Company: Taxi
Website: www.taximeeting.com
Founders: Morgan Vandagriff and Kendall Buchanan
Headquarters: Provo, Utah
Investors: Bootstrapped
Year Founded: 2012
Twitter: @taximeeting
Brief Company Description: Taxi: Web meetings that get out of your way. The new fastest, simplest, cheapest way to present online for Small Business and Entrepreneurs.
By Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder
Product Overview
Taxi was created as the fastest, simplest, least expensive way to present online. With a unique use of HTML5 Push technology, Taxi allows users to present or hold web meetings online instantly, directly in the browser, without any downloads whatsoever. That means any device that has access to the Internet can use Taxi. You can control or view meetings from any type of computer, smartphone or tablet, no need to download, grant access or acquire a plugin. Taxi is perfect for sales people, small business and entrepreneurs to hold impromptu meetings with clients or potential clients.
Founders’ Story
Kendall Buchanan and I started a small business a few years back. In this small business there was a constant need to present to current and potential clients online. At first, Kendall and I turned to some of the big software presentation tools out there. What we realized in our case was that bigger wasn’t better. We were spending hundreds of dollars on software that never worked properly. There was rarely a presentation that didn’t have some sort of problem, the client couldn’t access the program, the download took too long, we weren’t able to download a plugin properly. Eventually we decided to make a solution of our own, and Taxi was born. Taxi was so fast and so simple, we realized small businesses and entrepreneurs everywhere would love it—not to mention save a good deal of money.
Marketing/Promotion Strategy
Taxi just recently launched. The majority of signups are coming from referrals. Most often when people learn of Taxi they are excited to share it. Entrepreneurs realize what a valuable tool it is, how much money it will save and share it with their circle of contacts.
How We Differentiate Ourselves from the Competition
When it comes to web meetings or webinars there are currently two primary options. The first is to go for the big clunky software, which is what we tried. You would think the expense would provide you with a better program. Unfortunately, these programs are generally very expensive, very bulky, and hard to use. There are too many bells and whistles, they are not easy to set up and the people on the other end almost always have a problem accessing the meeting. On the other end are some free options that are cheap, and clutter your screen with ads and competing logos. While this may be fine for college students, it’s not so great for small business owners trying to sell. It’s distracting.
We take out the complication of the big guys and price it as cheap as possible. There is simply nothing cheaper than Taxi out there for professional online meetings. We take the good ideas from slide sharing tools and we’re bringing them to the world of web meetings.
Business Model
Taxi came out of a need in our small business and helped us save money. Our aim is to do the same for others in our situation. We made Taxi as inexpensive as we possibly could. There are a few different options. Taxi has a free version for the most basic needs: one presentation, one attendee. This is a valid option for someone that wants to try it out. There is no obligation, no credit card requirement or anything. Just log in and test it out, try using it on your smartphone, watch the slides change instantly on your computer. Honestly—a warning, you’re going to be hooked after you try this.
Then there are also the standard ($7/month, 10 attendees) plus ($15/month for 30 attendees) and pro ($20/month for 100 attendees). For the sheer amount of attendees, there is nothing cheaper, anywhere.
Current Needs
Our needs are very basic. We don’t currently have a need for new employees, we didn’t raise funds to launch Taxi and we don’t plan on needing it in the future. Taxi is completely funded by our other small business. What we really would love is feedback of what you would like to change, improve or even what you really love about Taxi. We are constantly trying to learn and improve to make a more useful tool for small business owners. Taxi was made to fit the needs in our business, but we recognize that not all business are the same. Maybe you have a use for Taxi that we hadn’t thought of. Go sign up for the free plan, test it out and let us know. The biggest need we have is more feedback.
Taxi – www.taximeeting.com
