Trying To Locate A Location For A Delivery Service, Any Suggestions?

[medmaker420]

Trying to learn from those who have already gotten an office/retail space. What was said, best way to approach the landlord and so forth. Don't want to say too much OR say too little. Want things to be 100% by the book.

The thing is, it would be a 100% delivery service but would be ran out of an office space that would not be publicly known. I don't want to open up a dispensary until I have more capital to allow for a solid location, remodeling and product and medicine acquisition.

The location I am looking at is under 700 sq ft, just a small spot but large enough for me and a couple others to get a solid delivery service rolling in my area.

Allow myself to expand as needed BUT first, getting the landlord to agree to the lease itself. Any thoughts or help let me know.

 

[ocean99]

Dude, getting a location is just throwing in variables you don't need. Not good business sense, imo. Get a big ass rapist van with no windows, plenty big for anything a delivery service would need as far as cache goes.

 

[medmaker420]

Big Ass Rapist Van, check...

I need the location, wanting to have the medicine there, allow the delivery drivers pick up and drop off, field incoming/outgoing calls and so on.

I understand what you are saying but I really think an actual business address and location would make solid business sense.

 

[Feijao]

Medmaker do you have any idea how many deliveries you would make a day? I also agree that an empty office building centrally located would help all involved. If your company was able to deliver 24/7 I think a commercial spot would be much better as well. Cars coming and going all night residentialy could become a headache for you very soon, especially if renting.

Screw the van and go with a fleet of little hybrids of some sort. You should never have enough stuff on you at one time that you might need a van. You would get better gas mileage and that might add up to rent if you have 4 cars running 7 days a week.

 

[trybud]

it makes good business sense if you're not selling a semi-legal product.just another paper trail you'll create for storage space (hey! theres an idea!!!! a storage unit!!!) a storage unit is your best bet for starting up(works for a friend of mine).....good luck

 

[johnnyla]

Rape Van. hahahaha.

 

[kmk420kali]

Just remember...if you do not have your Non-Profit Business...all the permits and shit you need, BTW, I believe you need the same things for a Delivery Service that you do with a Dispensary...then you are simply "Slangin'"--

 

[medmaker420]

Setting everything up fully legit, not trying to "slang" at all lol. Not trying to get busted for something I can do legally at least city/state wide.

I was planning on using drivers on motorcycles including myself. Not looking for a 24/7 operation and people wouldn't be allowed to pick up the medicine from the office location BECAUSE that would not be made aware of to the patients. In that fashion there would be ZERO foot traffic minus the drivers and office workers fielding calls and other medicinal errands that could come up.

I want it to have normal business hours for sure, 9-7 but 7 days a week. Allow those getting off work at 5pm to be there for the delivery.

Just getting all of the paperwork dealt with currently but wanted to know the best way to approach the landlords especially since my business model wouldn't have "dispensary foot traffic" at all. Still don't see that being an issue myself BUT have seen that come up a time or two.

Either way, it would mainly be a storage area, with a call center, security, and I want my own grow area in the back. Keep the building unmarked, the business address would be the p.o box itself and all orders would be dealt with from the website or over the phone. Allow online, phone, fax style of verification, need proof of id and med rec for each and every delivery.

I know a couple owners and am talking with them on the do's and don't as well as checking with a few classes (most seem like a waste of time BUT great place to locate owners, previous owners and up to date information).

I found some great software as well which was developed specifically for dispensaries and delivery services so depending on the price I might start using that at first.

The delivery service needs a few less things so far is what I am hearing but for the most part the same exact business model minus NEEDING a business location as far as zoning BUT if I want to do a delivery/with office I am going to find out if I need to set it up exactly like a dispensary whether it operates as a dispensary with foot traffic or like a delivery service where all orders are 100% delivered with 0% pick up available.

 

[+Vibes]

do you need any delivery cyclists?

 

[Sleepy]

wow, can you really do that?

it seems like the keeping the location anonymous would be the hard part...no walk-in traffic...hmmm...a few Blackberry-type devices and some bicycles may help...courier service stuff...

man...what a world!

 

[r13f]

you definitely want more than just mc for delivery - the wet season is coming
other than that, best of luck &
try to find a "down" landlord, it will go smoother if you ain't hiding/stressing too much

 

[chronichydro]

to be honest and not really trying to sound paranoid but a medical marijuana delivery service trying to hide within an office with no foot traffic and yet still advertising somehow would raise the wrong eyebrows....if you think "the man" isn't aware of all businesses with questionable products and/or services you are truly setting yourself up for a very rude awakening...i think your first order of business should be to consult with a very good lawyer and develop a plan with yourself and any staff you might hire as to any appropriate responses to any legal actions...what if they decide to harass you....take all your stock as evidence and freeze all monies just to release them before a court date could your business model survive that? what about insurance on a marijuana delivery vehicle?....what about security?...many many questions....good luck

 

[ocean99]

You're gonna need a big ass impenetrable fortress safe, what if someone follows you back to the office?? WHAT THEN?

 

[opt1c]

just be upfront about it; most landlords just want to get a tenant in for rent money in this economy... i've had landlords call city hall to see if they were properly zoned; treat it like a storefront location but don't be open to the public; in those regards i'd look into industrial parks and other larger office complexes.. if the zoning is proper only the city where know where you are and if you want to be legit they're going to know end of story

 

[medmaker420]

I don't care if the building is known to the city, of course it will be. We will have the business ran out of there HOWEVER our contact information will be online, phone, email and p.o. box only.

Will people find out where we are? SURE, but we still are not going to have foot traffic in that aspect, if someone "followed me back", reason for having our own personal security just like any business would. Not trying to think of the million "what if's" because they can be thought about with any business. Anything "could" happen for sure BUT looking at it in a positive way, keeping everything 100% legit and doing things by the book.

If and when I decide to go to a "dispensary" business model later, I would then simply setup a retail/office storefront . I could still keep the first building to still do the delivery side and "medicine stocking" from and then do the dispensary/retail out of the store front building.

First things

1. P.O. Box - I can start small with this alone, business license, sellers permit and so on
2. Small Office/Warehouse - Grow and Setup the intake/patient order calls and drivers pick up medicine and drop off money to.
3. Storefront Building + Small Office - Keep the office running as it currently is, add the retail option to start allowing foot traffic in, stock the retail shop from the office building.

I think in the above fashion, it will be easy to be as small or big as a person wants. Not sure if I will take it to step 2 or 3 for that matter BUT always better to have potential end goals for any business venture and the above 3 were the ones I saw possible.

 

[Harvest]

hey med maker do you know the specific permits and liscences you need to open in ca?

 

[yortbogey]

find a "local" pizza shop and go in with them.......hot pie and medz togo
U'll make alandslide and corner a niche in the MMJ market........

 

[medmaker420]

Yortbogey, looking into that opportunity as we speak and we'll see how it pans out.

 

[medmaker420]

That's all the stuff I am going to be going through currently. Getting all of that information together and seeing how simple it ends up. I know a few who have opened their doors with zero issues so I will start by asking them, getting information from those who have already been there/done that.

I will however NOT open the delivery service until I have all permits, licenses needed to be 100% within the local/state law for sure.

hey med maker do you know the specific permits and liscences you need to open in ca?