Domestic used car sales reached a record $370.55 billion in 2007. SEADRA can help rental dealers draw on this huge and growing market.

Premier Rent-N-Ride was featured in the June issue of RTO Magazine. Download e-book.

By Michael Garner, President/CEO, Premier Rent 'N Ride

This should never happen to an auto dealer: a customer walks in with enough money in his pocket for a down payment, but the dealer can't get him financed even though he knows the customer is capable of making payments. Or this – he spends time and money on repossessions, and by the time a vehicle is recovered it's trashed. Even worse, business is slow and cash flow is drying up.

Play RTO Online's exclusive videocast interview with Mike Garner, President of Premier Rent'N Ride

Premier Rent 'N Ride can help you avoid these scenarios through our aggressive lease/purchase franchise system, tailor-made to support your business, whether you are starting up or whether you have been in business since the Model T.

Domestic used car sales have climbed, reaching a record $370.55 billion in 2007. The Southeast Auto Dealers Rental Association (SEADRA) discovered a way to help rental dealers draw on this huge and growing market. They can show auto dealers how to develop the untapped base of customers who are capable of making payments but who have historically been turned away because of credit issues. SEADRA offers a unique, turn-key rent-to-own program that provides the education and support dealers need to work with almost every potential customer while at the same time expanding business and being more profitable. This has proven to be a very viable and successful approach to supporting the independence and stability of small business owners, yet it has lacked one thing until this year: a comprehensive franchising support component. As successful as SEADRA has been, we wanted to brand our services and pull together our group of dealerships into a cohesive body that would be better served as a network. I met Trooper Earle, president of Premier Rental-Purchase, and knew I had found the person to help me do it.

Premier has been helping RTO dealers get in business and grow for a number of years. It has expanded its traditional rental-purchase program to related industries, like tire and wheel rentals, home furnishings, even cash services. Trooper's genius lies not only in his RTO expertise but also in his ability to offer an array of valuable services to franchisees. These include intelligent business plans, connections with banks who trust Premier's reputation, leasing services as well as the ongoing support of a human resources team and the buying power of a dealer-run coop – all the benefits that a franchisee should expect. Trooper saw the potential in my industry, and earlier this year he and I decided to combine our experience to form Premier Rent 'N Ride.

SEADRA
SEADRA provides the most comprehensive training and on-going support to dealers in the automobile lease/purchase industry to help them run an RTO automobile business smoothly. First, we help them develop the knowledge on how to buy cars at auction as well as strategies on financing cars. We offer a sophisticated dual insurance policy, customer tracking and a starter-interrupt device that enable them to protect themselves, their businesses, investments and profits. Through SEADRA's lease/purchase arrangement, dealers retain ownership of their cars until the agreement has been fulfilled. And because a customer can always turn in a car with no penalty at any time, the potential is there for future upgrades, making him a long-term source of revenue yet giving him the opportunity to enhance his credit situation. We have proven our system works – 50,000 times!

Play RTO Online's exclusive videocast interview with Mike Garner, President of Premier Rent'N Ride.

Premier
Premier brings in the final piece: support from a proven franchise system. Together, SEADRA and Premier will be the first to offer a unique opportunity to current auto dealers and those now entering this industry to become a Premier Rent 'N Ride automobile RTO franchisee. For established independent dealers, this will help them grow their customer base and serve as a hedge against growing concerns in the economy. Those expanding their operation or breaking into business ownership as a new dealer will find that becoming a Premier Rent 'N Ride franchise will provide them with deep industry expertise, invaluable support and exceptional financing from those who have proven they know more about these issues than anyone else.

I quote Trooper when I say that, "Those who put their business or future business on the line want the greatest opportunity for the least amount of risk." While SEADRA has been the largest and fastest-growing automobile RTO system in the country, the Premier Rent 'N Ride program will help all dealers flourish because we open up every opportunity and minimize every risk. Being part of Premier Rent 'N Ride makes us that much more attractive to, and effective for, both new and current dealers who are looking to build a profitable business with unlimited potential.

Results of Thinking RTO – Lease / Purchase
1) In retail, a relationship can begin and end with one transaction. Through a lease/purchase program, individuals become repeat customers because you can continue to offer them what they need most – a way to drive off with a quality vehicle.

2) During slower economic times, the demand for cars doesn't decrease, only the means people have to obtain them. A lease/purchase program can make a big difference in profits, actually supporting retail in slower times, and it can make a big difference to someone who needs a vehicle and is willing to become a good customer. Because of our experience and knowledge of both the automotive industry and franchising, Premier Rent 'N Ride is savvy in our understanding of the challenges we face in this economy, such as available financing, collections and repossessions. We are prepared not only to ride these out but also to develop a successful franchise system for the lease/purchase of various types of motor vehicles. To some, there will never be a better time to jump in.

3) Those prospects who don't have a good credit history can still become good customers. There is a way to stop saying "NO" to profit.

4) Because of good insurance and tracking, there is no need to lose one car because of negligence or abuse.

Why Franchise
The Premier Rent 'N Ride franchise system takes both SEADRA and Premier to new levels. We provide dealers with a more systematic approach to either integrating lease/purchase options or starting up new operations. We bring together more expertise than anyone else in the industry, and we're doing what no one has ever done. We want to help the RTO veteran who is interested in branching out as well as current independent car dealers to understand how they can do lease/purchase and be more lucrative as a Rent 'N Ride franchisee. And we will even help them manage their business better for multiple operations. We have proven ourselves with success in all aspects of this business.

The national office of Premier Rent 'N Ride is located in New Orleans. Visit their website at www.rentnride.net or call Michael Garner at 504-613-0565.