R&D goes very well for Grow Verde this week!

I just got this exciting video from our GPS partners at Horizon Tech. in AZ. The video shows how the RFID reader installed in our Vespa can act as the key to the vehicle. This will allow us to monitor usage, automate billing for each member no matter how many members we have (the system is being built to handle 1,000,000 unique member access cards). This will allow us to focus our efforts on building out our green zones and increasing usage, key factors in our growth for 09'.

Give us feedback during the R&D stage that we may not have seen or thought of. History has proven that many minds are better than a few. Post your suggestions at this blog or email them directly to me at Q@Growverde.com and I will read and respond.

without further delay here is the update video from our GPS partners:

Testers needed for Eco-alternative transport system called Vespa sharing...

Grow Verde and local city officials have struck a tentative verbal agreement to pilot a Eco-Alternative transport program called Vespa sharing. Testers will be required to submit a drivers license and agree to a driving background check. once qualified testers will be required to pay a $35 activation fee for personal accounts, $45 for business accounts (up to 15 employees). The monthly fee is waived for the early adopters and a credit card will be required for usage rates that are 20-35% lower than the normal rates once launched. testers will be responsible for giving the city and Grow Verde feedback on the reservation system and ease of use. During the pilot testers will also provide feedback on services and or locations that should be added once the system goes live.
Grow Verde is a local company that has transitioned from scooter rentals to tourist. They now are providing municipalities with a scalable addition to a transit infrastructure at little or no cost to the city. Started in 2006 Grow Verde grew from a small rental company catering to the 4-5 star hotel properties into a carbon reducing leader. Each Vespa saves 3.00925 TONS of CO2 each hour it is used. This opens the door to a Carbon credit program that can benefit the city and it's locals. The over all goal is to create enough carbon credits from the usage that the already low monthly fee is reduced to ZERO! and members only pay for what they use!
If you would like to be considered as a tester please submit your info to Info@GrowVerde.com and in the subject line put "I WANNA BE A TESTER!"
You can read more about the journey to D-Day on Grow Verde's daily blog at: http://growverde.blogspot.com/

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If your concept is great, it does not matter as much as your experience!

I was in a meeting today with a city official who is in love with the concept of Vespa sharing. As I walked him through our presentation my VP's of Operations noticed that I was loosing him. So he interjected and said "You are preaching to the Choir! We see the value of a service like this and we understand the concept. I am more interested in you, your back ground and experience."

I was happy to hear he was on board but understood his desire to get to know who I was as a person and as a leader. So I walked him through a brief history of my "Local boy makes good and goes off to college", shared with him some of my college stories and we bonded because we shared a common thread, the college experience. The grandeur of a high level collegiate program and all the hype that surrounds it. We both have had a chance to travel and in the end he cut to the chase and offered an olive branch.

Normally big cities are not that easy to crack open and most of the time things that are good for the city take a long time to get to the public. With some luck and good old fashioned elbow grease. This program will have a great jump start and be the model for cities around the country.