For visionary entrepreneurs who hanker after e-scooter app development in Canada, We’ve recently put forth a detailed blog where we’ve discussed the Canadian micro-mobility market and cost to build an e-scooter app in Canada. 

However, considering the fact that each Canadian city has different e-scooter rules and market characteristics, we decided to leave ‘dedicated blog on each Canadian city’ on some other day. 

Well, today is that ‘other day’. Today, we will discuss 3 steps you need to follow to start an e-scooter sharing business in Calgary where the city council has already legalized the e-scooters. 

How to start an e-scooter sharing business in Calgary, Canada? 

 
Following are the 3 simple steps, sufficient for leading you towards your dream – running an e-scooter sharing business in Calgary!   

Step #1: Draft the business plan (very important to acquire the permit)  

A business plan is nothing but a formal written document which generally contains business goals and methods on how you can achieve those goals. 

But when it comes to e-scooter sharing business plan, your business plan should have additional information like e-scooter app features, your selected e-scooter hardware, business model, communication technology, manual and automatic business processes, safety features, and your strategies to ensure proper use and parking of e-scooters. 

Since the government takes all these things into account before making a final decision on your permit application, a business plan containing all this additional information is vitally important to acquire the permit. 

However, it is not as easy as pie to collect this much information and draft the business plan, especially when it is the first step! 

How to draft the e-scooter sharing business plan?

 
E-scooter sharing business plan cries for many details. So, let’s split it into more steps and simplify the learning. 

Step #1.1: Hire experts 

Many entrepreneurs hire an e-scooter app development company to just build an e-scooter app. They manage many other important aspects of the business by themselves. These ‘unnecessary efforts’ sometimes reward them with an additional financial burden and unexpected delay. 

Instead, leave it on the shoulders of experts. There are many e-scooter app development companies like Coruscate which offer services beyond app development, without charging any extra. These services include business model crafting, e-scooter selection, market study, and government permit acquisition. 

Step #1.2: Study the laws    

Your hired experts will then make you familiar with the e-scooter laws of Calgary and ways to satisfy each of them. Keep these rules in mind while moving to the next step.  

Step #1.3: Decide the business model, e-scooter hardware, feature set 

Respecting the laws, you now need to decide on the business model, e-scooter hardware and feature-set. Here, you will feel grateful to have an expert beside you. 

While finalizing the business model, it is advisable to decide whether you will rely on hired staff members or gig workers to keep batteries of e-scooters charged. This decision affects feature-set to a certain extent. 

Step #1.4: Apply for the permit  

With hired experts, when you collect all information and prepare an extensive business plan, apply for the permit. The application to operate an e-scooter sharing business in Calgary is open until July 2020. To view the permit application, click here.

Step #2:  Wait until your hired technology partner develops your e-scooter app 

As soon as you get the permit, your hired technology partner will start developing your e-scooter app. However, there are two things you have to consider here. 

Step #2.1: Decide the admin panel features 

The admin panel features don’t influence the permit. But they matter the most to run e-scooter sharing business painlessly. So, you have to discuss it with your hired technology partner. 

Step #2.2: Send e-scooter hardware to your hired technology partner 

The IoT controller fitted in your purchased e-scooter plays a major role to establish the connection and display the information of that particular e-scooter on the mobile app and admin panel. To avoid even a small bug and test the app aggressively,  e-scooter app development companies need e-scooter hardware physically available at their premises. 

Step #3: Run an awareness campaign

After receiving the app and before deploying it to market, run an awareness campaign. In the awareness campaign, you have to promote the safer use of the e-scooter and proper way of e-scooter parking. This awareness campaign will indirectly promote your e-scooter app. You can continue running awareness campaigns even after deploying the app in the market. 

The post-app launch awareness campaign is more affordable. By simply integrating an additional app module that shows the proper way of e-scooter riding and e-scooter parking as soon a user opens the app for the first time, you can make him familiar with the e-scooter laws very easily.        

That’s it. We just have discussed the most straightforward guide to start an e-scooter sharing business in Calgary.

How much does it cost to build an e-scooter app in Calgary? 

 
Coruscate is the top e-scooter app development company that has developed 10 e-scooter apps for different markets. We accommodate 100+ app developers, app designers, IoT experts, business experts, and legal advisors who all work together to make your business journey painless. 

Our business experts help micro-mobility startups to draft the business plan, decide on the business model, select the e-scooter hardware and study the market. As if this is not enough, our legal advisors help micro-mobility startups to acquire a permit from the government. 

The cost to build an e-scooter app relies on the app development approach you choose. 

• To develop a custom e-scooter app with all custom features, we charge somewhere between $15000 to $25000. 

• The price to develop the clone version of some popular e-scooter app starts from $10000. 

• And our subscription plan for the white label e-scooter app starts from just $500. 

To know more about our pricing structures and get the personalized quote, please feel free to contact us. Our one of the senior business experts will welcome you with the free e-scooter app demo and free consultation.

Bonus learning: 

• E-scooter laws in Calgary: 

Following are the top e-scooter laws in Calgary which you have to keep in mind to avoid dragging yourself in the legal battle. 

• The maximum allowed e-scooter speed is 20 kilometers per hour. 
• The minimum age required to ride an e-scooter is 18 years. 
• Permit holders must not display third-party advertising on e-scooters. 
• Permit holders must prove and continuously maintain commercial liability insurance. 
• Permit holders must provide 3 free membership accounts to The City. 
• Permit holders must retrieve the poorly parked e-scooters within 2 hours of knowledge.   
• An e-scooter is not allowed to ride on roads. But it is legal to ride on the sidewalk. 
• Helmets are not required but highly encouraged.  

• Best e-scooter hardware: 

E-scooter hardware influences the user experience as well as the maintenance cost. Entrepreneurs giving cold shoulder to e-scooter hardware generally end up affecting the user experience and leading their startups to the dead end. 

To know the best e-scooter hardware you can buy under $500 and $1000, read our dedicated blog. 

• Business model: 

 An E-scooter sharing business is a resource-heavy business. Many small-scale startups fail to innovate the business model which results in less profit.  

To know the economics of the e-scooter sharing business, read one of the best blogs. 

• Manpower needed to run e-scooter sharing business: 

We’ve covered the total manpower needed to run an e-scooter sharing business and how to reduce it significantly with the technologies in a dedicated blog.  

FAQs related e-scooter sharing business in Calgary 

 
» Question #1: Can I operate an e-scooter sharing business during Winter in Calgary? 

No, you are not allowed. The shared e-scooters were removed on November 1, 2019 and it will return in Spring 2020. 

» Question #2: How many e-scooters are allowed to drop on the streets of Calgary? 

Up to 1000 e-scooters for each permitted operator are allowed to drop on the streets of Calgary. 

» Question #3: Is it legal to ride my own e-scooter in Calgary? 

It is still illegal to ride personal e-scooters in Calgary, under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act.  

» Question #4: What are the responsibilities of operators? 

Operators are responsible for parking issues, maintenance, removal and relocation of their fleet.