Smart Parking

Article published on March 22, 2021, by La Presse

The Idea

It was while circling the streets around Cégep Garneau in Quebec, searching for parking, that business student Liam Garneau conceived his project. "I passed by many residences with vacant parking spaces and thought there must be a way to use them."

clicknpark was born. "We initially focused solely on residential spaces, but later expanded the model," says founder Liam Garneau, who serves as the company's marketing director.

Carl Grenier, who joined the team a year ago, brings 15 years of experience heading Zoom Media, a public advertising company.

The Product

clicknpark's application sets itself apart from competitors with its simplicity, both for parking space owners and renters, and its broader offering.

Private residences, schools, hotels, and parking lot managers can all benefit from clicknpark.

clicknpark also offers the option to reserve parking for events or restaurant outings.

Rates are proposed by clicknpark based on zones and prevailing prices in the area, but space owners are free to rent at their desired price. Searching, reserving, renting, and payment are all done through the phone.

"We generate traffic and receive a commission that varies with rates, typically around 30%," notes Liam Garneau.

A residential owner can expect annual earnings of $2,000 to $4,000 from their otherwise unused piece of land.

The Future

The company currently has 4,300 members, evenly split between space providers and drivers, in Quebec City, Montreal, Gatineau, and Toronto. The goal is to increase this number to 25,000 within two years.

Parking is still a sector that operates in a very archaic manner, according to Carl Grenier. "It's a huge market, still underutilized technologically," he says.

clicknpark aims to explore new possibilities, such as storage.

"Hotels always have vacant parking spaces that can be used for renting storage for recreational vehicles, for example," he illustrates. Parking spaces equipped with electric vehicle charging stations can also generate increased benefits for users.

Since its inception in 2017, clicknpark has covered its own development costs. To expand across Canada and the United States, it now requires funding.

Discussions are ongoing with potential partners to secure the necessary millions. "It's a race against time," says Carl Grenier, who experienced a similar situation with Zoom Media.

In this still largely untapped market, the early birds will be the first served.