Cat know-how

For many, the question on their lips is which country will be the first to exit the eurozone.

Whether an existing eurozone member jumps or is pushed is irrelevant. The consequences for many businesses are likely to be severe. This is particularly so because there is no English or EU law which addresses the legal effect of a change of currency resulting from a eurozone exit. This stands in stark contrast to the situation in certain US states that have such laws.

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This is the time of year to quell any unrest and make sure your customers are staying loyal, says John Genge.

John Genge lays out his top tips for making the most from your partnerships

There is a lot of brave talk in this world. Some speak of nailing down suppliers, some of hammering down prices and only recently we heard of farmers, disgusted over the reduction of their wholesale milk prices, causing blockades outside dairies and threatening to pour milk down the drain. One way or another, there is a trend towards adversarial relationships with suppliers - but is that good?

Businesses need to get up to speed with the soon to be compulsory Real Time Information (RTI) that will overhaul the way PAYE works in the UK, says Jason Piper. Having been with us since 1944, PAYE was originally set up to aid collection of taxes during the Second World War. Changes in work patterns, payments and the sheer volume of information handled by the system have left it straining to cope, however.

When times are hard the temptation to take on work that is outside your capabilities and muddle-through can be overwhelming. The simple fact is that customers deserve better. Ability is close to the top of my list of must-haves for a garage. A simple analysis of job cards and invoices, together with shared anecdotes from technicians, quickly highlight shortfalls.

In CAT recently I listed the important elements for review in a modern garage and first on the list was volume. Volume is the key ingredient. However, as Joni Mitchell sang: “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone” and right now there must be several garages wishing that “a big yellow taxi” would come and take them away. Volume and marketing are synonymous yet their interests are opposed. When you have volume you don’t want the cost of marketing, yet when the volume dries up it’s too late to start marketing your business effectively.

The last few years have shown that predicting the future is far from easy. One certainty is that vehicles will continue to become more technologically advanced, particularly when it comes to fuel. Rising diesel prices could see lower capacity petrol engines using turbo or hybrid technology becoming more popular. Also, expect to see further progress in technology, such as regenerative braking, that utilises

Do you ever get that Monday morning feeling? How about your staff? Many a business that I have visited on that day seems to have a lethargy that lasts until lunchtime and of course by that time 10% of the week is gone! So, a clear and focused Monday morning mind can make all of the difference to your business.

Previously in CAT we've looked at the strategies that good operators should use to check the efficiency of their stock holding and utilisation. One area of natural concern is, of course, obsolete and dead stock.

I talk to a lot of people about training, technical training, instructive training, management and other training. Opinion is divided with many seeing tangible and permanent benefits whilst others see it as a complete waste of time and money.