General Errand Running Service

Run errands for busy professionals, families, and seniors

Startup Cost
$3,000-$15,000
Difficulty
Beginner
Time to Profit
2-6 months
Profit Potential
$5,000-$25,000/month

Overview

Errand running services generate $60,000-$300,000 annually with 60-80% margins.

In 2025, time-starved professionals value convenience.

Revenue from hourly rates ($25-$50 per hour), per-errand pricing ($15-$40 per task), monthly packages ($200-$800), mileage fees, and membership programs.

Services include grocery shopping and delivery, prescription pickup, post office and shipping, dry cleaning and laundry, retail shopping and returns, and gift shopping and wrapping.

Successful services provide reliable trustworthy assistants, communicate updates via text/photo, offer flexible scheduling, bundle multiple errands efficiently, and build recurring client base.

Busy professionals and families as clients.

Marketing through neighborhood apps (Nextdoor), professional networks, senior communities, concierge medicine, and referrals.

Required Skills

  • Time Management
  • Customer Service
  • Reliability
  • Organization
  • Communication
  • Driving

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Low startup costs
  • Flexible schedule and hours
  • Growing demand from busy people
  • Can start solo and scale with staff
  • Recurring monthly clients

Cons

  • Vehicle wear and tear
  • Unpredictable errand timing
  • Weather affects outdoor errands
  • Building trust with clients takes time
  • Income variable based on bookings

How to Get Started

  1. Get business insurance and background check
  2. Set pricing structure (hourly or per-errand)
  3. Create booking and communication systems
  4. Market to busy professionals and families
  5. Run errands reliably with photo updates
  6. Build recurring client base
  7. Scale with additional errand runners

Explore More Personal Errand Services Ideas

Discover additional business opportunities in this category.

View All Personal Errand Services Ideas →