Alex Manau, 24, joined the growing car-sharing movement several years ago when his grandmother, who could no longer drive, gave him her 2006 Toyota Corolla.

He planted a seed that bore further fruit late last year, when in November Manau decided to take a new leap into the industry as a way to raise some extra cash.

In less than a year, his fleet, which he rents out through Toro, has grown to 16, and he has no plans to stop.

“Demand has been really, really high,” Manau said.

So much so that, with an expected income of $160,000 this year, he was able to bid farewell to his full-time sales job and take a part-time gig selling furniture.

“It was a lightning moment,” Manau said of the moment, via spreadsheets, he realized he could turn his new car rental empire into a full-time job if he expanded his fleet. can change

“I think there will be at least 40 cars by the end of 2025.”

Like many entrepreneurs, one of Manau’s secrets to success was his ability to spot a trend and rise above it.

“A lot of people in Sydney don’t want to own a car,” he said.

“In the last seven or eight years, in particular, more people are relying on car sharing.”

This is especially true for Manau’s target market, as Touro advertises itself to out-of-town tourists, or locals looking for longer road trips, such as the Blue Mountains or Hunter Valley.

Many young people are joining the car-sharing app, Manau said, but middle-aged people are also adding to their fleets.

“It’s great to see,” he said.

But he is adamant about the work involved. Not only does this require meticulous planning – see the aforementioned spreadsheets – but it also involves a lot of due diligence.

For those looking to get started, Manau suggests finding a reliable car that ideally costs $10,000 or less — and that they can pay for in cash.

When it comes time to expand, he said, people should make sure they have a mechanic going over potential purchases with them, to make sure they’re worth the money.

And if possible it’s worth investing in vehicles of similar make and manufacture, which increases ease of management and, if nothing else, provides a useful pool of interchangeable parts.

The next step in Manau’s plan is to upgrade its storage facility.

Currently he stocks his fleet in a carpark in Chippendale, but it is close to capacity.

He said he hopes to occupy a warehouse near the airport — offsetting the cost by renting the space to other car-share vendors.

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