How to start a drone courier delivery business?

In the last few years, the popularity of drone deliveries has been steadily increasing. In fact, Amazon (Prime Air drone delivery)  has been hard at work perfecting their drone delivery system and it’s only a matter of time until drone delivery becomes a reality.

If you’ve been looking for a way to get into the eCommerce industry without the usual risks, a drone courier delivery business could be a great opportunity for you. 

The drone courier delivery business is a tremendous opportunity with 15 billion dollars of revenue earned in the year 2020 (according to Statista).

This article will outline what you’ll need to know in order to start your own drone courier delivery business.

Not just Amazon, Uber has also taken this initiative in a few areas under its Uber Air project. They will deliver a few packages like Macdonald’s parcels through drones in San Diego. 

Amazingly, the two food and grocery delivery companies have also become the pioneer of drone delivery technology!

The silver lining here is that these big brands have just started, but many new drone delivery services have started in full swing, You can take advantage of this new trend.

Related read: Last Mile Delivery: Meaning, Business Plan, App Cost in 2021

How Drones Are Revolutionizing Logistics in Supply Chain Management?

Logistics is a multi-trillion-dollar sector of the global economy, and it’s only going to get larger. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025, 10% of all freight will be carried by autonomous systems like self-driving cars and drones.

These changes are being made possible by a new generation of technologies that allow drones to fly themselves without human intervention. That has opened up an entirely new world of opportunities for drone applications in logistics.

For example:

A drone can autonomously fly itself to a specific location within a warehouse and take inventory of the goods. 

It can then send that data back to a central database which can automatically track where those goods are located as they move from warehouse to warehouse or from ship to shore.

The benefit of using automated drones, as opposed to humans who need to walk through a warehouse to count products.

• It allows for inventory counts and stock checks to be done faster. This means that if there is a sudden spike or dip in sales of a certain product, it can be detected faster and suppliers can then respond accordingly to meet customer demands.
• It also helps because there are no employees walking through warehouses where they could possibly trip over boxes and injure themselves.
• Not to mention the fact that it will allow for more human capital to be used in other areas of the company.
• Cut the costs for companies through increased efficiency and greater control over inventory management.
• And also fundamentally change the way we conduct business on a global scale.

So, the possibilities for this kind of technology are immense! 

Can Drone Delivery Business Be A Business?

YES. Drone delivery has been a dream of mankind for decades, but it is now becoming more realistic. However, the question remains whether the drone delivery business will be successful. 

The applications of last mile delivery using drones is applicable (but not limited to):

• Courier delivery
• Medicines delivery
• Hyperlocal delivery
• Food delivery
• On-demand local shipping

Currently, there are only a few companies that offer drone delivery services. For instance, Amazon has already announced its Prime Air service which delivers packages to its customers using drones.

Competition is likely to increase as more companies start offering similar services. As time passes by, there will be more competition in the market and they will have to change their strategies otherwise they will lose out.

How to Build a Drone Courier Delivery Business from the Scratch: Step by Step

Flight is the next step in the evolution of delivery services. The world has changed drastically in just a few decades—from physical mail to emails, faxes, and courier deliveries. Now, with the arrival of drones, the business world has witnessed yet another revolution.

The cost of drones is decreasing, making them an affordable option for small businesses. A company can use drones to save money on labor, especially in areas where labor costs are high. Companies also save money on fuel and car maintenance when they use drones for delivery services. 

Let’s look at some simple steps that could shape your drone delivery business plan:

1. Know the Laws Governing Your Industry

In order to avoid legal hassles, you need to know and understand the legal framework governing your drone delivery business. There could be regional as well as national laws that you need to adhere to before you start working on your project. So, conduct extensive research on this front and familiarize yourself with all the rules and regulations that apply to your business model before you take it live.

2. Find Out if There Are Any Other Players Operating

This is yet another step that will help you ascertain whether there are any players who already operate in your space or not. You can find out this information by talking to people at industry events or basically via networking.

3. Find the Best Development Team

As you move through the early stages of your business, it is important to gain knowledge and expertise that will help you make informed decisions. One of the most important decisions you will make is choosing a development partner for your app.

You want to find a partner that will understand your vision and be able to develop it into reality. Before you begin writing code, there are some key questions you should ask your potential development partner:

• Are you familiar with the drone delivery industry?

• Are they familiar with the FAA’s Part 107 regulation?

• Do they have experience developing apps for iOS and Android?
• Is their pricing competitive?

The team that is well informed, well experienced, and well managed, will deliver a faster, efficient, and best outcome! So, if a company can answer all the above questions, believe me, they are the best app development company for your business idea!

P.S: FAA’s part 107 regulations include commercial drone services rules also. These rules require any licensed drone pilot to have remote pilot certification whenever they operate commercial drones.

4. Actually Launch Your Business/ Tie Up As Logistics Partners

There are innumerable possibilities for the drone courier delivery business. For instance, Skye Air is a rising drone delivery company that has recently tied up with AirGo Design to join its Drone Logistics business.

Or, you can also try launching your own drone business by creating your own app for grocery delivery, medicine delivery, etc through drones.

5. Market Your Drone Delivery Business For Profit

Have you had a look at the Amazon Air website? The aesthetics are wow! And, Amazon is also active in social media promotions, right? Well, some basic promotional tactics like these we must follow. And these must help you enter the market with a great first impression. So, always look up for a team that delivers not just your app, but also provides a solid marketing strategy for it.

Takeaway: How Does Drone Delivery Look In The Future?

It is a good startup idea as it is fresh and needs more firms to take up the challenge. Drone delivery is definitely going to jump up becoming a booming industry in the future. Because of its time-efficient and cost-saving process.

Startups are always looking for the perfect development team that can fit in with their culture, deliver excellent work and at the same time be easy to work with. Idea Usher is a mobile app development company that helps organizations by providing high-quality software solutions that improve customer experience, increase sales, reduce costs and boost productivity.

So, while the competition is less and the scope is more, let’s build a drone delivery app together!

For more information, contact us.

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FAQs

What is the best drone for delivering packages?

There are many that could be considered. However, some popular names are:

• Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift delivery drone
• Matternet M2 parcel delivery drone
• Rakuten Tenku delivery drone

Are any medicine delivery drone services also?

Sure there is! Deutsche Post AG is a parcel delivery company that tested medicine delivery in 2013. And it is now delivering many medical samples, vaccines, and much more in remote regions of the US. Microdrones are used for such delivery services.

Is the drone delivery courier business profitable?

Yes, In fact, according to Statista reports, the drone delivery market will generate 4.9 billion dollars of revenue by 2030.

How much does it cost to start a drone courier business?

It is a great startup idea with a possible feasible budget plan if taken care of few things like:

• Licensing cost
• Drone cost
• Software development cost

There are many ways like finding investors, starting with a few drones and a smooth running app, or forming a tie-up, to get a feasible startup built.

Which company launched its first courier delivery by drones business?

There are so many drone services that simultaneously worked on launching their first drone services. However, Amazon was the first company that announced its commercial drone delivery project using UAVs in December 2013.

Is last mile delivery via drones legal?

Yes, in 2020 last-mile deliveries were approved by FAA (Federal Administration Aviation) in the US.