Starting any business is an admirable cause because providing a product or service that people need to alleviate struggles or suffering in their daily life is a beautiful thing. What type of business you start will depend on many factors, including your knowledge, previous experience, resources, and interests. The following will explore the start-up process for just one type of business—a car rental service.
What Is A Car Rental Business?
Simply put, a car rental business rents vehicles for the day or week at a reasonable price. Business travelers, leisure travelers, and those who don’t own and often don’t need a vehicle are among the most typical clients.
You Must Plan Out Your Business
Before you dive into the management part, you should take the time to make a plan for your business. Most successful entrepreneurs have a business plan to guide them. You might also want to include a mission statement outlining your philosophy and ideals regarding your future work. Business owners find these helpful as they have to make difficult decisions daily and strike a balance between profits and the good of their customers and employees. When you’re stuck, returning to your mission statement can help you keep your business aligned with your goals.
Business Plan Minimum Requirements
At the minimum, your plan should include a detailed outline of the costs involved in opening the business. This will include the vehicle fleet, office, utilities, computers, printers, internet access, incorporation fees, vehicle maintenance, insurance, security cameras/systems, employee wages, and marketing efforts. You’ll also need a breakdown of your ideal customer, including their income and needs.
Understanding A Reasonable Price Point
Once you understand the costs of running the business and the situation and what your future customers need from you, and what they can pay for it, you’re ready to set your price point. Choosing the price you charge is both an art and a science—human psychology plays a significant role. Remember that you can change this if you later decide it is incorrect, although return customers don’t like increased prices. You’ll also want to include the number of customers you need at the price point you’ve set for the business to be profitable.
Choosing A Name
And of course, you’ll want to choose a name for your business. Nowadays, this is a much more involved step as you’ll not only want to search through business records and trademark records to make sure the name isn’t taken, but you’ll also want to make sure that a good domain name is available (so you can have an easy to find website). Further, you’ll want to check that a social media handle is free, involving the name on at least a few social media platforms.
Planning For Aspects Of The Work
You might also want to include details about how you plan to manage or operate the business. This can be an amalgamation of tips you’ve learned regarding car care, employee satisfaction, business cleanliness standards, or anything else you feel strongly about. You might want to figure out how you’re going to handle inevitable parts of the job like finding car dealer DMV assistance, so you don’t have to wait at the DMV for each vehicle’s tags individually. Think about specific elements of your company policy, like whether you’ll take deposits and how much they will be. It is an excellent idea to read through online reviews of other car rental businesses and see where customers are unhappy and what can be done to ease their struggle.
You’ll Have To Form A Legal Entity And Register For Taxes
There are a few different business structures that you’re going to want to learn about and choose between:
- Corporation
- Limited liability company (LLC)
- Partnership
- Sole proprietorship
It would be best if you formed a legal entity in case something goes wrong. This is what will keep you from being held personally liable if your business is sued or involved in a legal proceeding. Likewise, you’ll also need to register for business taxes, which will reflect the business structure you’ve chosen.
You Need A Business Banking Account And Credit Card
Keeping your personal finances separate from the business money will make taxes much easier on you. It will also protect your personal assets in the event that your business is sued. Your local bank can help you set this up.
The above steps will result in you having your very own car rental business. Congratulations! Of course, the work doesn’t stop here. You’ll still need to obtain any of the necessary permits and licenses required by your state and local business licensing boards, get insurance, certify your occupancy when you have a business location purchased, market the business, and run it. But after these first three steps, your business is real and in the world.
