A taxi is a vehicle that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public. It is also commonly referred to as a cab or taxicab. There has been a notable market disruption emanating from digital solutions. A whole new industry of online taxi services has grown over the years. For instance, in the USA, Uber facilitates over 40 million rides every month. Even as online taxi services continue to grow, traditional taxi services are still relevant. It is still worth it and profitable to start a taxi business. Taxi cabs play a significant role in the transportation industry. People opt for taxis due to a variety of reasons including convenience and exclusiveness. Starting a taxi business is a very profitable venture, which is highly rewarding. This article will outline how to start the taxi cab business, and the taxi business plan – PDF, Word and Excel.
The possible sets of destinations for the various customers make it apparent that the demand is huge. The fact that more and more players are starting taxi businesses speaks to how lucrative the business is. Once properly setup this is one type of business where you will be assured to realise revenue on a daily basis. This article will help in informing you with vital information you need to know on starting your own taxi cab business.
Market Research
Already we have stated that an increasing number of players are entering this space. This spells out ‘competition’ and whenever competition is involved you can’t overlook the importance of market research. Just by taking a look at how existing players conduct their businesses you’ll notice that they serve different target markets. Some solely focus on people commuting to and fro work. Some specifically target airports and termini. Others have strategic spots they operate from in central business districts to cater for wide-ranging customers. So in order for you to ascertain that you’re on course, you must research to find out which markets are available, penetrable and sustainably scalable. It’s a must to take a look at existing players. Essentially this means you must closely study them to draw invaluable insights that’ll help you start strong and even eventually topple your competition. Some of those insights will be on popular services offered, rates charged, types of vehicles and payment methods amongst others. This makes it a must to have a good taxi cab business plan.
Taxi Business Model
The traditional business model for a taxi business is simple. It entails having an area where you operate from and in. You park somewhere and clients can come up to you in need of a taxi ride. You can be an owner-driver or you can have a fleet of taxis you own. You can charge fixed rates for specific routes or you can use the metered approach. The metered approach (i.e. charging per mile) is best because client needs can be so random. Another approach is charge per duration of a trip e.g. per hour.
You could charge per day as you would for a car rental. This can apply for a client who wants to be taken to several locations consecutively in a day. Charging can also be dynamic where you simply negotiate with a client. You could also have a retainer arrangement with wide-ranging clients. The online aspect is somewhat the same. The major difference is that when using an online approach, clients book a ride online. This is doable by developing a mobile app for your taxi business. The fares you charge can differ given the costs elements you would want to offset.
Vehicles and Equipment
The major procurement you must make is vehicles. The vehicles can be imported from other countries where they are cheap or you can buy them locally from your country. The number and type of taxi cabs required will depend on the amount of capital which you have and your target market. You will also have to make a decision of whether to buy brand new vehicles or used taxi cabs. When starting the business with limited capital, you may opt to purchase used cars. The advantage of having new taxi cabs is that you have lower maintenance costs and better reliability on the road.
There are several factors to take into consideration when purchasing the taxi vehicles. Some of the factors include: purchase price, fuel consumption, transmission mode (automatic vs manual), gross vehicle mass, model, new taxi cab vs used taxi cab. If you have limited capital, you can always start your meter taxi business with just one vehicle. Taxi cab business is very profitable and if you reinvest your profits, you will be able to purchase more taxis.
Equipment required for the meter taxi business include garage equipment, taxi meters, taxi partitions, top lights, communication radios (for communication with the dispatch centre). The taxi drivers should always travel with basic repair tools such that if they encounter minor problems along the way, they can always fix the taxis. The taxi business plan should include the costs of purchasing the vehicles and equipment.
Taxi Servicing And Repairs
When running a taxi business you can never compromise and expect to thrive. Customers are most concerned about convenience. This means your taxis must always perform optimally. They must always be fully serviced and devoid of any operational issues. That is why you must always take your taxi(s) for service. It is advisable to have a reputable servicing and repairs provider that you work with. Always keeping your taxi(s) clean and doing daily checks before, during, and after daily operations is key here. If these elements are all kept in check it is rare for your taxi(s) to malfunction. Servicing and repair costs should be accounted for in your taxi business plan.
