Battery supplier with a van delivery round

Garages, tyre and MOT centres, mobile mechanics, small fleets, farms, plant hire firms and equipment repairers.

You sell at trade prices above your buying cost, with a regular account customer base. Extra income can come from delivery charges and fitting-ready supply to mobile mechanics.

• Building relationships with trade customers
• Driving and route planning
• Stock control and cash flow management
• Safe lifting and handling

• Rules on storing and carrying lead-acid and lithium batteries, check dangerous goods and fire safety requirements for your van and unit
• Battery producer registration and old battery take-back obligations, check with the Environment Agency
• If you collect used batteries, you may need waste carrier registration, check before you start
• Goods in transit, public liability, product liability and motor trade or van insurance
• Heavy lifting and tight cash flow from holding stock and offering credit to customers

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £8,000 to £30,000, depending on your stock, unit and van. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on how many trade customers you win and how often they order.

Check dangerous goods and fire safety rules for storing and carrying lead-acid and lithium batteries in your van and unit. Also check battery producer registration and take-back duties with the Environment Agency, waste carrier registration for used batteries, and insurance.

The estimates suggest at least around 25 hours a week. Useful skills include building relationships with trade customers, driving and route planning, stock control and cash flow management, and safe lifting and handling.