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How Do I Start My Own Car Dealership?

Sam Whitear
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Do you have a passion for cars? If so, you might want to think about starting your own used car dealership. This can be a great way to make money from your passion, plus there is always a need for used cars so it can be a lucrative business venture. Keep reading for a few tips for starting a used car dealership that should come in handy.

Market Research

First, you want to spend time conducting market research. This should include the demand for used vehicles in your area, who your competitors are and who your target market is. Once you know this information, you can then tailor your business and products towards this group and find ways to make your business stand out. If you are operating in a city for example, then you will want to offer small family cars like the Audi A3.

Products & Services

If you are to find success with a used car dealership, you should look into additional services that could give you alternative income streams. This could involve offering an MOT and servicing service, bodywork repairs and selling parts.

Financing

One of the key challenges with this type of business is that it can cost a huge amount to set up. Not many people will have enough money to stock up on inventory, which is why you need to consider your financing options to get up and running. Seeking out a loan can be a good option, but you will need a good business plan in order to get approved.

Startup Costs

Following this, you also need to establish what your startup costs will be. In addition to automobiles, you will also need a lot that is large enough to display the vehicles and enough room for office space. When you are just getting started, it could be a smart move to start off with a small lot and then upgrade once you have achieved initial success. On top of the location, you will also have various other costs including staff, marketing and insurance.

These are a few of the key areas that you will need to focus on when starting a used car dealership. If you have a passion for cars, this can be a great way to make a living and there is always a demand for used cars, but you will need to know how to get set up and hit the ground running.

Oldham law firm Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers have collected an amazing £18,603.44 for Maggie’s Cancer Care

Sam Whitear
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MAGGIE’S GRAND TOTAL

Oldham law firm Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers have collected an amazing £18,603.44 for Maggie’s Cancer Care, Oldham, over their 2 year charity of the year support.

A variety of events, including sponsored walks, dress down Fridays, cash instead of coffees during lockdown and a fair few wet days spent power-washing, gardening and greenhouse cleaning have been highlights of the charity year.

In fact due to the lockdown it actually ended up as 2 years of support, but as Suzanne Wright, Public Relations Manager of Pearson‘s said it has been all worth it.

“It has been an amazing way to really get to know the charity and the wonderful work done by Maggie’s, they are totally charity funded and now post pandemic need support more than ever.

“People come through their doors often feeling helpless and hopeless, but a comforting cuppa and some great expert advice and assistance can often turn things around for them. Maggie’s not only gives people a mechanism to cope, it gives hope and help when it’s needed the most,” said Suzanne.
As well as the fundraising events staff also helped out on awareness days and the employment team hosted a seminar to instruct business leaders on how to sympathetically support staff who had cancer or whose family members had been diagnosed.

Whilst the firm have ended the charity support they are still involved in helping visitors to Maggie’s make their Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney and are helping to plan some of the fundraising activities at the centre.

Trish Morgan, Centre Head at Maggie’s Oldham said: “It’s been a delight to work with Pearson’s for the last 2 years as their chosen charity. We can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for us.

“The team have been absolutely brilliant, from throwing themselves into their fundraising challenges to getting stuck in during volunteering days here at the centre.

“The total they’ve raised is just wonderful and will go such a long way to helping us to be here to support people with cancer and their loved ones when they need us most.”

HURST JOINS UN NETWORK TO ACCELERATE ESG STRATEGY

Sam Whitear
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Accountancy firm HURST has joined a global network of businesses as it accelerates its environmental, social and governance strategy.

HURST is the first independent accountancy firm in the UK to become part of the UN Global Compact network.

Launched in 2000, the network has become the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, with more than 14,000 member companies in over 160 countries. Just under 800 UK businesses are members.

The network is a platform for the development, implementation and sharing of responsible business practices aligned to 10 universally-accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, with the aim of contributing to a more stable and inclusive global market and helping to build prosperous and thriving societies where business can succeed.
Members also pledge to take action in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The 17 goals include eradicating poverty and hunger, and promoting good health, wellbeing, education, affordable and clean energy, gender equality and responsible consumption and production.

