This case is designed for used in the 32nd Waikato Management School Case Competition 2013 sponsored by Telecom. Dr Stephen Bowden wrote this case with the assistance of Tim Alpe. Do not distribute or copy without express author consent. © Stephen Bowden Attitudes are contagious – is yours worth catching? I saw that on a billboard as I was driving and it really symbolises what Jucy is all about. It’s about attitude, it’s about being a next generation company, it’s about excitement, it’s about providing great value for money. It’s also about being really different – Tim Alpe, 2010 New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year and Chief Jucifier, Jucy. TIM AND DAN’S EZY ADVENTURE In a land before Jucy, Tim Alpe’s was busy climbing the corporate ladder. At 25 and the youngest general manager in the Tourism Holdings Limited (THL) empire, Tim headed Airbus, a bus operation in Auckland, New Zealand. But Tim wasn’t feeling fulfilled in corporate life. Everything was regimented, structured and slow-moving and Tim was looking for entrepreneurial adventure. He didn’t want work to feel like work, he wanted it to feel more like fun. So in late 2001 he decided to leave corporate life and go into business for himself. The first thing Tim did was to call his younger brother Dan, who was in Europe having his OE (a short-term overseas experience that many New Zealanders have in their early twenties). “Dan,” said Tim, “I have a cunning plan. Let’s start a rental car business.” “Awesome, sounds like fun,” said Dan. And with that Dan jumped on the next available flight back to New Zealand.
2 Now that the key employees were on board only money, cars, marketing, infrastructure and customers were needed to be successful. First they found some cars. The Auckland Hospital Board was looking to sell a fleet of 35 Daewoo cars for around $7000 each. Tim and Dan did not have the $200,000 to buy the vehicles, but they knew someone who might loan them the money – their Dad – at commercial interest rates….