Module 1 Know your customer and market 4 hAnalyse
Every sound business in package delivery services begins with one clear customer and one clear problem. In São Paulo and the wider state, demand is real but crowded, so a small, well-described customer group wins before a broad one.
- In package delivery services: Senders care about price and tracking; receivers care about time and safe hand-over.
- Write the customer in one sentence: a sender and a receiver. Add the place, the moment of need and what they use today.
- List five rivals or substitutes within reach. For each, record price, strength, weakness and how people reach it.
- Interview at least eight real customers with open questions. Record exact words, not your summary.
- Count the market in units: how many parcels could one area buy in a month? Use two public sources and your own count, then take the lower figure.
- Choose one first segment and say why the others wait.
Worked example. Weak: 'Everyone needs a last-mile parcel service.' Strong: 'Our first customer is a sender and a receiver within 8 km of the centre, who today pays R$ 15 per parcel and complains about delay. We target 3.600 parcels a month by month three.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: ten customers are interviewed for package delivery services. Seven say price, two say speed, one says trust. Question: which first message do you write, and which interview record backs it? Model answer: lead with the parcel price and speed promise, keep trust proof as the second line, and cite the seven price answers by date.
Activity. Write the one-sentence customer, a five-row rival table and eight interview records. Share them with a peer for a challenge round.
Standard to meet. Define a specific customer, build a rival table with prices, and trace every claim to an interview or a source.
Module 2 Rules, registration and data duties in Brazil 4 hUnderstand
Brazil asks every trader to be visible and accountable. Know which register, tax regime and sector rules apply before the first sale, and check each against the current official text.
- In package delivery services: Couriers follow transport and traffic rules; riders need protective gear and valid papers.
- Choose a legal form: micro-entrepreneur (MEI) only if your activity appears on the official MEI list, or a company registered with a CNPJ. Regulated activities need their sector authorisation first. Check the current limits and lists on the official portal.
- Learn the tax regime that fits your size and write down which taxes you will collect and pay, and when.
- Find the sector rules for package delivery services: licences, inspections, professional registers. List each with the office that issues it and the renewal date.
- Personal data of customers falls under Brazil's data protection law (LGPD). Collect only what you need, say why, keep it safe, and name who answers questions.
- Consumer law gives buyers clear rights on information, returns and complaints. Put your terms in plain Portuguese.
Worked example. Checklist for a new package delivery services trader: 1) legal form (CNPJ, or MEI only if your activity is on the official list); 2) city operating licence; 3) sector licence or register; 4) tax set-up; 5) privacy notice; 6) written terms. Each has an owner and a date.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a neighbour says registration can wait until the first R$ 70 of sales. Question: what do you do? Model answer: do not delay; write the compliance table first, confirm the register, tax and sector licence with the official office, and start only where the table shows no open blocker.
Activity. Build your own six-line compliance table for your first location. Mark what is done, what is pending and who confirms it.
Standard to meet. Cite an official source for every line, assume nothing, and date every pending item. Local law always wins over this course.
Module 3 Design the offer 4 hCreate
An offer states what the customer gets, how well, by when and at what price. For a last-mile parcel service, the offer must make the quality visible and the next step easy.
- In package delivery services: Offer clear tiers: same day, next day, economy, with scanning at each hand-over.
- Describe the core offer in three lines: what is delivered (a last-mile parcel service), the standard it meets, and the time it takes.
- Add one proof for each promise: a sample, a test result, a guarantee or a customer record.
- Price from cost upward and from customer value downward, then pick a price inside both.
- Write a simple one-page terms sheet: what is included, what is extra, how to cancel.
- Create two options at most, so choice stays easy.
Worked example. Offer: 'A last-mile parcel service, delivered within agreed time, checked against a written standard, price R$ 14 per parcel. Proof: a dated record the customer can check and sign. Changes or cancellation by written agreement before work begins.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a customer asks for a discount from R$ 14 to R$ 13 per parcel. Question: decide with numbers. Model answer: contribution falls from R$ 5 to R$ 4 per parcel; offer an extra of value (for example faster service) before cutting price, and accept only if the lower contribution still clears break-even.
Longer notes. Define your area, vehicle and cargo: documents, small parcels or food. Walk the area and mark pickup points, narrow streets and the hours when roads jam. Create a rate table by distance band and weight, with an extra charge for waiting and return trips. Write a delivery promise with time windows and say what happens when nobody is home. Prepare a receipt with date, address, recipient name and a photo of the parcel. Calculate fuel, upkeep and your time per trip. List the items you refuse to carry and confirm vehicle papers and cargo insurance with an insurer before the first run.
