Driven to change people’s thinking about driving

What is special about your business?
GoCar is Ireland's most innovative travel solution. It is a car- sharing initiative that offers members short-term car rental (by the hour) in Dublin and Cork. Members simply book, hop in and pay as they go.

The cars are parked all over both cities and are available all day every day 365 days a year. GoCar members can pick up the cars in their own time and don’t have to meet up with anyone when they collect a car.

Our GoCar tagline is “Drive Different” as we are changing the way people think about driving in Ireland. Our aim is to offer a convenient travel solution that offers a real alternative to car ownership while also improving the urban living environment.

What sets your products apart in your sector?
GoCar is Ireland's only car club operating within the overall travel network. What we offer is a real alternative to car ownership that allows everyone access to a car or van when they need it without the stress and cost of owning one.

We offer small cars (Hyundai i10, Seat mii and Ford Fiesta) for city driving, mid-sized models such as the Hyundai i30 and Ford Focus for longer trips and also have Ford Connects for those who need a van option.

Members pay a once-off fee to join and a small monthly fee thereafter. Our tariffs comprise a time and distance charge. GoCars are parked directly on the streets of Dublin and Cork. We provide members with a smart card, which is their “key” for all GoCars in Ireland.

What has been your major success to date?
Securing business from Cork City Council under which all staff working in the city centre use GoCars as their fleet. For all council business, they have their GoCards and can book the cars whenever they need them. Staff walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work, safe in the knowledge that they can access a GoCar for business at any point during the day.

What has been your biggest challenge?
Getting the GoCar brand out there within the budget of a start-up company. Educating city dwellers, commuters and city-based companies about GoCar has been challenging, as the service is something completely new to the market. But we are finally getting the message out there that GoCar could mean huge cost savings and be a more convenient solution to people's mobility needs.

What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting a business?
Roy Keane famously said that "if you fail to prepare, then you are preparing to fail" and I would agree with him on that. I also believe that if you are starting a business, you must be willing to get stuck in and make the hours count.
Whom do you admire most in business and why?
I have a huge amount of admiration for some of our homegrown entrepreneurs. Denis O'Brien, Mary Ann O'Brien, founder of Lily O'Brien's chocolates, and academic and businessman John Teeling, to name a few, mainly because of their work ethic and willingness to take a risk and back themselves. But most importantly because they listen to their customers and deliver on their wants and needs.

In GoCar we are constantly trying to engage with our members to find out what works for them and how we can improve.

What two things could the Government do to help SMEs in the current environment?
One would be to reduce the cost of employment. It is currently prohibitive to take on new staff and provide them with decent take-home pay. A second thing would be to facilitate more SMEs talking to each other and cross promoting their businesses domestically.

What is the biggest mistake you have made in business?
Being slow to implement change. In the beginning of GoCar, we were way too paper- driven and met every new member, which was a logistical nightmare. Getting the whole sign-up process online has revolutionised how our members become a part of GoCar, they can now sign up today and get started tomorrow – all thanks to technology, of course.

In your experience, are the banks currently lending to SMEs?
I am sure they are lending to SMEs but not at the level the SME market requires to drive growth. If you have a viable business, you should be able to access credit and it is the transparency of the banks' lending decisions that probably needs closer scrutiny.

In conversation with Olive Keogh