How Does a Meal Delivery Business Owner Spend a Workday?

Scheduling/Employees/Orders

There are several types of meal delivery businesses. The first type develops institutional-type client relationships, in which its individual "customers" are in hospice care, house-bound, elderly and/or disabled. Those customers are, usually, part of a community program or social service which interacts with the meal delivery business and often subsidizes a portion of the meals' cost. The second type of meal delivery business is one in which a catering company offers individual catered meals for its clientele, usually residential (as opposed to commercial customers). The third type of meal delivery business is one which is, essentially, a delivery service. It takes orders from its clients for meals from local restaurants, puts in the orders, picks up the meals and delivers the meals to the customers for a surcharge or percentage of the total restaurant bill.

Whatever the type, the meal delivery business owner must spend some part of the day reviewing schedules for clients, work schedules for employees, training schedules for new employees, and incoming orders, especially orders that are for a preferred client or that are at a higher volume than is normal for a day's business. The business owner must be sure that there are adequate food supplies, cooks, drivers, and other employees to complete the jobs and get the meals delivered on time.

Checking Stock (Food)

For the third type of meal delivery business, checking food stock is not a necessary part of the day. For the first two types, however, having the meals and/or ingredients on hand is essential. Without meals, there can be no meal delivery. Thus the meal delivery business owner will be sure to check on the food inventory, making sure there is an adequate supply for the day's (or week's) orders, and that there are also extra ingredients/meals on hands in case of an accident or an additional, last-minute order coming in.

Overseeing Operations

The bulk of a meal delivery business owner's day will be spent in overseeing the normal operations. This could include helping to get the food prepared and packaged; loading vehicles; assigning different drives to their routes for the day; dealing with clients who have special needs or requests; taking orders as they come in; and handling any sort of "emergency" that occurs, such as a driver running out of gas in between stops or a tray of meal dropped on the sidewalk.

Marketing and Customer Relationships

Some portion of the business owner's day should be spend in marketing work. Marketing could include direct-mail advertising, posting weekly specials, partnering with other businesses to provide coupons and deals, sponsoring various events, and placing advertisements in local publications. It's also important that the meal delivery business owner keep up with current customers, making sure their needs are met and that they are happy with the service and the quality of food provided by the business. Any complaints that arise go to the business owner and must be dealt with in a timely manner.

Paperwork/Finances

No business owner gets out of the paperwork pile. After the food is prepared, delivered, and the kitchen is cleaned, the stack of invoices, bills, receipts, and other papers must be handled. The business owner is responsible for overseeing the financial situation of the business. The business owner must also be sure that proper supplies and ingredients are ordered as needed so that the business never runs out of essential inventory. Payroll, taxes, and other documentation end up on the business owner's desk. It may be the least enjoyable part of running a business, but keeping up with paperwork and financial tracking is essential for a meal delivery business owner.

Resources

• How to Start a Meal Delivery Business
• About Meal Delivery Businesses