I started my business with one car and am now up to 5 vehicles and the majority of my business comes from the Yellow Pages in the Florida area.... both Bellsouth and Sprint. My problem is keeping the limos busy during the week. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. I am located in the Orlando area and have brought my company as far as I can bring it on my own, so I am looking for any insight from people who know the business and might be able to provide me some direction.

My fleet is a 10-14-16-20-and 23 passenger super stretch limos and I have no sedans. someone had mentioned that the only vehicles to run consistently during the week would be the sedans and the limos are mainly for weekends.

Respectfully
Ray

Keeping your Stretch’s busy during the week is not an easy task however you have been given a lot of good ideas here.

I live in Wine country and happen to be The local Official Limo service for the North West Food and Wine Festival in Portland.

I Started out with (1) 120 Lincoln from Executive, then bought a second 140 Stretch Excursion from executive and then bought a L Series Sedan and now have on order two more stretch’s both 140's, a Lincoln and an Excursion.

My Weekday runs have increased four fold the past few months and with 28 other companies in town it is very competitive and even cut throat at times from those Operators who would low Ball runs.

On Average my Stretch’s run 4 to five times a week not including weekends when they are always completely booked up or double booked and usually 2 months in advance for the most part.

What you have to do in my humble estimation is figure out what sets you apart from your competition and and highlight those differences strongly.

IN my Case I offer Amenities which No other Service in town does. For One I Always provide a Dozen Rose's and Sparkling Cider to drink. I also Decorate my Limousines up for all events, Birthdays, Anniversary’s, Weddings, Bachelorette parties, you name it and I have a decoration theme for the event. I also sell the Decorations and give Mementos to all the guests if they desire to purchase that Option which Many do. I provide Party Trays for Wine Tours or I should say I sell Party Trays and offer my clients a Host of Options which No other Service in town does and that has increased my Business dramatically along with Asking for and getting reviews of my Services! I can not over emphasize the importance of a great review and how it impacts your bottom line in reality. It is Over looked by the larger companies who have the Volume to not be concerned with such Minute details but as a New Operator for the past 9 Months my Business growth and weekday bookings have taken a huge upswing and I am well above the curve.

Marketing and word of mouth, along with personal and World Class Service should propel you above the rest if you are consistent and always provide that kind of service to your customers. The word will eventually get around!

I have never handed out one card to Hotels or doormen and I constantly get calls for last second service from those places all the time and at a premium rate above what others in town charge simply due to kind of service I offer.

Once you find your nitch, dig in and work hard, take the advice of those who have offered some good ideas here and simply run with it and see how it will help you to increase your bookings.

Best of luck

Great idea Steve! We have one of those places too and we only go there about three times a year but probably could do more if they had our brochures and a "special tea" rate. Not to be confused with specialty rate of course.

All the talk of Realtors got me thinking of another heavy user of limos during the week. Title insurance companies are regulated by law from giving gifts to Realtors to attain their business but they can perform services for them. One job we regularly do is take a group of Realtors from an few offices to visit new housing developments on the outskirts of town or the next county over so they can take a tour of the models. This is all footed by the title insurance companies as an incentive to the Realtors to use them for their title insurance needs. It's a good networking opportunity for them also so the bigger the vehicle the better.

Also another job I did recently may pick up some steam. For a girls 6th birthday she got 10 of her friends and some moms and they went to this little cottage in the center of LA for a tea party. It was not only tea but the girls had make up put on, fingernails done and hair dew. They also but on a gown and do a little fashion show. Thing was where this place was located there was absolutely no parking so a limo is kind of a necessity. I went in and gave the owner of the tea house a stack or cards and brochures and assured her we would treat her customers well. Even if parking is better in your town check and see if your city has a business like this. I have a feeling the folks that participate in it are most likely the kind of income level that can afford a limo on a regular basis anyway. This would probably only be a good revenue source during the summer.

quote:

Originally posted by Wade Randolph:

quote:

Originally posted by Limo Scene:
A third agreement to Wade. I discount the hourly rate to funeral homes and service 7 of them Monday through Saturday.

I just hooked up with our local Realtor Association. We are running home tours every Friday from 9:15am to 12:15pm in our 20 pax Excursion. I normally rent it for $220/hr.+ but agreed to provide it to them every Friday for the next six months at $450.00 flat. They paid $5850 up front and $5850 due again in 90 days. Considering we rarely rent the Excursion in that morning slot, I am elated. Just another source of revenue. The passengers are all agents who are taken to see the newest houses listed each week. On a side benefit, many of those realtors are now renting from us on their own at different times.

Luff great idea on the Realtors. You just gave me another great avenue for mine. Our is a black 2005 Excursion 14-pax. It was built by Exectuive and it not really flashy. The funeral homes are requesting this vehicle now on an average of twice per week which really helps.

