Recession stricken couple move up a gear with taxi venture
Recession stricken couple move up a gear with taxi venture
A Malpas dad of four who launched a taxi/private hire business with his wife after being made redundant from Bentley is celebrating six months of trading.
Ian Taylor, aged 40, was made redundant from his management role just as wife Rachel was pregnant with their fourth child.
However, determined to fight back the couple, who met at Bishop Heber High School, pooled their skills and using Ian’s redundancy pay off and advice from business support agency Blue Orchid took the plunge to set up in business. Their firm Taylor’s Cars based at their home on Sunnyside went live in March.
“We know Malpas and the surrounding areas really needed a reliable, efficient and affordable taxi/Private hire service,” he said. “So we thought that with my experience of the motor trade incorporating quality service and Rachel’s background in marketing why not give it a go. Rachel has been terrific undertaking market research and finding what the demand was for a taxi firm for both social, business and airport travel. Rachel has also really promoted the firm leafleting around the area and getting us known on the web. It’s been a huge amount of work to get it off the ground but also a lot of fun.”
Ian said Blue Orchid was an ‘immense help’ with their adviser Jan Kalitkan guiding them through key areas such as business plans tax, finance, the law and grant applications.
“Our seven seater cab mainly operates around the Chester corridor covering Malpas, Crewe, Shropshire, North Wales, Chester and all major Airports,” he said. “We immediately picked up work doing private contracts, rail and airport trips and nights out in Chester and are looking to partner with more local businesses which could use our service. We are also looking to grow and are already offering a 24 hour service. On the run up to Christmas we hope to take on another driver.”
The couple’s three oldest children Harriet, aged 11, has just started at Bishop Heber High in September; Teddy, aged 10 and Oliver, aged six at Malpas Alport Primary School. While baby Libby was born in July 2009 at Countess of Chester Hospital.
Ian and Rachel completed the compulsory course for taxi and private hire drivers in the Cheshire West and Chester Council licensing district, being one of the first to achieve the new BTEC in transporting passengers by Taxi and Private Hire.
Ian and Rachel’s support was delivered though the ISUS programme, in which Blue Orchid is the contracted provider for the area. It is provided by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). ISUS is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow. The programme is funded by the NWDA, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and is backed by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Taylor’s Cars can be contacted on 01948 861144 or email, taylors_cars@sky.com.
To find out more about Blue Orchid’s services in Cheshire West and Chester call 01244 559 032 or email startup@theblueorchid.co.uk
