Great Kiva mention in the Seattle Post Intelligencer last week on gift-giving that really matters. Kiva, “the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website,” allows donors to offer small loans to low-income entrepreneurs; Kiva is offering gift certificates that go toward $25 micro-loans. $25 isn’t much money for many of us, but it’s a hefty capital injection for new businesses among those who are less-well-off.

The author of the piece, Carol Pucci, tells of how she and her husband lent a total of $50 to fund two Bulgarian businesses—one, a woman who sold socks, and a second, a couple that chops wood. When the businesses repaid the loans, Pucci and her husband re-invested the funds with entrepreneurs in Cambodia, Vietnam, Sudan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Pucci mentions that the average Kiva loan recipient’s payback rate is surprisingly high: a remarkable 98%.

If you’re not familiar with Kiva organization, I’d get acquainted by reading up on Kiva’s featured entrepreneurs. They’re really a remarkable group of people—and, with the help of just a few donors like you, can be the faces of a better world for developing nations.

I’m a Kiva donor and participant because I really believe small, short-term relationships have lasting effects, and that the Internet is a great facilitator for making those relationships happen. I’ve built my entire business around that idea—rent a product online now, and you may just buy it down the road; offer a small online loan, and you can change the world.

Press Release

CONTACT: 888-386-6660 or 973-695-4323 ext 601 Israel PH # 03-763-6398

Source: The Hertz Corporation
On Monday August 17, 2009, 1:46 pm EDT
Companies:Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.

PARK RIDGE, NJ–(Marketwire – 08/17/09) – Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HTZ – News) announced it has acquired the assets of Automoti Group, Inc., an online marketplace for consumers to directly purchase used cars at discounted prices. Automoti’s end-to-end solutions are currently utilized by the Hertz Rent2Buy program which enables consumers to rent a car for up to three days prior to purchase. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hertz, commenting on the acquisition, said, “A key element to Hertz’s reengineering has been its fleet sales, with an overall strategy of diversifying the sales channels used to sell vehicles. Automoti.com provides user-friendly technology that will enable Hertz to leverage an e-commerce platform to further develop our Rent2Buy program. By acquiring Automoti’s technology, we will now own the best online car sales system, enabling Hertz to pre-sell vehicles while still on rent which will increase the revenue earned per vehicle sold.”

The transaction provides Hertz with the rights to the Automoti website and technology platform and intellectual and tangible property pertaining to the platform.

John Thomas, Executive Vice President, Global Supply Chain Management of Hertz, said, “Hertz’s newly developed Rent2Buy program is a fast-growing retail sales channel designed to be customer friendly, with a 3-day, try-before-you-buy test drive. Through Hertz Rent2Buy, we can extend our product offering by providing customers with a financially attractive solution for purchasing late model used vehicles in a simple, streamlined way.”

Car buyers interested in a quality, used vehicle simply need to select and reserve a vehicle of their choice for up to three days at www.hertzrent2buy.com. If the customer decides to buy the car, they keep it, complete the purchase process and the rental cost is credited against the purchase price of the car. If the customer decides not to buy the car, they return it to the renting location and the transaction is treated like a standard rental. Hertz Rent2Buy provides customers with substantial savings off of retail prices and a no hassle, one price buying experience. Hertz Rent2Buy is currently available in 8 states: Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, the Company plans to quickly expand the program to other states in the coming months.

The Hertz Corporation (www.hertz.com), a subsidiary of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HTZ – News), is the world’s largest general use car rental brand, operating from approximately 8,000 locations in 145 countries worldwide. Hertz is the number one airport car rental brand in the U.S. and at 42 major airports in Europe, operating both corporate and licensee locations in cities and airports in North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the Company has licensee locations in cities and airports in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Product and service initiatives such as Hertz #1 Club Gold�, NeverLost� customized, onboard navigation systems, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, and unique cars and SUVs offered through the company’s Prestige, Fun and Green Collections, set Hertz apart from the competition. In 2008, the Company launched Connect by Hertz, entering the global car sharing market in London, New York City and Paris. Hertz also operates one of the world’s largest equipment rental businesses, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, offering a diverse line of equipment, including tools and supplies, as well as new and used equipment for sale, to customers ranging from major industrial companies to local contractors and consumers from approximately 350 branches in the United States, Canada, China, France and Spain.

Some things never change …..

