Local dairy delivery subscription

Busy families, households who want locally produced food and people who prefer not to shop for groceries.

Weekly or monthly subscriptions with a delivery fee or minimum order. A tight route with many customers per neighborhood keeps your costs per stop low.

• Route planning and reliable driving
• Managing orders and stock
• Customer communication

• Food permit and storage rules for refrigerated dairy; check whether a home kitchen or garage can be used at all
• Keeping the cold chain intact during deliveries
• Commercial auto insurance may be needed if you use a vehicle for business, plus general liability
• Rules on selling raw milk differ by state, so check before offering it
• Fuel costs and missed deliveries eating into margins

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your vehicle, insulated coolers and storage. These are estimates. Fuel costs and missed deliveries can eat into margins, so plan your budget carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $9,000, depending on how many subscribers you have and your route. These are estimates of revenue, not profit, and the work typically takes at least 15 hours a week.

Check food permit and storage rules for refrigerated dairy, including whether a home kitchen or garage can be used at all. Also check commercial auto insurance if you use a vehicle for business, general liability, and your state's raw milk rules.