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UK cab trade debate and advice
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:31 am 
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Location: England, watford
hi there once again all. Basically i have been a private hire driver now for 9 years. I am frankly fed up of doing nightshifts and long hours and weekends and want the 5 day a week lifestyle with saturdays and sundays off for my family time. In the taxi trade i guess you have to work weekends to make a living. Therefore in order for me to to do this i think i need to set up my own taxi business. Like they say if you cant beat them then join them.

I have looked into setting up a taxi business in my area. The overhead costs aint a great deal if your operating a small office but staff wages are the biggest overhead cost as it is a 24 hour operation.
I have seen some operators divert their taxi landline to their mobile phone which i think is not very professional and shows the person is struggling in business. I have seen some taxi company owners who have ran their own taxi businesses for like 10 years and they still only have like only 10 drivers working for them. The way i see it you need at least 20 odd drivers to be making a decent profit. If you only have a small amount of drivers and by the time you paid your bills off and all the stress i think its best you just was an owner driver as you would earn the same amount of money.

I want to set up my own business but i want to make sure that if i set up its worth the time. I dont want to set up a taxi business and struggle for 10 years without enough drivers. I want to set up the taxi office, and i just want to make sure i can make enough from driver rents so then i dont need to drive.

Has anybody here got their own taxi business? I dont mean a one man band i mean a proper office with drivers. If so please can you advice on the best way to get operate a successful taxi business. Is there a way possibly of making a decent income with a new startup?


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:18 am 
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If you want to be able to work 9 - 5 Monday to Friday, I would sugest you don't do it in this game.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:10 am 
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Location: 1066 Country
Taxi1 12uk wrote:
I have looked into setting up a taxi business in my area.

Do you really think owning a taxi/PH firm is a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday job? :?

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:23 am 
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Location: Dundee cabbie for many a year
Put your brain in gear taxi's run 24/7 365 days a year if you can run an office and take the weekend's off please enlighten us all we would all like to know your secret :?:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:35 pm 
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Location: grangemouth
Trust me when I say,, there's no time off running a taxi firm. I am one of three directors in a TOA of 25 cars. We have 7 control room staff working on a rota. Most weeks we manage to do our chosen hours as normal, but we have unlimited unpaid overtime looking after the business. There is no scope for a 9-5 posistion, unless you're an employee of the company, and not even then. Too many things to go wrong, especially when you need to be on the road earning. I talk from bitter experience. But don't let me stop you trying, and as O&O says when you work out how to do it, tell me, I need to know :wink:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:44 pm 
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Location: Twixt Heaven and Hell, but nearest Hell
Quote:
I have seen some operators divert their taxi landline to their mobile phone which i think is not very professional and shows the person is struggling in business.


how does it? I work alone and for myself, "I chose freedom!"


Quote:
Has anybody here got their own taxi business? I dont mean a one man band i mean a proper office with drivers. If so please can you advice on the best way to get operate a successful taxi business. Is there a way possibly of making a decent income with a new startup?


1. plate your own car
2. rent an office
3. get a DTi licence (was Home Hffice, was GPO)
4. install base radio and buy 5 mobiles
5. advertise
6. network
7. put the wife on the base
8. advertise for owner drivers
9. tender for account work
10. pass all the work thru the radio to the cars
11. wife do days, you do nights on the base
12 when youve 10 radios out at £100 a week, you employ a part time base op
13 when youve 100 radios out at £100 a week the wife retires, you employ 3 full time base ops, you go part time

inbetween all this your in charge of the infighting, poaching, back stabbing, sneaky swines, underhand tatctics, etc.

good luck

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:29 pm 
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Location: Aberdeen
If you want a nice 9 - 5 job in this trade, try working for the licensing section of your council. Anything else will need more hours.
You can't start a business that way and it will take years to establish one to the point that you can.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:21 pm 
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Location: SCOTLAND
This web site may help
http://www.startups.co.uk/6678842909637 ... -firm.html


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:18 pm 
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Location: North Wales
Your dreaming m8. Sorry but its true. You will have to work 8 days a week to make that idea work. The reality is that you will only be there for 8 hours a day, what about the other sixteen hours & the other 48 hours at the weekend. Total of hours not in work = 128. That is 3/4 people you will have to employ on opps. Pay their tax & NI contributions etc. They will be entitled to Holidays etc so I would say you need 4 bodies in there 1 P/T. Thats at least £900/week. You will need premises - well you get the point you will need a minumum of 14 drivers paying £100/week . I wish you well sir.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:07 pm 
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Quote:
I am frankly fed up of doing nightshifts and long hours and weekends


Join the f'ing club m8! :roll:

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 Post subject: setting up taxi business
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:15 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:17 am
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Location: England, watford
Yes you are right. However i have heard there are some people making good money in the taxi game just being a one man band and sub contracting work out. Is there a clever way of doing this?

I heard there are big contracts availble for taxis. For example school contracts. One guy told me once he has a 30 mile trip every morning and return everyday and he makes £100 per day just from that.

How do i get one of those contracts?


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:18 pm 
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Location: Aberdeen
Taxi1 12uk wrote:
How do i get one of those contracts?


How long have you been in this game?

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:30 pm 
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Taxi1 12uk wrote:
Yes you are right. However i have heard there are some people making good money in the taxi game just being a one man band and sub contracting work out. Is there a clever way of doing this?

I heard there are big contracts availble for taxis. For example school contracts. One guy told me once he has a 30 mile trip every morning and return everyday and he makes £100 per day just from that.

How do i get one of those contracts?
Just find out what he's smoking, and everything will become clear

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:58 pm 
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In my area to get on the list for school contracts will require you to fill in an application form, have your vehicle inspected and attend an interview. If accepted you go on the list and then tender for jobs as they come up. You have to apply through the school transport department at your county hall. This chap getting the £100 per day for a 30 mile run is doing very well, although the run he does could be in a larger vehicle and with an escort.

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:12 am 
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Quote:
One guy told me once he has a 30 mile trip every morning and return everyday and he makes £100 per day just from that.


If a contract like that was available everywhere we'd all be doing them! :roll: Take whatever you hear from people in this game with a with a pinch of salt the size of Siberia. :lol: Coz you rarely hear about a crap contract :wink:

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