How to start your business with the appropriate bike-sharing business plan?
May 7, 2021
min. read
“It is a rapidly growing global phenomenon: bikes of different breeds zipping through cities, being picked up and deposited at will. They belong to companies, not members of the public. The future of cycling could be sharing, not owning one,” wrote The Bike Europe, source of industry news, data, and analysis for the e-bike and bicycle industry’s decision-makers, at the start of this year. And the pandemic hasn't changed the situation significantly.
According to a recent eight nation survey Oliver Wyman conducted with approximately 6,000 respondents, 44% of riders said they would be willing to increase their dependence on the service (shared vehicles and ride-hailing) in the future. 34% said they planned to use it as much as before the pandemic.
Accordingly, there is a pretty big interest in starting a business based on a bike-sharing service. Every business should start with a detailed business plan. Here, we are going to explain how to create a business plan that it would be appropriate to implement in your business.
Mind the differences
If you are a newcomer or even if you have ride-sharing business experience, the first thing to remember before preparing a business plan - every vehicle sharing model is specific and has its own differences to keep in mind.
In regard to bikes, it is important to remember that users are usually willing to take the bike from one docking station and return it to another. Sometimes, it is located on the other side of the city. So the service provider should calculate capacity, as well as vehicle availability in the most popular parts of the city during rush hours. That might be crucial.
Know your customer
Before taking further steps and making any decision you must know your audience. So it is the right time to do market research. The first thing to do is to define the characteristics of your customer by identifying:
- Age - what is the age range of your customer more likely to use your services? What group of customer generations do they belong to? For example, people born in the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2000s are referred to as Generation Z. There are some characteristics that identify their behavioral patterns, so you already know what they might and might not like.
- Gender - do you plan to communicate with men, women, or both sexes? There are differences.
- Marital status and family - it might influence how the person is moving through the city. For example, if she or he must take into account the plans of their partner while scheduling their everyday activities.
- Location - what are the most likely points which your potential customer is moving between in the city?
- Income - how likely they are willing to use bike-sharing? And how much they would be willing to pay for the service?
- Language - what language are you going to use to communicate with your audience? And what languages you should make available on your app.
Usually, several groups can be identified according to these characteristics. The next step is to find people that are representing each group, talk to them and test your hypothesis and assumptions towards them.
You can also calculate quite precisely the size of your target market. You can find it out by calculating the TAM, SAM, and SOM. TAM is the total available market for the service, for example, the total amount of users. SAM is a serviceable available market in the area you have chosen to operate. SOM is a serviceable obtainable market - a portion of the available market that you are willing to serve.
Choose what suits you best
After you have defined your target market and potential audience, you may start to consider what works best for your customer. There are three options to choose your bike-sharing business from and to put into your bike-sharing business plan:
- dockless bike-sharing - bicycles are freely available to potential users and they are not located at docking stations. Vehicles can be unlocked using a mobile app and afterward returned to a particular bike rack or even left along the sidewalk. This model is more suitable for tourists and other short-term use cases. Usually, dockless sharing services offer single rides for a small fee, for example, $1 or monthly fees for continuous use. The biggest risk of this model is high operational costs, as well as a bigger risk for vandalism or damage to the bikes;
- station-based bike-sharing - bikes are into docking stations and users can unlock them to have a ride. In addition, users must return the bike to the same or another docking station. Providers of this model usually offer payment of a flat membership fee plus the fee for the amount of time spent on the road. This is a good choice for the business due to low operational costs for maintenance or relocation. However, dockless bikes are becoming more accessible so there is a risk that a potential user will choose the service with no strings attached rather than one where he has to follow certain rules in terms of the place to leave his bike;
- corporate bike sharing - in this case, the service provider takes care of the maintenance and relocation of bikes, if needed, but bikes are owned by the corporation. Most likely, the owner will make bikes available to its employees or use them as a magnet for their business, for example, if the company additionally owns a hotel or entertainment park. This model is the best for any operator. The only and quite significant risk is that the corporate partner can decide to leave this business at any time.
To sum it all up, the dockless bike-sharing model is more convenient for users but involves higher risks for service providers. Station-based bike-sharing is less risky for the service provider, but not as convenient for the end-user. So while making the bike-sharing business plan, the choice should be made depending on the other market players and the risks you are willing to take. And if you have a corporate partner, who is willing to buy bikes and you have to operate the fleet - do it, but remember that you can be left alone at some point.
Calculate all costs
The most important part of the business plan is to find a balance between revenue and costs. If you haven't had a ride-sharing business previously, you would be wise to understand and consider all costs that you will have to cover with your revenue stream. Here are the most important positions you have to think of:
- vehicle purchase costs - it is recommended that you start with a small fleet and test your business model. However, you will need a first investment to purchase your fleet. And keep in mind that after some time vehicles should be changed, so consider including depreciation costs in your bike-sharing business plan;
- IT costs - vehicles are just part of the business. The other part is software and apps that allow people to rent a vehicle and you run your bike-sharing business. You can develop the software from scratch. However, there are already appropriate ready-made solutions in the market that have all the functions you might need. For example, ATOM has been operating on the global market since 2018 and has all the expertise you might need;
- marketing costs - what is the budget you are ready to invest so that people are informed about your service? Consider all options, for example, social media, local media, your own media (web site, newsletter). Think of the bonuses that you can offer to the client, for example, free rides. However, keep in mind that every bonus reduces your profit margin. Average statistics for fast-growing companies indicate that they invest 10-20% of turnover on marketing;
- maintenance costs - proper service should be provided to expand the vehicle’s lifecycle as well as to provide clients with the perfect service. So you will need a team of people that can check vehicles every day all over the city;
- costs for the customer support - your customers will look for options on how to contact you if they have questions while starting to use or using the service. You have to have somebody or even a small team ready to answer them.
