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Driving Miss Daisy - Source: ONE News -
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It's a sweet movie about the unlikely bond formed between a chauffeur and his employer and it's also a growing business in New Zealand.
Driving Miss Daisy is a driving service that goes beyond taxi rides to offer a personalised service that helps senior citizens remain independent.
Founder Melanie Harper told TVNZ today she was inspired to start the business after trying to help her injured aunt get to appointments.
"My aunt taught me what a terrible feeling it is to lose your independence when you can't drive. I drove her for about eight years but in the end she employed her neighbour to drive her".
Harper said seeing that happen in her Hawke's Bay town made her realise there must be demand out there and she learnt that employing someone - rather than relying on family and neighbours - made an elderly or disabled person feel in control and empowered rather than indebted.
"This is the most important thing because even though you can't drive you still feel, in your heart, that you can do everything, and people want to," she told AMP Business today.
The business differs from a normal taxi service in that it is personalised, it becomes a regular and reliable part of its clients' live and charges set fees rather than using a meter.
"We are like a cab but we do a lot more. We help people out of the house, we'll lock the door for them, make sure they've got everything they need for their journey, and then when we get to the destination we take them in and check what time they need to be picked up so they don't need to ring us again.
"We know when to go get them and we keep in close contact," she explained to AMP Business.
Driving Miss Daisy mostly works with elderly clients for medical appointments, shopping and outings but also provides services for disabled people, children going to after-school events and people who do not drive.
Harper says they are one of New Zealand's fastest growing franchises with 31 businesses already established nationwide and providing competitive pricing for clients.
But demand is outstripping supply and she wants more people to look at a Driving Miss Daisy franchise as a "successful, forward-thinking business that also provides a much needed service to our communities".
The idea is novel in New Zealand but based on a successful Canadian company that was happy for Harper and her husband to replicate the idea on this side of the world.
And - just like the movie - this story often ends in friendships that can also change lives.
Harper says her drivers - most of whom are middle-aged women - often end up being looked upon as surrogate children by their elderly clients.
"Clients look forward to driving with someone they know and trust and enjoy having a laugh with them... A number of clients have said that Driving Miss Daisy has changed their life."