Georgia Southern Student Entrepreneur Featured in Forbes Magazine
Georgia Southern University senior Jon Lockin has just been featured in Forbes Magazine for his innovative idea of transporting drinkers home from the local Statesboro bars.
The bus service, known as the Blue Goose, was started by Lockin when he was just a freshman as a means to supplement his income. After seeing a report about a British company whose employees traveled to bring people home safely, Lockin was curious if the same type of company could be useful in Statesboro.
Discovering for himself that a cab home from the bars would cost him around $40 for only a short distance, he knew the idea could be profitable. Initially, he aimed to provide a courtesy driver service riding only his scooter to safely drive home people who had been drinking for a fee.
“I soon realized this wasn’t keeping me busy full time and people wanted to me to be a taxi,” Lockin said.
There was a higher demand than what he expected. Lockin knew he would need larger transportation.
“I had a choice, either I fitted an expensive taxi meter or I charged a flat fee wherever people wanted to go,”Lockin said.
This inspiration led to the Blue Goose. Lockin obtained his license for a taxi service and bought his first bus from an online auction site operated by a company called Liquidity Services.
“The name came from this big blue bus that we got – it was in great condition and we only paid $1,800 for it at auction,” Lockin said. “My grandma used to have a car she called the Pink Goose. So it seemed only natural to call our business the Blue Goose.”
As he was charging a $3 flat fee per person he had an incentive to ferry as many people as possible. In the end, Lockin became much cheaper than any competition. Demand continued to surge for his services and the Blue Goose business soared.
Currently, Lockin owns five buses, but only operates four for his business. He also employs two other drivers. The company transports groups of 10 or more people and even allows them to bring alcoholic beverages onboard. Passenger ID’s are checked by the drivers and these passengers must stay behind the “white line.”
Lockin’s father has worked to help him maintain his business both legally and financially.
“I could make money a thousand different ways but I choose to make money in a way that makes me feel good about myself and makes me feel good about what I’m doing in the community,” Lockin said.
Forbes feature focuses on Lockin’s purchase of surplus military equipment (the buses) and names him one of five “micro-entrepreneur’s.”
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