Survival of the fittest...

We are now in the second half of 2011 and what can I tell you? Well, the market is tough but you already knew that. At no point have I seen a market with so many variables out of dealer control to adversely affect the market. Exchange rates, natural disasters, low consumer confidence, dwindling used car parc, increased raw material prices and many others conspire to make these the most challenging trading conditions I have seen in my thirteen year motor trade life.


Being brutally honest over Christmas I almost threw in the towel. I spent two months over the winter looking hard at what I want out of life and came to the conclusion that I love this job, I love my business and it will not beat me.


After the Beijing Olympics I heard the team manager of Britain's dominant cycling team talk about how they had achieved success in a sport which does not have huge media exposure, has relatively small participation and limited investment. The essence of his reply was that they looked at every single process and aspect of what the team did. From diet to the material of their uniforms. They found that if they could improve by just one percent in every area, the collective result would be enough to be the best


in February I examined every aspect of everything I do. From where I source my cars to how I use Twitter. From where I get my fuel to how I interact with my local community. What I found was there were many areas which required improvement and I set about setting goals to try and measure the impact of my actions.


Whilst this has not suddenly meant I am challenging Lakshmi Mittal as the country's richest man, it does give me the confidence that I can steer a course through choppy seas until things improve.


I would urge you to do the same. Simply reducing costs is not enough. Analyse everything and I mean everything. Also bear in mind that for every positive action there will be a negative reaction. For example, deciding to stop your branded number plates will mean a lack of advertising and awareness which these can provide. Starting a Facebook group which is poorly managed can be detrimental to your image.


I cannot predict what will happen in the next twelve months but I do know that Charles Darwin might have been on to something...