In 1891, Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company and after promotion to Chief Engineer in 1893, he focused on personal experiments on gasoline engines. These experiments culminated in 1896 with the completion of his own self-propelled vehicle named the Ford Quadricycle. In 1896 Ford attended a meeting of Edison executives, where he was meet Thomas Edison. Edison approved of Ford’s automobile experimentation; encouraged by Edison’s approval, Ford designed and built a second vehicle, which was completed in 1898.Backed by the capital of Detroit lumber baron William H. Murphy, Ford left Edison and founded the Detroit Automobile Company on August 5, 1899. the company was later dissolved.

With the help of C. Harold Wills, Ford designed, built, and successfully raced a twenty six horsepower automobile in October 1901. With this success, Murphy and other stockholders in the Detroit Automobile Company formed the Henry Ford Company in November 30, 1901, with Ford as chief engineer.Murphy brought in Henry M. Leland as a consultant. As a result, Ford left the company in 1902. and renamed the company the Cadillac Automobile Company.Ford received the backing of an old acquaintance, Alexander Y. Malcomson, a Detroit-area coal dealer , formed a partnership, “Ford & Malcomson, Ltd.” to manufacture automobiles. Ford went to work designing an inexpensive automobile, and the duo leased a factory and contracted with a machine shop owned by John and Horace E. Dodge to supply over $160,000 in parts. With slow sales a crisis arose when the Dodge brothers demanded payment .

Malcomson brought in another group of investors and the Dodge Brothers to accepted a portion of the new company. Ford & Malcomson was reincorporated as the Ford Motor Company on June 16,1903 with $28,000 capital. The original investors included Ford and Malcomson, the Dodge brothers, Malcomson’s uncle John S. Gray, Horace Rackham, and James Couzens.

Looks like Zipcar Inc., the world’s largest car-sharing company, is gearing up to publicly sell shares in 2010. Zipcar, conceived nine years ago at a café in Cambridge, Massachusetts has grown from a fleet of lime-green VW Bugs to a over 6,500 autos .Zipcar will post its first profit in the third quarter of this year.

 

Car-sharing differs from conventional automobile rentals. Zipcar customers pay an annual membership fee, currently $50. Reservations, pickups and returns are self-serve through the Internet or by telephone. The reservation system tracks where a Zipcar is left by the last user and can even lock out a driver who’s kept the auto past the agreed time. Popularity has grow in big cities where the economics of car ownership favor ,car sharing . Since 2003, Zipcar has grow from 5,000 members. to now around 300,000 .In 2007 the company acquired competitor Flexcar. This year the company  has started licencing  Zipcar’s proprietary software to city governments so they can reduce costs.

 

Large rental car companies like Hertz and Enterprise have for years been watching the market mature from “fringe movement” to sensible alternative are now  moving into the “car sharing” market place. So this all begs the question ,” are the cashing in or are Zipcars owners cashing out” ?

 

Hertz Rent2Buy http://hertzrent2buy.com/Content/Default.aspx is a completely new and revolutionary way way to buy a used car. It puts you the consumer in control of the buying process .It eliminates dealer markups . No more pushy sales people. No more surprises . Simply go online ,pick the make ,model and color you like ,rent it for 3 days and then decide to buy it yes or no.That’s right rent the car you like for 3 days and then decide to buy! Its that simply!

From my favorite author to….. a great musical…to  one brave person from a small village to…biggest   world stage, “I DREAMED A DREAM” by SUSAN BOYLE   i have no words just listen and enjoy!!! “I DREAMED A DREAM” by Susan Boyle

Gumball Run3000

Hi, I know I was not around, I’ve been busy with my crazy industry. The minute GM announced they’re potentially going out of business, followed by the auto rental industry, the gov’t jumped in, and with our tax money bailed them out. But us, the small business, which does create jobs (yes, we’re even hiring –  we’re all going together  thru tough time, and I am very tired  so I decided to run on 05/01/2009 gumball and  this is my car:

 

 

 

  

i was running around in the last year trying to rise money for my company, and the best think that happened to me, I NEVER GO ANY,   at the same time a financial  tsnumay started, i am again  in debt car sell crashing  and i am broke again, lucky i have no 401K has most of my friend do have now 201K! did not own a  home that drop 25% in value, and finely understand what happen: good friend of my had this Credit Crisis   on is facebook, this is a great simple way an average Joe like me understend,  THANK you Ben, but what now? are we going to quite? not us at automoti we allways look at The Bright Side of Life  

When googling for how to buy a rental car, the first results are not the best results as you’ll see below.

A recent Google search about buying a rental car led me to this:

The reality is that very few rental cars are trashed by joyriders this way and it could just as easily have happened to any used car.

Most rental cars are used by people like you and me for everyday needs. Which is why my last car rental was more like this:

With your last car rental in mind, why wouldn’t you buy a rental car?