A tour bus company is a great business to own! It offers you the ability to set your schedule, meet new people, and visit a variety of places. However, there is more to owning a tour bus company than just owning a fleet of buses. For a tour bus company to be profitable, there are some proactive steps you should take.
Having a Profitable Tour Bus Fleet
1. Keep your paperwork in order. From licensure to insurance and fuel and maintenance receipts to tags and titles, having all your paperwork in order will help you keep current records and track income and outgo.
2. Have efficient and engaging routes. Design your routes to build profit. Set tours that see several attractions in one trip, ideally without having to drive long distances between each stop. Be sure to have routes that go to all the popular spots in your region, while still offering engaging or unique scenery.
3. Have pricing that makes you appealing to clients, while boosting your bottom line. Be sure your prices are competitive but include what is needed for your overhead. Remember, your insurance, vehicle maintenance, fuel, labor, and other expenses will affect profitability.
Maintenance and Upkeep:
Keep your fleet maintained. From the seats to the windows, and the floor to the doors each bus in your fleet must always look its best. But beyond the bus’s interior, you must stay on top of engine and tire maintenance. Accordingly, keep a log of when inspections are done. Track oil changes and fluids added and note any repairs or replacements. You can make oil and fluid updates easier by keeping a supply of them on hand. Ordering from Lifetime Oil, your AMSOIL dealer, will ensure you always have the oil, filters, engine boost, fuel additives, etc. available right when you need them.
Manage your Administration:
1. Be intentional with correspondence. Minimize cancellations, get more reviews, and garner more bookings by intentional communication with former and current clients. Use programs such as Constant Contact or MailChimp to remind people of upcoming tours, reservations, etc. Ultimately, these messages will help build rapport with your customers even before they show up for their tour.
2. Have personable drivers. While having patrons is a must to be successful, having drivers who make those patrons feel welcome is crucial. Your drivers must be able to roll with whatever happens as well as deal with people who may be at less than their best. Drivers need to be upbeat, professional, caring, and informative- no matter the circumstances.
3. Use online booking software. Make it simple for guests to reserve their seats, track payments, keep up with special requests, and much more by using a program designed with tour bus companies in mind.
These are just a few steps you can take to keep your tour bus seats filled and your fleet always ready to roll. Some of them may take a while to implement, but the investment will be worth it when you see your company consistently in the black. Make plans now to make your tour bus business everything you, and your riders, want it to be.
