The UK’s new car market is expected to level off in the coming months and franchised dealer margins have been squeezed. At the same time, many manufacturers’ demands for investment have reached new heights. So isn’t it time to check the efficiency of your business?

Money can easily be wasted if controls and checks are not sufficient. It’s a particular focus of Perrys’ chairman Ken Savage, who explains on this month's issue how maintaining a keen eye on every line of cost brought dividends to his AM100 top 25 dealer group.

The question of whether to bear fixed costs such as headcount in-house or to outsource to an expert supplier is also one for many dealers to consider. Experts outline the pros and cons.

Of course, while headcount can be viewed as a cost, it should also be seen as an investment. Midlands dealer group Progress, the subject of our face-to-face interview, does just that, and it’s an approach shared by Swansway Garages and Greenhous Group in our report on the recent AM & IMI People Conference. The industry suffers high staff turnover and often the cost and trouble of recruiting new talent can have a real impact on a dealership, yet Spire Automotive reports in out recruitment feature that it has found some ways to mitigate that expense.

The full issue is available to read here for registered subscribers, and a preview is available below.