Traveling within and between populated areas is not always convenient using personal transport. Many people do not have the opportunity to buy a car, some do not need one, but they need to get to their sites every day. That is why the demand for minibus taxi services is consistently high, despite the increased percentage of car owners. Opening a business based on transportation is profitable, but costly in terms of investment, however, a well-designed minibus business plan will allow you to bypass most of the pitfalls when organizing a business.

Summary

The business organization is aimed at creating a minibus taxi service. The main direction of the enterprise is providing services to the city population in the field of passenger and transport transportation.

Main goals of the project:

• obtaining profit and income from transportation;
• fully satisfying the needs of customers in passenger transportation, ensuring proper comfort and safety.

It is assumed that the business will be in demand, therefore, the profitability of the enterprise will be high - around 15-20%.

General description of the project

Opening an enterprise based on transportation along a certain line (route), as a promising and modern business, has the following tasks, which must be solved not only at the launch stage, but throughout all subsequent work for the successful promotion and improvement of the enterprise:

• providing the city population and visitors with comfortable, fast and modern vehicles;
• obtaining a stable profit from the work performed;
• further expansion (increasing equipment units on the route, reducing the waiting interval;
• creating jobs for the city population.

To solve the assigned tasks, a businessman needs to take into account the specifics of the chosen area of ​​activity related to the recruitment of personnel (drivers), payment of state duties, and the need to undergo an annual technical inspection.

Market analysis

When opening a business based on a minibus taxi, you should first (before collecting and submitting documents) conduct a market analysis in a certain area where further work is planned. Large companies occupy up to 80% of the market.

Assessing the parameters of competition and the possibility of entering the market, we can confidently say that a minibus taxi as a business will be a profitable enterprise if you correctly calculate financial investments, implement a marketing strategy and choose the best methods for conquering the market and attracting customers.

Risk analysis

Marketing plan

Forming a vehicle fleet is an important stage in starting a business. At the initial stage of the company’s operation, it is recommended to purchase 1-2 cars (minibuses, preferably foreign-made, since the service life of a used car is at least 7 years without major repairs). The amount of costs will be around 1-1.5 million rubles.

Route development

Creating a route for subsequent work should be the main task at the preparatory stage. To do this, it is necessary to carefully study the existing directions of movement of all public (ground transport). You can use what has already been developed (if the competition is not great). It is important to remember that the newly created traffic route must be agreed upon and approved by the Ministry of Transport.

Organizational plan

To open a business you will need to hire staff. At the first stage, it may consist of 2-4 drivers (depending on the number of cars and work schedule). In the future, the number of drivers will increase. In addition, you will need to hire:

• dispatcher;
• accountant;
• Mechanics;
• doctor

Additionally, cleaners should be included in the staff.

Registration of business, required documents and licenses

The organizational and legal form for organizing a business can be either an individual entrepreneur or an LLC. Required documents:

Opening schedule

You can open and run a business for six months (from January to June). In January, you will need to choose a place to organize parking and open an office, pay rent (you can reduce costs and pay it not immediately for the whole year, but every month). In February-April - developing a route, conducting an advertising campaign, purchasing cars and arranging a garage and service center, as well as a medical office. In May, staff hiring and paperwork are carried out. June – start of transportation.

Financial plan

Opening costs (one-time):

rent and payment of utilities - about 200,000 rubles;

personnel (salary) – 150,000 rubles;

equipment – ​​150,000 rubles;

insurance payment – ​​about 100,000 rubles (depending on the number of cars in the fleet);

purchase of cars - an average of 2 million rubles.

You will also need to purchase fuel and consumables for servicing the machines - this will cost about another 250-300 thousand rubles

Monthly costs

• staff salary – 100,000-150,000 rubles;
• purchase of fuel and other materials – 350 thousand rubles;
• unforeseen expenses - 60,000 rubles.

Income will be about 350 thousand from 1 car per month, profit after payments and tax deductions, provided there are 2 cars in the fleet - about 100 - 150 thousand rubles (at first). The profitability of production in this case is 20%. Return on investment – ​​1-2 years.

