Panel of Experts: SMEs
EXPERT PANEL SME FLEETS With many SMEs negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, any efficiencies that can be gained from fleet operations are welcome. Our expert panelists share their advice on streamlining fleet management, improving SMR practices, and reducing emissions Lee Brown, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor Group Lee Brown is head of 0Zone, the Grosvenor Group’s innovative and market leading solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultra-low emission and electric vehicles. Lee is also finance director of Interactive Fleet Management, the Grosvenor Group’s specialist fleet management business, which means he brings a perfect balance between how fleets can drive down their emissions and the financial implications of policy setting. Lee joined the Grosvenor Group in 2001, became finance director of Interactive Fleet Management in 2012 and is well-known for his clear and inciteful advice for companies with car and light commercial vehicle fleets.
Toby Poston, director of corporate affairs, BVRLA Toby Poston is Director of Corporate Affairs at the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association. He has worked within the sector for more than ten years and currently oversees the association’s communications, events, campaigning and research activities as well as fostering relationships with key industry stakeholders. Prior to joining the BVRLA, Toby was a business journalist for fifteen years, spending much of this time as a reporter and editor within the BBC Business and Economics Unit, working across TV, radio and online channels.
Marc Samuel, head of SME & B2B telesales, the AA Marc Samuel has taken up the newly created head of SME & B2B telesales role at the AA. Ex-Pendragon B2B director and Honda fleet sales operations manager, Marc is putting his 20+ years’ experience in the fleet automotive sector to good use overseeing direct sales activity for the organisation’s rapidly expanding suite of SME products and services. This includes smart breakdown services, managed services, remote and virtual support, as well as EV implementation guidance.
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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net
Many small businesses have taken a big hit from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, one in ten small firms have already been forced to make redundancies, despite the government’s furlough scheme. Cash flow is important for SMEs, but many are being crippled by late payments thanks to the pandemic, with 62 per cent having been subject to late or frozen payments since March. It is crucial that SMEs run as efficiently as possible to keep costs down, now more than ever. For those SMEs that operate a fleet or vehicles, our expert panelists share some thoughts on how to streamline SME fleet operations. Lee Brown, head of 0Zone at Grosvenor Group suggests that now is a good time to assess the mobility requirements of the business. “Map out why travel is needed, where it is needed, when it is needed and who needs to travel,” advises Lee. “Then determine what vehicles you need to support this and how you source, fund and manage them.” Because of the Covid-19 lockdown, Lee believes that there has been a monumental shift in attitude towards conference calls and online meetings. “This is likely to change the landscape of how we interact with customers, prospects, suppliers and remote members of staff forever,” says Lee. “If the model for mobile working and use of vehicles is changing, now is a great time for SMEs to review their vehicle fleets as they look to the future. “There are some quick fixes for small businesses in terms of driving down costs – for example, introducing more stringent maintenance controls, or seizing the opportunity to reduce fuel bills by discouraging unnecessary travel. “However, significant long-term savings can be made by looking at new vehicle policies that encourage ultra-low emission and electric vehicles, salary sacrifice schemes, which have suddenly become very financially attractive due to the very low BIK on sub 50gsm/km CO2 vehicles, and looking
