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My personal enterprise: Craig Cartledge
West Midlands Group Branch Manager shares lessons learned
Works at: Leamington Spa, United Kingdom
Enterprising person since: July 26, 2003. I graduated from Warwick University with an engineering and telecommunications degree. Because I’ve always wanted to run my own business, the Management Training programme instantly appealed to me.
Be organized: When I became an Assistant Manager at one of my group’s largest branches, being organised helped me handle our large volume of business efficiently. By trying to work 30 minutes ahead of the rest of the branch team, I could proactively plan for our customers who would be renting the following hour. Using a to-do list also helped, as did not putting tasks off. When you do those tasks right away, they will not build up and become unmanageable.
Market to build business: I went from that 220-car branch to manage a new branch without any cars or staff. I had to be open to new ideas and out in the marketplace. I strategically targeted accounts in the area that had never rented from Enterprise and aggressively sought after business by tailoring my presentations to how Enterprise could help them reach their business goals. Six months later, our branch fleet had grown to 50 cars, and we achieved 86 percent ESQi.
Learn technology’s role: My next branch was also new, but in a much busier city. Here, I discovered how technology – such as ECARS™ 2.0 and its features – can help me work smarter to achieve goals. For example, electronic audits instead – of paper ones helped improve my income and billing. Instead of traditional callbacks, I could use rental callbacks and the Returns List to minimize the number of daily calls we made and maximize the use of our vehicles. We called customers before they called us. I had more time to do what I wanted to do and not just what I had to do each day. Over 11 months, we grew this branch to 100 cars, achieved profitability in four months and had consistent ESQi above 80 percent.
Parting words: I’ve been at my current branch for a few months and continue to learn. Here, one-fourth of our business mix is retail, and that is new for me. So far, the biggest lessons I have learned are these: When you are organised and efficient, your branch will be more organized and efficient. Work smart and use every resource you can, such as technology. Also, clearly communicate with your superiors, employees and customers. Keeping people informed makes them happier and, overall, your job easier.
- Compiled by Rhonda Sciarra
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