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The President’s Club is the company’s highest sales distinction, reserved for its top producing clients. “We are very grateful to our amazing clients and partners who have helped us achieve this prestigious award,” said Chosen Payments CEO, Jeff Brodsly.
Brodsly founded the company in 2008 after working for many years in the credit card processing business as a sales agent. Brodsly said that he started Chosen Payments with merchants in mind and had a vision of providing more than just credit card processing services. The company motto is, “Your Partner in Success” and to that end, the company has entrenched itself in the ground transportation industry, he says.
Chosen Payments has provided financial support and assistance to many state and national industry associations to the direct benefit of their members. Brodsly serves on the board of Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) and Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) while VIP Client Relationship Manager Sarah McKee serves on the board of the Colorado Limousine Association (CLA), lending their business expertise to the organizations showing the deep commitment to their clients. The company also provides sponsorship of many industry events.
The company’s partnership approach includes providing personalized customer service through the use of dedicated relationship managers and cost-effective solutions, says Brodsly. The company provides services such as credit card processing, check processing, gift/loyalty programs, ATMs, merchant cash advance, and mobile applications.
Visit chosenpayments.com for more information.
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According to CRLA Secretary Laura Canady of CLT Express, text from that same bill—a nearly verbatim version of other ordinances that Uber has helped write—prohibits any city or county from regulating TNCs, creating an increasingly uneven playing field for regulated luxury ground transportation and taxis alike.
Additionally, “there is no other city in either of the Carolinas that regulates the way that Charlotte does,” which has caused a considerable amount of grief for those operating within the city’s limits and under the auspices of the Passenger Vehicle for Hire Department of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
“They regulate us, and so we have chauffeur permits and fees, vehicle permits and fees, and company permits and fees, so a few of us with larger fleets are paying quite a sum of money to operate in the city of Charlotte,” Canady said. “It’s always been a thorn in our sides but we have always participated instead of going rogue because we believe in certain regulations, and we want the city to be held to a higher standard.”
Now, however, CRLA has retained the services of an attorney well-versed in not only the association’s needs but also “all of the key players” from both the Charlotte City Council and city attorney’s office with whom it’s necessary to continue a dialogue. After members of the association’s executive board met to determine its attorney’s direction and the bargaining chips CRLA has in its favor, a battle plan has emerged for moving forward.
“We sat there as an association and agreed that we want our attorney to reach out to a couple of city council members who are on safety committees, and they’re the ones who are going to be helping rewrite this ordinance,” Canady said, adding that CRLA members and non-members operating in Charlotte alike have also pored over the ordinance text section by section to identify passages that are either outdated or apply only to taxis. “We asked our attorney point-blank what our changes are for getting what we want, so we’re aiming high and ready to negotiate.”
Canady added that she believes Uber’s “ways will pass” as the riding public finds that TNCs disregard the very regulations developed to promote safety in traditional transportation.
“Uber will always be there: It’s a great technology, but I think that the big wave they’re on now will level off,” she said. “As people learn more about some of the negatives, they’re going to ask, ‘Well, why aren’t you fingerprinting your drivers? Why aren’t you doing a more thorough background check?’ And so those of us already doing that will be fine, and we’ll be able to tell our clients that this is something we’ve always done. Safety has always been a key factor for us.”
The next CRLA meeting will be May 4.
Visit mycrla.org for more information.
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Here’s what we have in store: four world-class education sessions, three of which feature dynamic, engaging speakers from outside the industry; private events like our Steamboat Natchez dinner cruise and dinner at Mardi Gras World; two nights of the hottest live music on iconic Bourbon and Frenchmen streets; carriage tours of the historic French Quarter, most of your meals and drinks included, and so much more. The education alone is worth the price of admission!
On Monday, we launch our program with “Brand Harmony: Communicate a Story That Drives Business Results,” which will guide you in identifying, embracing, and aligning your brand with your overall sales and business development strategy. Speaker Steve Yastrow, founder of marketing firm Yastrow and Company, has a passion for creating revolutionary sales and marketing systems that yield major profit breakthroughs. He also has an understanding of the hospitality industry through his former position at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.
Monday’s second session is “10 Minutes to a More Profitable Website/5 Things Your Website Is Trying to Tell You” with speaker Matt Weber, CEO of ROAR! Internet Marketing. Based on research on what motivates people to take certain actions on a website, you’ll leave with pages full of notes on how to make your website a more effective lead generator. Weber will also use real examples from members of the audience’s websites.
After a group breakfast on Tuesday, we immediately kick off the day with “Priced for Profit: How to Calculate and Determine if a Vehicle, Run or Even a Client Is Making You Money.” This session will help you identify what services and customers are profitable by weighing their financial pros and cons. You’ll be able to determine what—and who—is either filling your coffers or decreasing your margins so you can move ahead accordingly. Speakers Mike Campbell of Grace Limousine and Ron Sorci of Professional Consulting Resources will share their knowledge and know-how from decades of industry experience in running their own businesses to make sure that you are maximizing your company’s potential.
Kristen Carroll—who is also co-chair of our education committee and helped to create this entire program—and Christina Davis of The LMC Group spearhead our final session, “The Termination Process: How to Protect Your Ass-ets.” This is something that any operator can relate to; Carroll and Davis will give advice on how to make firing an employee a little less painful and to minimize the damage done when severing a professional relationship.
Get registered today! Visit neworleansretreat.com to register now.
Many thanks again to all of our generous sponsors, including Platinum Sponsors Turtle Top and the Tenney Group, for making the event possible.
Visit neworleansretreat.com for the latest updates and information. Have questions? Give our Director of Events Jess Pavlow a call at 856.452.0323.
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