“From Driving Uber 6 Days a Week to Running His Own Limousine Company in Singapore”
The journey of an entrepreneur has its ups and downs, and Lim Zhi Min has travelled that road of passion and pain, literally. From a property agent to an Uber driver and now the founder of his own business, the timeline of his life serves as a testament to his grit, determination and tenacity.
“Hustling life of a driver”
After eight long years in the world of real estate, Zhi Min’s life took an unexpected turn when he decided to become an Uber driver. He drove 15 hours a day, six days a week, and worked to the point of a burnout.
“Sensing a new business
opportunity”
That’s when he realised he should be working smart instead. To have a better payout, driving for a high-end clientele would be more lucrative. And where land transport services are concerned, nothing screams high-end quite like a limousine.
Doing a simple Google search, he found 10 to 20 pages of businesses advertising limousine services. A large supply meant an equally large demand, and that meant a business opportunity to take advantage of.
“Taking a leap of faith”
Ever the risk-taker, he emptied his life’s savings and bought a brand new car to start his limousine service company. It was a bold move, but he was eager to give this a try.
To survive financially in the initial stages, he borrowed $10k from his cousin as cash flow reserve. During the first few months of his foray into the trade, he literally only managed to break even. But he was undeterred and pushed on.
At the end of year one, he managed to pull in more than 100k of revenue. And in the second year, he broke the 200k mark. By that point, he knew that his young business had a real fighting chance, and that is essentially the humble beginnings of Prime Aces Limousine.
“First Singapore, next the world”
With time, his business – alongside his ambition – evolved. To scale and be successful, he understood that he needed to think outside of the box. He needed to look beyond Singapore; he needed to think global.
Putting ambition into action, he executed an effective and intelligent business strategy. He listed 100 of the top limousine companies in the world, and determinedly worked his way to acquire them.
For the next three years, he tirelessly emailed all of these companies, most of which were based in the States, UK, Spain, Italy and Germany. Because of the time zone difference, he would actually cold call them in the middle of the night if they didn’t reply to his email.
His hard work and perseverance eventually paid off, and he succeeded in acquiring them as clients. While most drivers still drive full-time even after 10 years in the industry, he managed to cut driving by 50%. The rest of the time, he’s busy prospecting and procuring new businesses.
“Business with a Heart”
Before COVID-19 hit, there was a point where Prime Aces Limousine was hitting about 100 to 200 bookings a month. That was primarily how the company not only survived, but became one of the strongest players in the industry.
But above and beyond just being a lucrative business, Zhi Min was very particular about creating a business with heart and integrity. He promised that all drivers who took up his job will be paid on time. This guarantee of punctual payment is now part of the company’s DNA.
After everything that’s been said and done, it’s no surprise that Prime Aces Limousine is rated highly on Tripadvisor. In fact, it’s one of the top 10 limousine service providers on the site. It also enjoys countless raving Google reviews from satisfied clients.
Since its inception in 2017, the company has remained true to its mission of being the best limousine service provider in Singapore, while still retaining its heart and moral values.
