INDEPENDENT leasing broker Carmyke, based in East Sussex, became a Fleet Alliance Appointed Representative in April 2021.
While Michael Hooper (above) says it took some adjustment from trading as an independent to working as an AR, the upsides since that moment have been many.
“One of the drivers behind our brokerage becoming a Fleet Alliance AR was the transition of the business from my father and mother, Andy and Tanya, to myself,” explains Michael.
“It offered a stable environment for me to grow into the business with all the professionalism that Fleet Alliance offers. But it has been rather more than that. There have been three significant game-changers to our business.”
The first, according to Michael, is the absolute difference in the daily responsibilities the brokerage needs to undertake. With back end administration undertaken by Fleet Alliance it allows Carmyke to focus on selling into the B2B fleet market servicing SMEs with fleets of between five to 50 vehicles.
The freeing up of time is the biggest change. It gives us much greater opportunity to sell and as a result we have increased the number of units we’ve sold by 20%, while also increasing our profitability at the same time
The second real game changer, says Michael, is linked to the greater amount of time the business has to concentrate on finding new customers and servicing existing clients, and that’s the wider spread of financing facilities.
“Joining Fleet Alliance has hugely increased the number of funders we can now access,” continues Michael. “So while one business might not get approved by one funder, there are several more available where we can reach a positive outcome for the client. There are also greater sales possibilities with the number of tacticals Fleet Alliance supplies, providing a better spread of opportunity with customers.”
The final game changer for Carmyke has been the ability to offer salary sacrifice as a method of funding employee cars.
There’s no question that salary sacrifice is becoming increasingly popular. I’m now speaking to some of my customers about salary sacrifice - it’s more of the norm, that’s for sure, and we’re looking to grow in this space. But without the backing of Fleet Alliance, as a small broker we would have missed out on this opportunity, which may well have affected our relationships with existing customers in due course.
With greater efficiency in the business, a wide panel of funders on which to draw, and the inclusion of electric car salary sacrifice within Carmyke’s consulting suite, Michael sees 2023 as a year of significant growth.
“I know 2023 is going to be financially challenging for many, but with Fleet Alliance behind us I’m confident we can increase our unit sales next year, boosted by a combination of renewals and new business referrals in the SME fleet sector. I really don’t see this as unrealistic,” concludes Michael.
Are you ready to explore the opportunities as a Fleet Alliance AR?
“From our initial enquiry to becoming an AR, Laura Muir was our regular contact who has been instrumental in making this process seamless. Laura and her team have been extremely helpful, professional and provide a great service. If you are thinking of joining the AR programme, I highly recommend speaking with Laura.”
Michael Hooper
Contact Laura Muir, head of AR and partner, to schedule an exploratory meeting.
Call 0345 601 8407 or email laura.muir@fleetalliance.co.uk
Read about the Fleet Alliance Appointed Representative Conference
Automotive and fleet writer for Broker News
