Opportunity:
The opportunity for a rental biking service arises when an influx of college students come into a small transient town like Gainesville, Florida with no means of personal transport. This also applies to seasoned citizens of the city who either have no personal transport or would like to go to their desired destinations via the scenic route.
Every semester, more and more people (mostly students) move into the city. The number of people living in Gainsville increase by the numbers, especially when more people are staying for work or delayed semesters. This means the traffic during some times of the day is as bad as South Florida. Taking the RTS bus system is getting more and riskier depending on when you decide to mount the bus. The time you are trying to get to an individuals class or career is developing strenuous notoriety that can be best described as a gamble.
This market is restricted to these services if they do not have their own personal commuting vehicle. This market for rental service bikes serves exceptional for Gainesville's geographic location. The safe terrain makes it very feasible for an advanced bicycle to traverse through its terrain. People should not have to resort to the RTS system, the expensive Uber and Lyft, or the imprudence of asking for a ride to get to their wanted destination. They should have the option of a cost-effective independent and timely option on their table.
This opportunity is huge because such a service does not exist in the city. The city is expanding by the day, and implementing a service such as Gator Riderz would be easier done now then later. The window of opportunity is relatively open, however, the longer the wait the harder it will be to take advantage of the current resources and manageable circumstances.
Innovation
The Gator Riderz service would be open to practically anyone in Gainsville. There would be enhanced features that a member may utilize if they use a smartphone, however, people without smartphones may still use our services.
Gator Riderz bicycles will be located practically in every 3.5-mile radius in the city, close to the cities hotspots. This means it will be in the proximities of Midtown, Downtown, Butler Plaza, relevant bus stations, Newberry, and most importantly on campus.
The bike itself comes in three gears and tough but smooth tires to make it the most comfortable ride possible. Baskets are mounted in front of the bike, and memory foam cushion setting is attached to every bike. All bikes are water and rust proof.
They will be built with a geo chip so you can track where you left your own bike if you happen to misplace it. This would be a smartphone feature. Additional smartphone features include locations of nearby Gator Riderz stations, the balance of Gator Riderz virtual wallet, real-time notifications of when your ride is due to return to a station. You can also reserve bike spots for a certain allotted time to help avoid late fees. The smartphone also serves as a virtual access card for our customers that take advantage of our free membership program.
For customers without access to a smartphone, they will still be eligible to use our services via our membership cards that can be purchased at the nearest convenience store. You may load the card upon purchase or anytime.
The price for the service ranges from $10 dollars for 3 hours, $20 for 7 hours, and $30 for 12 hours. The time stops every time you mount the bike in one of our certified stations, so no time or money would be wasted. There is a 10 percent discount for all students and 11 percent discount for veterans. There are also weekly deals that are only eligible for members with access to a smartphone.
Venture Concept
This service will greatly reduce the traffic within the great city of Gainesville. People would switch to my product because this would be the first affordable and independently efficient commuting service in Gainesville. There would be no competitors for, as stated, this would be the first company offering this kind of service. The only relevant competitors would be Uber and Lyft, both expensive alternatives.
Weaknesses may include people that find the product unnecessary due to their strict routine.
Other factors may include potential customers that do not know how to ride a bike.
The role for the "distribution" of my service is dependent on either the physical access card each customer must purchase or the free virtual card smartphone users are entitled to. The bikes would already be mounted, ready to go, and a monthly maintenance representative would check on all bikes once a month.
The service would be led by the virtual customer service team. You may video call them via app, text, or call them with any issues. The product instructions are on every station and pretty self-explanatory.
Three Minor Elements
I believe the most important venture for this product would be the communal feeling this product will bring. It will bring people all over Gainesville together, acknowledging each other as equal members of the community. Not only this, but people who choose our services will benefit from healthier lifestyles that Gator Riderz advocates.
The next venture I would like to tackle would be having a whole Gator Riderz community. Different companies all flowing cohesively through the Gator Riderz systems. This will come by means of integrating the service with the schools' main transportation systems. With the message of community, we can initiate non-profits that would allow people to volunteer in daycares, and service events advocating public safety.
Lastly, I honestly do not know where my next entrepreneurial venture will take me. I feel like it would be something that would benefit the community, like my previous service. This first venture achieves my vision as a community activist. I want to start similar companies with the same vision: Carrying the stress of today so the customers can be successful tomorrow.
