With the City of Johannesburg’s plans to reduce traffic congestion in Sandton still a work in progress, businessman David Shmukler has found the perfect way to make small parcel and document delivery in this business district faster and more efficient.
Sandton is where Shmukler himself lives and works, and he has experienced firsthand the frustration of having to battle the traffic to collect something, or having to wait for company drivers to deliver packages.
Having travelled overseas and seen how corporates in big cities such as New York, London and Paris use bicycle messengers to deliver parcels and documents, Shmukler realised this would be a great idea for South Africa.
After toying with the idea for some time and working out the intricacies of the business, Shmukler opened his first bicycle courier service – Dash Couriers – last year, operating in a 7km radius of central Sandton.
Not only does his business save his clients time, it’s also environmentally friendly.
I had to convince them that I had no intention of replacing their drivers, and that what I was offering was an efficient service, which is not only convenient, but also saves them time
It’s a great idea all round, but convincing clients who already have their own drivers to use his service was difficult.
“I had to convince them that I had no intention of replacing their drivers, and that what I was offering was an efficient service, which is not only convenient, but also saves them time. They could receive their packages in under three hours,” Shmukler explains.
He adds that his bicycle couriers will never replace drivers, as Dash only operates within 7km of Sandton.
“My guys cannot go to Fourways or Edenvale, so companies still need their drivers to go to those places,” he says.
While many of the businesses Shmukler approached were not opposed to the idea, convincing them to make the move from traditional courier services was tough, as was getting them to see that paying to save time would be worth every cent.
Today an increasing number of corporates are using Dash Couriers. Clients pay R150 per delivery and the company makes about five to 10 deliveries a day. RBM Private Bank, Investec and Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Attorneys are among Dash’s biggest clients.
Shmukler started his career in advertising, but after seven years he decided to open his own company. He has since owned several companies, some of which failed, while others succeeded.
Besides Dash Couriers he also runs a consulting firm, advising small business owners on how to grow their businesses.
Having experienced both failure and success Shmukler says that as an entrepreneur you are bound to make mistakes when you start a new business. He offers the following tips that will go a long way towards making sure your venture succeeds.
Shmukler’s tips for entrepreneurs starting a new business:
You have to love the idea.
Ask yourself: Is the idea going to work? Are you offering anything unique or different in the market?
Find out if the business will make money.
Know who is going to drive the business. “Some people have good idea, but they are terrible at selling the product and at leadership. For example I know that I am good at running a business, but I am not particularly good at finances, at tasks such as managing financial documents, so I would get someone else to do that
Shmukler is hoping to expand his eco-friendly courier service to other big SA cities once it is has been well established in Johannesburg.
Sandton is where Shmukler himself lives and works, and he has experienced firsthand the frustration of having to battle the traffic to collect something, or having to wait for company drivers to deliver packages.
Having travelled overseas and seen how corporates in big cities such as New York, London and Paris use bicycle messengers to deliver parcels and documents, Shmukler realised this would be a great idea for South Africa.
After toying with the idea for some time and working out the intricacies of the business, Shmukler opened his first bicycle courier service – Dash Couriers – last year, operating in a 7km radius of central Sandton.
Not only does his business save his clients time, it’s also environmentally friendly.
I had to convince them that I had no intention of replacing their drivers, and that what I was offering was an efficient service, which is not only convenient, but also saves them time
It’s a great idea all round, but convincing clients who already have their own drivers to use his service was difficult.
“I had to convince them that I had no intention of replacing their drivers, and that what I was offering was an efficient service, which is not only convenient, but also saves them time. They could receive their packages in under three hours,” Shmukler explains.
He adds that his bicycle couriers will never replace drivers, as Dash only operates within 7km of Sandton.
“My guys cannot go to Fourways or Edenvale, so companies still need their drivers to go to those places,” he says.
While many of the businesses Shmukler approached were not opposed to the idea, convincing them to make the move from traditional courier services was tough, as was getting them to see that paying to save time would be worth every cent.
Today an increasing number of corporates are using Dash Couriers. Clients pay R150 per delivery and the company makes about five to 10 deliveries a day. RBM Private Bank, Investec and Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Attorneys are among Dash’s biggest clients.
Shmukler started his career in advertising, but after seven years he decided to open his own company. He has since owned several companies, some of which failed, while others succeeded.
Besides Dash Couriers he also runs a consulting firm, advising small business owners on how to grow their businesses.
Having experienced both failure and success Shmukler says that as an entrepreneur you are bound to make mistakes when you start a new business. He offers the following tips that will go a long way towards making sure your venture succeeds.
Shmukler’s tips for entrepreneurs starting a new business:
You have to love the idea.
Ask yourself: Is the idea going to work? Are you offering anything unique or different in the market?
Find out if the business will make money.
Know who is going to drive the business. “Some people have good idea, but they are terrible at selling the product and at leadership. For example I know that I am good at running a business, but I am not particularly good at finances, at tasks such as managing financial documents, so I would get someone else to do that
Shmukler is hoping to expand his eco-friendly courier service to other big SA cities once it is has been well established in Johannesburg.
