11
franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
fter spending over
three decades as both
a teacher and a police
officer, MINTEDVR co-
founder Ashley Gore saw
first-hand the struggles
many youths and New
Zealand communities
experienced as a result
of the current barriers to
obtaining driver licenses.
“Through my policing work,
I could see that this was a
big issue, and I wanted to
do something positive to
help both learner drivers
and their communities.”
Since 2021, Ashley and his wife Malica, an experienced teacher with a
special interest in using digital technology, have been working towards
a goal of keeping New Zealand’s learner driver population safer. Now,
they’re ready to share their technology, and their processes, with the
world. Using the power of educational virtual reality (VR), MINTEDVR’s
coaching technology provides a simulated, safe environment for learner
drivers to develop confident driving skills and safe and responsible road
habits, before they get behind the wheel of a car.
Using innovative technology for education
Ashley and Malica are now franchising MINTEDVR, looking for coaches
to take the highly portable programme into communities across New
Zealand and beyond. Speaking about its potential, Ashley points
out, “There are 100,000 young people in New Zealand who reach the
driving age of 16 every year. Using our easily affordable and accessible
technology, we could have every 16-year-old or 17-year-old finish high
school with a license, and much better job prospects. If a franchisee is
connected with their community, with their schools, they will know the
pain that’s out there already.”
Ashley says that the pilot programmes run in Auckland high schools and
Pasifika communities have shown just how effective the technology is
for teaching newer drivers and how learning in VR can be replicated on
the roads. “We’ve had kids who’ve never driven reverse parallel park
after five or six hours in VR. You put them in a car with an instructor, and
they’ve been able to do it first time, because they understand the whole
dynamics of what they need to do.”
Keeping communities safer
“VR technology has allowed our learners to skip the ‘white knuckle
phase’ of driving that those getting behind the wheel for the first few
times experience, keeping everyone on the roads safer.”
Ashley explains that they’ve had significant interest in MINTEDVR from
individuals and organisations across New Zealand, as well as in both
America and Australia. He investigated a range of methods for getting
the technology out, including hiring coaches himself, but settled on the
franchising model, thanks in part to New Zealand’s robust franchising
sector, as well as the potential that it offers to franchisees.
“The franchising model really struck home because it gives our coaches
a chance for huge personal growth. You’ll need some business skills and
to be well connected in your community, with a few contacts in schools
or churches, for instance, to find suitable venues for classes. And then
as you start developing your area, your own market, you can take the
product, with our support, to more and more people, and you have the
potential to reach levels of growth and satisfaction way beyond what an
employee would get.”
Reaching out to markets near and far
Ashley and Malica have developed the MINTEDVR franchise model
with a low entry cost, to encourage high volume take-up. Ashley says
franchisees will be expected to run a minimum suite of 10 headsets
initially, allowing them to facilitate lessons for 10 students at a time.
Each Meta Quest VR headset, with the software installed, costs
around $1,000 and franchisees can choose to purchase the headsets
themselves, rather than through the franchise. The initial investment
required is $20,000, including 10 headsets, software, set-up costs and
full training.
Making use of cost-saving new technologies within the franchise support
system too, MINTEDVR uses the Meta for Work and ArborXR platforms to
help set up franchisees. The platform enables Ashley to provide training
remotely, reaching those interested in facilitating VR driving lessons
within hard-to-reach communities right across New Zealand and beyond.
Becoming a VR expert
“Our training gets franchisees up to speed with all things VR,”
smiles Ashley, “while also ensuring they can pass all the assessed
driving scenarios in VR themselves. We aim to give franchisees a full
understanding of the driver portal, as well as teaching them how
to coach students to develop good driving habits, and how to help
students fix driving performance errors that the VR software is tracking.
Also included in the training is access to a detailed franchisee manual
that unpacks MINTEDVR’s processes, allowing both first-time and
experienced franchisees to quickly get to grips with the business.”
“The ideal MINTEDVR franchisee doesn’t have to be a qualified driving
instructor,” says Ashley, “but having some teaching or coaching skills would
be very beneficial and, to succeed, you must
understand the needs of your community, and
your community’s young people.”
If you’re interested in using innovative
technology in your community to provide
better outcomes for new drivers, then
MINTEDVR wants to hear from you. Get in
touch today to learn more.
MINTEDVR
https://mintedvr.com
Contact
Ashley Gore
020 445 5492
team@mintedvr.com
Advertiser Info
DRIVING BETTER OUTCOMES
Opportunity: Education
New franchise MINTEDVR uses VR
tech to help keep learner drivers safe
on New Zealand’s roads.
The VR software tracks student errors
Learner drivers in schools
... and community centres