Conclusion

The business of opening a minibus taxi will bring profit, subject to a careful approach to its organization. It requires taking into account many nuances, but allows you to develop an enterprise and increase your customer base in a short time.

At the moment, transporting passengers on urban and suburban routes is a fairly profitable business for an entrepreneur.

However, in order for it to really bring profit and not involve the “owner” in debt, everything needs to be carefully thought out and planned in advance.

The path to success in the transportation market is very thorny, and not everyone can complete it. But today we will tell you a few secrets, thanks to which you will know how to organize a taxi business correctly.

Selecting a vehicle

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the choice of car, because it will become your “breadwinner” in the next few years.

If your budget is very limited, you can purchase a used minibus. But here you need to be very careful, because not every owner maintains his car as it should.

Sometimes private owners simply destroy their cars on routes, as a result of which the new owner (that is, you) will have to spend a lot of money on a major overhaul of the chassis, and possibly the engine. As for the brand, many entrepreneurs use Sprinter for city routes. These German “horses” will definitely not let the driver down at the most unexpected moment.

"Gazelle" is also a good option, but here you will need to prepare for various unpredictable waste, since spare parts on it “fly” almost every day.

What conclusions can be drawn from this?

If your budget for the purchase of transport ranges from 500,000 to 2,000,000 million rubles. for 1 car, then, of course, you won’t find better “German” technology. Moreover, for that kind of money you can buy a completely normal Sprinter with a working suspension and a working engine.

Buying a GAZelle minibus is not an option, since you will definitely have to invest more money in it (about 50 thousand rubles, and possibly more). As drivers say, even a new GAZelle has to be “finished” to suit itself.

Regarding the number of cars in the fleet, it is advisable for a novice entrepreneur to have 5-6 minibuses. But again, the number of cars depends on the budget. You can try to travel the routes alone, but this business is unlikely to be profitable. After choosing a vehicle, you can start purchasing it. But we’ll tell you a little later about where to get money for a vehicle fleet.

Organizing a business on minibuses: choosing a route

Many entrepreneurs first try their hand at long-haul flights. Hence the benefits - high fares (the more expensive the ticket, the greater the profit), lower costs for spare parts (clutch and brakes will last longer) and fuel (outside the city, any car spends 10-15 percent less gasoline). In addition, not every private owner manages to grab his share on city routes. Why is this happening? There are no secrets here.

The scheme for taking over a business is very simple: one large company appears in the city with a huge fleet of vehicles (about 100 or more units). All these vehicles begin to ply along certain routes, and a novice entrepreneur, even with 5 minibuses, has no choice but to simply leave the transportation market.

On interregional flights everything is much simpler, and the income will be stable (although this is not a fact - it all depends on the season). But in any case, you can make real profits here. As practice shows, all vehicle fleet costs are recouped within the first 6-10 months of transportation.

Where to get money for transport?

In general, purchasing a vehicle fleet is a rather important step for every entrepreneur. Below we present the most common options for purchasing vehicles:

• Purchasing a car on credit/leasing.
• Search for investors.
• Purchase of transport at your own expense.

The first option is very risky and we do not recommend using it. Now we can cite many cases where companies with a budget of several million simply went bankrupt due to high interest rates and high transportation costs. Agree, what kind of profit can we talk about here when, on the one hand, you have the costs of spare parts and diesel fuel (not to mention the salary for drivers), and on the other hand, monthly debt payments.

The second option is less risky, since all costs here fall on the shoulders of investors. However, not every company will agree to cooperate with you in the passenger transportation market. Investors simply refuse to cooperate with many entrepreneurs, so if you want to increase your chances, count on a small fleet of vehicles - you shouldn’t hope that the company will take on the purchase of 100 buses and calmly give them to you for use.

But still, the chances that they will give you money for a fleet of vehicles the next day and sign an agreement are minimal (although it’s worth a try).

Buying transport with your own money is perhaps the safest way to start your own business. Initially, you will not worry about debts, as in the first case, because you simply will not have them. However, starting work with only one GAZelle in your fleet is also very risky, namely, unprofitable.

