Ed Hardy doesn’t often watch “Dragon’s Den,” but a chance viewing recently has launched a new business career for him in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hardy is the holder of the Avalon Peninsula rights for GoTire, a mobile tire shop franchise that was launched in Canada by two Red Deer businessmen two years ago.
Hardy saw the founders on CBC-TV’s “Dragons’ Den,” on which entrepreneurs pitch potential investors on their products or services.
“I just happened to catch it one night,” he said. “I don’t watch that show very often, but I just happened to be in front of the TV that night. I’ve always tried to brainstorm ideas for businesses because I think time is of the essence.”
Hardy is betting that customers in the St. John’s area will pay him to come to their homes and places of businesses so he can change their tires, fix their windshields, and detail their vehicles. It’s a business model introduced in the United Kingdom about a decade ago and has proliferated since.
Canada so far is an underserved market — Hardy says he’s the fourth GoTire franchisee in the country. He’s only been in operation a few weeks, but says he’s already seeing a decent volume of business, helped, in part, by the brand recognition from its appearance on “Dragons’ Den.”
“Most of my days, I start somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m.,” he said. “I’ve been busy with tire changes and interior detailing.”
Right now he’s a one-man operation, but he’s hoping business growth will warrant him hiring someone else.
Convenience a selling point.
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