As ACRA Continues to grow, changes are happening with our legislative involvement at all levels, including Congress, state and even municipal, which will introduce and affect legislation that can have a direct impact on your business.
ACRA has some excellent lobbyists to represent individual car rental companies, but we only have one advocate working on behalf of all the members of the association when coordinating lobbying activities for the interests of the car rental industry: Sharon Faulkner, the executive director. And she could use your help.
The most successful car rental operators develop relationships with their customers, their chamber of commerce and their local elected officials. Your input in your city and state can be a great asset to ACRA, as well.
The legislators hear from the major car rental companies on a regular basis and understand that these companies do business in their state, but they also want to know what the small business entrepreneur needs to run his company effectively.
Big-time lobbyists and public relation firms will never replace the face and voice of the car rental owner/operator or its manager. That’s why we need your help.
It’s easy to become involved and not a big-time commitment. Maybe a few teleconferences when we have a particular concern in your state to see if we can ask you to send an email or letter or simply call your legislator. We will provide you with the tools, the words and the legislative contact information that will make your involvement easy, so you can continue to operate your business.
The car rental industry has more than 100,000 employees that work 365 days a year for long hours. Poor legislation will not only impact these employees, but their families as well. The car rental industry is an integral service that benefits so many, and your help is needed to insure our legislators are informed when laws affect your business.
ACRA would like at least one car rental ambassador from each of the 50 states — or more ambassadors if that state has multiple issues that keep cycling into the legislative sessions.
Ambassadors need to be good-standing members of ACRA. Then they can be a voice in advocating not only for their company, but also for all the car rental company members in that state.
ACRA plans to hold an annual in-person meeting for the ACRA ambassadors at the Auto Rental Summit in November or the annual Car Rental Show in April. And as an added compensation, we would discount your yearly ACRA membership by $50 for your participation.
So, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by becoming a car rental ambassador with ACRA, saving $50 off your membership dues and maybe even getting a free lunch at Auto Rental Summit or the Car Rental Show.
Email Sharon Faulkner at sfaulkner@acraorg.com or call 1 (518) 738-7381.