HURST chief executive Tim Potter said: “As a firm, we all recognise how important it is that we make a positive impact on the world in which we live. Having a meaningful and progressive approach to ESG is ingrained in our values and practices.
“We are also conscious that the ESG agenda has become more important to our clients, suppliers and staff.

“Business has a key role to play in making the world a better place, and we are proud to become part of the UN Global Network and its UK chapter, joining thousands of other companies which are similarly dedicated to taking responsible action.
“We’ve not joined just for the sake of the badge. We are committed to making a tangible difference, and our participation in the network will enable us to achieve this.”

HURST has implemented a series of eco-friendly measures over recent years, stepping up its use of recycled and sustainably sourced products, ranging from pens and office paper to coffee and branded materials. The firm is also installing a charging point for electric vehicles at its Stockport HQ.
Tim added: “We are living and breathing it and we are always looking for new ways to improve. The network provides the perfect opportunity to do this.”

Steve Kenzie, executive director, UN Global Compact Network UK, said: “The core of the United Nations Global Compact’s mission is to support companies doing business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with 10 universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
“We also support business taking actions to advice the Sustainable Development Goals. We are delighted and encouraged by HURST’s endorsement of our initiative.”

Northcoders TechEd announces latest new partnership deals

Sam Whitear
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Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle-based Northcoders TechEd, which is part of Northcoders PLC – one of the UK’s leading independent providers of training programmes for software coding – has confirmed two partnerships that will see it deliver its ReSkill Apprenticeships course to two of the country’s most well-known businesses. It’s also expanding its work with BJSS to offer 10 SMEs and start-ups in the UK the chance to enrol one of their employees onto a course that will improve their digital skills and lead to a Level 4 qualification in Software Development at no cost to the firm or the individual.

For the UK’s leading beach holiday retailer, On the Beach, and Moonpig – the personalised greeting cards and gifts retailer, Northcoders TechEd will be delivering its ReSkill programme. Existing employees of both companies will take the highly respected course which is aimed at those with little or no prior coding experience and will turn anyone with the right aptitude into a fully trained, project-ready developer.

ReSkill Apprenticeship programmes include the Northcoders award-winning training, including Core Fundamentals of Engineering in JavaScript, Backend Engineering in JavaScript, Frontend Engineering in JavaScript and the always exciting Project Block phase, which sees student teams build their own applications. Alongside this, ReSkill programmes include masterclasses in DevOps & Cloud and AWS Certification, as well as Human Skills workshops – all tied together with an end point assessment to gain a Level 4 qualification in Software Development.

ReSkill is ideal for employees who want to stay with their current employer but change their career direction into coding and for businesses that want to either retain talented people whose roles are no longer needed or increase their in-house tech resource.

As well as these projects, Northcoders is also working with BJSS, the leading technology and engineering consultancy for business, to find 10 UK SMEs who want to improve an employee’s digital skills at no cost. BJSS will fund the placements, which again will be on the ReSkill programme, using its apprenticeship levy-transfer. The government allows companies to transfer unused apprenticeship funds to other employers to pay for the training and assessment cost of apprenticeships agreed with the receiving employer.

Amy Wild – chief commercial officer at Northcoders – said: “These announcements are a fantastic start to 2022 as Moonpig, On the Beach and BJSS are all leaders in their respective sectors. We are delighted to support our partners’ growth ambitions by reskilling their current teams, by giving their employees the ability to change career paths and the attributes required to be a software developer.”

What External Factors Can Impact a Business?

Sam Whitear
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The UK is experiencing a never-before-seen growth in new businesses, with more SMEs created in 2021 than in any year prior. These new businesses are starting at an interesting socioeconomic period, with the impacts of Brexit and other economic shocks reverberating through the country. But how exactly do external factors affect businesses, and which are most impactful?

