The Limos.com Forum Has Moved!!!

I am looking to start a small 2-3 car operation and am trying to figure out my burnout cost.

What would you say is the typical amount of bookings a new company would get weekly?

I will be focussing on private and corporates, with 1-2 sedans and 1-2 stretches.

"Good Luck" and was glad to help out. Your time frame should be good too. I advertise on the net, no more yellow pages, just doesn't pay. Spend about 10% of your projected gross reciepts.

I believe thats exactly what I was looking for. I was on the same page and hoping of a goal of 20 hours per vehicle myself. Hopefully within 6-9 months.

But it is great to look at the numbers from Groves as well. Looking towards the future.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Harrod:
It sounds like we're talking apples and oranges here. An established concern is not like a startup, different animal. I don't believe you can compare them. As Wade pointed out 105 being an average number you need more info how that number was derived i.e. how many vehicles, years in business and more that I can't even think off. I can only speak for myself, I have 120's and I try to average 20 booked hours per week per vehicle, some weeks it's 30 other weeks it's 10. I do it on a monthly basis. I'm located in Orlando and cater to the local market, I do not do what they call here the lesuire market. To many people starving. so I believe my numbers should be representive of other local markets.

It sounds like we're talking apples and oranges here. An established concern is not like a startup, different animal. I don't believe you can compare them. As Wade pointed out 105 being an average number you need more info how that number was derived i.e. how many vehicles, years in business and more that I can't even think off. I can only speak for myself, I have 120's and I try to average 20 booked hours per week per vehicle, some weeks it's 30 other weeks it's 10. I do it on a monthly basis. I'm located in Orlando and cater to the local market, I do not do what they call here the lesuire market. To many people starving. so I believe my numbers should be representive of other local markets.

This is my second year advertising in Black Car News and the ad produces a serious amount of business. It has generated many new clients. Originally posted by HeavenOnWheels:

quote:

Originally posted by Digger:
105 per week ?? I wish I could come remotely close to that, I'm lucky if I hit 5 per week with the sedan. I advertise on Google Adwords but the calls have dropped big-time lately. I'd love to know where you guys are advertising to get 100+ runs per week in a sedan.

105 per week at minimum of $55 per trip is over $300,000 per year per vehicle????? I wish my numbers were like that! My goal is to get at least 5 trips per day at least 5 days per week per sedan. Being a newer company, that would still be about $143,000/year for 2 sedans. My time frame to get to that amount is within 6 months. We have our weeks where we get to this level but it is NOT consistent. Some weeks we have as little as 4 or 5 runs a week and some we have as many as 20 or so.

My goal is to average out at least 20-25 consistently and I am testing out different advertising tools to get to that level.

Dean, your comment intrigued me. Are you saying that advertising in blackcarnews.com brings you in a high amount of clients? Are they more farm-outs or long-term clients?[/QUOTE]

Somebody got the facts wrong. They said the average number of trips per week was 105 trips total not total per sedan. This was the overall average across the board from limo companies that responded to the survey.

quote:

Originally posted by Digger:
105 per week ?? I wish I could come remotely close to that, I'm lucky if I hit 5 per week with the sedan. I advertise on Google Adwords but the calls have dropped big-time lately. I'd love to know where you guys are advertising to get 100+ runs per week in a sedan.

105 per week at minimum of $55 per trip is over $300,000 per year per vehicle????? I wish my numbers were like that! My goal is to get at least 5 trips per day at least 5 days per week per sedan. Being a newer company, that would still be about $143,000/year for 2 sedans. My time frame to get to that amount is within 6 months. We have our weeks where we get to this level but it is NOT consistent. Some weeks we have as little as 4 or 5 runs a week and some we have as many as 20 or so.

My goal is to average out at least 20-25 consistently and I am testing out different advertising tools to get to that level.

Dean, your comment intrigued me. Are you saying that advertising in blackcarnews.com brings you in a high amount of clients? Are they more farm-outs or long-term clients?

quote:

Originally posted by Digger:
105 per week ?? I wish I could come remotely close to that, I'm lucky if I hit 5 per week with the sedan. I advertise on Google Adwords but the calls have dropped big-time lately. I'd love to know where you guys are advertising to get 100+ runs per week in a sedan.

I'm with Digger. I think those stats are heavily skewed by the huge operations such a Dav El, Carey et al. It is a curve, and some of us are definitely not at the high point.

Black Car News www.blackcarnews.com

quote:

Originally posted by Digger:
105 per week ?? I wish I could come remotely close to that, I'm lucky if I hit 5 per week with the sedan. I advertise on Google Adwords but the calls have dropped big-time lately. I'd love to know where you guys are advertising to get 100+ runs per week in a sedan.

105 per week ?? I wish I could come remotely close to that, I'm lucky if I hit 5 per week with the sedan. I advertise on Google Adwords but the calls have dropped big-time lately. I'd love to know where you guys are advertising to get 100+ runs per week in a sedan.

If you put any stock in the LCT Annual Study, the car of choice is the Lincoln TC and Cadillac DTS with a stretch limo coming in a distant second. Corporate clients apparently are seeking a low profile for their execs using a service.

An average # of trips is cited at 105 per week.

To your success and Good luck!

If you're in the DC area, start with sedans (you should have a lot of work with those there), then build up. Also, try to get in with the two bigger companies in DC, RMA & Carey, do what you can to take their work, they should keep you fairly busy, so long as you don't mess up on a run. Until then, a lot of longer established companies already run DC, it will be harder for start-ups there, unless you have a marketing angle. You can do it, it can be done, just know going into it that's it's going to be tough.

The answer depends on your desire and your marketing...

I would start with one car, a 120 stretch (Black or White only) and work it from there. Insurance on more than one car will exceed your first year income while you get your name and rep going, so plan on the first year costing you money more than you will bring in. It's taken me over two years to get to a point of getting my name and rep well-known and all is going GREAT now, but I've busted my booty with 80+ hours per week for two years to get here and it still continues today. I basically do everything from bookings to advertising to basic maintenance to full mechanical and still drive myself. Everyone thought I was nuts when I quit a 20-year career as a mechanical engineer but it's starting to get huge now.

How long is a piece of string?

Hard work and clever marketing , draws in the bookings along with market research of what is available already.. you can either go with the flow and do what everyone else does or has or be different