If anyone has a Keller Williams by them give this a shot. Weekly Caravans to agent listings are a norm & sometimes we're talking 15-30 agents.

quote:

Originally posted by Limo Scene:
A third agreement to Wade. I discount the hourly rate to funeral homes and service 7 of them Monday through Saturday.

I just hooked up with our local Realtor Association. We are running home tours every Friday from 9:15am to 12:15pm in our 20 pax Excursion. I normally rent it for $220/hr.+ but agreed to provide it to them every Friday for the next six months at $450.00 flat. They paid $5850 up front and $5850 due again in 90 days. Considering we rarely rent the Excursion in that morning slot, I am elated. Just another source of revenue. The passengers are all agents who are taken to see the newest houses listed each week. On a side benefit, many of those realtors are now renting from us on their own at different times.

Luff great idea on the Realtors. You just gave me another great avenue for mine. Our is a black 2005 Excursion 14-pax. It was built by Exectuive and it not really flashy. The funeral homes are requesting this vehicle now on an average of twice per week which really helps.

A third agreement to Wade. I discount the hourly rate to funeral homes and service 7 of them Monday through Saturday.

I just hooked up with our local Realtor Association. We are running home tours every Friday from 9:15am to 12:15pm in our 20 pax Excursion. I normally rent it for $220/hr.+ but agreed to provide it to them every Friday for the next six months at $450.00 flat. They paid $5850 up front and $5850 due again in 90 days. Considering we rarely rent the Excursion in that morning slot, I am elated. Just another source of revenue. The passengers are all agents who are taken to see the newest houses listed each week. On a side benefit, many of those realtors are now renting from us on their own at different times.

Second on what Wade said with Funeral Homes. Most Directors slice some off the top anyways.

Also, work specials to the Sterling Casino out of Canveral.

Stork Service is a good weekday money maker also.

Imgagination, update web, get the word out & see what clicks.

quote:

Originally posted by RayC:
Lots of great advice so thank you all very much for the helpful tips. Nice to know there is a place where everyone helps one another as opposed to local groups that feel everyone for themselves.

Little more info about me. All of my cars are running on the weekends. We have a 4 hour min on Fri and 5 hour min on Sat (although most people rent 6-8 hrs for Sat night. So weekends im all set it just seems that I have no consistent business that keeps the cars running during the week.

I do perhaps 2-3 Canaveral runs a week and several nights out from business from the phone books. I just see some of these companies who run their cars all week long and dont advertise in the phone books at all so its a market that I dont have and would love to tap into.

The free hour with a concert and a teen night might be something I can arrange with the local clubs here. I would love to get ahold of some corporate accounts that would keep the cars busy during the week but I have no idea where to begin for that.

I have emailed several funeral homes to try and get some contracts with them (whats the normal charge for a Funeral?) do you give 20% to the funeral home like you do with a concierge for referrals or how does that work?

thanks again

Respectfully
Ray
www.adventurelimos.net

Do not offer Funeral Homes a commission. They expect a lower rate for short day trips with minimal miles. Our average funeral trip takes 2.5 hours and puts 17 miles total on our cars.

Lots of great advice so thank you all very much for the helpful tips. Nice to know there is a place where everyone helps one another as opposed to local groups that feel everyone for themselves.

Little more info about me. All of my cars are running on the weekends. We have a 4 hour min on Fri and 5 hour min on Sat (although most people rent 6-8 hrs for Sat night. So weekends im all set it just seems that I have no consistent business that keeps the cars running during the week.

I do perhaps 2-3 Canaveral runs a week and several nights out from business from the phone books. I just see some of these companies who run their cars all week long and dont advertise in the phone books at all so its a market that I dont have and would love to tap into.

The free hour with a concert and a teen night might be something I can arrange with the local clubs here. I would love to get ahold of some corporate accounts that would keep the cars busy during the week but I have no idea where to begin for that.

I have emailed several funeral homes to try and get some contracts with them (whats the normal charge for a Funeral?) do you give 20% to the funeral home like you do with a concierge for referrals or how does that work?

thanks again

Respectfully
Ray
www.adventurelimos.net

It is tough to find large groups going out on luxury weeknights in many cities.

In most cities I wouldn't keep an SUV limo in the fleet unless I could charge enough $$$ and minimum hours to cover all costs (payment, insurance, gas, wages, prorated fixed office expenses and repairs, etc) PLUS profit margins from weekend rentals alone.

Weekday rentals would be 'bonuses'.

Be careful not to erode your weekend price point by making weekday prices too cheap (as Wade mentioned). I don't condone discounting but if you must discount I think it is far better to give 'one hour free' on Monday-Thursday than drop the rate, similar to what Steve suggested.

How many hours per weekend are your SUV limos booked? I would aim for at least 4-6 hours every Friday and 8-12 hours on Saturdays. That is what we got with ours.

