The Joys & Pain of Owning a $10m City Bus Business

August 7, 2023
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his episode is for all you public transportation lovers out there.

How about being the owner of the business that runs your city or town's bus system?

George Goates bought a shuttle business that he then steered into municipal busing contracts.

His first one was Scottsdale, Arizona (if you've ever been on the bus in Scottsdale).

There's a lot to like about this business, even if you're not a transport buff. Top of the list, of course, being those long-term contracts.

But there are also aspects of the business that'll make you queasy, and George is frank about those.

We get an overview of the broader bus & shuttle industry; municipal buses is just one of a variety of niches.

There's paratransit, NEMT, corporate shuttles. George breaks these down, including the pros & cons of each.

Enjoy this drive through the shuttle business with George Goates, who has quadrupled his business since buying it in 2016.

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The Joys & Pain of Owning a $10m City Bus Business

George Goates bought a small shuttle business that he's grown 4x in 8 years, partly by running buses for municipalities.

Key Takeaways

Introduction

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his episode is for all you public transportation lovers out there.

How about being the owner of the business that runs your city or town's bus system?

George Goates bought a shuttle business that he then steered into municipal busing contracts.

His first one was Scottsdale, Arizona (if you've ever been on the bus in Scottsdale).

There's a lot to like about this business, even if you're not a transport buff. Top of the list, of course, being those long-term contracts.

But there are also aspects of the business that'll make you queasy, and George is frank about those.

We get an overview of the broader bus & shuttle industry; municipal buses is just one of a variety of niches.

There's paratransit, NEMT, corporate shuttles. George breaks these down, including the pros & cons of each.

Enjoy this drive through the shuttle business with George Goates, who has quadrupled his business since buying it in 2016.

About

George Goates

George Goates
Olivia Rhye
Product Designer

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