Own a Small Business? A New Amazon Program Could Help You Make an Additional $27,000 a Year. The program officially started on Monday and could be a boon for small businesses.
By Madeline Garfinkle Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
On Monday, Amazon launched a program that will pay small businesses — from florists to autobody shops — to help make deliveries, Axios first reported.
Through Amazon Hub Delivery, the company will drop off packages to small businesses, which will then deliver them to local customers' doorsteps and get paid per package. Amazon says that small businesses can make up to $27,000 per year by opting into the system.
To jumpstart the program, Amazon is recruiting 2,500 small businesses in 23 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota and Washington.
Related: Amazon Is Now Charging a Fee For Some UPS Store Returns
The aim is to have local businesses complete the "last mile" of the delivery process. Hub partners would typically make 30 deliveries per day, seven days a week (except major holidays), per Axios.
Amazon hopes the program will help "create opportunities for delivery partners interested in growing a business ... and supplementing their income," Beryl Tomay, vice president of Amazon Last Mile Delivery and Technology, told the outlet.
Small businesses that join the program don't need to have delivery experience or sign a long-term contract, and Amazon says that Hub partners will get weekly direct deposits for their completed deliveries.
The areas where Amazon is recruiting small businesses range from big cities like New York and Los Angeles to smaller cities and rural areas such as West Fargo, North Dakota and North Perkin, Illinois.
Related: Amazon Driver Donates $10,000 to Charity After Being One of the Most 'Thanked' Drivers
