Thanks everyone's feedback, very much appreciated. especially to Spruce
Yeah, I going to just get a van first with a budget of around £3500. (hope thats sufficient enough)
http://www.gumtree.com/p/vans/nissan-primastar-2.0l-diesel-...low-mileage-98000....1owner...year2008/1099560467
how's does that one look?
is there any requirement in term of size of the van?
It doesn't look too bad. I always get suspicious when there are numerous photos of the outside but none of the inside cargo area. The condition of the inside cargo is the best way to tell whether a van has been treated well or not. If its a mess, dented wheel arches and damaged trim panels then its been abused no matter what the outside tells you.
Is it a dealer or a private sale?
You also need to check that everything is working as it should be. We all know these have gearbox issues so a good service history and gearbox are very important. If you can, get the oil in the gearbox inspected. Removing the filler plug and sticking your pinkie in will give you a good idea about the box. If the oil is milky, walk away.
If it has had a gearbox replacement, try to find out who did it and what they did. Most reconditioned boxes are fitted with secondhand parts from other old gearboxes and will usually fail again.
And of course Ian101 is right. If you don't have any customers then the rest is futile. You might be better starting off with a small outlay and working traditionally until you can get a round together before investing in wfp equipment.