We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Vawter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.

Hi Kimberly, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Top Hat Rides was the idea of my father, Jim. As someone who has always enjoyed classic cars, my father saw that there was a need and opportunity for classic cars within the Charlotte area around the year 2014. As Charlotte grew and welcomed in more upper-class citizens into the greater Charlotte area, Jim decided there was enough demand for luxury experiences to launch our classic car chauffeur service, and with very little competition as there were no other substantial classic car companies in the area. While many of our customer’s book our services for their wedding getaway cars, THR was originally intended to be the premier transportation provider of the opulent and wealthy, specializing in occasions such as anniversaries, date night, etc. We pride ourselves in being able to customize services to fit the unique needs and visions of our clients. We have more cars currently in the restoration process that will be ready soon!

Kimberly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Top Hat Rides is a classic car chauffeur service providing transportation for the greater Charlotte area of NC.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Going to clients directly versus waiting for them to find us has been crucial to our growth in the initial stages of our business. However, this didn’t directly translate to media buying to reach the consumer! We’ve been able to get every booking we’ve had so far by only spending $100 total on formal marketing and advertising efforts and we’ve grown 137% in the last year. Our primary means of connecting with potential clients and other vendors is via Instagram, but we also rely heavily on word of mouth and referrals. Forming connections with wedding venues and wedding planners has lead to many client referrals!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I (Kimberly) interact with clients via our Instagram platform often. I “like” their posts, respond to their stories via DM – I interact with their daily lives. I congratulate them on buying that new house, ask them for more photos of their new puppy, and wish them Happy Birthday. In the future, we may consider thank-you gifts when we have room to expand our spending. For fostering relationships with other vendors, hand-written notes go a long way when budgeting is tight! And I think it helps to also keep in touch with them regularly and take an interest in their personal lives beyond just our professional, working relationship.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tophatrides
• Facebook: Top Hat Rides

Image Credits
In Bloom Photography