Ray the large SUV limos for funerals is a regional thing. Wade mentioned he never sees it in his area but out here in Southern California we get about one funeral run a week in a large SUV. With our Hispanic population we have very large families that like to all be in one car on those sad days. So it is possible.

Some other ideas:

School Fund Raisers: There are companies that organize fundraisers for public and private schools. One of the thing they do with he top sellers from each school is take them out for a "Limo Lunch" where you simple drive them a few minutes to the local pizza or burger joint. Sometimes this involves just shuttling groups back and forth for 3 hours. But the best thing to do is when all the kids are getting out of the limos hand them one of your cards. They take that home as a keepsake. Next birthday party their sister is having the parents say "go get that limo card". SO at least you have another opportunity to sell them on a job. These fundraiser jobs usually go out for a little lower rate than the weekend stuff, but like I said they keep your cars and drivers busy during the week.

Cruise Ships - I am surprised you are not seeing more cruise ship transfers during the week with the large cruise industry in your area. Even if a group of 8 are going on a cruise a SUV is preferred for all the extra luggage (you can remove your way back seat right?)

Concerts - Get in good with some ticket brokers in your area that could recommend you to folks that buy tickets from them for weekday concerts. People hate paying for a limo sitting while they are in a concert so maybe do a special : Monday through Thursday - book a 7 hour concert get 2 hours free. So you get paid for 5 at regular rate and your car will be sitting for 2 hours anyway at the concert. You will get a 5 hour run during the week, and your customer will feel good that he is not paying someone $150 an hour to wait around.

New one I saw recently: Teen club nights. I saw a promotion that this company was offering, cant find it now but see if anyone in your area is doing this: For (usually girls) birthday parties around 14-16 years of age. There to old for chuckee cheeses and to young to head out to a bar so this club was offering a teen night on like a Wednesday. They get a group of friends together they get a limo ride to the club, VIP room with their own security (so the girls can let in who they want and kick out who they don't) free bar (non alcoholic Fake cocktails) free food and just dance and party all night. Now the parents pay the club a flat amount for all the services so you as the limo company would only see a slice of that. But I am sure if they had like 5 parties going on in there a night they could use like two of your limos for transferring the kids to and from as long as the parties had stagered start and stop times. If no one is offering this in your area perhaps approach some local club owners and suggest it as a summer weeknight business opportunity.

It is a struggle keeping the big boys moving during the week. Thats why you really need to get top dollar on the weekend.

Good Luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Wade Randolph:

Ray I have had funeral home contracts for over 7 years now. It is very rare that they want a Mega-stretch or SUV stretch. You might want to consider changing your fleet if you want work weekday work. I recommend black stetches.

Hey Wade, ever hear the song, "Long Black Limousine"?

When you left you know you told me
That some day you will be returning
In a fancy car all the town to see
Well everyone is watching you
You finally have your dream
Yeah you are riding in a long black limousine

quote:

Originally posted by RayC:
Sounds likes I should start making some calls to the Funeral homes

any suggestions on getting in with some of the hotels around here or are they pretty much wrapped up on contracts with other companies? I have spoken to a few concierges and told them i was willing to give them 20% referral fees but that hasnt seemed to pan out too well.

Ray I have had funeral home contracts for over 7 years now. It is very rare that they want a Mega-stretch or SUV stretch. You might want to consider changing your fleet if you want work weekday work. I recommend black stetches.

<bump>

Sounds likes I should start making some calls to the Funeral homes

any suggestions on getting in with some of the hotels around here or are they pretty much wrapped up on contracts with other companies? I have spoken to a few concierges and told them i was willing to give them 20% referral fees but that hasnt seemed to pan out too well.

Weekdays are made for airports hence sedans & vans. A plus for Orlando are transfers between MCO & Port Canaveral & should be a market to be tapped into.

Depending on what type of stretches (gaudy or classy), Funerals may be something worth looking into also.

quote:

Originally posted by RayC:
I started my business with one car and am now up to 5 vehicles and the majority of my business comes from the Yellow Pages in the Florida area.... both Bellsouth and Sprint. My problem is keeping the limos busy during the week. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. I am located in the Orlando area and have brought my company as far as I can bring it on my own, so I am looking for any insight from people who know the business and might be able to provide me some direction.

My fleet is a 10-14-16-20-and 23 passenger super stretch limos and I have no sedans. someone had mentioned that the only vehicles to run consistently during the week would be the sedans and the limos are mainly for weekends.

Respectfully
Ray

Ray those really big cars are not going to roll during the week most of the time. This is the problem with the mega-stretches. In your area you can rent a large SUV-Stretch for under $75.00 per hour on a week night. Which in my opinon is moronic.

I noticed you joined Limos.com -- once your account is activated I suggest the following:

1) Blackout all weekends for your vehicles.

Then, all the clicks to your website, phone calls, and leads you receive will be for weekday work.

Good luck!