What Does It Take To Become A Leader In The Luxury Rental Space In A Post-Pandemic World? Liv Rental founder, ...

Written in partnership with UAG LLC

Photo Credit: Ayoub Rasmi

At 27, Ayoub Rasmi is like many entrepreneurs of his generation—ambitious and hardened to the fluctuations in an uncertain market.

After all, the Dot-com bubble and 2008s GFC ensured many potential business-leaders grew-up with a quaking economy as just par for the course. With the pandemic acting as a third-strike against wary entrepreneurs.

After witnessing three significant crashes in the first 20 years of the new century, you could say that the only thing that Millennials have come to count on ISthat they can’t count on anyone but themselves.

It’s this fierce evolve or perish mentality that’s prompted Rasmi to launch one of Europe’s most prominent luxury car and vacation rental companies: Liv Rental.

A feat in any decade, let alone one that’s facing down a pandemic.

“The luxury market has taken a hit, as you’d expect, but it never fully halts,” says Rasmi. “We reacted to the initial dip in early 2020 by looking at how we can offer a more competitive service to our clients.”

Creating that crucial point of difference in the travel market, Rasmi says, came down to adapting Liv Rental to clients trips and not the other way around.

“We might call ourselves a luxury rental company, delivering luxury vehicles and accommodation; however, we function more like a personal concierge. What billionaires have in common with everyone right now is they’re adjusting to the new normal, same as Everybody else. With travel restrictions in place, we realized we needed to be more agile than ever.”

Operating across Milan and Marrakech, Liv Rental handles the itinerary and booking planning for Europe’s ultra-elite.

However, the biggest feat for Liv Rental isn’t just the acquisition of celebrity clients and access to the most exclusive cars on the planet. It’s the fact that all this was spearheaded by an ambitious under 30-year-old.

Who Is Ayoub Rasmi?

Born in Morocco, Ayoub Rasmi arrived in Italy at aged five. Rasmi grew up within a family of merchants along the shores of Cagliari, where he honed his love of languages and hospitality. However, after working as the property manager of the luxury apartment complex “La Residenza Bendinelli Sauli” in Genoa, he learned the intricacies of first-class travel.

“You could say I was made in Morocco and designed in Italy”, joked Rasmi. “But having Liv Rental offices in both locations is as much about good business decisions as it is about celebrating my heritage. As the threat of COVID-19 eases, we’re predicting that Marrakech will see a tourism boom in the next decade. Being on-ground and able to service clients directly is extremely important to our overall strategy.”

Is it unusual to hear a 27-year-old talk ‘strategy’ amid a global travel ban? Perhaps. Although hardly unexpected. If there’s one thing this generation of business-leaders knows how to do—it’s to pivot and calibrate according to world issues.

Rasmi’s Tips For Other 20-year-old Start-Up Founders

Take Aim, Shoot Your Shot, Adjust Accordingly

“Every entrepreneur feels a sense of fear and trepidation at launch. My advice for anyone looking to make their mark is this: ‘Aim, Shoot, Rule’. Meaning, take aim, take your shot and if you miss, adjust accordingly. It’s only in taking action that you can accurately see how far off you were, and then you use that data to get it right next time.”

Age Is Irrelevant

“Everyone is going to judge you. That’s the nature of business. But winning ideas can come from anyone at any age and stage. If someone asks you your age, ask them what theirs is. It’ll quickly tip the scales of the conversation.”

“Innovation and inspiration can come from any direction. Many people see the luxury industry as largely cushioned from reality because it’s about offering escapism and joy. Once we realized

it’s more about delivering happiness to human beings (rather than just fancy cars) was when we started making waves.

Contact Ayoub Rasmi on Instagramand at ayoubrasmi.com

To find out more about Liv Rental visit livrental.com