Local medical equipment hire and delivery

People recovering from surgery or injury, families caring for someone at home, visitors and holidaymakers, and small care homes or clinics needing extra equipment for a short time.

Weekly or monthly hire fees, plus delivery and setup charges and refundable bonds. Some items can also be sold when they come out of the hire fleet.

• Reliable and organised
• Practical skills for assembling and checking equipment
• Friendly, patient manner with customers
• Driving and lifting safely

• Check TGA requirements and safety standards for the items you hire out
• Public liability and product liability insurance, plus vehicle and equipment cover
• Hygiene and infection control between hires, with written cleaning records
• Keep maintenance and safety checks up to date, especially for beds and powered items
• Check if you need to register to supply NDIS participants or aged care clients
• Storage space and any council rules for working from a home garage or small unit
• Lifting and handling heavy equipment can cause injury, so plan for safe handling

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on the size of your hire fleet, your vehicle, insurance and storage space. Starting with a few popular items can keep the initial outlay lower.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the number of items you hire out, how often they are booked and your delivery area. It typically takes around 15 hours a week or more.

Things to check: TGA requirements and safety standards for the items you hire out, and whether you need to register to supply NDIS or aged care clients. Also check hygiene and infection control between hires, with written cleaning records, and keep maintenance checks up to date.