Today we’d like to introduce you to Yolanda Stevenson.
Yolanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I worked in corporate many years and was laid off. My dad owns a construction company in Waco and offered me a job but it involved commuting back and forth from Richardson to Waco weekly. My boys were going to school at Apollo and Springridge at the time but my oldest would have to cross Beltline Rd daily and while we were both working parents, we worried about my oldest having to cross a busy intersection. I began to look for a transportation company that would pick my boys up from school daily but could not find anyone trust worthy or affordable. I decided to hire a friend at $75 a week which gave me peace of mind knowing that I had someone to be there for them when they got out of school. When my daughter turned 5 and started kindergarten it was time for me to be home permanently and I decided to take the plunge and start my own business. My husband and kids helped me with picking out the “Taxi Mom” name. Our first year we had one vehicle servicing 5 schools and now we service over 20 schools in the Richardson, Plano, Garland, Wylie areas and some charter and private schools. As a mother, I realize the importance of reliability and the peace of mind that we give to our families. We are now going into our 13th year and we are excited that our families have trusted us with their kids because we love them like our own.
Has it been a smooth road?
Like any other companies, there are many growing pains. Being a family owned business, we still struggle with separating business from everyday life and I have had to make many sacrifices with giving up family time to build this business but in the end, it has been rewarding. I remember a time that I was driving downtown on Halloween, transporting for families to Plano and I basically missed a party I was throwing for my kids and their friends and didn’t get home until after 8pm.
I want to be able to help as many families but sometimes it can be challenging because of their desperation and I truly hate turning them away but I know better than to over extend myself. I know that we can’t make everyone happy but I really try hard to meet the demands of my parents.
Being a service based company there are many demands and expectations that are required and it can make or break a company. We have been extremely blessed. After being family owned and operated since 2004, we hired outside of the family in 2015 and it is extremely challenging to find good, dependable people that believe in your vision.
A major challenge for me as the owner, my husband of 22 years suddenly passed away of a heart attack in 2011 and no matter what I was facing, I still had a business to run. Our commitment to our families is considered at all times especially when one of us gets sick. I tell my new parents, we believe in our responsibility and commitment to them, my husband passed on a Monday and we ran the routes and only asked for a Friday afternoon to be off. These families rely on us and we strive to be reliable.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a service based company that cater to kids. Most of our students range in age from 3 – 18 years old and we mainly transport them from home to school or vice versa.
I am the owner and I oversee the many duties of running this business while managing family and employees to taking calls, negotiating pricing and setting up ways to save the company money.
I am proud and honored when my parent’s acknowledge what a blessing we are to them.
We are minority owned, trademarked, and have plans to expand in the DFW area soon.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Suburbs are a good place to start because each city have different requirements and there is a definite need for our working parents that can’t take off to get their kid.
Pricing:
- Our prices are listed online but we try to be affordable. 1 – 5 miles can range from $35 – $95 per week.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.taximomservice.com
- Phone: 972-231-2240
- Email: admin@taximomservice.com
- Facebook: Taxi Mom – Richardson, Garland, Plano @ Taxi.Mom.LLC
- Twitter: Taxi Mom @TaxiMomLLC
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