Neighbourhood milk and dairy round

Households wanting regular doorstep delivery, including busy families, older people and anyone who prefers local or bottled milk.

Customers pay a weekly or monthly subscription for set orders. You earn the margin between your wholesale price and the delivered price, plus a small delivery fee.

• Reliable early starts
• Route planning
• Friendly customer service
• Basic bookkeeping

• Food business registration with your local council, and which food safety rules apply to storing and delivering dairy in your state
• Keeping milk cold the whole way, and having a safe plan for returns and spoilage
• Public liability insurance and a food-safe, clean vehicle
• Margins on milk can be thin, so check your numbers before committing
• Selling raw milk for drinking is not allowed in Australia, so only sell properly processed products

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $6,000, depending on your vehicle setup, insulated cold boxes and initial stock. Check your numbers first, as margins on milk can be thin.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many households subscribe and the size of your round. These estimates assume about 10 hours a week, and margins on milk can be thin.

Check food business registration with your local council and the food safety rules for storing and delivering dairy in your state. Also check public liability insurance, a food-safe vehicle, and that you only sell properly processed products, as raw drinking milk is not allowed.