A Farmer’s Guide to Get Started with Delivery
5 Simple Steps to Get Started with Delivery
For the modern Independent Farmer, the "Blockbuster" model of requiring customers to come to you every time they need a product is a recipe for stagnant growth. In the Amazon-era, convenience wins, and Buyers will choose options that best fit their busy schedules.
Offering direct delivery from your Farm is one of the most effective ways to access the 99% of Buyers who do not attend Farmers Markets regularly. By delivering your products straight to your customers’ doorstep, you remove all the friction and make ordering from your Farm hassle-free.
If you want to become a staple part of your Buyers’ food budget and are ready to scale your Farm business, then follow this guide to build a successful delivery program.
1. Focus your Delivery Efforts
Efficiency is the cornerstone of a profitable delivery business. Instead of driving across three counties for a single order, focus your efforts on areas with a high concentration of Buyers.
Analyze Existing Buyers: Use your existing customer list to analyze where your Buyers live today by zip code. Narrow delivery zones to those zip codes with at least 5-7 customers to cover delivery costs.
Target Growing Communities: Look for neighborhoods with growing families or professional couples who prioritize local food, but lack the time to drive to your Farm or visit a market on the weekend.
Improve Profitability: By limiting delivery to specific zip codes on given days, you reduce your fuel and labor cost, while ensuring a more predictable schedule.
2. Make Delivery Windows Easy for Buyers
The goal of delivery is to accommodate the Buyer’s lifestyle. Most busy families and professional couples are not home during weekdays to receive perishable products. Subject to seasonal weather conditions, this can wreak havoc on your products.
To maximize convenience, make delivery available on weekday evenings and weekends. When a Buyer knows their Farm Box will arrive during their routine time at home, they are far more likely to commit to a purchase. This flexibility will also set your Farm Brand apart from big-box grocers who may offer limited pick-ups or inconvenient delivery windows.
3. Set Minimum Order Values
To protect your profit margins, you must limit delivery to products or orders of sufficient value. Driving 20 miles to deliver a single dozen eggs is not a sustainable business model.
Minimum Thresholds: Require a minimum order amount (e.g., $100+) to qualify for delivery. Consider limiting to a core set of high-value bundle boxes.
Delivery Fees: Charge a fixed delivery fee to ensure your labor and fuel costs are covered. Buyers are accustomed to paying for the convenience of delivery.
Incentivize Larger Carts: Offer free delivery only after a Buyer hits a higher price threshold, which encourages them to add "add-on" products like eggs, flowers and value-added products to their order.
4. Leverage Real-Time Communication
Trust is built through transparency. Buyers want to know exactly when their food will arrive, especially when dealing with staple proteins, produce and dairy products they consume regularly.
Leverage software that communicates driver status and delivery confirmations in real-time to Buyers. Sending an automated text or email when the order is "out for delivery" or "dropped off" provides peace of mind and builds loyalty. It also reduces the time your Farm spends answering "where is my order?", allowing you to focus on the Farm business.
5. Drive Recurring Revenue with Subscriptions
The most successful Farms use delivery to power Ongoing Subscriptions. While one-time purchases are great, Subscriptions provide Buyers with routine access to your products, and your Farm benefits from consistent cash flow.
Focus your delivery efforts on staple products, proteins, produce, and dairy, which are consumed regularly. By offering these as a recurring Subscription, you secure a "one-click" commitment from the Buyer.
"With Netflix, you just give them your credit card one time... your credit card is charged every month without you even thinking about it." – Farmer Alex
By offering this same convenience, your Farm can move more inventory and enjoy "money coming in at all times" while your Buyers enjoy food security.
Scale Your Farm with Barn2Door
Building a delivery empire doesn't have to be a logistical nightmare for your Farm business. If you’re looking to capitalize on Buyer demand for your Farm products, then direct delivery may be the accelerant your business needs to win with convenience. Barn2Door provides the software tools Independent Farmers need to make more money, ditch the office work and look like a pro.
Curious to learn more? Watch this 5-min Demo.