If you’re a regular reader of this column,
you know I often advocate looking outside the industry for good ways to
grow your cleaning business. With that in mind, I’d like to take
a quick look at Banyan Air Service.
An FBO, or “Fixed Base Operation,” is
like a marina for airplanes. Among other things, you park them, fix
them, put new interiors in them, paint them, fuel them, give flying
lessons in them and sell them… all at one location.
Year after year, Banyan Air Service at the Fort
Lauderdale Executive Airport is consistently ranked among the top 10
FBO’s in the country.
I recently spent a weekend with Banyan’s
founder and president, Don Campion. As youngsters, we attended boarding
school together in Africa. Travel to and from school was done in small
planes, mostly Cessnas and Pipers, and it was in this environment that
Don’s passion for flying was born.
Background
Banyan Air began in 1979 as a maintenance
facility for small piston-powered airplanes going back and forth to the
Bahamas. At that time, the company had one employee and one small
hanger, but the business quickly grew and, in 1985, Don was able to
acquire property right on the runway. This enabled him to offer fuel
service along with maintenance and, at this point, Banyan officially
became an FBO.
In order to attract more business to his new FBO,
Don realized he needed to offer a variety of services. Fortunately, he
had access to a number of vacant hangers around the terminal so he
began searching for companies that offered services that Banyan did
not… such as flight training, charter service, different types of
aircraft sales, air ambulance work, helicopter service and aerial
photography.
He convinced them to open businesses next to him
and when they did, he was able to go out to the public and say that
“at the Banyan complex, we offer all these types of
services” even though, at the time, Banyan offered only
maintenance and fuel.
Today, Banyan offers six main services —
fuel, maintenance, avionics, parts distribution, aircraft sales and a
pilot shop. And as a common denominator for all the businesses at the
airport, Banyan offers car rental, hotel reservations, catering
services and parking for customers flying in for any service.
Currently, the company employs 160 people and has sales of $40 million.
Keys to success
Differentiation, according to Don Campion, is one
of the main keys to the success of the company and this differentiation
can be seen in a number of areas throughout the business.
For example, the variety of different businesses
and services all in one location is like no other FBO in the country.
Aviators can fly in to the Banyan complex and have everything in one
spot without having to relocate the aircraft several times, as is the
case with most FBOs.
Banyan is different in its hours of operation, as
well, being open 24 hours, while most competitors close at 11 p.m.
And, since a large part of Banyan’s
business comes from the Bahamas, the Caribbean Islands and South
America, the company offers tri-lingual staff… English, Spanish
and Portuguese people throughout the entire company.
Differentiation is seen, not just at the company
level, but also within each department. The pilot shop, for example, is
like no other pilot shop.
At 4,200 square feet, it’s almost four
times larger than any other pilot shop. Moreover, each employee is
highly trained in the operation of each piece of equipment sold. With
30 types of headsets to choose from, an associate will be able to put
you into just the right one for your needs.
The most important key to Banyan’s success,
however, is its people.
“We sell service,” explained Don.
“We sell our associates’ abilities, their troubleshooting
savvy, their attitude, their demeanor and their passion. Our people
have to be a cut above the competition, so here we have a vision, and a
mission, values, and we have guiding principles that we live
by.”
Before anyone comes on board at Banyan, they have
to be interviewed by four people and they have to get a thumbs-up from
all.
There is a detailed job description and the
applicant must read and know what the team and the company are relying
on them to fulfill. They have a “best practices” manual
that describes what the department is trying to accomplish.
The company rallies around these principles and
it is up to the new hire to be onboard in all areas in order to get
past their 90-day probation period. As a result, there is hardly any
turnover at all in the company.
Marketing
When it comes to marketing, nothing works like
networking. “What drives networking is the statement that people
do business with people,” says Don. “We can send out
marketing material, letters, cards and make phone calls, but nothing
works better than hand shaking and having coffee with someone. This is
what I view as true one-on-one marketing. It’s not so much
selling as it is beginning a relationship.
“There’s a great place to do this in
every industry. For example, I’m involved in the aviation
advisory board meeting once a month where 12 people in the community,
along with the airport manager, get together and talk about what
improvements they’re doing, what needs to be done at the airport,
etc.
“I attend every month. I generally just
listen, but as I get to know people on a first name basis (and
I’m the only airport tenant that attends), I become recognized as
the aviation expert at the airport even though there are dozens of
other highly qualified individuals right on the property.
“All of the board members are successful
individuals downtown,” he continues, “and they know people
within their circles who need charter service, or are looking to buy an
airplane or their child wants to learn to fly or whatever.
“So guess who they come to? Me. I’m
the one they know. Not because they got my card or letter, but because
they know me.”
Don belongs to six networks, including the NATA
(National Air Transportation Association), the NARA (National Aircraft
Retailers Association), and The 20 Group — 20 of the top
independent FBO owners in the country. This group meets three times a
year, hosted by a different FBO each time.
According to Don, what makes networking actually
work is having a relationship with someone you can fill a need for.
A true networker is someone who shares
— not simply a taker, but a giver as well. If you join a
network, you must go with a plan. Try to find a bit of information out
about each member of the group prior to a meeting.
Find out which person you should get to know and
on what level. It’s like going to a trade show. You can wander
around and have a good time or you can go with a plan to see specific
types of equipment or a particular company that you’ve heard
about that can solve a need you have.
There’s no need to join a network or
association if you have no purpose or goal for going. You can’t
call it network marketing if you’re not going to use that
potential that’s right there waiting for you.
By the way, if you’re a pilot flying to
South Florida in the near future, plan to land at Fort Lauderdale
Executive Airport and have your service done at Banyan. They’re
opening a brand new terminal building. And while you’re there,
ask to meet Don Campion… within two minutes, you’ll realize
what makes Banyan fly. (For more on Banyan Air, go to:
www.banyanair.com)
