Roula Angelopoulos took over her father's fleet of taxis after his passing nearly two years ago - just as Uber launched in Sydney.
It's been a bumpy ride ever since.
The former magazine art director says revenue across her fleet of more than a dozen cabs has dropped by nearly 50 percent.
"We are trying to make ends meet. That's how it is now, we are just trying to break even."
Roula says companies like Uber have enjoyed an unfair advantage in the market - carrying out a similar function, without being saddled with the same regulations and fees taxi operators face, which can add up to $50,000 a year per cab.
Roula Angelopoulos says despite challenges, she will not put the brakes on her business. Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
"I've had to fork out to buy a license to operate this business. I had to fork out to become a credited operator to manage the taxis"
"They're not paying 8200-something for the green slip to operate a car to pick up public passengers. They don't have to comply with what we do.
But Roula says giving up isn't in her nature, and selling out of the business isn't an option.
Uber has claimed a quarter of market share in Sydney Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
That's partly because the value of taxi license plates has nearly halved in the past two years.
The New South Wales government regulates the number of taxi license plates available for purchase, which allows a buyer to legally run a taxi.
According to Roads and Maritime Services NSW, in April 2014, when Uber launched in Sydney, the average taxi licence transfers cost $377,769 in the Sydney Metropolitan area. By May 2016, that price had dropped to $206,000.
But Roula says she's hopeful for the industry's future.
"I really do think it's going to stabilise at some point, I think it's going to get better."
"I think there will always be a need for taxis, people do want to walk out on to the street and hail a taxi, we don't all want to get on the apps."
That's not to say that Roula is afraid of change. She entered the male-dominated taxi industry about seven years ago, after leaving her job as a magazine art director.
The average taxi fare in Australia is now $22.76 Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
"I decided to leave my demanding glamorous industry at the time, it was a personal decision I made to help out dad because I realised, I could see he was getting tired. His health was catching up with him."
She credits her father, who passed away in October 2014, for instilling in her a drive to tackle any challenges.
"He was very gutsy because he came out [from Greece] at a time when he had nothing, he came from a family of nine and extreme poverty.He didn't even speak the language at the time, so you know he built himself up and did quite well," she says.
Roula says she owes the success of her business to her late father. Source: SBS Small Business Secrets
"When he said sink or swim I'm glad he did say that because he prepared me in a way that I can deal with today, anything now."
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