1) My name is Marioly and I am a senior who is about to graduate this May. I am very artistic, creative, athletic, and competitive. I am majoring in political science, but I also took many business electives here at the University of Florida. I was actually one class away from getting a minor in business. My parents both came to the United States from Cuba when they were very young and I am extremely proud to be Hispanic. If this business were to start I would dedicate myself and my time to make sure it can be the best I can possibly make it. It would give me a sense of accomplishment to know that something I started is helping people’s lives be just a little bit easier.
2) The service I am offering is Auto Repair Concierge Service, also known as ARCS. This service is designed to make things easier for individuals who are burdened when their car needs to be left at the shop for repairs. With ARCS, when your car breaks down you contact us by phone or app, we then send you a car to use for the duration of your car's repairs. ARCS transports your car to a contracted auto repair shop that will give you a discounted repair bill because you’re one of our customers. Soon thereafter you will see the cost of the repairs on your app. Once your car is repaired, ARCS will transport your car back to you, and we pick up and return the rental you were using. I am solving the unmet need of individuals who only have one vehicle and don’t have time to leave their car in the shop because they need transportation for work or to pick up their children.
3) This service is directed towards employed individuals living alone, couples that both work outside the home, or any individual that only owns one vehicle that is essential to their day to day lives. They can be both male and female and range from mid-twenties to about late fifties. I think something that all my customers will have in common is how disruptive they feel it is to have to deal with car issues because a car is a necessity for their livelihood.
4) Customers will find this service valuable and actually pay for it because of the convenience the service provides and how it caters to one's every need when dealing with car repairs. Our cars are a fundamental aspect of our lives and are something that we use on an everyday basis. Break downs, accidents, small car problems, etc. can happen anytime. Customers will feel at ease knowing that whatever car trouble they are thrown, it will not be a set-back in their day to day lives because they have ARCS to help.
5) What sets ARCS apart is the many different aspects of services it will provide. From giving our customers a rental car to transporting their car to and from the shop, to returning your rental car for you, ARCS does all the things that you would have to do on your own. With my drive and competitive edge, I will ensure that this service runs smoothly and that all our customer’s needs are satisfied.
In all, I do believe these elements fit together. This idea came to me because I have experienced this issue first hand on several occasions and had to deal with flat tires, chipped windshields, and dead car batteries by myself here at school without the help of my parents. One aspect of the service that might be weak is organizing all the different components and training employees on how to run this service seamlessly and provide the best customer service.
Hi Marioly,
ReplyDeleteI agree that it may be hard to get all the employees trained properly to meet and excel your business vision, but I am assuming it is like that for most start-ups at first. I also like how you mentioned it would give you a sense of accomplishment to help out people with a problem you know many struggle with.
Marioly,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, love the idea. I've been in the predicament several times where I push off maintenance work on my truck and that causes it to turn into bigger issues (i.e. brake pads & a/c) Having this service would definitely ease the pain of having to take off work to get this done and figure out a way to get back to work. It also doesn't help that I have to drive around a lot to job sites and whatnot for my job as well. There definitely would need to be a solid training program put together and some starting capital to be able to afford vehicles to lend to people during maintenance. Great work!
Hello Marioly,
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that this is a fantastic idea for a service I agree with your closing comment that it could be very difficult to arrange and organize all the components and employees involved in such a service. Due to the complex nature of the service (integration with the smart phone app, negotiating deals for rental cars, etc.) it could be very difficult to establish an initial business. However, I believe that these issues can be managed effectively and could provide a great service that will attract many customers.