Idea 163 of 500. Cluster 7: The infrastructure that makes the rest possible
Electric tuk-tuk conversion and rental fleets
The mechanism, from the book
The tiny business pathway. A rural woman with an exceptional product should not need photography, English copy, packaging design and a distributor before the world can find her.
Every idea in cluster 7 uses this mechanism.
A first step
Sit with three tuk-tuk drivers and write down what they spend on fuel and repairs each week. Get a written quote from a mechanic who can convert one vehicle to electric, including batteries and charging. Put both numbers side by side and ask the drivers whether they would rent a converted tuk-tuk for a weekly fee that leaves them better off. Their yes is the case.
- Who pays first
- A tuk-tuk driver who spends heavily on fuel each week and would rent an electric vehicle if the weekly cost were lower.
- What leaves today
- Money for imported fuel leaves the island every day; converted vehicles charged on local power keep more of it at home.
The idea and the mechanism are from the book. The first step was written for this site as a suggestion; if you know a better one, say so.
The test
Does it keep value that now leaves the island, or build the proof that lets somebody else do so?
The only test any idea on this site has to pass. The four rules that go with it are here.
In the book
- Ch. SeventeenOne Building
The dozen small things that turn a product into money that stays
More from cluster 7
Idea 163 of the 500 in the appendix of Why Not Sri Lanka? Every one can be started by one person, one family or one small firm.