People’s Champion finalist 2018: GoRoadie

Start-up name: GoRoadie
Founders: Michael Carr and Barry White
Started in: 2017
Based in: Dundee
Business description: Trend-setting t-shirts and bow-ties brand created for people wanting to match sartorial shirts with urban-inspired t-shirts.

Shortlisted categories:

Side Hustle of the Year

The GoRoadie story:

As someone wanting to learn to drive, where do you go to filter, compare, and read reviews of driving instructors – and then book online?

That was the problem GoRoadie founders Michael Carr and Barry White encountered. Launched as a side hustle the pair have set out with the ambitious aim of competing with big gun driving schools the AA and RED.

While the corporate incumbents won’t be sweating just yet, GoRoadie is having an impact at a local level and looking to expand.

By allowing driving instructors to have their own profiles and the ability to advertise their business they’re making quality of service really matter.

Hundreds have booked in Dundee alone in the venture’s first year and driving instructors are beginning to switch to the platform. Expanding into Glasgow, White and Carr want to build a service synonymous with learning to drive – just as Uber is for taxis, Skyscanner for flight comparisons, and Airbnb is for flat sharing.

The business model works by taking a referral fee for each student handed over to driving instructors.

And it is their success to date that has led the pair to commit to going full-time with an ambitious forecast of generating 13x existing revenue in year three.

Why GoRoadie made our shortlist:

With Carr being an agile and lean software developer with over 10 years’ experience and White a UX design expert with a similar number of years under his belt delivering for brands such as E.ON and the Imperial War Museum, GoRoadie has a pair of talented founders.

Success in Dundee suggests there is much more to come, with the promise of highly-regarded driving instructors making the switch to the platform alongside growth into other territories. The founders’ ability to drive eminently affordable conversions via Google, Facebook and Instagram advertising will ensure GoRoadie remains in the black and on the road to its desired destination.

Where to find out more about GoRoadie:

Website: www.goroadie.com
Twitter: @goroadie