.