Shiply was founded in June 2008 by Robert Matthams. Already the company has 3,500 hauliers signed up to use its services and an impressive 15,000 customers, a figure that is likely to rise significantly in accordance with future developments.
The website www.shiply.com serves as a virtual marketplace matching haulage companies with customers looking to transport goods. Customers log on to the website and post specifications of items they need collected or delivered. In response, transport companies registered with the site can then bid for the job, leaving the customer free to choose the best possible deal.
Waste not want not is the motto for this story as the ingenuity of the idea lies in the fact that each job is carried out by a driver returning from a previous delivery job with an empty vehicle. Not only does this venture reduce customer expenditure by up to 75%, but it also saves them the time spent chasing companies for a quote. Of course it also helps hauliers to increase their profit by filling what normally would be empty vehicles and, benefits the environment by reducing both congestion and carbon emission.
The idea arose upon the delivery of a snooker table to Robert whilst he was still a student. After chatting to the delivery driver and finding out he would be returning from Manchester to London with an empty vehicle, Robert decided to carry out further research which revealed that 25% of all lorries on the road are travelling completely empty, having completed their deliveries.
Matthams believes that a recession can be a great time to start a business because advertising costs are much cheaper, and, if you have an idea that can reduce consumer expenditure by maximising existing resources then the recession can act as a great platform in which to start your new venture.
So, what factors have been integral to the rapid success of the company? Robert advises: “Make sure your business plan enables you to move and grow as quickly as possible, ensuring the protection of your intellectual property at every step.”
Waste not want not is the motto for this story as the ingenuity of the idea lies in the fact that each job is carried out by a driver returning from a previous delivery job with an empty vehicle. Not only does this venture reduce customer expenditure by up to 75%, but it also saves them the time spent chasing companies for a quote. Of course it also helps hauliers to increase their profit by filling what normally would be empty vehicles and, benefits the environment by reducing both congestion and carbon emission.
The idea arose upon the delivery of a snooker table to Robert whilst he was still a student. After chatting to the delivery driver and finding out he would be returning from Manchester to London with an empty vehicle, Robert decided to carry out further research which revealed that 25% of all lorries on the road are travelling completely empty, having completed their deliveries.
Matthams believes that a recession can be a great time to start a business because advertising costs are much cheaper, and, if you have an idea that can reduce consumer expenditure by maximising existing resources then the recession can act as a great platform in which to start your new venture.
So, what factors have been integral to the rapid success of the company? Robert advises: “Make sure your business plan enables you to move and grow as quickly as possible, ensuring the protection of your intellectual property at every step.”
