Building a Conglomerate in Another World-Chapter 60: Things Looking Good
Matthew sat at his desk in Sylvania, focused on a stack of papers spread before him. The idea of a driving school had taken root during his meeting with the President, and now it was time to turn that idea into a reality. His handwriting was neat but quick as he wrote down his plans. The driving school would teach people how to handle an automobile properly, ensuring they could operate it safely before buying one.
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He looked up from his papers and called for his new assistant, Robert, who arrived promptly.
"Robert, I need you to gather the mechanics and engineers," Matthew said. "We’re going to start planning how to teach people to drive."
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Robert nodded. "Yes, Mr. Hesh. I’ll arrange a meeting immediately."
Within the hour, Matthew was standing in the main workshop, addressing a small group of workers.
"We’re about to take a big step," Matthew began. "We’ve built the automobiles, and people are excited about them. But most people have never driven anything like this. If we sell these cars without preparing buyers, it’s going to lead to accidents, confusion, and unhappy customers."
The workers nodded in agreement, some murmuring their concerns about safety and public reception.
"That’s why we’re starting a driving school," Matthew continued. "We’ll train instructors first. Over the next two months, those instructors will learn every aspect of driving—starting, stopping, turning, maintaining control. Once they’re ready, we’ll open the school to the public. Every customer who wants to buy an automobile will need to complete training and earn a certificate from us."
The room was silent for a moment, and then one of the senior mechanics spoke up.
"It’s a solid idea, Mr. Hesh. But where do we start?"
Matthew unfolded a rough sketch he’d prepared earlier. It outlined a small training course with straight paths, curves, and markers for practicing stops and turns.
"We’ll start by building a course right here on the factory grounds," he said. "It doesn’t need to be fancy, just functional. Next, we’ll designate a few of you to become instructors. You’ll need to learn how to drive the automobiles well enough to teach others."
Over the following weeks, the factory grounds transformed. Workers set up a simple driving track, marking lanes with wooden posts and ropes. A small building was repurposed as a classroom, where future drivers would learn the basics of operating an automobile.
The instructors-in-training spent hours each day behind the wheel. Matthew supervised personally, offering guidance and correcting mistakes. Some struggled with the controls at first, but by the end of the second month, they were confident and ready to teach.
With the instructors trained and the course complete, it was time to announce the school to the public. Matthew stood in front of the factory gates, watching as workers erected a large sign that read:
"Hesh Driving School – Learn to Drive the Future!"
Robert approached him with a stack of freshly printed flyers. "These will go out to towns nearby," he said. "We’ve also arranged for notices to be posted in local newspapers."
"Good," Matthew replied, taking one of the flyers. It outlined the school’s purpose, the training process, and the requirement to complete the program before purchasing an automobile.
Satisfied, Matthew turned his attention to the next phase: advertising the upcoming launch of Hesh Motors’ automobiles. He arranged for a public demonstration in the town square, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.
Standing next to one of the automobiles, Matthew addressed the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the future of transportation," he said. "Hesh Motors will soon make these automobiles available for purchase. But before you can drive one, you’ll need to complete our driving school. Safety is our top priority, and we want every driver to be confident and skilled."
The announcement was met with applause, and questions quickly followed.
"How long does the training take?" someone asked.
"Most people will complete it in a few weeks," Matthew replied. "It depends on how quickly you learn."
"Will it be expensive?" another voice called out.
"We’re keeping costs as low as possible," Matthew assured them. "Our goal is to make this accessible to everyone."
The demonstration ended with Matthew showcasing the automobile’s features and inviting a few people to sit inside and see it up close. The excitement was palpable, and Matthew felt confident the driving school would succeed.
A few weeks later, news arrived from Columbus. The President had signed a bill requiring all future automobile drivers to hold a license. The law mandated that drivers pass a test demonstrating their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
Matthew called an emergency meeting with his team.
"The President has signed the bill, that means that our driving school would soon rake in more customers who would buy an automobile from us, and that—we established a new source of income for our enterprise," Matthew said with a delighted expression.
"I couldn’t agree more," Robert said as he checked the data before handing a copy of it to each of the company’s inner circle.
Charles perused the contents and smiled. "This is looking good. The numbers of enrollees are steadily increasing."
"It would be good if we increase the price," Lionel commented.
Matthew shook his head. "I don’t think that is a wise idea, Mr. Harrington, because we are already charging them three florins for the whole package. What we should focus on is not increasing the price but increasing the number of driving schools across the country, that way when we launch our automobile to the market domestically, we will have more sales," Matthew explained.
Lionel nodded, albeit reluctantly. "That does make sense. Expanding the infrastructure will solidify our presence in the market."
"Exactly," Matthew said. "We need to think long-term. This driving school is more than just a service—it’s a critical step in ensuring the adoption of automobiles."
Robert cleared his throat. "If we’re expanding, we’ll need to train more instructors and secure locations for these schools. Do we have the resources to do that while maintaining our current operations?"
Matthew leaned back in his chair, considering the question. "We do, but we’ll need to prioritize efficiency. We are going to start from urban cities and then slowly reach rural towns. Money is not going to be a problem since we still have a chunk of it thanks to Mr. Charles’s investment."
Charles chuckled. "Matthew, can I have a word for a minute?"
Matthew nodded and followed Charles into a smaller meeting room adjacent to the main office. Charles closed the door behind them and turned, his usual calm expression replaced with a more serious demeanor.
"Matthew," Charles began, crossing his arms, "you’ve done an excellent job laying the groundwork. The driving schools, the licensing system, the public demonstrations—it’s all coming together beautifully. But I’m an investor, and investors expect returns. I need to see this business start generating substantial profits."
Matthew straightened, sensing the gravity of Charles’s words. "Of course, Mr. Fitzwilliam. That’s always been the goal. The driving schools are already profitable, and once the automobiles hit the market, the revenue will increase significantly."
Charles nodded but held up a hand. "I understand that, but we can’t afford to delay any longer. I want Hesh Motors to begin selling automobiles by the summer of 1883. That gives us about six months to prepare."
"Six months is a tight timeline, but it’s not impossible. We’ll need to ramp up production and ensure our sales network is ready. I’ll also need the driving schools to operate at maximum efficiency to handle the influx of customers."
Charles smiled faintly. "That’s the spirit I like to see. I trust you, Matthew, but I want regular updates on your progress. The summer launch must happen without a hitch."
"I understand," Matthew said firmly. "We’ll make it happen."
