Own
Own the passenger transportation business that knows no limits!
With an extensive offering of transportation services, Driverseat finds opportunities in every corner of the country. Whether your market demands wedding shuttles, airport transportation, corporate partnerships or wine tours, the Driverseat business model thrives.
Start Your Journey
Let us connect with you to discuss the opportunity in your community!
1. Receive extensive training & support
We’re experts in training and adult learning. We have crafted our onboarding, training and support strategies to give you everything you need to be successful. But we’re not only guiding you in how to run a transportation business, we’re providing a business strategy framework to help you grow as a leader.
Our proven process and operating system give you all of the tools necessary to generate income, but we’re not going to stop there. Part of our mission is to ensure you have what’s necessary to maximize your return when you exit… whether you sell your business or hand it down to the next generation.
2. Take control of your life
Being your own boss means no longer relying on someone else for job, a raise or a promotion. Most Driverseat franchise partners have taken this path primarily to control their time, their day to day life and their wealth.
Combining our recipe and your desire for a better life, Driverseat gives you the ‘vehicle’ you need to achieve your goals.
3. Do meaningful work
The greatest gift is doing work that is meaningful. Whether we are transporting a group on fun wine tour, taking employees to work every day or getting someone to a specialist appointment who needs a bit more care, the work is extremely fulfilling. Doing what you love is important, but doing work that has purpose and connects people is priceless.
4. Manage your risk
Owning a business comes with risks. Finding a business model that reduces the risk is rare… and finding one that has incredible earning potential is unheard of. Our financial modelling allows you to maximize your income potential by tightly managing your costs. You spend capital when you have revenue to support it.
5. Do the work you love to do
We find that business owners are generally great at sales & marketing or operations. Rarely are they great at both. Our business model provides you with clearly defined roles and responsibilities allowing you to focus on the parts of the business that you love and to hire the right people to provide support.
6. Join a high performance group
Our franchise partners are high performing people. They are constantly learning, challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of their business. You will not only learn a lot from them, but you will feed off of the energy they bring to the brand.
7. Develop your leadership skills
At Driverseat, we understand that we are nothing without our front line. Our support team and the other franchise partners will be there to help you develop your leadership style and build a high performance team to achieve your business goals.
Live the Life You Want
Build your business. Build a legacy.
Why Driverseat?
Expenses tightly linked to revenue
Best in class training and support
Purposeful work
Simple, scalable business model with excellent margins
Open in as little as 8-10 weeks
Collaboration with a high performing team
Progressive approach to technology
A proven recipe for success
Niche market with incredible revenue potential
Testimonials
Lawrence Deswiage
Steve & Jeannette
We want your testimonial!
You’ll love the collaboration with these other amazing business owners!
Road to Prosperity
Discovery
Learn about the business
Talk to the franchisor
Talk to other franchisees
Qualify and select territory
Apply to get a franchise
Work with franchisor to determine territory
Receive franchise agreement
Purchase franchise
Today is the start of your new business
Receive access to the inter-company chat groups
Start pre-work leading up to new franchisee training
Attend new franchisee training at Driverseat headquarters
After pre-work completed, attend one week of extensive in-class workshops
Continue training from your home office for up to four weeks following office training
Launch your Driverseat business
Open for business
Chauffeurs are hired
Plan for grand opening
Awards and Press Coverage
2023 Gold Awards of Excellence
Canadian Franchise Association
2023 Franchisees Choice
2017-2022
Canadian Franchise Association
Top Low-Cost Franchise
Franchise 500
2021 Diversity and Inclusion Award
Canadian Franchise Association
FAQ
How much does it cost to open a Driverseat Franchise?
United States: The cost is estimated from $53,000 USD to $90,000 USD to open a United States franchise location.
This includes a $39,000 franchise fee, a $10,000 training fee, down payment on a vehicle, the vehicle wrap, promotional and print material, initial marketing, hotel* while in training, and miscellaneous costs.
Canada: The cost is estimated from $55,125 CAD to $99,100 CAD to open a Canadian franchise location
This includes a $39,000 franchise fee, a $10,000 training fee, down payment on a vehicle, the vehicle wrap, promotional and print material, initial marketing, hotel* while in training and miscellaneous costs.
How much does it cost monthly to run and operate a Driverseat business?
Driverseat was designed to have a very low run rate. You will have minimal fixed expenses due to our financial modeling which allows you to increase your expenses with revenue. To provide a static figure would be difficult due to the variance in insurance rates and labour rates from one jurisdiction to another.
Can I be the lead Chauffeur/driver?
No. In a single location, you will look to hire a lead Chauffeur and five to eight more part time chauffeurs right away. Our operating system requires you to work on your business, not in your business. We prohibit regular driving for our franchise partners.
How much money can I make owning a Driverseat franchise?
We do not currently provide financial performance representations. By law, we are only permitted to do so if the information we provide is contained in our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). The level of autonomy we give to our franchise partners combined with the amount of control they have over their revenue, including where the revenue comes from, makes financial performance representation complex. You will have an opportunity to develop your own projections and proforma through the due diligence process and in speaking with our existing franchise partners, we’re confident that you will have the information needed to make an educated decision.
How profitable is Driverseat?
You will typically target 40% to 50% gross margin on leisure services and 30% to 45% on commercial / corporate services. We estimate these gross margin percentages including all vehicle and direct labour expenses which provides a very strong EBITDA opportunity.
Do I hire my own staff?
Building your employment brand will be critical to your success. Recruiting amazing Chauffeurs, Client Experience Specialists (CES), Lead Chauffeur, Transportation Coordinator, and perhaps even a GM for multi-unit owners allows you to build your micro-culture and establish your role as their leader.
Who is the ideal franchisee? How can I ensure I am the most successful I can be?
The most successful franchisees in our system have varying backgrounds, experiences, skills and passions. That said, there are a few qualities that are consistent for all of them. They all follow the recipe religiously, they believe and live by our Core Values, they engage in a deep level with the brand and our support team and they trust the process. Great businesses change and evolve over time and great franchisees embrace the change.
Do I have to have transportation experience to be successful?
No, in fact, in some cases, it can hold you back. Your role as a franchise partner is to lead and grow your business. You may choose to hire employees who have transportation experience, but with exception to your Chauffeurs, even that is not necessary. We will provide the framework, software and coaching you need to be successful. How you engage with those resources will ultimately determine your success.
What is support like after the New Franchisee Training (NFT)?
Our support and coaching is industry leading. You will have access to an online learning management system (LMS) to receive initial training and upgrade training over time. At any point, you may book 1:1 coaching with our support team to help you with any issues that are preventing you from executing your plan. In addition, you will be placed in a peer mentorship group with other franchise partners of varying experience that meet weekly to discuss strategy and hold each other accountable. Our core mission is to ensure your profitability and success.