Family affair hits the high road

by Kate Pritchard - Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 -

Seven years ago, Economy Car Hire founder Rory Sexton decided he wanted to be his own boss. He’d never work for anyone else again. But there was still one person he’d take orders from – his mother.

So, in 2000, the mother-and-son team set up their own online car hire company. “We launched the business from our family home in Norfolk,” says Sexton. “I relied on my parents to foot the phone bill for the first two years!”

The company offers fully inclusive car hire in 18 different countries, with no insurance excess and unlimited mileage. “It’s difficult to negotiate those kinds of deals with suppliers, but the bigger you get the easier it is to control costs and negotiate discounts.”

Economy Car Hire has grown a whopping 325 per cent each year. Turnover for 2007 will hit £13m.

“We started recruiting in 2002 and we now have 16 people on our payroll,” says 27-year-old Sexton. “It’s tricky: you have to choose between hiring young people who are IT-savvy or older, experienced people who tend to be more reliable. It’s hard to find the right balance.”

The latest recruit is Sexton’s sister, who joined the company six months ago and now heads up the reservations department. “It’s turning into a real family affair!” he laughs.

“However, you have to be professional and leave certain things at home. In the office, I call my mother ‘Pam’, not ‘Mum’.”

Check out Economy Car Hire at www.economycarhire.com.

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