With the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park on the doorstep of her office, it’s no wonder that Sara Williams of Brecon Car Rental loves her job.
Sara is the daughter of Jonathan Williams, who established the business in 1996. She joined her mum and dad in the family-owned business 12 years ago.
When asked what her job title is, Sara describes her role as doing ‘a bit of everything,’ from taking bookings, getting the cars ready to go out and managing the small team of staff. While Jonathon shows no signs of stepping down, Sara has ambitions to eventually take over and run the busy family-business – that’s if she can fit it in around her rally driving!
“I love everything about this business. Although I joined it full-time when I left school, I have always helped out and I was never not going to join it,” she said.
In this issue of United Networker, we put the Brecon and Radnor Express Sports Woman of the year 2019, Sara Williams, under the spotlight.
Read on to learn more about Brecon Car Rental and its plans for the future with Sara in the driving seat.
Why did Brecon Car Rental join United Rental System?
We joined United Rental Group in 1996 as we wanted to be part of a well-established and well-known group. We’d also heard good reviews from other rental firms about United Rental.
What’s your vision for the future of your business?
We’re a small but growing family-business. Our location makes us perfectly placed for the Brecon Beacons tourist market. It’s the ideal jumping off place for touring beautiful Wales and further afield. We’re the only vehicle hire company here, so there is scope to grow the business in this area, ideally by offering a vehicle delivery service for people staying at local hotels and campsites. I’d also like to add more vehicles to the fleet.
Does your business mainly deal with commercial vehicles or cars?
We currently have fifteen vehicles with sixty percent of these being commercial vehicles. We have a lot of demand for tail lift vans for house moves and for minibuses from the local outdoor activity centres.
How many people do you employ?
We employ four full-time members of staff and two part-time mechanics. Brecon Car Rental is very much a family-business. Three of the positions are filled by my mum, dad and me, that’s one of the many things I love about the business.
What is the most profitable vehicle for the business?
Without a doubt, it’s the Luton Tail Lift. It’s really popular with house movers.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I enjoy motorsports. I compete in rallying, mainly in France in the Renault Clio French Championship for the past two years (Sara was the first female to race in the Renault Clio French Championship in 2017).
Any tips for getting into the vehicle hire business?
Enjoy it and persevere! Not every day is the same. You get some excellent days and some not so good, but in the end the good days outweigh the bad and you’ve just got to stick at it and keep working hard!