Taxi Business Insurance and Licences
One of the critical requirements that can potentially have catastrophic consequences for the public as well as the business is insurance. It is advisable to have a comprehensive insurance plan for all the taxi cabs. The costs of such a package are more than offset by the potential losses if you were to have an accident. As a business; the taxi cab company may be liable for very significant punitive damages particularly if there is a loss of life. Without adequate insurance, the taxi cab business could be bankrupted by compensation claims.
The taxi industry is regulated and the specific licences depends with the country. First of all, your drivers must be properly licensed with up to date records including health checks and driver licences. Your local council will have a list of regulatory requirements which must be diligently followed lest you lose your license to operate the taxi cab business. The taxi cab business plan should include costs for the insurance and licenses.
Staff and Management
Operations staff is a necessity. Operations staff are responsible for handling the operations of the taxi cab business. They include drivers, assistants, logistics personnel, mechanics and operations manager. You will need a taxi driver as the minimum starting employee for the taxi business.
Finance and accounting employees are also required. For a small taxi cab business, the duty can be handled by the owner of the business or a part time accountant. However as the taxi transport business grows, there will be need for full time employees who will be responsible for the finance and accounting needs of the business. Their duties will include usual day to day transaction accounting for business, managing the cash flow of the taxi cab business, and always ensuring the enough funds are available for the day to day needs of the taxi business.
Marketing is essential for you to be successful in the taxi business. To have a stable financial position, your taxis should get sufficient number of trips every day. This is only possible if you are marketing your taxi cab business. Thus your taxi business will also need marketing and sales staff. If you have a dispatch centre then you also need staff so the dispatch centre. Your taxi cab business plan should cater for the wages and salaries of all your staff.
Competitive Analysis
The taxi business is marked by intense competition. For instance, you have to compete with unregulated taxi operators. You also have to compete with ride-sharing brands e.g. Uber. Competitive analysis in a taxi business is to establish differentiators that can make you stand out. Customers when they hire taxis they have certain expectations. How are other taxi operators faring in terms of meeting those expectations? Answers to that can show you how best you can provide superior services.
You must in great detail know about all your direct competitors. Look at their profiles, their target markets, and generally how they conduct business. Look for verified information or conduct observations by trying out competitors’ taxi services. Once you establish all that you can know where and how to strategically place your taxi business. One of the most effective ways to do your competitive analysis is by doing a comprehensive SWOT analysis.
Capital for Starting Taxi Business
The amount of capital required for starting the taxi business depends on the size of the business. It all depends on what you want to achieve and the resources that you have. When starting a taxi cab business, most of the capital goes to acquiring the taxi cabs. You can get a loan from the bank, or funding from investors, to use as capital to start your meter taxi business. If you plan to raise capital from investors and a loan from the bank, you need a good meter taxi business plan. If you don’t have access to investors and bank loan, you can use your personal savings and start small, and grow your taxi business overtime. Taxi business is very profitable, so if you reinvest the profits you get, you can grow over time. Even if you are not planning to get a loan, you should still get a taxi project plan to guide you in starting and operating the business. It is essential for you to have a meter taxi business plan before you venture into the taxi cab business, so that you know all the costs involved and you make an informed decision.
Market for the Taxi Cab Business
The market for taxi cab services is very huge. There are a lot of potential customers for taxi services. Companies may outsource transportation of their employees to taxi cab companies. Parents require taxi cabs to transport their children to and from school. Individuals may need taxi services for routes within a specific location which are not plied by public transport or within the city centre. Some individuals prefer to use taxi cabs even if alternate public transport is available. This is because taxis are more convenient, fast, offer privacy, and exclusiveness. Potential sites to find clients include hospitals, universities, schools, airports, night clubs, city centre, hotels & lodges, shopping centres among others. A proper marketing strategy should be included in your taxi business plan.
Marketing Plan
Engaging Vehicle Branding
There are countless marketing approaches you can employ for your taxi business. The taxi business involves the use of moving vehicles. That makes the actual vehicles a central feature of marketing. Have the vehicles colourfully branded with subliminal marketing content. People merely seeing the taxis passing by will have their subconscious minds conditioned.