Extra worked example. A shop sends 150 parcels a month, a worked-example volume. At R$ 14 per parcel the income is 150 x R$ 14 = R$ 2.100. Rider pay, fuel and packaging cost R$ 9 per parcel, or R$ 1.350, leaving R$ 750, or R$ 5 per parcel. Against R$ 22.000 of fixed cost a month, break-even is R$ 22.000 / R$ 5 = 4.400 parcels. If traffic raises the variable cost to R$ 11, an assumed figure, the margin is R$ 3 and break-even becomes 7.334 parcels.
Activity. Write the offer card, the proof list and the terms sheet. Test them with three customers and note every point where they hesitated.
Standard to meet. Check that promise, proof and price are consistent, fit the terms on one page, and record three customer reactions.
Module 4 Run the work step by step 5 hApply
Good operations make results repeatable. For package delivery services, write each step so a new person could follow it on their first day, and measure each step.
- In package delivery services: Cluster addresses by zone and set cut-off times to fill routes.
- Map the process from first contact to paid and closed. Typical stages: enquiry, quote, preparation, delivery of the parcel, check, payment, follow-up.
- Name the key resource at each stage: scanned hand-overs. Note what happens if it is missing.
- Write a one-page standard procedure per stage: who, what, tool, time, record.
- Choose three measures: speed, quality (errors per 100) and customer rating. Review them every week.
- Fix the cause of a defect, not the symptom. Ask 'why' five times and record the answer.
Worked example. Stage record: 'Prepare. Owner: lead. Time: 30 min. Tool: checklist. Record: signed sheet. Defect found on 1 of 1.500 parcels last week; cause: missing check on scanned hand-overs; fix: add check at start, review next Friday.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: of 6.000 parcels last month, 360 had a defect traced to scanned hand-overs. Question: what is the defect rate and what is your first action? Model answer: about 6 defects per 100; stop the cause (add a check at the start), correct affected customers, log the cause, and re-measure next week.
Activity. Draw the process map and write procedures for the two riskiest stages. Run each once and time it.
Standard to meet. Write procedures a stranger can follow, record weekly numbers for each measure, and trace one defect to a root cause.
Module 5 Safety, quality and risk 4 hEvaluate
The most serious risk in this field is a lost parcel or a missed address. A calm, written risk routine protects people first and the business second.
- In package delivery services: Road injury and parcel theft are key risks; train on safe riding and secure drop.
- List ten things that could go wrong. Score each for how likely (1 to 5) and how serious (1 to 5). Multiply and sort.
- For the top five, choose a control: remove the hazard, replace it, guard it, train people, or use protective gear, in that order of preference.
- Write who does what in an emergency, and rehearse it once a quarter.
- Keep an incident and near-miss log. Near-misses are free lessons.
- Check that insurance and legal duties match the risk you actually carry.
Worked example. Risk row: 'Hazard: a lost parcel or a missed address. Likelihood 3, severity 5, score 15. Control: written check before each parcel, trained staff, log sheet. Owner: site lead. Review monthly.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a near-miss occurs: a lost parcel or a missed address nearly happened but no one was hurt. Question: what do you do in the next 24 hours? Model answer: make safe, record the event, ask the five whys, add or tighten one control, brief the team, and set a review date; near-misses count as lessons, not blame.
Activity. Build a ten-row risk register and a one-page emergency plan. Run a ten-minute drill with a peer and note two improvements.
Standard to meet. Rank controls by preference for the top risks, run the drill, and start the log. Where a regulation applies, follow the official rule.
Module 6 People, skills and service 4 hApply
People deliver the promise. Define roles, train to a standard and give feedback in the open.
- In package delivery services: Pay and schedule riders fairly; review fatigue and incidents.
- Write a role card for each person: purpose, five tasks, the standard for each, and who to ask for help.
- Train by showing, doing with support, then doing alone with a check. Record sign-off per task.
- Set service rules for answering customers: reply times, tone, how to apologise and fix.
- Hold a ten-minute team check each day: yesterday's problem, today's plan, one risk.
- Build a growth path: what a new person can do in week 1, month 3 and month 12.
Worked example. Training record: 'Task: process a complaint. Shown 2 May; done with support 4 May; done alone 8 May, checked: apology, fix, follow-up call. Signed by lead.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a new hire completes training but a customer complaint shows a skipped step. Question: whose gap is it? Model answer: first the system: check the role card, the training sign-off and the checklist; then coach the person and fix the document so the step cannot be skipped.
Longer notes. Bring couriers on carefully. Ride a test route with each applicant and score parking, handling and polite contact. Give a one-page route guide listing the order of stops, how access codes are shared securely, and the rule to photograph every handover. Teach packing for fragile items and how to strap a load on a bike. Agree breaks and a maximum number of stops per shift. Ask couriers to call in at midday and at the end of the shift. Review lost, late and damaged parcels weekly without blame, noting the cause of each. Ask an accountant which contract type fits riders before you take on the first one.
