Hay and bedding delivery service

Horse owners, equestrian yards, hobby farmers, smallholders and small livestock farms that don't want to collect bales themselves.

You earn the margin between your buying price and selling price per bale or load, plus a delivery fee based on distance. Regular customers and bulk orders keep trips efficient.

• Reliable driving and towing
• Building relationships with growers
• Basic quality judgement of hay
• Customer service and scheduling

• Public liability insurance, and check whether your vehicle insurance covers carrying goods for hire
• Safe loading and securing of loads, and trailer and towing limits for your vehicle
• Hay quality, such as mould, weeds or dust, which can harm animals; consider asking growers for feed tests
• Check state rules on fire risk, hay storage and any biosecurity or fire ant movement restrictions in your region
• Register an ABN and check when GST registration applies to you
• Price swings from drought and season affect your costs, so avoid fixed long-term prices

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your vehicle, trailer and insurance. These are estimates only. Because you hold little or no stock and sell on orders, you may be able to keep upfront spending lower.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many customers you serve and how often you deliver. That is revenue, not profit, and your costs can move with drought and season.

Check public liability insurance and whether your vehicle insurance covers carrying goods for hire. Also check safe load securing and towing limits, hay quality, state rules on fire risk, storage and biosecurity or fire ant movement, and ABN and GST registration.