Attending Strategic Events
The thrust is to attend events that can strategically generate leads for your taxi business. Examples of such events are trade shows, concerts, conferences, and the like. One way is to actually exhibit and showcase your taxi offerings, if possible. The other way is to simply be in the vicinity of such events. There is most likely always going to be people who will need your services.
Sponsoring Or Supporting Worthy Causes
Running a taxi business offers you easy ways to sponsor or support worthy causes. All it can take is you providing your taxi(s) for free for some event or cause. Your presence during that event or cause will draw so much attention to your taxi brand. You could also materially contribute to causes such as helping the underprivileged. Your association with notable events or causes is a potent marketing strategy. Remember, your taxi(s) being branded will be doing the work for you.
Internet And Social Media Initiatives
This should be at the core of the marketing plan for your taxi business. You must have a website and set up active accounts on social media. Use high definition visuals to draw people in. Regularly do online contests; these are highly effective in building your audience. All your social media initiatives should encourage word of mouth and referrals.
Another faster and more effective strategy is to work with social media influencers. Work especially with macro influencers (between 40000 and 1 million followers) and micro influencers (between 1000 and 40000 followers). Such influencers are often characterised by highly engaged audiences.
Keys To Taxi Business Profitability
You are supposed to be big on quality in your operations. This refers to aspects such as cleanliness, timeliness, cordialness, and convenience. Customers will always settle for taxi businesses that have these qualities. That is why customers will not hesitate to switch to other taxi operators if you are lacking. Using vehicles with good fuel economy is a vital key to profitability in a taxi business. Regular servicing and using fuel from reputable sources also feeds into good fuel economy. This significantly reduces your operating costs. The first ever taxi service or business was started in 1897. It has been more than a century since then and taxis still continue to proliferate. This is because the market is inexhaustible. You can start your own taxi business today and still make significant money.
Pre-Written Taxi Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel): Comprehensive Version, Short Funding/Bank Loan Version and Automated Financial Statements
For an in-depth analysis of the taxi cab business, we encourage you to purchase our well-researched and comprehensive taxi cab business plan. We introduced the business plans after discovering that many were venturing into the taxi transport business without enough knowledge and understanding of how to run the meter taxi business, lack of understanding of the financial side of the business, lack of understanding of : the industry, the risks involved , costs and profitability of the business; which often leads to disastrous losses.
The StartupBiz Global taxi transport business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run your meter taxi business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. It will be easier to plan and budget as you will be aware of all the costs involved in setting up and running the taxi cab business.
Uses of the Taxi Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
The taxi cab business plan can be used for many purposes including:
- Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
- Applying for a bank loan
- Start-up guide to launch your taxi business
- As a taxi business proposal
- Assessing profitability of the meter taxi business
- Finding a business partner
- Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
- Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation
Contents of the Taxi Cab Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
The meter taxi business plan include, but not limited to:
- Marketing Strategy
- Financial Statements (monthly cash flow projections, income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, break even analysis, payback period analysis, start-up costs, financial graphs, revenue and expenses, Bank Loan Amortization)
- Risk Analysis
- Industry Analysis
- Market Analysis
- SWOT & PEST Analysis
- Operational Requirements
- Operational Strategy
- Why some people in taxi cab business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
- Ways to raise capital to start your meter taxi business
The Pre-written taxi cab business plan package consist of 4 files
- Taxi Cab Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive Version – 71 Pages)
- Taxi Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive Version – 71 Pages)
- Taxi Cab Business Plan Funding/Bank Loan Version- Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan/funding – 42 pages)
- Taxi Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel File)
The business plan can be used in any country and can be easily edited. The financial statements are automated. This implies that you can change eg the number of taxis, pricing rate per KM etc, and all the other financial statements will automatically adjust to reflect the change.
Click below to download the Contents Page of the Taxi Business Plan (PDF)
Get the Taxi Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)
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We wish you the best in your taxi business! Check out our collection of business plans , and more business ideas.
