After starting with luxury vehicles on Turo, entrepreneur Alicia Green discovered a different opportunity in the car rental industry: affordable vehicles for people who need transportation to earn a living.

In entrepreneurship, sometimes the biggest opportunities aren’t found in what people want. They’re found in what people need.

For entrepreneur Alicia Green, that realization helped transform her approach to the rental car business.

During a recent episode of COSIGN Conversations, hosted by K.G. at COSIGN Studios, Green shared how she transitioned from renting luxury vehicles to building a business focused on affordable economy cars for gig workers.

Today, Green says she has nearly 40 vehicles on the road, a growing waitlist of approved renters, and a business model built around consistent weekly revenue.

But her journey wasn’t without challenges, unexpected pivots, or expensive lessons.

From a BMW X5 to a Different Business Model

Green entered the rental car industry in 2020 while working a traditional nine-to-five job.

Like many aspiring entrepreneurs during the pandemic, she began researching ways to create additional income streams. After exploring different opportunities, including Airbnb, she discovered the car rental business.

Her first vehicle was a BMW X5.

With a longtime appreciation for luxury cars, Green initially focused on premium vehicles, eventually operating cars including a Maserati, Tesla, and Dodge Charger Hellcat.

But as the market evolved, so did her perspective.

After losing her corporate job, Green committed to entrepreneurship full-time. She also began noticing changes in consumer spending, employment, and demand for luxury rentals.

Rather than continue relying on a market that was becoming less predictable, she began exploring economy vehicles.

By 2024, she was ready to make a significant pivot.

Why Economy Cars Became Her Biggest Opportunity

Instead of targeting customers looking for a luxury weekend experience, Green began serving gig workers who needed dependable transportation to generate income.

Her customers include people working through delivery platforms, rideshare services, and independent contracting opportunities.

The distinction is simple but powerful: her customers aren’t necessarily renting cars for convenience or entertainment. They’re renting cars to work.

Green explained that her business typically rents vehicles for approximately $350 to $450 per week, depending on the vehicle.

Unlike short-term vacation rentals, some customers keep the same vehicle for months. She even described vehicles that have remained with the same renter for a year.

Her approach focuses on reliable, affordable cars rather than luxury branding.

For entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear: a business built around solving a recurring problem can create opportunities for recurring revenue.

The $5,000 Rule: Building With the Numbers in Mind

One of the most interesting parts of Green’s business model is her approach to purchasing vehicles.

Rather than financing expensive cars, she focuses on acquiring economy vehicles with cash.

Her general rule is to keep the total investment per vehicle at or below $5,000, including startup costs.

She explained that some entrepreneurs may be able to begin with vehicles costing approximately $2,000, provided they’re reliable and suitable for the intended rental use.

Her startup considerations include vehicle condition, tracking technology, spare keys, and customer acquisition.

Green also discussed beginning with free marketing through Facebook Marketplace before eventually investing in paid advertising.

Her goal is to structure each vehicle purchase so that the investment can be recovered through rental revenue within approximately 90 days.

That is her business target, not a guaranteed return. Actual results depend on occupancy, repairs, insurance, operating costs, and other expenses.

Still, her philosophy reflects an important business principle: understand the economics before investing.

As Green emphasized during the conversation, if the numbers don’t make sense, she doesn’t buy.

Why She Moved Away From Turo

Although Green credits Turo with helping her enter the rental industry, she believes the platform has become less attractive for operators seeking greater control over their businesses.

She described frustrations involving pricing, booking policies, discounts, and the level of control hosts have over their customers.

Her solution was to move toward private rentals.

But building a direct-to-consumer business requires replacing the services that platforms typically provide.

Green emphasized the importance of digital advertising, search engine optimization, networking, referrals, and customer relationships.

The lesson extends far beyond the rental car industry.

Whether you’re operating a photography studio, event venue, consulting company, or media brand, depending entirely on a third-party platform can leave your business vulnerable when its rules change.

Building your own audience and customer acquisition systems creates more independence.

The Power of Partnerships and Other People’s Assets

Another major component of Green’s business involves partnering with vehicle owners.

Rather than purchasing every vehicle herself, she works with individuals who already own cars and want to generate additional income from them.

Green brings her rental operations, customer demand, and management systems into the arrangement.

She explained that this approach helps her expand available inventory without personally funding every vehicle purchase.

At the time of the interview, Green said she had approximately 75 approved potential renters on her waitlist.

For her, the challenge isn’t simply generating demand. It’s obtaining enough suitable vehicles to meet it.

Her strategy demonstrates how partnerships can create growth opportunities without requiring entrepreneurs to own every asset involved in their business.

Her Biggest Business Lesson: Don’t Scale Faster Than Your Systems

Despite the revenue opportunities, Green acknowledged that growing too quickly created challenges.

As she began purchasing more vehicles, she placed additional pressure on mechanics, dealers, and other business relationships.

During the conversation, she shared an experience involving a vehicle purchased through a dealer that required unexpected repairs.

A car originally purchased for approximately $2,500 ultimately needed additional work, including a hybrid battery replacement costing roughly $1,500.

Beyond the repair expenses, the vehicle remained unavailable for rental, creating lost revenue opportunities.

The experience reinforced two important lessons: carefully evaluate the people you do business with, and build operational capacity before aggressively expanding.

Green now places greater emphasis on establishing a manageable vehicle acquisition schedule and protecting the relationships that support her business.

Building Wealth Beyond Rental Revenue

While weekly vehicle rentals remain the foundation of Green’s business, she also discussed other opportunities within the automotive industry.

These include brokering luxury rentals, working with vehicle owners, building strategic partnerships, and teaching aspiring entrepreneurs about the rental business.

Her perspective is that developing expertise in one industry can open the door to multiple revenue streams.

But her story also demonstrates that revenue alone isn’t the full measure of business success. Managing risk, protecting cash flow, maintaining reliable operations, and adapting to changing markets are equally important.

Why We COSIGN Alicia Green

At COSIGN, we believe entrepreneurship is about more than starting a business. It’s about identifying opportunities, creating value, building relationships, and having the courage to evolve.

Alicia Green’s journey reflects those principles.

She entered the automotive rental space through luxury vehicles, recognized a shift in the market, and repositioned her business around customers with a recurring need.

Her story is a reminder that the most exciting business opportunity isn’t always the flashiest one.

Sometimes, it’s the business that solves a real problem, consistently.

Watch the full episode of COSIGN Conversations with Alicia Green to learn more about her business model, startup strategy, approach to partnerships, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

COSIGN Conversations spotlights entrepreneurs, innovators, and influential leaders whose stories deserve to be seen and heard.