All you need to start a business these days is a tech savvy mind, a laptop and of course, some entrepreneurial drive. In fact, it would appear that we’re now experiencing an influx of new-age entrepreneurs who are busy scouring the traditional industrial landscape for opportunities, leaving no stone unturned in the process. One these entrepreneurs is Wayne Wang, co-Founder of newly launched People Post. With his two co-Founders, Wayne is seeking to put a modern spin on traditional postal services which he says has made “little effort towards making improvements and incorporating modern technology.”
‘Transparency will be crucial to its success’
Referred to as the ‘Uber’ of couriers, People Post uses the share economy model and modern technology to connect users with registered runners nearby, 24/7. Using the online platform, users will be able to post jobs for same day delivery, track delivery progress and rate runners upon completion. Much like Uber, whose users were frustrated by the unpredictable costs and uncertain nature of taxi services, People Post anticipates that transparency will be crucial to its success.
Wayne said “the issues are endless, from parcels going missing with no accountability taken by the service provider, parcels being damaged or delivered to the wrong address.
“A lot of existing problems can be resolved by utilising the technology available to us, making the process completely transparent for the user.”
‘Security is one of our top priorities’
As the People Post platform hits the market, Wayne and his team have anticipated the potential for similar security concerns which plagued Uber since its introduction. According to Wayne, security is fundamental to the business model and remains a top priority. ID checking, social checks and the provision of a security bond by runners are just some of the measures People Post has put in place to ensure maximum accountability for the security of parcels.
“Security is one of our top priorities. We have processes for our runners to build up their profiles.
“Our rating system is to make our runners understand that their profiles are important to win more jobs.”
‘Designed to be a very scalable platform’
In its infancy, People Post already has a diverse range of regular clients from online stores and law firms to florists and restaurants – all of which are providing a helping hand to the university students, parents and many other members of the casual labour market. People Post charges their runners 15 per cent of a runner’s winning price, compared to Uber which charges 20 per cent.
After a successful launch in Sydney, the team are currently rolling out the service to capital cities nationally while investigating the potential for global expansion during 2017.
Wayne said “People Post was designed to be a very scalable platform. Since it has worked in Sydney, we have no concerns about getting it to work in the other cities.
‘The sharing economy is here to stay’
A proud member of this new generation of entrepreneurs, Wayne says, “the sharing economy is here to stay.”
“It will continue to disrupt a lot of industries to the benefit of customers,” he said.
A firm believer in the many opportunities that still lay waiting for other like-minded individuals to discover, Wayne credits Uber for pioneering the sharing economy model. He believes Uber has made it much easier for consumers to understand and adapt to the concept and technology that goes with it.
To his fellow disruptors who might be harbouring an idea, he says “make a start, work hard and hang on to it.”
