Choose your Massachusetts 7D transportation business model

You'll learn to

• Distinguish the customer from the passenger.
• Describe a service and operating model clearly.
• Identify assumptions to research before spending.

Write the service in one sentence

Use this RouteReady planning pattern: “I intend to provide this service, for this customer, in this area, using this operating model.” Be specific enough to investigate the idea. An owner who plans to drive initially has different staffing questions from an owner who plans to hire drivers immediately. Neither choice establishes that the required preparations are complete.

Separate customer and passenger

In a planning exercise, the pupil receiving transportation and the organization purchasing it may be different parties. Identify who uses the service, who specifies it, and who purchases it. Avoid assuming that interest from one person gives another organization authority or a budget to buy. The particular service and customer determine what you need to investigate.

Name the operating assumptions

List the service area, intended schedule, staffing approach, vehicle capability, and backup questions. Describe these as assumptions until you have evidence. The state's startup guide links business planning and market research to setting up a business. Your service outline is the beginning of that investigation, not a substitute for business setup or transportation requirements.

• Customer: who would purchase the service?
• Service: what work would you deliver?
• Operations: who would drive and how would coverage work?
• Unknowns: what still needs evidence or specialist advice?

Choose a small next milestone

A first milestone could be reading a relevant published service specification and listing its demands. Another could be researching a customer segment or discussing your setup questions with a business advisor. Choose an action that makes an assumption clearer. Vehicle purchases and large fleet plans become easier to assess once the proposed service is better defined.