Month: October 2025

You’d like to have a career where you could help people, while making good money doing it. Certainly being your own boss would be nice. Working when you want to work, charging what you’d like to charge. But what could you do that would fulfill all those wishes? Simple, starting your own senior errand service.

Running errands for seniors is a great way to make nice money, while doing something for senior citizens. Many are homebound and unable to complete errands that most of us do every week, such as grocery shopping, stopping at the bank, picking up dry cleaning, and more.

Starting your own senior errand service is not a get-rich-quick scheme, nor do you need specialized training be able to do it. It probably won’t pay for your mansion in Hawaii or that jet plane you’ve had your eye on. But you can make a nice amount of money without working long hours. How much? A typical errand service business  charge between $20 and $35 an hour, depending on their location. The national average is $30 an hour. If you work a 40-hour week, that could mean $50,000 a year.

When charging your customers, most errand runners charge by the hour instead of by the task. If a customer asks you to do an errand that is outside of your normal range, consider charging them a mileage rate as well. The IRS currently allows 58 cents a mile for business-related travel. Many errand runners have adopted this rate for themselves.

In addition to the normal tasks you’ll be asked to do, consider offering others, such as pet and house sitting. Most errand runners charge between $15 and $25 for a half-hour visit. That means you can make between $30 and $50 an hour pet or house sitting! In the case of pet sitting, you’d most likely be performing the normal daily tasks you do with your own pets: feeding them, taking them out for a bathroom break or walk, and giving them the love and attention they deserve.

If you’re asked to do an errand outside of your normal business hours or on a holiday, it’s a good idea to charge your customers more. Many charge an extra $6 an hour for errands done outside normal hours and an additional $10 an hour for errands done on holidays. It is also customary for a customer to give you notice 24 hours ahead of time if they’d like your services, and/or 24 hours ahead of time if they need to cancel your errands for that day.

You can make good money fairly easily by becoming an errand runner for seniors. You get to help seniors, plus make good money doing it.

With 50 million Americans over age 65 and 6 million over 85, the senior service business has become a cottage industry, requiring everyone from home health care workers to gardeners to fall prevention specialists. One of the fastest growing senior service businesses is running errands for those in their golden years.

As seniors age, they often have difficulty getting around to run routine errands. By providing a service that takes care of everyday errands, seniors can continue to enjoy an independent life at home rather than in a care facility. It is also a wonderful way to make a living while making a difference in the lives of our elders.

What services to offer: Most errand runners specializing in seniors run basic errands, such as grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions or dry-cleaning and taking a pet to the groomer or vet. Others include transportation services, such as driving clients to doctor’s appointments or shopping.

Cost to start: The basics are a dependable car and a cell phone with voice mail. You’ll need business cards to hand out to prospective clients, as well as a simple flyer or brochure to leave at places like the local senior center. If you’re doing a lot of personal shopping for clients, you’ll want to have a camera built in to your cell phone to take pictures.

Skills required: This is a simple business, but you should be a well-organized person, as you’ll often be shopping – groceries, for example – for several clients at the same time. If you’re a “people person” who enjoys helping others, you’ll do well. Folks over 40 do better, as seniors tend to trust those closer to their own age than a much younger person.

Marketing your services: In the senior marketplace, trust is everything, and your first customers will tell their friends after you’ve gained their trust, and soon you will have all the customers you can handle. Pass out business cards to everyone you meet, and consider having a 25% off coupon printed on the back of the card for new customers only. This accomplishes two goals. First, people will keep your card rather than throw it away because of the coupon. Second, your cost of getting new customers with this method is zero, as you’ll still make money when they hire you the first time.

Every community has a senior center and over-55 communities. Most will allow you to run an inexpensive classified ad in their monthly newsletter. Do that every month until you’re too busy to take any new clients.

Legal requirement: You’ll need to get a business license from your local town or county. If you plan to use a fictitious business name, find out what’s required by your town, county or state. If you’re using your car for business, especially if you’re driving clients to appointments or shopping, check with your insurance agent to make sure you have the right policy to cover your activities.

Getting into the errand business is quite easy and shouldn’t take you long. It’s a profitable and fun career where you help others and make good money doing it. Still you might have some questions before you’re ready to get started. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:

1. What does an errand runner do?

An errand runner does just that – they run errands for people who are unable to – typically seniors. Most of their jobs are normal everyday tasks, such as getting groceries, stopping at the post office, running to the bank, and more.

2. What hours do you have to work?

As an errand runner, you set your schedule. Generally most of your jobs will be in the daytime, but there might be some nighttime work if you’d like. Remember, you’re in charge, so you can work when you want to work, whether it’s between 8:00 and 6:00, or just a few hours in the afternoon.

3. How much can you get paid?

Errand runners typically make between $25 and $40 an hour, depending on what part of the country they live in. The national average is currently $30 an hour.

4. Do you need insurance?

You will need some insurance. You’ll need auto insurance in particular. Some states will require you to have commercial auto insurance, because you’ll be using your car to run errands. Some might also require you to have special insurance if you transport seniors or pets or drive a customer’s car. Check with your state or insurance agent to find out more.

5. Can you work part-time?

You can work as much or as little as you’d like. You don’t have to be a full-time errand runner to make good money or get jobs. Running errands can be a second job, a way to make extra cash, or whatever you’d like. You decide.

6. Is it expensive to get started?

Not at all. The two main items necessary for a successful business are a car and cell phone. Chances are you already have those. You’ll also need insurance. After that, your expenses are fairly minimal.

7. What supplies do you need?

You’ll need a car and cell phone. A computer will help you as another way to contact customers. You should also have a day planner or other way to keep track of your schedule. An organized errand runner is a successful errand runner. If you prefer to use your computer, you could try Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar. For promotional purposes, business cards are something you should consider buying, as well as magnetic signs. These can be great, inexpensive promotion.

8. Are there free ways to advertise?

There sure is. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to advertise. Do a good job and one of your customers might mention you to their friend. Also, consider writing up a press release and sending it in to your local newspaper. There’s a good chance they’ll be eager to write an article about your exciting new business, especially because it’s one that does good things for the community. Also, don’t forget about the many possibilities online, such as a  website or blog, and web sites such as Craigslist.org that allow you to advertise for free.

9. Do you need any training or certifications?

None. Are you a compassionate person who loves to help others? Good, you have what it takes to be an errand runner.

10. Is there really a lot of work in this field?

There are currently 50 millions senior citizens and according to the U.S. Administration on Aging, that number is expected to double by 2030. Recession or not, people will continue to age, and many will become unable to complete errands. So what does that mean for you? A lot of potential work as an errand runner.Becoming a successful errand runner shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg or be too difficult. With a little hard work and some compassion for others, you’ll be on your way to being an all-star errand runner.