Local fizzy drinks delivery round

Corner shops, cafés, takeaways, pubs, sports clubs, schools' catering teams and small event organisers.

You buy at trade prices and sell at a small mark-up per case or pallet. Profit comes from regular repeat orders, volume discounts from suppliers and efficient delivery routes.

• Selling to business owners
• Route planning and reliable delivery
• Stock control and basic bookkeeping
• Comfortable with heavy lifting

• Margins on bulk soft drinks can be thin, so work out your costs per case including fuel and van running costs
• Check vehicle insurance covers carrying goods for hire and reward, plus public liability and product liability cover
• Check with your local council whether you need to register as a food business, especially if you store stock
• Customers may expect credit terms, so decide how you will handle late payment
• Check how the Soft Drinks Industry Levy affects your pricing and who is responsible for it
• Heavy, repetitive lifting, so plan for trolleys, a tail-lift or safe handling

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £6,000 to £30,000, depending on your van, initial stock, insurance and storage. Work out your costs per case, including fuel and van running costs, as margins on bulk soft drinks can be thin.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue is typically around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on how many customers you supply and how often you deliver. Margins can be thin, so revenue is not the same as profit.

Check vehicle insurance covers carrying goods for hire and reward, plus public liability and product liability cover. Ask your local council whether you need to register as a food business, and check how the Soft Drinks Industry Levy affects your pricing.