Tell us about your business: What is its name, what exactly do you do, and when did you start it?

My business is called Amaxas. The word comes from ancient Greek and means "coachman." My startup is a private chauffeur company. The official publication of my business in the government gazette was in early May 2024.

The concept is that I go to the client who needs a driver, for example, because they have meetings all day or are going out to a restaurant. My clients prefer a chauffeur over a taxi. What sets me apart from a taxi service is that I drive the client’s own car. This means cost savings for me because I don’t need to invest in my own vehicle. A client who wants to work during the ride is more comfortable in their own car than in a taxi. It’s also more advantageous for the client because they only pay for the time with me. Usually, these are clients with fairly luxurious cars that would otherwise just sit in the driveway. So in that respect, it’s a bit of a win-win. My clients are mostly located around or in Antwerp. I can usually reach the client by bicycle.

What inspired you to start this business?

I actually started by filling in for someone else. I got along well with that client, and that’s how things got started. During a longer ride, the client asked if I could drive them again another time. Gradually, through word-of-mouth, more clients started specifically asking for me.

Then I got the idea to offer this service directly to clients instead of working for a boss who would take a commission. The advantage is that without a middleman, I could build a good relationship of trust with my clients. They expressed a preference for riding specifically with me rather than with someone else. In larger companies, you often just get assigned a driver, but these may be people you don’t know at all and have no relationship with. With me, because we do more rides together, we get to know each other, and a genuine relationship of trust develops.

How did you secure financing in the startup phase?

I started with the philosophy of keeping startup costs as low as possible because that minimizes risk. If things didn’t go as planned or if I decided to stop after a few months, I wouldn’t suffer a significant loss. For this reason, I chose not to establish a private limited company, which would have cost around 1,000 euros. Instead, I set up a general partnership to save as much as possible on costs.

I don’t need much for my core business: a phone to stay in contact with my clients and a laptop. I can reach most clients by bike. That’s a big advantage of my business—there are only minimal startup costs.

What strategies did you use to market your business?

Someone suggested I create an Instagram page because it’s a free way to gain some visibility. But I’ve noticed that this is much less effective than clients referring each other. They say things like, “Oh, you’re taking a taxi? Let me give you Pieter’s number. He drives your own car, it’s cheaper, and he’s a great guy.”

So, I don’t really place advertisements, and I don’t think it’s necessary. I currently have about 30 clients if I count those who have done at least two rides with me. The frequency varies greatly. Some clients only use my service once every two or three months, for example, if they need to attend a meeting in Paris. They only use my service for longer trips and drive themselves the rest of the time, but that’s perfectly fine. Other clients have a fixed time slot each week. For instance, I might drive for them every Monday morning. So I have a mix of regular clients and clients who use my service sporadically.

Do you sometimes consider hiring more employees, or will it remain a one-man business for now?

I do think about it sometimes because there are busy evenings, like Friday and Saturday nights, when multiple clients request a ride at the same time. That’s a bit of a downside of a service-based business. I can only serve one client at a time because I need to be present.

The advantage of a general partnership is that we needed to have two founders. I have a younger brother who occasionally helps out. He is also my co-founder.

The growth of my startup is very organic. If everyone refers one or two people, growth can happen quickly. In recent months, I’ve noticed the importance of maintaining a balance between my studies, my friends, and my family.

What do you find most challenging about entrepreneurship?

I also enjoy sports, so the hardest part for me right now is sometimes having to say no to clients when I already have other plans, like a friend’s birthday party or something similar. Setting those boundaries can be difficult. This type of service is usually needed when everyone else wants to have fun. To maintain a good work-life balance, I’d prefer to occasionally pay someone else to work for me.

What do you enjoy most? Where do you get the most satisfaction?

I have to say it’s the personal contact with clients. It’s really nice to build a relationship of trust with these people over time. I often spend long hours with them in their cars, and we have conversations. Often, they are people I wouldn’t normally meet, like CEOs of companies or entrepreneurs. I learn a lot from these conversations. They are entrepreneurs themselves, so they often give advice on how I should approach certain things. They often say, “Don’t be afraid to outsource something now and then if it allows you to have more free time or relax more.” I also enjoy building a social network with people I wouldn’t otherwise get to know.

Have your priorities changed since you started?

I can’t create work for myself. I have to wait for requests like “Are you available to drive this evening?” I now have many more requests and therefore more work than in the early months because my activity is entirely demand-driven. That’s why my priority has shifted more towards learning to set boundaries.

How would you define success now? What does it mean to you?

I’ve tried to see entrepreneurship as an experiment. Since I’m following an economics track, there’s a real chance I might continue to be an entrepreneur later on. So, it’s interesting to see if this is something for me. Learning how to deal with clients, for example, is something I’ve grown a lot in, I think. I’ve also learned a lot from going through the entire administrative procedure. We had a course on this, but doing it in practice, with a publication in the official gazette and a deed of incorporation, is a whole different experience. Making it all very concrete was really interesting.

I think my main goal for the business was to learn as much as possible in all areas, with the idea that making mistakes is okay.

What I’m most proud of or what I consider the most successful is that over the past few months, I’ve learned a lot from as many people as possible. I get a lot of satisfaction from those conversations.

How do you see the qualities of a good entrepreneur? You often come into contact with larger entrepreneurs during your rides.

I think one very important aspect of almost any business is being able to deal well with people. The social aspect is always somewhat underestimated, I think.

If I don’t click with a client, I’m almost certain that the collaboration will end sooner. I also feel that the human aspect is very important on the client side.

Being able to deal well with clients, employees, and suppliers is also an important competency as an employee within an organization. Ultimately, you’re always working with people.

Being able to work under stress or think critically under pressure is also an advantage.

What advice would you give to students who are still hesitant about starting their own business?

Try to keep your risk as low as possible and see it as an experiment. Tell yourself, “Okay, I want to try it, and if it doesn’t work out or I realize I’m not happy with it, I can just stop or start over as a student.” By then, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.

So, it’s not a big deal to fail as long as you’ve learned something from it.

Was there a decision that was particularly difficult for you in the past few months since you started?

I was once asked by a client to manage their company’s social media because I grew up with it as a young person. Of course, I use it, but I’ve never managed it for someone else. I eventually agreed but found it too far outside my comfort zone. After a month, I made the difficult decision to say “no” and stop that activity. Sometimes it’s probably better to say “no” right away under the motto “stick to what you know.” I’m going to be more careful about this in the future and not immediately say yes to something that’s completely outside my skills.

Do you have any future plans for your business regarding employees?

I want to continue providing good service to my current clients. It doesn’t necessarily have to grow very quickly because I’m currently at my limit.