Policy

Political matters can have a profound effect on the operation of a business, from its day-to-day activities to executive decision-making. The frameworks for legal operation as a business are set out by government, from trading standards to health and safety laws and even employment law.

Changes to domestic policy, and the introduction of new laws and regulations, can affect businesses and business models both for better and for worse. More stringent health and safety legislation can ensure worker safety, but require additional budget for compliance. New laws on company mergers and partnerships can result in new levies on transactions, again impacting revenue.

“One of the major challenges is that policy changes can be made pretty much instantly – businesses, therefore, need to be nimble and prepare in the best way possible for a range of eventualities,” comments James Durr of Manchester property auction house.

Economy

The economy is the system by which every business operates. Its movements directly impact the businesses that operate within it, and can be impacted itself by the movements of businesses. The UK’s economy is somewhat interwoven with politics, as legislation can influence banking organisations and the inflation rate. The Foreign exchange market, or forex, can also have an impact on the economy – for example, with the pound performing poorly against the dollar, US investors have more spending power with UK businesses, increasing revenue.

Economic shifts can change a company’s outlook in an instant; if banking interest rates increase, returns on invested revenue are greater, while rising employment can ensure greater consumer spending and a more productive workforce. The current increase in the inflation rate is pushing up the cost of goods, in part bolstering record profits for larger businesses.

Technology

Technological advancement is a cornerstone of business innovation, and changes not only the way in which businesses internally operate, but also the shape of their revenue streams entirely. New developments in industrial processes and manufacture have significant effects on business, as early adopters of new efficient technologies or sustainable materials win out over competition.

Since the commercial availability of the computer and the global adoption of the internet as a resource, businesses have pivoted to put digital technology at the heart of their work in order to stay competitive – and with AI technology developing at breakneck pace, businesses are once again looking to new products and possibilities to maintain relevance.

 

LGH and Rotrex announce key HR appointments

Sam Whitear
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Sister companies LGH and the Rotrex Group have made two new appointments to their combined HR team who will cover both firms’ UK and EU operations. The Rotrex Group is one of the leading winch specialists in Europe, and LGH is a leading lifting equipment hire company headquartered in the UK.

Laura Gilchrist CIPD has been named as HR Business Partner and is based in Manchester. Her focus will be on working with senior leaders within both companies to improve HR related processes and procedures. She will also be driving employee engagement and development. Prior to joining, Laura worked at Cantel for six years where she streamlined the Human Resource function in the UK and EU and introduced a Business-Partnered HR model that promoted a ‘one brand’ approach across the group’s acquisitions and 200+ employee group. She has also worked at Premier Group Recruitment with her achievements included forming a HR department including L&D.

Laura said of her new role: “LGH and Rotrex are leaders in their respective fields, so I’m really excited to be joining such a dynamic and forward-thinking business. People are at the very heart of every firm’s success so my focus – alongside Linda’s – will be to develop the HR function to ensure the very best practices are rolled out and that our employees are central to that process.”

The second new appointment is Linda Hordijk, based in the Netherlands, who will support Laura as the new HR Coordinator. For the past seven years Linda worked for Japanese company Yamato Transport Europe BV as HR Manager for Europe. Her responsibilities included developing and implementing HR strategies, maintaining work structures, updating job profiles and descriptions, aligning working conditions, planning and monitoring appraisals.

Linda added: “This appointment is a fantastic step in my career and I’m looking forward to helping LGH and Rotrex build a prosperous future built on world class working conditions, benefits and real opportunities for career development for the team.”

Responsible for over 150 employees, both will be prioritising staff training and personal development as LGH and Rotrex continue to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic.

Andy Mault, Group CEO, commented: “I am delighted to welcome both Laura and Linda into the LGH and Rotrex Group. Their wealth of experience will be an asset to the success of our strategic goals. The new HR department is key to adding real value to our companies and will solidify our HR practices as we continue to grow across the UK and EU.”

Two independent businesses expand in Hale

Sam Whitear
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Two independent businesses are thriving in Hale, each taking additional space at 156 Ashley Road.

