INCREASING BUSINESS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4221, 8 December 1939, Page 3

INCREASING BUSINESS

—■ —♦ PARKING STATION OPPORTUNITIES. As every motor-car owner knows, we need far more parking stations in Great Britain. Here is a golden opportunity for any keen man with a bit of capital. A really well-managed garage and parking station is very profitable. It lends itself to quite a few side-lines. As far as I can learn, the one man who has made the biggest success with parking stations—who has worked out the most efficient way to operate them-—is Mr R. G. Lydy, President of the Lydy Parking Company, Chicago. The full story of his success was told by John L. Scott in the June number of "American Business.” L.'dy now has 25 Parking Stations, lie. has a £60,000 garage. He is now spending £lO,OOO on a new Parking Station. As you can sec, he is a big operator. He has developed park- ( ing into a real business. In 1923 he was a salesman, selling motor-car accessories. He saw the need of more and better Parking Stations. By bulldog persistence he obtained a lease on a vacant plot of ground in the centre of Chicago. This lease had a 30-day cancellation clause, but that did not frighten Lydy. He still has that lease. He pays £lO,OOO a year for it. I All his attendants are well paid, j They are given free uniforms and

caps. And they are trained to be salesmen. Every Tuesday evening the Sales Manager conducts a meeting of all employees. Speakers are engaged from outside. Many big business menhave given talks. The attendants are taught better methods of serving customers, selling more petrol, tyres, accessories, washing and greasing. Lydy is very careful in picking his attendants. He accepts only one out of twenty applicants. Half of his attendants are college men. At every Parking Station he has a huge wooden man, 25 feet high, who perpetually salutes passers-by. These mechanical giants have cost him £l2O each. To catch the eyes of passers-by, says Lydy, you must have something moving or something big. So he haa... a big wooden man which moves. Also, he believes in plenty of electric light. His lights are twice as powerful as those usually used iii Parking Stations and Garages. At every Parking Station he has hoardings, but he permits advertisef ments of motoring or travel only. He sells tickets for an Air Line company. Also, he sells Coca-Cola—-a temperance drink. He tried selling sweets, but that was a “flop.” He does a cash business. His prices* for parking are 1/- for half an hour, 1/6 for an hour or 2/- (or 12 hours. So this may be a Tip to a number of men in Great Britain. There is a golden opportunity right now for a real parking service, with high-grade, well-trained attendants, who know how to sell whatever motorists may need.—Efficiency Magazine.