I remember it like it was yesterday. It was January of 2004 and I was dressed up in my suit and tie in the O’Dome at the University of Florida for Career Showcase. Résumé in hand, I walked from recruiter to recruiter, shaking hands, going through mock interviews, and discussing employment opportunities at many companies. As recruiters asked, “So Collin, why do you want to work for our company?” I thought to myself, “Oh my gosh… I don’t.” This was one of those eye-opening moments for me. None of that world was for me. I felt out of place and knew immediately that I would not work for anyone.

As a college student, the pressure is on… “What am I going to do with my life?”

After UF’s Career Showcase, my eyes became more observant of the problems around me. Throughout my four years at the University of Florida, I lived off-campus. I remember going to the bus stop every morning, sitting and waiting for the bus to pick me up. Morning after morning, the bus would approach my stop and then drive by with the words which are forever burned into my mind…

FULL BUS

Additionally, the University of Florida continued to grow. Every time UF expanded, it built on the only land available…  parking lots. Have you ever tried to park a car on campus? I have. Believe me, you can’t. Sorry folks… a parking permit at UF doesn’t guarantee you a parking spot. In fact, UF sells way more decals than parking spots available. There just isn’t enough parking on campus.

All of my frustrations with UF parking and the RTS bus system made me think, “There’s got to be a better way! (lol)” I saw an opportunity to build a business that would (forever change the culture of an entire community and) help students with their campus transportation issues. Scooters were barely in existence then. (Today, the University of Florida is known for it’s scooter culture!)

In March of 2004, two months before graduating, I jumped head-first into entrepreneurship and have never looked back. The journey has brought many “top dealership,” community, and even UF awards and recognition, but I credit the split-partnerships, crashing economies, and deadly diseases for our success. The LORD has used these challenges to mold and refine us and by His loving grace, we are still here! Here’s more of my testimony…

As an entrepreneur, I’ve always admired businesses that nailed customer service, had experiences that created memories, and we’re engaged in the community. Early on, I set out to ensure that New Scooters 4 Less would be one of those companies. Our team laid out these 12 core values that would become the core of who we are.

Today, we’ve consolidated and brought all of these under 4 Core-Core Values 🙂

Customer Experience

We create and re-create the Ultimate Customer Experience. We strive to improve 1º every day. We make customers go “Whoa!” We communicate clearly and timely. We maintain a safe, organized, and clean environment. We offer honest, quality, and competitive service. We keep our promises by doing what we say we are going to do.

Camaraderie

We never leave our team hanging. We show up on time for work and are ready to start the day to the best of our ability, but in the unlikely event a disruption occurs, we bring breakfast out of respect for our peers! We remain calm and “scoot on” in all storms. We put others before ourselves. We don’t just embrace change, we create it! We remain humble and never believe the hype.

Community

We serve a higher purpose. We’re part of something greater than ourselves. We build community in our university, city, industry, and beyond. We serve God by serving others. We steward the business and our relationships for God’s glory. We make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Christ-Centered

We are quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to become angry. (James 1:19-20) We represent the fruit of the Spirit… love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galations 5:22-23)

What’s in the future for New Scooters 4 Less? Lots! We have continued to build this dealership and want to create an experience so great that people choose to travel from all over the United States to come get their scooter right here from NS4L. We also see a lot of opportunity to take our brand, values and leadership and inject it into other communities to make positive impacts on other markets throughout the nation (and potentially world-wide).

So where do we go from here? If you took the time to read this, THANK YOU. It means the world to me. I hope that you will give our team the opportunity to serve you. Your business is what allows us to wake up and pursue what we love everyday. I am incredibly grateful for that!

I wish you and yours an incredible year! Thank you again for being a part of my story. I am truly blessed and forever grateful.

Blessings,

Collin Austin
Founder, New Scooters 4 Less