Heading into Spring, many places across the US are getting ready for the local market season! Whether it's just a farmer's market or your city's local farm stand, these both can be a favorite for many. Markets have all sorts of products, from fresh local produce and meats, plants and flowers, and even handmade baked goods or crafts, there is something for everyone. It's a good time to start thinking about whether you want to offer delivery from local markets to your clients.
Some things you should be aware of if you are wanting to offer delivery from local markets:
Not all vendors at the market will take credit cards, because of this it is always best for you to make sure you carry cash with you when shopping at the market for your clients. This way if they don’t accept credit cards you can pay with your cash and use the adjustment feature in the Boss app to get reimbursed from your client. (Adjustment limits vary, based on your Subscription plan. You can write in to the Help Center to double-check your limit.)
Make sure to bring your own bags as not all markets carry bags.
If you need to charge extra to stop at a market for your clients, make sure to let them know in writing (text or email) before you start the order and make sure they are ok with the added fee or reimbursement. You can use the adjustment feature to add on the extra fee or reimbursement.
Scheduling: Make sure to check out the market’s days and times and make your clients aware of when they can order from these places. Make sure to check out the surrounding areas to see what type of local markets they may have and when. You may need to change your availability to encompass these days or times.
You can combine a trip or gain more orders by letting clients who may be interested know that you are heading to the market ahead of time and offering to let them know what is available when you arrive.
If you want to offer delivery from local markets or stands, let’s go over how you can best do this for your clients. Once you have figured out all the details, make sure to let all your clients know that you are now providing delivery from their favorite local market or stand. You can utilize sites like Canva or Wordswag to create social media graphics.
Some things to include in your marketing would be:
More affordable produce or food products (by buying directly from the farm/bakery)
A fresher and more varied in-season variety of produce availability
Clients can avoid crowds and parking hassles by letting you go instead
Some markets may have additional things such as food trucks or craft vendors on specific days – you can deliver those too!
A way to get in contact with you such as your Dumpling URL and phone number.
The area(s) you service.