Kano
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Registered: 29th Aug 04
Location: Fife
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I'm currently working in car sales alongside one of my best mates but we've both had enough of being treated like scum and having to answer to idiots.
... so were thinking of starting up a business together with 2 taxis. Plan is to have one octavia and a 7 or 8 seater of some description.
Anyone got any advice or tips for us? Were gettin together tommorow to run through all the initial startup costs etc but feeling a bit out of our depth at the moment.
In our area theres no shortage of taxis but nobody really has a hold on the market, so our plan is to create a good image for ourselves with the cars were using and signwriting / advertising and just general word of mouth.
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Matt L
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Registered: 17th Apr 06
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im an accountant and one of our clients does this but with more upmarket cars ie bmw's/cryslers etc. can be very good money if done properly  .
imagine its lot of hard work to get going/run ie early mornings + late nights etc.
(was gonna say something else then but completely forgot what)
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Ian
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Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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I would have thought reputation for a taxi company is based on it's ability to supply cars quickly which if there are only two of you may be difficult.
If you're borrowing to buy the vehicles then you'll need to convince whoever is lending that there's actually a gap in the market which could be difficult while it is a bit of an unknown.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Get yourself along to a businesslink advisor, free of charge and will give you the basic info you need to get sorted. As would a small business advisor at whichever bank you decide to use for business banking.
Off the top of my head, your initial start up costs are going to be fairly high when you consider the price of the vehicles, aswell as the equipment you'd need for it to be a taxi. And I would guess insurance would be a huge amount. Marketing would be simple enough - flyers/business cards in local places, signage on vehicles, etc.
I'd also do some searching around the net to look into legalities - time you've been driving, if you have to take any special tests, if you need a license (think you do), who you need to register the company with to become legal, etc.
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Gaz
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Registered: 24th Aug 03
Location: Widnes, Cheshire
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if its basically taxi work, then why not stat doing long hauls? Airport runs / Party bus etc.
Normal taxi services would be hard to do as there is just two of you.
Also i heard you can start a buisness for 3 months and not ave to declare anything due to it being a non-profitable bussiness... (check this out first though)
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Matt L
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Registered: 17th Apr 06
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oh yeh would you need some kind of police checks doing aswell so they know your not going to murder any passengers?
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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That isn't a major concern as they're not expensive but yeah good point give this a read.
http://www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=381
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bieransri
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Registered: 13th Apr 06
Location: Kidsgrove, Staffordshire
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need a council MOT if your taxi'ing too. pretty sure the car has to be less than 5 years old too.
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Timbaland
Banned
Registered: 20th Jan 07
Location: Glasgow
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You'll make more and probably survuve better running Minibuses to airports, partys etc.
If taxi's down your way are anything like Glasgow, Then taxi firms dont take too kindly to new guys coming along.
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Kano
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Registered: 29th Aug 04
Location: Fife
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Weve got the info for all the license fees for the taxis and ourselves which are fairly minimal tbh.. The only major expense will be the insurance given that were both 22 but have plenty NCB between us etc.
Neither o us will be borrowing the money for the startup so that puts us in a good position to begin with.
As above the market were looking to cater for is contract stuff like local businesses, airport runs, etc but we would have both cars out every weekend.
The basic plan is to have the 2 cars with us driving then buy a 3rd later on and employ drivers for the weekends so were only out during the week.
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chloe16v
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Registered: 29th Nov 07
Location: Rotherham
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im not sure if you have to do another driving test of some kind
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Kano
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Registered: 29th Aug 04
Location: Fife
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quote:
Originally posted by cb87
im not sure if you have to do another driving test of some kind
Nop not here anyway, just pay for a license which im guessing is just a background check etc...
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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quote:
Originally posted by Gaz
if its basically taxi work, then why not stat doing long hauls? Airport runs / Party bus etc.
Bloke I worked with dne that, had a few mini buses. He said it wasnt as good income as you might expect. Also regular unsocial hours. 4am pickup at the airport, then find the flights delayed.
Not something id do.
Taxi business, not something I know about but you'd need more than 2 of you t call it a business id imagine.
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Carting drunks around at the weekend would quickly boil my blood!
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Taxi business, not something I know about but you'd need more than 2 of you t call it a business id imagine.
Its would be a business even if he picked the passengers up and carried them on his back aslong as he was charging for his services 
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo
quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Taxi business, not something I know about but you'd need more than 2 of you t call it a business id imagine.
Its would be a business even if he picked the passengers up and carried them on his back aslong as he was charging for his services
Well to run a sucessful business then, you'd need more than 2 cars to cope, depending on size of the area you intend to cover. Phone operator. If you start missing pickups their not going to phone back!
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Aye, now if you are talking SUCCESSFUL then yeah, to run it like a proper taxi firm then you'd need more than one car and one mini bus.
To run it as an airport pick up/drop off, that sort of thing then could easily be done with one bus one car.
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R Lee
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Registered: 15th Aug 03
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I was speaking to a private taxi airport driver, and he told me the hours he does is killer.
He said its worth it, but don't expect much of a social life.
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chloe16v
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Registered: 29th Nov 07
Location: Rotherham
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tbh my dad (who is a total wanker btw) has run a private hire taxi for the past 30 years on his own, he only has 1 car n 1 minibus. private hire is diffrent than just a taxi driver as ppl have to book in advance, they do airport and local aswell
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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The little things count in terms of making your private hire firm preferred over the others.
Mum and dad got a Rolls Royce to take and pick them up from Heathrow for their 25th Wedding Anniversary holiday. When they got back to the car, there was that days paper sitting there, along with 2 bottle of water.
Wouldn't have cost much, but makes the world of difference. And after flying back from Singapore, something like a bottle of water goes down a treat.
Small things like that make the world of difference.
And of course, creating a good brand identity. Not necessarily something catchy or mimicky, but something which looks good, classy and so on.
At the end of the day, people want more reasons than price to hire you.
Good luck 
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Hammer
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Registered: 11th Feb 04
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You'll both need disclosured to start with as your dealing with the public.
The biggest problem you'll have is taxi firms are ran by shady characters who's toes you really don't want to be trodding on, it's the same in Fife if not worse than Glasgow. You'll fly under the radar for so long then they'll realise your pinching business from them.
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Kano
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Registered: 29th Aug 04
Location: Fife
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We will easily be able to do what we intend to do with the 2 cars.. There are no yellow plates going at the moment so both cars would be on white plates.
Were both pretty well known and will be able to get word spread v quickly if we advertise right.
Not bothered about stepping on folks toes tbh, its all competition at the end of the day..
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Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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A new local taxi firm near me got torched the other night. It'd had it's aerials cut the week before. Definately arson.
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