Day: June 27, 2020

3 Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Delivery Service Business

wayne June 27, 2020


5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


Online food delivery is a natural progression of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft that use crowdsourced labor as the delivery provider’s own infrastructure. The pandemic has caused a spike in demand due to health concerns and shelter-in-place. The hiring spree is eye-popping: Instacart announced in April that it’s hiring 300,000 shoppers while Amazon is looking to employ 175,000 new workers for its fulfillment centers and delivery network. Walmart is adding 50,000 people for distribution and FedEx is hiring 35,000 workers.

Related: 105 Service Businesses to Start Today

Entrepreneurs may consider starting a delivery business in their city. Startup costs can be low by using independent contractors and by licensing an appropriate app. Demand is certainly high. If done right, an operator may coordinate with grocery chains and distribution centers to sync systems. Or a small business could integrate with a large company’s IT infrastructure. One option that increases profits is to charge a mark-up for purchased items in addition to shipping fees. Or perhaps certify orders as prepared using stringent health practices to gain new customers.

But what can go wrong? Here are some

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Universities should support their most vulnerable students to champion education equity

wayne June 27, 2020

At a time when colleges and universities across America are typically reflecting on the achievements and milestones of the prior semester, capped by a celebration of the accomplishments of another talented class of graduates, they are instead reflecting on one unlike any other.

In an effort to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, presidents at institutions large and small had to send students home, shift to virtual instruction, and postpone commencement exercises. As they look to the fall semester, much more uncertainty lies ahead in the wake of likely state budget cuts, impacted endowments, and the decisions of current and prospective students who might reconsider their college choices. And, of course, college leaders continue to grapple with the implications of how to offer classes in the midst of a pandemic.

As leaders of the American Talent Initiative (ATI)—an alliance of 131 colleges and universities with graduation rates of at least 70% that have committed to ensuring the graduation of 50,000 additional lower-income students by 2025—we urge colleges and universities to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income students even as they chart an uncertain financial future. We issue this appeal with added urgency as the nation seeks to address issues …

Coronavirus telecommuters could face a tax nightmare

wayne June 27, 2020

As the COVID-19 outbreak battered Brooklyn in March, Beth and Ryan Carey decided to flee. The two educators and their toddler, Finn, drove nine hours south to stay with family in North Carolina. They have yet to return.

Like many others who left New York during pandemic, the Careys have discovered numerous upsides to leaving the city: a lower cost of living, ample space for Finn and their hound dog, Cash Money, to roam, a more leisurely pace of life. And since both can do their job remotely, the couple are tempted to leave the stresses of New York life behind for good.

But just because they may be ready to part ways with New York doesn’t mean the state is ready to part ways with them.

What is the ‘convenience rule’?

As it turns out, moving to another state—even one 500 miles away—doesn’t mean workers can escape the clutch of New York’s powerful tax collectors. The reason is a controversial tax policy, known as the “convenience rule,” which deems that those who work for a New York company are earning wages in the state even if they are telecommuting. In the view of the Albany tax gnomes, a move …