I remember it like it was yesterday. I watch WGN news every morning and they have their annual back to school show. Many sponsors have booths outside the studio and parents bring their children for carnival rides, school supplies, haircuts, and the like. This was about 10 years ago and sponsors with deep pockets often…

Our final chapter in this series deals with the one commodity that makes everything fit. That commodity is cash. Or possibly, the lack thereof. Typically, every seller wants miracle money, they believe hard work and passion have value. The problem is most buyers are out to steal and then seal the deal and your average…

As we start the next chapter of our discussion I want to make it clear that one of the key components of operating any business is one that I have not invited to our forum. I am referring to the online heartbeat of any business. The domain(s) and the myriad of ways that emails are…

As previously suggested size does not mean success. However, we need a guide or gauge to determine growth, success, and sound financial planning. Some old school folks keep it simple. “I bring in more revenue than I have expenses”. That is fine and dandy but in the new normal before we attempt to conquer the…

The most critical component in purchasing a company is to get what you pay for. Essentially, vehicles have titles, property has deeds and leases, trademarks and corporations have ownership certifications, phone numbers and domains have verifiable ownership credentials. Nobody owns a customer. The most important asset in a sale is the one item that you…

Well before 9/11, numerous recessions, the APPnology apocalypse, and now the pandemic, our industry saw mergers, acquisitions, buying, selling, and working alliances as regularly as rain. For every reason someone wanted out there was another reason someone wanted in. Some sellers wanted a lot for a little while many buyers offered a little for a…

Some years ago, Limousine & Chauffeur Magazine interviewed an old friend Greg who at the time was the Chauffeur manager at Metropolitan Limousine in Chicago. I clearly remember his challenges and how he sought to overcome them. He quickly realized that being a driver is not a first career choice in our society. Some choose…

One of the most frequent tasks involving ground transportation operation is the flight check. It is the start or finish of the majority of orders, and also often is a mid-stream component in the execution of jobs and orders. The easiest way to check a flight is old school style. Simply call the airline’s toll-free…

As a third shift off site reservation/dispatch vendor we are often asked how we juggle. If a caller determines they have reached an outsider one must work quickly because you only have a precious few seconds to gain their confidence. Having certain system credentials and access certainly helps, but in this line of work it…

It is known to all seasoned transportation providers that there are numerous elements between booking and billing which are vital to success in our industry. A seemingly innocuous component I never realized played a major role in day to day operations is the driver wake-up process: the action plans, fail-safe mechanisms, and dynamic protocols that…