- other costs - you have to hire an accountant. You may require legal support. You will have to cover fees to be able to use the payment system.
You should consider making a total investment of EUR 15,000-30,000 to launch a small test bike-sharing fleet (30-50 bikes). For a proper full-scale and successful launch with several hundreds of bikes, you will need a total investment of EUR 70,000-100,000.
What is your bike-sharing business model?
Your business model is the way you will get revenues from your service. A lot of different business models exist in the bike-sharing market. When you think of yours, take a look at what your competitors are doing and think of ways how you can be more attractive to customers. In addition, you have to consider location and take seasonality into account. And one more thing - act fast! This can be crucial for your future success. ATOM allows you to launch your bike-sharing business within a few weeks with a bike sharing software. Learn more about ATOM's solution for shared mobility.
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How to launch a scooter sharing business in 2026: A step-by-step guide
🛴 Launching a scooter-sharing business takes much more than buying scooters and publishing an app. Choosing the right city, selecting reliable hardware, planning operations, and investing in software that can scale all play a major role in building a successful mobility business. This guide walks you through every stage of the process, from market research and business model selection to fleet management, customer acquisition, and how operators can launch in as little as 20 days.
August 6, 2026
min. read
Launching a scooter-sharing business no longer requires millions in funding or a team of software engineers. What once took large mobility companies years to build can now be launched in a matter of weeks. The challenge has shifted from technology to execution. Today's operators compete on reliability, operational efficiency, and the ability to work with cities rather than around them.
The opportunity, however, remains strong. According to the 2025 European Shared Mobility Index, Europe recorded more than 640 million shared mobility trips in 2024, with scooters remaining one of the largest mobility segments. For entrepreneurs looking to enter the market, the biggest advantage is that they no longer have to build everything from scratch. Proven business models, mature hardware, and established software platforms have made launching a scooter-sharing service much more accessible than it was just a few years ago.
Here's what to consider before launching your first fleet.
Step 1: Choose the right city
The success of a scooter-sharing business often depends more on the city than on the scooters themselves. Before investing in vehicles, take time to understand the local market. Does the city issue permits for scooter-sharing operators? Are there already established competitors? Is the population dense enough to support frequent short trips? Well-developed cycling infrastructure and strong public transport networks can also work in your favour by creating first and last mile travel opportunities. Competition isn't necessarily a bad sign. If multiple operators are already active, it usually means there is proven demand. The challenge is understanding whether there's room for another service and how your business can differentiate itself.
Step 2: Build a business model that fits your market
One of the first decisions is choosing how riders will use your service. Some operators choose a free-floating model, where scooters can be picked up and parked anywhere within a designated service area. Others prefer station-based systems that require trips to start and end at fixed locations. Free-floating fleets offer greater flexibility for users, while station-based systems usually provide more predictable operations, simpler charging logistics, and fewer parking issues.
Pricing deserves just as much attention. Many operators combine an unlock fee with per-minute pricing, while others introduce subscriptions, ride bundles, or daily passes for frequent users. It's also worth defining your target utilisation rate before purchasing vehicles. A fleet of 200 scooters averaging five trips per day is generally a healthier business than a fleet of 500 scooters averaging only one or two.
Step 3: Choose hardware that will last
Buying scooters is only one part of the investment. Operators should look beyond purchase price and evaluate durability, battery capacity, weather resistance, maintenance requirements, spare part availability, and the total cost of ownership over several years.
The hardware inside each scooter is equally important. GPS tracking, remote locking, battery monitoring, vehicle diagnostics, and theft protection all depend on reliable IoT connectivity. Many newer operators also choose swappable battery systems because they reduce downtime and allow batteries to be replaced on the street instead of transporting scooters back to a warehouse for charging.
Choosing hardware that integrates smoothly with your software platform will make expansion much easier later on.
Step 4: Select software that can grow with your business
The customer usually sees only the mobile app, but software runs almost every part of a scooter-sharing business. Beyond booking and payments, operators need tools for fleet management, pricing, subscriptions, maintenance scheduling, customer support, analytics, reporting, and day-to-day administration. As fleets grow, managing these processes manually quickly becomes unrealistic. When comparing software providers, look beyond the list of features. Consider how well the platform integrates with your hardware, whether new vehicle types can be added later, and how much of the daily operational work can be automated, what other operators are saying about the software.
Platforms such as ATOM Mobility's vehicle-sharing software bring rider apps, fleet management, payments, maintenance workflows, and analytics together in one system, allowing operators to manage the business without relying on multiple disconnected tools.
