Collin Austin, Chief of Everything at New Scooters 4 Less
1. Tell us about your business; and what is your business philosophy?
From 2000-2004, I was the college student that struggled to get to class because the RTS bus was always full. The problem was terribly frustrating, so I made it my mission to help college students get to and from class without having to wait for the bus or deal with the struggles of campus parking. Our business philosophy is built around our core values and what we call the UCE, the Ultimate Customer Experience. We want to create a scooter purchasing experience that keeps customers talking.
2. Why are you passionate about your commitment to United Way’s Community Investment Fund?
One of our core values is to Serve a Higher Purpose. I believe that small businesses are a TOOL to serve others. We serve our customers by helping them with their transportation and parking issues, we serve our community by supporting amazing organizations like the United Way, and we serve our world by impacting the lives of others and expanding our UCE philosophy.
3. What is something interesting or surprising that most people don’t know about you?
My first son, Schaefer, was born on August 24th of 2009. What makes it significant is that August 24th that year was the FIRST DAY of school at UF. Want to guess what the busiest day of the year is for our scooter company? That's right! The first day of school! Naturally, I told my wife, "If we ever have another child, we need to make sure that we plan a little better so that doesn't happen again." Four years later, and I mean EXACTLY four years later, my son Maddox was born on August 24th of 2013.
Don't ever ask me to help you with planning, haha.
4. What would your older self tell your younger self?
Put God first. Family second. Business third.
5. Favorite quote?
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain
Small businesses play a critical role in maintaining a thriving local economy. They are no less important to the success of United Way, as we endeavor to improve lives through our work in education, income, and health. Our Small Business Partners are an important, growing family of donors, who are vital to helping us meet the needs of our community.
To learn more about how you and your business can support United Way, contact Chris Wells at cwells@unitedwayncfl.org or (352) 316-0666.