From left, Metro Scoot owners Paula and Bryan Wells.
By Jessica O. Swink
Small Business Insight
On Feb. 5, 2009, Paula and Bryan Wells were officially open for business on the roads of Virginia Beach.
This mother and son team are the owners of Metro Scoot, a business designed to reduce drunk driving by driving both the customer and their cars home at the end of the night.
By using eight scooters, the 17-person staff of Metro Scoot answer calls of those needing a sober drive home, the drive to their location. The drivers then fold the scooters down to the size of a medium-sized suitcase, place them in the trunk of their customer’s car, then drive both the customer and his or her car home safely.
In addition to using scooters, employees also use “chase cars” to follow another employee to the customer’s residence.
There were a lot of factors that Bryan calls “no-brainers” when the two started the business. For example, according to Bryan, the number of cabs regulated by city governments, plus the lack of dependable city transportation “almost encourage drinking and driving.”
While the company is still in start-up phase, franchising isn’t on the horizon any time soon, but perhaps some day.
“We have a lot of potential, so it’s exciting,” Paula says. “However, what works here might not work elsewhere, so we have to research each market to understand what works where.”
Paula is still in the information gathering phase, strategically placing herself in community organizations such as Drive Safe Hampton Roads.
According to Bryan, the target market is young professionals, but the challenge is reaching the 50-65 year old market.
“Another big challenge is changing attitudes,” Paula says. “Right now, you either drink and drive or take a taxi, so we are asking them to change.”
Whether the Wells duo intends to franchise does not change their desire to grow the company.
“We are a new breed of social entrepreneurs,” Paula says. “You do something good, and make a business out of it.”
