Sixth Sense Tuning

We’ve all heard the old cliché - it is more important to work on your business than in it. Over time and especially with the introduction of new business, I have fallen in to the trap of working as a driver rather than a business developer.

In some ways, I expect (and allow) this to happen because new accounts always need drivers. I also find it is beneficial to stabilise our operation before returning to the hunt for more customers.

When I talk to passengers, I am increasingly convinced we need to be developing our ‘culture’ and making it tangible. Until now, we have simply accepted our way of doing things is different.

Maybe it is time to step back from the coal face, get things in perspective and recognise our future is reliant on our brand. What is more the brand is dependent on our culture being embedded in to the very heart of it.

Breathing Space

Look at our historical data and it reveals trends. The last three to four years are erratic but previous to this, there was a clear pattern of seasonal activity. It shows when passengers used to travel with us. I believe we are currently moving back to predictability again.

Typically the next six to eight weeks should be quieter for us. This is a combination of schools closing for summer and factory shut-downs for maintenance. They inadvertently reduce the demand for business travel but increases the holiday traffic through airports.

Typically, holiday-makers don’t rush. They travel with baggage and wait at luggage carousels with lots of other people. Strangely, many companies compete for this work which is usually high-maintenance and low profit.

This time of year it is better to step back, take a deep breath, analyse where we are, discuss improvements and implement changes. Thinking long-term and waiting for the rush of business travel in September is the best option right now.

The Best Man Isn't Always The Most Expensive

Last week I missed a blog. Was this because I had nothing to write about or because I wanted a break? No. It was because I was organising a wedding – my wedding!

Arranging a venue, photographer, wedding car, wedding cake, entertainment, catering, accommodation, suits, rings and lots of other things takes time and effort.

One thing I really wanted from every supplier I approached was availability, certainty they could deliver and the reassurance that everything would be its best.

For a change I was the customer looking at suppliers and it gave me a different perspective on the importance of ‘understanding and friendly’ service.

At DrivenByQ we enjoy assisting people, its just something we do naturally. Unexpectedly, I now understand why so many people like our service so much!

The Full Package

Corporate chauffeur services are perfect for transporting employees and visitors. If they have clean cars, good drivers and great customer service it all goes well. What if their invoices are poorly formatted, difficult to read or omit cost centres though?

Plenty of times I have written about our booking system at DrivenByQ. What I have rarely mentioned however is how our information flows and how the quality of data is maintained. It is especially evident in any documents we produce.

At DrivenByQ our database automatically produces invoices. It populates a neatly formatted pdf with Purchase Order number, cost centres and a full breakdown. It then attaches it to an email, ready to send to a designated recipient.

We believe when customers receive our invoices this way, they are quicker and easier to process. After all, why would you want to save money on a chauffeur service only to cost the accounts department more processing and administration time?

Throttle Control 2

Having completed our financial trading year, I have been analysing figures. I’m glad to say that we are up again on the previous year – by some 33.5% in fact.

 

So, would we like more growth? As an ambitious company, it may seem straight forward but from another angle, accelerating growth might not be such a good idea.

 

Increasing our turnover will mean changing our VAT structure, accounting system and even tweaking the business model. Not to mention any HR challenges.

 

Maybe we should stay with our current system a bit longer and build up capital? After all implementing a new marketing plan could potentially be destabilising!