SteadyFare is a new ride-sharing application developed by local entrepreneur and business owner James Matthews. After a month-long “soft launch,” SteadyFare was announced to West Michigan with a massive, local advertising campaign, including billboards throughout the city and advertising through multiple online platforms such as Pandora.
SteadyFare competes in the exact same space as ride-share behemoths like Uber and Lyft, a pretty daunting task -- unless, of course, you have a plan, and you have significant differentiators.
“How does a small grocery store compete against WalMart?” Matthews says when asked how he plans to compete in the marketplace. “You can be small and be successful.”
From a driver’s perspective, he says SteadyFare provides a better rates, the ability to accept and keep tips and, maybe most importantly, a personal touch. “Drivers seem to enjoy that we actually talk to them,” he says. “They have probably never spoken to anyone at Uber.” Matthews notes they also have training programs and opportunities for exceptional drivers to create a stronger and more profitable business. “Our drivers will have a person to help them build a business. Real people in the community.”
For the riding experience, Matthews says using his application will be similar to his competitors but that there will be no surge pricing, and his drivers will have gone through a more extensive background check,providing a higher level of safety and security.
Behind the launch, Matthews has received funding from an angel investor and has a team of developers working on the app. The success of SteadyFare in Grand Rapids and future rounds of investment will determine the next 23 markets. “We are actively looking at other cities, similar to Grand Rapids, but will play it year-to-year.”
To learn more about SteadyFare, you can visit their website
here.
By John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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