Ideas & Concepts: Another brainstorm

I think that there is probably a market for a paid designated driver that takes your car home for you. instead of paying a taxi and then having to go back and get it the next day.

I don't think you can make millions but can most likely make some fair money at it. Plus it would be easy to run as a side gig on the weekends.

part of me is skeptical in that i don't think much money can be made. but, the overhead costs are drastically reduced relative to a regular taxi service - you're not paying for the car, gas, or maintenance, and i'm not sure how insurance would factor in. but you can charge the same as a taxi, so your profit margins go way up.

jdoc - you say the rates where lower than taxis? That'd be rough to accomplish but I guess possible. Just thinking that I'd have to be paying two ppl ya know. I was thinking perhaps a cheaper per mile fee than taxis and then a flat $10 or so to make sure your car is home safe.

Which if you break it down...from where I live now it's appx $15 to take a taxi to downtown. So if I call a taxi both ways thats $30. If I drive downtown and call a taxi back (leaving my precious car downtown with the bums and crazies) thats $15 and the hassle of finding my car the next day, perhaps paying another $15 to go get it via taxi.

So at cheapest it's $15 for me to party like a rockstar downtown. If I could figure a way to make that $20 and have my car the next day it'd be a pretty useful service to me.

Agreed - Don't cut yourself short

What if you tried this in a college town? Using my school as an example, all the streets are only 4 hour parking unless you have a permit, which means you have to show proof to the city that you live at an address along that street, permits are colored coded to the street that they are for (gay I know). All of the bars and restaurants tow and enforce it. So if you leave your car overnight behind the bar, its gonna be towed, that means $110 you have to shell out the next day ($85 for the towing and a $25 parking ticket). Students are at the bars every night, driving there and usually taking the risks of driving home...even if it is only a few blocks or a mile or two. So what if you offered the service to students. Say you lived on campus at your college, you have all the bars on either side of you with the off campus housing right there as well, you could easily charge $10 a trip to drive someones car back to their place and then walk the couple blocks back to your dorm room and wait for another call. If it works with a college campus, it would work with the club and bar scene in a major city.

chris.pund - Grand Rapids Michigan is kind of a college town. There's two major colleges and some smaller ones...probably about 5 total all located pretty close. And yes there's really no place to leave your car downtown without the chance of a tow.

jdoc - i too have seen and heard of a few non-profit organizations doing the free ride thing, none that actually took your car home, but basically a free bus...and then they push their religion on you, lol.

I'm pretty sure this would have to be a two person job, both in the car until a call comes in, then they go get the person and their car and deliver them both. The one man scooter job isn't practical enough unless the delivery radius was very small.

Posted By: Wilhelm Murdoch

Posted By: SSM

jdoc - i too have seen and heard of a few non-profit organizations doing the free ride thing, none that actually took your car home, but basically a free bus...and then they push their religion on you, lol.

Yeah, this happened to me a few months ago. I was totally blitzed and remember getting on one of those free buses. Unfortunately that's the only thing I remember after waking up in the middle of a playground at 4am with torn pants, skinned up knee, badly rolled ankle and 10 miles between me and my car.

Never ... again.

Sounds like a fun night...or at least one to remember

Well I've been doing some investment estimating. Here's what I got so far.

I'm thinking a "fleet" of 2 cars ($2000 total probably pick up some decently reliable cars at an auto auction or something).

Car Insurance = g.est $75/mo if I share the plan with my current plan

CDL = $35 per driver I have working. (commercial drivers license)

LLC = $50 in Michigan

Gas = unknown at this point. I'm thinking of calling some cab company managers and seeing how many miles/night an average cab will go. And I'm also thinking that it'd be wise to purchase some cars that will be getting 20-20mpg

Paying Drivers = unknown. If I went the cab driver route it would be the drivers renting my cars and keeping their tips and i'd get the fares/delivery fees.

Obviously this isnt a comprehensive list. Just getting my ideas down on virtual paper.

$1,000 - for what kind of car?

eric - I wasnt looking at anything specific, but i'm thinking of a 4 door, 4cyl japanese car (fuel and reliability). And $1000 would start me off decently at an auto auction.

layer up!

actually i think car insurance would be cheaper than gas.

But yes I do have to look into that, I know that with most ins. comps any insured driver can drive any other insured vehicle with consent.

Accidents - if one of my drivers crashed a car it wouldnt be that big of a deal insurance wise because michigan is a no-fault state. Also, to cover my ass just like taxi companies do, every driver would be considered and paid as an independent contractor.

Traffic violations would be the liability of the driver just like it is when you are driving your own car. Now, a mechanical ticket like a tail light out would be the liability of the cars owner and not the driver.

Good questions, they get me thinking!

anyone on the jdoc location? or city that already has such service?

No idear

I think it depends on the type of insurance that that person has on his/her car, whether they have full coverage (for more than just the owner of the vehicle) or if it just covers him/her...I think, thats the way that I understand it.