Pickup and delivery converts customers who would never visit your store — busy professionals, parents with small kids, Airbnb hosts between turnovers — into recurring WDF accounts. It extends your revenue radius from 1 mile to 5+. And the startup cost is lower than most operators think.
What you actually need to launch
- A vehicle. Your personal car works to start. A clean trunk or back seat with a liner is fine for the first 10–20 orders. Don't buy a van until volume justifies it.
- Bags and tags. You already have these from WDF. Buy a few extra large bags for P&D customers who don't have their own.
- A scheduling system. Start with a phone number that accepts texts. "Text us your address and preferred pickup time." Graduate to an online booking form when volume grows. Do not buy software until you have 20+ weekly orders.
- A defined service area. Start with a 3-mile radius. You can always expand. A tight radius keeps drive time low and routes efficient.
- Insurance. Check with your auto insurance that business use is covered. Most personal policies need a rider ($10–30/month).
Total startup cost: $50–200. Bags, a car liner, and an insurance rider. That's it.
Pricing
Charge 10–20% more per pound than your in-store WDF rate. The customer is paying for convenience — they expect a premium. If your in-store rate is $2.25/lb, your P&D rate should be $2.50–2.75/lb.
Set a minimum order — typically $25 or 10 lbs, whichever is greater. Small orders aren't worth the drive time.
Delivery fee vs built into the price: most successful P&D operations build it into the per-pound rate rather than adding a separate delivery charge. A $2.75/lb rate with "free delivery" converts better than $2.25/lb + $5 delivery fee, even though the math is similar.
The timeline
- Week 1: Define your service area, set your P&D pricing, and set up a phone number or booking form.
- Week 2: Tell your existing WDF customers. A sign at the counter: "Now offering free pickup and delivery within 3 miles." Many of your current drop-off customers will convert.
- Week 3: Post on Google Business Profile, update your Google listing services, and tell your apartment complex contacts.
- Week 4: Run a small Google Ad targeting "laundry pickup [your city]." Budget $10/day. This is the highest-ROI ad you'll run.
The mistakes to avoid
- Overcommitting on time windows. Don't promise "pickup between 2–3 PM" until you can reliably deliver it. Start with "pickup today, delivery tomorrow" and tighten the windows as you learn your routes.
- Buying software too early. A text thread and a notebook work until you hit 20+ weekly orders. Software adds cost and complexity before you've proven the model.
- Underpricing to attract customers. You're selling convenience, not a discount. Price at or above market. The customers who choose P&D are not price-sensitive — they're time-sensitive.
One action this week
Price your P&D service using the Commercial Account Bid Calculator — it models delivery cost per trip so you know your break-even per-pound rate including drive time. Then put a sign at the counter this week.