Offering expert tours to major tourism hot-spots across New Zealand’s south island and airport transfers for travellers across the region, Ready2Roll Tours & Transfers is now seeing the rubber hit the road.
Founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Alan and Carleen Dahya, the company has expanded from a single vehicle to a fleet of 16, thanks to their commitment to building relationships, maintaining personal touches, and staying true to their community-centered values.
“In the last year we’ve seen a heck of a lot of growth, and we've had our highest sales figures for the year, which has been amazing,” says Carleen.
As the business grew and tourism returned to the region after the Covid-19 pandemic, so did the need for efficient business management tools. With the help of MYOB Business Pro, Ready2Roll has found the perfect system to streamline operations and support their growth ambitions.
A true family operation working together
At Ready2Roll, the lines between family and business are intentionally blurred. The team consists of Alan and Carleen who run the operations and conduct the tours and transfers, plus Sarah Grondsma, Bookkeeper, and Helen Walmsley, Accounts, who run the front office.
With office space set up right in Carleen’s dining room, Sarah and Helen have become part of the family; even receiving new slippers on their first days at the business to really welcome them to the cosy atmosphere and unpretentious operations.
“My kids call them mum 2 and mum 3,” laughs Carleen.
Along with all their children happily involved in school holiday activities and social time together, the three families have built a cohesive and functional business with no signs of slowing down.
“Our kids are involved, we've got a nearly 18-year-old daughter and a nearly 16-year-old son. If I'm doing a late-night tour on my own, he'll come with me to be my protector,” laughs Carleen proudly.
“And our daughter, she does lots of behind-the-scenes stuff like filing for the office or takes some bookings in the system when we get really busy.
“I think we're most proud of the fact that it's not just myself and Alan, it's a whole family operation.”
- Carleen Dahya, Ready2Roll Tours and Transfers
Building strong community ties
Despite their small-business status, Ready2Roll has established strong community ties and an impressive reputation across the region. By regularly attending industry events and collaborating with local tourism vendors, they have cultivated strong relationships that fuel a steady stream of local, national, and international clients.
Their team is deeply involved in the community, supporting the local economy and offering visitors an authentic taste of New Zealand.
“We're not just Uber drivers … we want to want guests to feel welcomed and looked after and enjoy their time while they're with our drivers,” says Carleen.
With the expansion of international tourism and more tourists arriving each year, Ready2Roll is already looking into adding larger vehicles, including a bus, to accommodate even more guests and offer new tour experiences.
“I see nothing but growth for the business,” says Sarah, excitedly.
Supporting success with MYOB Business Pro
For Ready2Roll, implementing MYOB Business Pro has been transformative. The platform’s easy-to-use dashboard enables Carleen and her team to manage bookings, track finances, and handle payroll with minimal hassle.
“It’s all there at your fingertips ready to go … it means that you're not wasting time that could be better spent elsewhere.”
- Sarah Grondsma, Ready2Roll Tours and Transfers
“Using the dashboard in MYOB is great … it's really easy and you can go anywhere from there, it's got all the information you require to make decisions from,” explains Sarah. MYOB Business Pro’s Sales Order feature, for instance, allows Ready2Roll to log advance bookings while ensuring invoicing happens right when needed, improving their cashflow management significantly.
“The ease of managing payroll and tracking expenses on MYOB has saved us a lot of time, which means more family time.”
- Carleen Dahya, Ready2Roll Tours and Transfers
“Not using a program like MYOB could easily mean you'd miss invoices or payments; you wouldn't be getting paid by your guests or doing jobs correctly,” adds Sarah. With a system that provides real-time insights and reduces manual tasks, Carleen can focus on what truly matters — spending time with her family and growing the business.
Looking ahead with ambition
As Ready2Roll looks to the future, MYOB Business Pro will continue to play a central role in helping the business manage cashflow, maintain financial visibility, and scale operations.
“I would definitely recommend MYOB Business Pro to small businesses. It's great. It's simple to use and it makes the business flow really nicely on a day-to-day basis.”
- Carleen Dahya, Ready2Roll Tours and Transfers
With a clear view of their finances and an adaptable platform in place, Ready2Roll is well-positioned to reach even greater heights — while staying firmly grounded in their family and community values. “I think using MYOB Business Pro is gives us plenty of room to grow and makes our life a lot easier,” says Carleen.
