Zipcar is a highly successful new company specializing in a brand new model for automobile rental services, which allows their customers long-term and flexible access to shared vehicles on a daily or hourly basis. Zipcar's innovative model allows those who sign up for their membership services to share cars with other members on a flexible basis, creating a cost effective alternative to car ownership. Since it’s founding in 2000, it has grown to become a major player in the U.S. automobile rental market and has expanded internationally to Canada, the U.K., Spain, and Austria and offers rental services to almost one million customers.
Now suppose you have been hired by Zipcar to come up with an international strategic plan. Write a strategic plan for Zipcar that addresses the following issues:
What country or countries should Zipcar enter next beyond the five countries they already operate in? Explain your reasoning for this selection based on criteria from the background materials including Venkateswaran (2012).
What mode of entry should Zipcar use to enter this country or countries that you chose? For example, should they use a joint venture, franchising, a green field strategy, etc.? Refer to the concepts from Jeyarathmm (2008) and Rajagopal (2009) in your answer.