‘The Garden Eatery’ health food café at 154 Ashley Road, is one of the village’s most popular day time eateries serving wholesome, nutritious, home cooked food which is both innovative and plant based, with fish and meat options along with a selection of freshly squeezed cold pressed juices.

It has taken the adjoining 350 sq ft ground floor unit on a six year lease to expand the business and opened ‘The Little Garden’, whose experienced floral designers will provide flowers for any occasion.

Elite Travel Boutique already established on the first floor has taken an additional 200 sq ft of accommodation on the second floor on a two year lease.

Daniel Lee, managing director, Regional Property Solutions who manage and let the building on behalf of the landlord, LMO Property, said: “The property is now fully let and we are delighted it has been taken by established and thriving businesses in the village, even more so after such a challenging period”.

Six & Flow builds and launches major new custom integration for Imail Comms

Sam Whitear
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Six & Flow, the Manchester-headquartered growth agency, has built and launched a custom HubSpot integration system for Imail Comms that is set to improve its billing processes, whilst also aligning its sales, marketing, and customer service departments.

Imail Comms, formerly called UKMail, offers a hybrid and digital postal service for companies of all sizes including some of the UK’s best-known brands. Following a management buyout, the business needed a new billing system as its existing format was overly complex, bespoke to each client and too time consuming for the internal team to action, monitor and change.

The project saw Six & Flow create a CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) model and pricing structure centred around HubSpot, Xero and a standalone middleware which was created on AWS.

Utilising HubSpot’s expansive API sets, the middleware takes Imail Comms’ bespoke pricing and usage stats to create deals in HubSpot and, in turn, invoices within Xero. The middleware was built to ensure Imail Comms has clean data, a single source of truth (HubSpot), and transparency between the operations, marketing & sales, and finance teams.

The integration now enables sales and operations personnel to input the billing details in HubSpot, and have those changes reflected in the billing process. Now, as Imail Comms reconciles fulfilment, the middleware references the bespoke pricing held in HubSpot, creates deals in HubSpot and triggers the creation of invoices in Xero. The whole team, end to end, are aligned with a simplified process.

Rich Wood – MD of Six & Flow – said: “Imail Comms works with thousands of businesses and customers each week, all with different delivery volumes, individual pricing and billing terms. This means that it desperately needed a robust platform that was fit for purpose which its legacy system was not. Our aim was to create an intuitive, expandable, and precise invoice process that truly allowed it to become more streamlined and focused on driving business growth.

Rich added: “The new platform now forms the backbone of the entire company which is a big step change as the sales, marketing, service, finance and operations teams are now all singing off the same hymn sheet for the very first time.”

Andy Barber – chief executive officer at Imail Comms – said: “Six & Flow has done a fantastic job with this project which is already delivering huge commercial advantage to our operations as its enables our team to concentrate on growing the business rather than on time consuming and dis-jointed financial admin.”

GMPF / HBD JV TO SPECULATIVELY DEVELOP ISLAND

Sam Whitear
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Joint venture partners Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) and its chosen partner property developer HBD have announced they are to speculatively develop Island on John Dalton Street, bringing forward 100,000 sq ft net zero carbon, smart-enabled office accommodation in Manchester city centre’s prime core. Island has a GDV of £66million.

The announcement coincides with the appointment of Bowmer + Kirkland as main contractor to deliver the scheme which is designed by Cartwright Pickard. Construction is scheduled to commence this month with practical completion due in summer 2024.

Adam Brady, Executive Director at HBD, commented: “This is a real statement of intent; the decision to speculatively develop Island reflects our confidence not only in Manchester but for the future of workspace. The time is right to bring forward a development where people can come together in a healthy, progressive, and sustainable way. ESG is high on the agenda, and we have worked hard to embed the latest industry thinking into the buildings design and technology. Our buildings are designed around people from the ground up. We believe Island will attract progressive organisations, those which are adopting a more fluid way of working in order to attract and retain the best talent.”