Extra worked example. A rider is paid R$ 6 per parcel, which is part of the R$ 9 variable cost, and makes 40 parcels per shift; the 40 is a worked-example pace. One shift pays 40 x R$ 6 = R$ 240. Over 22 shifts a rider delivers 880 parcels and earns R$ 5.280. To cover 6.000 parcels a month you need 6.000 / 880, rounded up to 7 riders. Seven riders carry 6.160 parcels at full shifts, so check the last rider's route for empty stops before you hire another.
Activity. Write two role cards and a training plan for one new hire. Role-play a hard customer conversation twice and review.
Standard to meet. Write role cards with measurable standards, show the sign-off steps in training, and write the service rules in plain words.
Module 7 Money: cost, price and break-even 5 hAnalyse
A business lives or dies on a few numbers. Know your contribution per unit, your fixed costs and the volume you need.
- In package delivery services: Know cost per parcel and drops per hour; failed deliveries erase profit.
- Contribution per parcel = price minus variable cost. Fixed costs are paid whether you sell or not.
- Break-even units = fixed cost divided by contribution. Plan to pass it by a safe margin.
- Make a 12-month cash plan. Cash timing matters as much as profit: customers may pay late, suppliers may want money first.
- Keep money for business and money for the owner apart.
- Test the plan: what if sales fall by a quarter, or cost rises by a tenth?
Worked example. Worked example, all figures in reais: price R$ 14, variable cost R$ 9, contribution R$ 5 per parcel. Fixed cost R$ 22.000 a month. Break-even = R$ 22.000 / R$ 5 = 4.400 parcels a month. At 6.000 parcels a month, profit = R$ 5 x 6.000 - R$ 22.000 = R$ 8.000. These are teaching figures that belong to this example only; later examples and the case study use their own figures. Use your own.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: sales fall to 4.500 parcels a month. Question: what is the monthly result? Model answer: R$ 5 x 4.500 - R$ 22.000 = R$ 500; compare with break-even of 4.400 parcels and decide whether to cut fixed cost or raise volume first. Teaching figures only.
Activity. Build your own table: price, variable cost, contribution, fixed cost, break-even and a downside case at 75% of sales. Show it to a peer or mentor.
Standard to meet. Calculate correctly, give every figure a source or mark it as an assumption, and show a downside case.
Module 8 Grow, measure and renew 4 hEvaluate
Growth should follow proof. Measure, learn, then add; and keep returning to the customer.
- In package delivery services: Grow with dense zones and return handling.
- Pick one growth lever at a time: new customers, a higher repeat rate, a better price, or a new offer.
- Set one measurable target for 90 days, such as 'raise repeat customers from 20% to 30%'.
- Ask each customer how they found you, and record it. Spend more where the record shows results.
- Review monthly: numbers, defects, complaints, cash. Write three decisions each time.
- Plan the renewal of licences, equipment and skills a year ahead.
Worked example. 90-day plan: 'Lever: repeat customers. Action: follow-up call after every parcel. Target: repeat rate from 20% to 30%. Check: weekly count. Review date: day 45 and day 90.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: you can add 1.200 parcels a month by one of two levers: a follow-up call to past customers or a price rise of R$ 1 to R$ 15. Question: how do you choose? Model answer: test the cheaper reversible lever first (the call), measure for 30 days, and only then try the price change, so you can tell which one worked.
Longer notes. Count on-time deliveries, failed attempts and repeat senders every week. Compare routes by parcels per hour and cost per stop, then merge two thin routes into one. Call the five senders with the most failed attempts and fix the cause, such as a missing apartment number. Offer shops a fixed pickup time so parcels arrive in batches. Test whether a second vehicle is needed by checking if more than a quarter of requests are refused for lack of capacity. Record damage claims and their cost, and adjust packing rules. Send each sender a monthly summary.
Extra worked example. In this worked example, of 6.000 parcels, 5.340 arrive on the first attempt, which is 89%. There are 660 failed attempts, and each repeat trip costs R$ 9, so failures cost 660 x R$ 9 = R$ 5.940. After fixing addresses with senders, failures drop to 330, costing R$ 2.970. The failure counts are invented, not market data. The saving is R$ 2.970 for the month, about 37,1% of the month's R$ 8.000 profit. Keep the address checklist if the saving repeats.
Activity. Write a 90-day plan with one target, three actions and a review date. Present it in five minutes and take questions.
Standard to meet. Set a measurable, dated target, break the actions down small enough to start this week, and put the review date in the calendar.
