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Starting a taxi company
http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32935		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Jayk [ Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Starting a taxi company
Hello there, I'm new in this forum and this is my first post.

Basically I wanted to ask for help and advice about setting up a taxi company with a couple of friends. I live in a small town with about 70,000 people population and there is already about 6 small and medium size taxi companies. But I want to set up another company starting off with about 10 drivers and build it from there.

I was thinking about getting some PDAs and a despatch system. I would like to know if someone could advise which is the best systems to get, like Datamaster, iCabby or Autocab etc and do you have to pay monthly for them. And also which PDAs?

And any other setting up advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
I wish you well.

I don't know if the firms you mentioned offer systems for small 10 car companies.

My view is that pen and paper or whats app would be more suitable for firms of that size.

How do you intend to get drivers/vehicles and work?
Author:  Jayk [ Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
We are planning on starting with about 10 drivers and by end of the first year to have about 20 and then 30 by the end of the 2nd year.

We thought that we would ask our friends who are working as hacks to use our PDAs. Never thought about using WhatsApp. Worth thinking about, if only for the cost saving.

We are planning on leafleting businesses and homes.

Also advertising on Google and Facebook.

Has anyone used these before and if yes, would you be able to tell us please about some of the pros and cons of these methods of advertising?
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
I think having a good website is a must for all companies, new/old large/small. Nowadays the kids use that for cab numbers.

Using existing drivers will be a lot easier than recruiting new drivers, particular when you are starting from scratch.

Have you considered buying one of the existing firms?
Author:  Jayk [ Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
We’ve ruled out buying existing firms cos they’re too expensive. We will have a website as well and hopefully an app for bookings.
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
most systems are just data via mobile phones dressed up as a "PDA", till you have 10 working busy cars a base op can send out much the same job requests over a wassap/messenger/others or text group, dont rush to spen monet when you dont need to
Author:  Jayk [ Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
If we started out with about 10 drivers, would it not be quite slow to type up all the job details and send it out via WhatsApp to each individual driver, or would all drivers get the job details?

One of our potential partners who may join us already has a successful taxi business in another town and he is the one who suggested that he will get 20 PDAs to start with and distribute these out to any hacks who we can persuade to use these and work for us.

Initially he said for the first couple of weeks to charge no rent to the hack drivers and then charge a reduced rent for another couple of weeks till the customers start coming.
Author:  edders23 [ Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
don't bank on pulling loads of drivers in because usually the only way new firms get a foot in the door is by buying the trade i.e. undercutting so not many will want to work for less. You need to find some quality good priced work to attract drivers

Don't bother leafleting it doesn't work the only way to get your number out there is to get punters in your cars to take a card

there are a lot of sharks out there trying to sell memorable numbers but the best way is to phone a few and work out which ones aren't in use or if a local business has recently ceased trading make a note of it and see if when you take on a line you can have that number

And above all DO YOUR RESEARCH make sure there is a market out there that isn't already saturated :wink:
Author:  Sussex [ Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
Jayk wrote:
If we started out with about 10 drivers, would it not be quite slow to type up all the job details and send it out via WhatsApp to each individual driver, or would all drivers get the job details?

Whats app has a number of different versions, I believe one can be used via desktops, and one that you can send messages out to a number contacts but their replies can only be seen by the admin.

There are also similar systems so it might be worth spending a time on google checking.

But don't spend bundles until you are getting bundles back.
Author:  Jayk [ Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. You've given us lots to think about and look into before we make our final decision. It is worrying cos a lot can go wrong so we are still in two minds. I think the biggest costs are going to be the booking clerks wages and the despatch system so we'll have to investigate these further.

And of course the critical thing is to get reliable hack drivers who will work for us even at busy times, cos especially on weekends some hack drivers switch off from office work and work the streets.
Author:  grandad [ Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
Are you intending doing any of the driving or the booking/dispatch work yourselves?
Author:  Jayk [ Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
We are intending to do the driving ourselves along with other drivers that will work with us. We may also do the bookings ourselves sometimes when we are trained up and if staff call in sick or don’t turn up for work.
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
Jayk wrote:
We are intending to do the driving ourselves along with other drivers that will work with us. We may also do the bookings ourselves sometimes when we are trained up and if staff call in sick or don’t turn up for work.


Trained up?

Quote:
Hello?
From?
To?
Date?
Time?
How many people?


Rota the investors and drivers to do a shift or 2 per week
Author:  grandad [ Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
wannabeeahack wrote:

Rota the investors and drivers to do a shift or 2 per week

Do you mean "employ them"?
Author:  Jayk [ Sat Jun 30, 2018 1:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Starting a taxi company
By trained up I mean in using the despatch software. And I think we would have to pay the owners / investors an hourly wage for when they work as booking clerks.
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