As a last resort, use it for interregional transport, but not in the city. The optimal number of cars, as we noted earlier, is 5-6 units. Although not every beginning entrepreneur will have about 7-10 million rubles of money on hand. But what then to do if the first method is dangerous, the second is dubious, and the third is practically unrealistic? There is a way out, and it’s called “car rental”.

What are the advantages of renting a minibus?

Firstly, it saves money. After concluding an agreement, you will have the opportunity to get a whole fleet of cars for only 3-5 thousand dollars (this amount can certainly be collected by a novice businessman). Naturally, you will have to pay this money monthly to its owner as rent.

Encyclopedic reference: minibus (minibus) is a type of public transport with a capacity of 10–15 people, combining the advantages of a taxi and a bus. Following established routes, a minibus can make stops at random, at the request of passengers. The fare is slightly higher than on a bus or trolleybus, but significantly lower than on a taxi.

Despite the apparent congestion of modern cities with minibus taxis, consumer demand for this type of service is satisfied by an average of 50%. At the same time, the answer to the question of whether a minibus is profitable seems obvious: the number of cars on the routes, and the number of routes themselves, is gradually growing. While the market is not oversaturated, it makes sense to occupy a niche in it. We hope our tips will help you.

Step by step to profitable passenger transportation

Step one: preparing the legal framework

Commercial transportation of passengers in vehicles with a capacity of more than 8 people is subject to licensing. This means that before you open your own minibus taxi, you need to obtain a license (valid for 5 years). At the same time, a card is issued for each car included in the fleet - expanding the fleet, you will have to receive additional cards. To obtain a license, you do not have to be a legal entity; registration as an individual entrepreneur is sufficient. At the same time, it is necessary to conclude an agreement with the Transport Committee for servicing the route.

Please also keep in mind that all cars must be insured under MTPL. It is better, of course, to take out CASCO insurance, as well as enter into a passenger insurance agreement - this increases the confidence of potential clients.

Step two: forming a vehicle fleet

The reliability, comfort and cost of your fleet directly affect your profit. Most owners of already operating minibuses chose Gazelle (GAZ-322132). This minibus is relatively inexpensive, adapted for use in Russian conditions and is repairable. The latest generations of the model are distinguished by good comfort. You can also pay attention to FordTransitBus, VolkswagenLT, Mercedes-BenzSprinter, HyundaiCounty. New or used - it's up to you. Often, used minibuses are sold along with the route, which saves not only money, but also time for approvals at the transport department.

If you think that there is nothing to “catch” on existing routes, you can develop your own. It is advisable to launch cars if at least 5% of the population living near the proposed route agrees to use it. You can do your own social research. Please note that the route must be approved by the Ministry of Transport, and this will take time and be nerve-wracking.

Step three: gathering a team

Even if you have only one car and you plan to work on the route yourself, you need a replacement to reduce downtime. The main requirement for drivers is to have a category “D” license.

Important: Driving a minibus is associated with stress. This includes constantly changing traffic conditions and continuous exposure to people with different characters, moods and manifestations. Conclusion: you need stress-resistant people with a healthy sense of humor and a strong psyche.

Where can I get money?

The answer to the question of how much it costs to open a minibus depends on how many cars you plan to run and what route you have chosen. If your own funds are not enough for everything, cars can be purchased on lease or on credit.

Don't miss the opportunity to earn extra money. For example, advertising on transport will help you shorten your payback period.

Underwater rocks

As with any activity involving the use of vehicles, there is a risk of breakdowns, accidents and associated unforeseen downtime and costs. Another difficulty is high competition on popular routes and a long payback period where there is no competition, but there are few passengers.

Let's sum it up

A minibus taxi can be called a business designed to generate a small but stable profit over the long term. Entering the segment is quite difficult, since you need to obtain a license and the right to operate the route. To gain a foothold in the market, you need to monitor the technical condition of the vehicle, provide high-quality service and not refuse additional opportunities to earn money.