Councillor Brenda Warrington, Chair of GMPF said: “The start of work on site at Island is a major landmark for the development and the Manchester City Centre office market. As the next generation of office accommodation reflecting new ways of flexible working, our ambition is to achieve zero carbon and provide the highest levels of accessibility required by future occupiers. Funding from GMPF to projects such as this, meets our twin aims of achieving a good return for our member’s pensions, whilst also delivering a positive economic and social regeneration impact on the city.”

Avison Young is advising GMPF and also acts as planning consultant on the project. Joint letting agents for the scheme are OBI and Avison Young.

Safety seal maker Roxtec lands multiple orders with Alstom trains

Sam Whitear
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Greater Manchester-headquartered safety seal manufacturer Roxtec is preparing to ramp up production this year after landing multiple orders from train maker Alstom.

Roxtec says it is now supplying Alstom on several rail projects including multi-million pound upgrades to train fleets for the West Midlands, South Western Railway and Greater Anglia. Roxtec has also won new orders from Alstom to supply its £100m-plus deal to deliver new trains for c2c, which operates across south Essex and east London.

Roxtec has a long-standing relationship with rail giant Alstom, and it also supplied Bombardier Transportation, the rolling stock business that Alstom acquired in 2021.

The bespoke designed parts Roxtec is supplying Alstom include seals for the carriage-to-carriage power cables and rooftop pantograph terminal boxes. The seals serve as a barrier against water, fire, dust, moisture and oil.

The pantograph is located on the roof of the train and collects the electricity needed to power the train. Roxtec’s seals are also being used for general environmental sealing and strain relief and retention on board the trains.

Clive Sharp, Roxtec UK managing director, said the company is working closely with Alstom to create cost effective designs, including using aluminium to reduce weight.

He said: “We will see acceleration in these rail projects in 2022 and that’s going to have a positive impact on our business as we look towards the next 12 months. It is going to be a very busy time for us.

“We are ready to step up to meet the demands from our clients. And we’re also looking at further opportunities in the sector, utilising all our rail industry experience and knowledge. We believe there are strong opportunities out there.”

He added: “Alstom chose Roxtec because of the quality we deliver. Our products have exceptional durability, over 15 years to protect the cables over their lifespan, plus they are easy to install and maintain.”

Earlier this year it was announced that Roxtec is undertaking an extensive six-figure deal to help upgrade the London Underground.

The £5bn Four Lines Modernisation project (4LM), which launched in 2016, aims to update the Tube network’s Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines with hi-tech signalling equipment capable of boosting the frequency of trains and cutting down on delays.

The project has seen 51 new signalling rooms created, as well as equipment to house signalling cabinets along the 161km of track, with Roxtec products sealing cables going into and out of these buildings and cabinets.

Other recent key UK projects include heavy-duty cable seal solutions for Network Rail’s London Bridge Station, while the firm has been involved in pioneering schemes such as Crossrail’s new Elizabeth line for London and the South East, and the supply of cable and pipe seals for use within tunnels, substations, flood defences and signalling infrastructure as part of the UK’s HS2 project.

Roxtec UK has a turnover of more than £6million and a team of 20 based at its Waterfold Business Park head office in Bury. It is the British subsidiary of the Swedish-headquartered Roxtec Group.

Roxtec was founded in Sweden in 1990. It is now the global leader in the manufacture of innovative cable and pipe transit systems, supplying many of the world’s biggest firms. It is active in more than 80 markets with a turnover of more than £173million employing over 750 staff across 28 subsidiaries.

Roxtec’s products are designed to seal cables and pipes, and are used to protect people, buildings and equipment from multiple hazards. Its key market sectors include Marine, Oil and Gas, Telecoms, Construction, Power (generation, distribution and transmission) OEM (e.g. trains, engines, motors, generators) and the Process Industries.

Roxtec has a Triple-A credit rating and is actively expanding into new areas offering innovative and safe sealing solutions to a variety of industries.

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