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Limo University Founder Bill Faeth
Nashville — Any chauffeured transportation owner or operator aims to increase revenue. For the owner or operator of a small- or medium-size company, achieving this goal may be a challenge in light of the dozens of other tasks involved in daily business operations. Growing and scaling may seem like a dream that is unattainable times, but now there is an answer.
Small operators looking to grow their business but who lack the budget to hire a marketing agency now have an affordable, viable solution: Limo University, says founder Bill Faeth.
Limo U is an online training platform to offer on-demand video training sessions to small- and medium-size operators looking to grow and expand their business. All Limo U will teach owners how to grow, scale, market, and succeed in business with step-by-step training courses delivered through an online portal.
“I grew my limousine business to $8,000,000 in less than five years. I am often asked how I achieved this and have shared these insights at many industry trade shows. With Limo University, I’m now going to share these lessons with those in the industry who know they want to grow but don’t know how to get started,” explained Faeth.
Faeth founded Silver Oak Transportation in Nashville in 2006. He later sold his business to Grand Avenue and continued to scale to $8 million in revenue by 2012. After several years, Faeth left the operational side of the industry to found Inbound Marketing Agents, an award-winning marketing agency specializing at serving the online marketing and sales needs of over 165 ground transportation companies globally.
In Limo U, Faeth will share the tools, resources, and knowledge he gained during his time in the industry, as well as the current tools his team at IMA utilize every day to help limousine companies grow a more profitable business.
Registration for Limo U will open industry wide at the Chauffeur Driven Show on Oct. 11. Early registration and VIP access is available at limogrowth.com. Courses will only be available for enrollment for a limited time, so those interested are encouraged to enroll prior to Oct. 31.
For registration and additional information, visit limogrowth.com.
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Munich — Sixt Limousine Service was named Europe’s Leading Chauffeur Company at the 22nd annual World Travel Awards (WTA) ceremony. Held September 5 in Sardinia, the event is considered to be the travel and tourism industry’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, with winners selected based on a poll of industry experts worldwide. This is the third consecutive year that Sixt Limousine Service has taken the award in this category.
“We are delighted that our limousine service has again received the WTA,” said Regine Sixt, senior executive vice president of Sixt International. “The prize confirms that we are correct to insist on providing our customers with tailor-made premium services, always bringing them to their destination with the greatest possible comfort, and offering them a unique travel experience.”
Sixt Limousine Service offers a broad range of services, from shuttle and event services to airport transfers and sightseeing trips, with specially trained, multilingual drivers and premium vehicles. Service is primarily aimed at travelers with particularly high standards for their mobility. The diplomatic corps of various countries are among the company’s clients.
Visit sixtlimousine.com for more information.
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President Jeff Shanker of
A-1 Limousine
Princeton, N.J. — On September 16, members of the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) met up to discuss industry developments and local legislation. Chauffeur Driven’s Publisher Chris Weiss and Editor Madeleine Maccar were both on hand for the association’s first event since its May auction.
President Jeff Shanker of A-1 Limousine opened up the meeting by announcing that Chris Stochholm of New Jersey Limo Finder is ready to start putting the LANJ logo on apparel and items to boost the group’s public recognition, build brand unity, and put some money back in the association’s coffers. As Stochholm had been acting as a one-man committee, Jennifer Wong of DriveProfit and Dan Sutich of Perfect Chauffeur both volunteered to help with the association’s marketing arm.
As state legislation was on recess for July and August, LANJ’s legislative committee saw a laidback summer—though members forged ahead with their grassroots effort both by walking the halls and speaking with the state’s elected officials on behalf of legally operating transportation companies. The association has been appealing to a number of senators and has managed to make some headway with a number of them by stressing TNCs’ ongoing insurance and safety issues.
Oscar Garrido of Partners Transportation (left) and CD Publisher Chris Weiss
Ambiguous wording in newly proposed regulations about sharing buses between companies and the sheer volume of paperwork involved has the association working to get the final rule overturned, as the “recordkeeping nightmare” it would create could be logistically prohibitive to loaning out buses.
In response to the many software options now available to operators, LANJ will hold a technology symposium September 30 at EmpireCLS’s headquarters. Dashride, Deem, GroundWidgets, GroundSpan, and Trip Tracker are among those who have agreed to present at the symposium.
New business included extending hearty kudos to the social media committee for generating “some pretty incredible page visit numbers” with regard to LANJ’s Facebook page. It was, however, agreed that the page should refocus on lauding LANJ members rather than relying too much on sharing negative press for TNCs.
Cadillac and Vehicle Tracking Solutions both sponsored the afternoon meeting, with Fleet Account Executive Mark Leddy speaking on behalf of the former company and Director of Business Development Adam Ross representing the latter.
Jennifer Wong of DriveProfit and Chris Stochholm of New Jersey Limo Finder
Craig Sante, intelligence analyst for the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, delivered the meeting’s keynote address. Discussing the Suspicious Activity Reporting System (SARS), Sante emphasized that since LANJ members’ chauffeurs frequently visit airports and other potentially risky sites, they’re in a prime position to notice anything questionable or suspiciously out of the ordinary. His presentation touched on how terrorists can look like anyone, outlined the eight signs of terrorism, and how the exchange of information is crucial, echoing the “If you see something, say something” mantra familiar to any frequent Northeast Corridor traveler. Sante emphatically stated that information is useless unless it’s reported to the proper authorities, using SARS success stories as examples of Homeland Security in action.
Mike Marroccoli of The Capacity Group discussed the benefits of STOP, explaining that he has nothing to do with the program but promotes it out of concern for the industry in the face of “a dangerous insurance market where your livelihood is at stake,” thanks to the limited insurance options for chauffeured ground transportation. He spoke about how the program can be used as chauffeur training and be tailored to educate them about a certain region.
Toward the end of the meeting, Weiss spoke on behalf of Chauffeur Driven, highlighting its upcoming Miami show and thanking the many LANJ members in attendance who have contributed to the show as a committee member, mentor, or supporter. He also raffled off a show pass, which was won by Oscar Garrido of Partners Transportation.
The next LANJ meeting will be November 9.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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