Taxi Driver Online

I am looking to get contracts for my office and am a bit unsure as to a few points if anybody can help!

I know I can advertise on my website and approach local businesses as to if they need taxis and that we can provide contracts etc

Where I am a bit stuck is to how do I know if they company is good for the money? Also, if the business takes say 10% for the paperwork etc do I need to charge the company more so the driver ends up with the same money as they would take off the office or would I need to underprice the work to get the contract then take 10% and the rest goes to the driver, am a bit unsure?

Any help would be good!

I would do a credit check on any large customers that require credit, other than councils/hospitals/schools/social services as your money is sort of guaranteed, although the payments could take ages to come through.

Most contracts are down to price, so if you put a 10% charge on the bill you might not gain too much work. If you discount drivers the 10% you might not clear the work.

If you do gain some councils/hospitals/schools/social services work I would visit the bank manager to get some sort of overdraft cover, but that will cost you.

I suppose it's all down to the work. I suspect drivers might swallow £100 jobs being discounted, but doubt they will £2.50 jobs.

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IDFIMH

what your offering is an account facility, unless its the same job every day as with a school run, when the county council will issue a contract, you wont get an actual contract for ad-hoc work.

you can get a credit check done (for a fee) but if its a ltd company you are granting credit to it means diddly (unless you get a directors guarantee, which is unlikely). Set a credit limit (what you can afford to lose) and state your terms from the start (30 days from invoiced) if they hit the credit limit dont do any more work without getting a cheque.....

as a base owner you just set a price with the customer, owner drivers get told what to put down for the run, 10% is the very least youd skim off the top, and if a driver objects dont give him the job again, send your own car....then its ALL yours!

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

The circuit I used to work from provided discounted fares to the larger hospital, school, social service contracts. They then charged 10% admin charge on top. For smaller customers who required an account the fares were charged at the usual rate and then the 10% was admin was added. Obviously the amount of work that is being done for a customer clearly decided whether or not a discount would be made available

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Thanks for the info.

I have been thinking along the lines of taking a little off the normal fare for customers who want account work with us which should make them as a regular, then take a small amount off for admin and then rest to the driver as its best to work more with slightly less money than more money and less work but will have to see what the drivers all say.

Thanks toots, thats a good idea as to how much discount depends on how much they spend over a certain amount of time, never really thought of that as not really had that much to do with contract work, but now the business growing am needing more contract work.

Where do you go to get credit checks done and how much does it cost does anyone know?

You just have to suck it and see, It's not always them that's got the Biggest funding that are the best payers...some ignore your Invoices for month's whilst other pay within days...you just to take a risk sometimes.

If you are looking at Ltd companies, i.e. not sole traders, partnerships etc, a look at their past accounts will give a bit of an idea. You can pay for this info but a lot of free info about companies is available on www.duedil.com. You do need a bit of an understanding of accounts to really grasp it but if you are looking at a bit commitment, get a copy of the co accounts and have you accountant cast his eye over it.

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Nobody told me to use my initiative. To err is human to arr is pirate.

BTW, understand how some pay...

lets say for this month (October)

I invoice for this month on friday (school breaks up plus end of month)

on November 15th ill get paid

HOWEVER, some bases/circuits will pay 30 days from invoiced - i.e. the END of November, some 14 days after that (December 14th), give em a cheque and thats another 7 days!

SO.... If i had a driver (owner) on my base doing it id invoice county and be paid Nov 15th, but wouldnt be paying the car for almost a month....and then taking 20% off mine to pay them....

If its a £2000 month im making £400 and paying slow, whilst the cars getting £1600 AND paying me base rents...£100/wk so ive had £1200 off the car and in effect hes paid himself!

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

You do realise you will have to charge VAT.

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IDFIMH

only if hes VAT regd...

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most