Why Driverseat Has No Direct Competitors

Why doesn’t Driverseat have any direct competitors?

The shuttle and related transportation industry is an incredible $7 billion dollars industry in Canada. The number is much higher in the U.S. but on a per capita basis, is similar. This makes for a significant opportunity, and one that you would think many companies would want to pursue.

The fact is, there are competitors. However, there are no direct competitors in the way we have designed and run the business. Here are three differentiating factors that allow Driverseat to operate on a different scale, without direct competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Differentiator #1

The Franchise Model

To compete directly, a competitor would have to create a transportation franchise business. This is an important yet lesser known fact. Driverseat will have local competitors in markets where we do business, and there will be some that operate on a larger regional scale, but none operate as a franchise. This creates a significant opportunity for our franchisees as they are up against local, most often less sophisticated operators or against a larger regional brand where the leadership is a manager rather than an owner with vested interest.

 

Differentiator #2

Technology

Driverseat’s technology is second to none. In today’s economy, technology and services or products are closely intertwined. Let’s think of Amazon for a moment. Do they have competition in selling kitchen gadgets and household items, absolutely.

 Do they have direct competition in doing it how they do it, no. Driverseat, while not as big as Amazon (yet), has the same advantage. Being able to run the business through a mobile app, with a strong back end software platform has more than just advantages. It is a business model modifier. In addition, our large network is empowered with access to information, training, courses and collaboration through our custom built DriveShare, an extensive back end intranet.

 

Differentiator #3

The Business Model

From the outside looking in, you may see Driverseat as a shuttle and chauffeur / transportation brand that takes customers to the airport, to wine or craft brewery tours or for use at weddings or large social events. This is true to some degree:

 

 (North Americans board planes one billion times annually, creating a lot of opportunity to take them to the airport – see link below), 

https://www.icao.int/annual-report-2018/Pages/the-world-of-air-transport-in-2018.aspx

 

There are over 2.5 million weddings in North America annually. Given that Driverseat enjoys an average spend per wedding serviced at just under $500, that also creates a great deal of opportunity.

https://www.stevierayentertainment.com/fun-wedding-facts/

 

Over 33 million people visit vineyards every year, with craft breweries surging in numbers as the craft industry focuses their efforts on building what the wine industry has enjoyed for so many years. In 2014 alone (last stat I could find on the numbers), over 10 million visitors toured craft brewers. This makes for a large number of shuttle trips as every one of these tours involves the consumption of alcohol, so the booking of a shuttle is common.

 

https://tiac-aitc.ca/_Library/TIAC_Publications/vintner_report_2015_FINAL.pdf

 

https://www.brewersassociation.org/communicating-craft/travelocity-debuts-new-beer-tourism-index/

 

Here is the “ah ha” moment.

 

Driverseat does all of that and then so much more. Our ability to provide private school transportation, employee transport, municipal services and county transportation is a core strength of our brand.  Like in so many situations, what sits below the surface is larger than what you can see. Through COVID-19, while other transportation companies permanently closed, temporarily shut down or dramatically reduced services, Driverseat franchise locations ordered new vehicles and landed new contracts.  

 

The strength of our franchise model is having local ownership, employing local Chauffeurs, with the sophistication of a strong international brand and the backing of technology that is second to none.  As a result, while we have some that compete in some of our areas, Driverseat has no direct competitors.

 

Become a Driverseat Franchisee: https://www.driverseatinc.com/own/

 

Brian Bazely is Co-founder and CEO of Driverseat