Step 5: Think about your first riders before launch day
Successful operators usually spend weeks preparing their first marketing campaigns before the fleet goes live. Referral programmes can encourage existing users to invite friends, while partnerships with universities, hotels, offices, residential developments, and local businesses help introduce the service to potential riders. Introductory discounts often work well during launch, but long-term success depends on giving people a reason to keep coming back after the promotion ends.
Step 6: Prepare your operations before the first ride
Many mobility businesses don't struggle because demand is low – they struggle because operations become difficult to manage as the fleet grows. Before launch, operators should already have clear procedures covering:
- vehicle inspections
- charging and battery swaps
- maintenance and repairs
- fleet balancing
- customer support
- incident reporting
It is also worth deciding when operational action should be triggered. For example, at what battery level should a scooter be collected? How many inactive hours should pass before a vehicle is relocated? When should damaged scooters automatically be removed from service? Answering these questions early helps create consistent operations as the business grows.
How long does it actually take to launch?
Building custom mobility software from scratch can easily take 6-12 months or more, particularly when mobile apps, payments, IoT integrations, and fleet management systems all need to be developed from 0. Custom mobility software also costs 10 times more and may not be delivered in time.
Using a white-label platform shortens that process considerably. With ATOM Mobility's vehicle-sharing platform, operators can often launch in as little as 20 days, depending on branding, hardware integrations, payment setup, and operational readiness. That allows founders to spend less time developing software and more time preparing the business itself.
Launching a scooter-sharing business has never been easier from a technical perspective, but long-term success still depends on execution. Choosing the right city, investing in reliable hardware, selecting software that can grow with the business, and establishing strong operational processes all have a much bigger impact than simply deploying more scooters. The operators that build those foundations early are usually the ones best positioned to scale in the years that follow.
Want to learn more?
For entrepreneurs who want to dive deeper, ATOM Academy (https://www.atommobility.com/academy) is a free online learning platform created by mobility industry experts. It includes practical video courses covering topics such as:
- How to launch a shared mobility business
- Fleet operations and maintenance best practices
- Pricing and business models
- Marketing, support and customer acquisition
- Mobility software tutorials and platform walkthroughs
- Industry trends and expert insights
Whether you're preparing to launch your first fleet or looking to optimise an existing operation, the Academy provides practical guidance based on real-world experience from hundreds of mobility projects worldwide.
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New feature alert: Vehicle availability calendar for P2P rentals
📆🚗 Managing vehicle availability is now easier than ever. Each rental vehicle can now have its own availability schedule, allowing operators or vehicle owners to define exactly when it can be booked. Keep vehicles available 24/7, create recurring weekly schedules, configure multiple unavailable periods, and make one-time availability changes directly from the calendar - all while preventing conflicts with existing bookings.
August 4, 2026
min. read
Managing vehicle availability has become much more flexible. With the new Vehicle availability calendar, every rental vehicle now has its own availability schedule, allowing operators or vehicle owners to define exactly when a vehicle can be booked.
By default, vehicles remain available 24/7, but operators can switch to a custom schedule and configure recurring unavailable periods or make one-time availability adjustments directly from the calendar.
Key capabilities
📅 24/7 availability by default
Newly added vehicles are automatically available around the clock. No additional setup is required.
🔄 Recurring weekly availability schedules
Configure custom weekly availability for each individual vehicle by defining one or multiple unavailable periods for every day of the week.
Navigation:
Vehicles → Select vehicle → Edit → Set availability
⚙️ Multiple unavailable periods per day
Need to block vehicles for maintenance, charging, cleaning, or personal use? Add as many unavailable time slots as needed for each day.
📆 One-time availability changes
Override the recurring schedule for a specific date without affecting the permanent weekly configuration. Perfect for holidays, temporary maintenance, or special events.
Navigation:
Vehicles → Calendar view → Click any available or unavailable time slot to add or edit
🔴 Visual availability overview
Unavailable periods are highlighted directly in the vehicle calendar, making it easy to identify when a vehicle can or cannot be booked.
🛡️ Booking conflict protection
To prevent scheduling issues, the system validates every availability change. If the selected period overlaps with an existing booking, the update cannot be saved and the operator will receive an error informing them that a booking already exists for that time.
How it works
The feature combines two layers of availability:
- Recurring schedule – the vehicle's permanent weekly availability pattern.
- Calendar exceptions – one-time changes that apply only to a specific date without modifying the recurring schedule.
For example, if a vehicle is normally unavailable every Wednesday from 10:00–12:00, you can temporarily extend, edit or reduce availability for a single Wednesday while leaving all future Wednesdays unchanged.
Why it matters
P2P rental businesses often manage vehicles with different owner preferences and operating hours. This feature gives operators the flexibility to support virtually any availability scenario while keeping bookings accurate and preventing scheduling conflicts.
Whether you're managing a small peer-to-peer fleet or thousands of rental vehicles, the new vehicle availability calendar makes availability management significantly easier and more reliable.
Driver App demo credentials - Email: test@atom.com, Password: driver
