John Leigh Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognised for 40 years as key industry figure.

John Leigh, Managing Director of Europcar UK and National Car Rental, has received the highly coveted lifetime achievement accolade in the Holiday Autos Partner of the Year Awards, confirming his status as an industry legend. In acknowledging his enormous and positive influence which has helped to shape and evolve the sector, the Holiday Autos Partner of the Year Awards ceremony honoured John for his dedication and commitment to the vehicle rental industry.

The Award was presented by Brian Murphy, Group Managing Director of Lastminute.com at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

“The evening was very emotional for me and I feel proud to be honoured by the industry in this way,” said John Leigh. “The Award was a complete surprise and it means a great deal to me to be recognised by my colleagues and partners who have put this industry where it is today.

John Leigh began his working life promoting concerts of legendary acts like Roy Orbison and Pink Floyd. In 1967 he decided to get a proper job and joined Godfrey Davis eventually to become Europcar, where he held a number of management roles. In 1972 he joined Swan National where he enjoyed a successful career culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in 1990 shortly after it had rebranded itself as EuroDollar.

Following an MBO from TSB and the acquisition of EuroDollar by National Car Rental USA, John was given responsibility for launching National into the EMEA marketplace.

In February 2007, the European operation was acquired by Europcar and John was appointed Managing Director of Europcar UK Group the largest daily rental company in the country.

As Chairman of the BVRLA in 2006/7, John played a leading role in defining and implementing industry standards for quality and customer service. He is also a Vice President of Chelsea football club, as well as being a very active patron of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, a charity that grants wishes to often terminally ill young people. Two years ago he was also honoured with an “Unsung Hero Award” by the Celebrity Guild of Great Britain in recognition of his charitable work.

“I cant think of anyone more deserving of this award than John” confirmed Brian Murphy of Holiday Autos. “He has been the driving force behind the success of the industry, not just the growth of his own business. His vision and dedication has led to many of the innovations car rental customers now take for granted and he continues to challenge and lead the sector forward to new levels of service.”

Personalized Price Per Head Services.

There are many companies that provide this kind of services like price per head and because of that is important that you make a wise choice and select the one that can guarantee your success in the market with the necessary tools for your business to grow, improve the current services you have and provide the satisfaction your customers needs now and in the future.

Companies like ABC Per Head can be the business partner that can provide you the advantage you need in the market, and you may ask “Why is that?”, and its very simple, the services and the personalized attention including services adapted to your needs its the right answer, you as a bookie is looking for.

And by personalized attention I’m not talking about a great customer service, well it is part of the hole deal, but the most important is that, ABC Price Per Head company knows about the market like no other and understands the needs of its customers providing the right technological tools that will guarantee the success you been needing for so long and you can accomplish with them.

The reasons and advantages are based on a solid background, the experience of many year in the market providing the best services, tools, products, promotions and fees in the market that only a company that knows the needs of their clients its able to provide not only to your business but also to give the safe, secure and professional environment your customers need.

The premium services, products, customer services and more you know are important for your business to grow and improve and only can be provided by a company with this premium price per head services to create the business the bookmakers want in a company, in a partner, providing the safest, most convenient and reliable service you can find in the market.

Price per head companies like ABC have what it takes for you to decide to move your services with you and its because all the services, all the products are made for your needs and adapted for your market needs and change the way you do business, from local to offshore booking and will open the doors for you to have access to many other markets you have not yet reach with your current services and you know that to grow you need to risk and ABC price per head will manage that for you, all you need to do its supervise and see your organization grow and be more profitable inside the international market available with the products and services you have available with a company that knows how to get you there.

Its time to think global, expand and think about the future knowing you have the right tool available with a great company that its there for you to assist you on every step of the way and become the establishment you have ever dream off and the time is know, you can grow and see your local business get online the era of greatness that is awaiting for you.

Strategic Planning Steps For Optimum Business Management

Strategic Planning Steps Overview

The Strategic Planning Steps philosophy/business system is an organizational tool that is used by groups and corporations globally to refine their goals and maximize their resources. Drawing from the concepts of strategic military planning, the Strategic Planning process is one way in which businesses strive to attain a competitive edge. Strategic planning involves defining goals, creating an adaptable business plan and measuring core competencies of staff to increase productivity and results. The understanding and implementation of Strategic Planning Steps can significantly affect a company’s ability to maximize revenue and growth. The steps have been used effectively in many fields of business, education and government to formulate productive business systems and resource management solutions.

Strategic Planning Steps Defined

While there are several different approaches to implementing Strategic Planning Steps , most models use the following definitions:

* Mission definition : The mission definition stage of Strategic Planning encourages an organization to develop a brief description of purpose to Inform potential stockholders, employees and customers what they can expect from the company. From the mission definition, a mission statement can be developed that serves as a company’s calling card and core focus description.

* Vision/Trend Analysis : The next facet of Strategic Planning Steps directs a company to analyze current market trends and make committed decisions about where the business is heading. Defining long term goals and visualizing the future of the organization can help to focus current activities and important financial decisions.

* Strategic Objectives : Once long term goals have been set, the strategic objectives phase consists of formulating actual business plans to achieve the visualized goals. One acronym used frequently in this stage of Strategic Planning Steps is SMART. SMART stands for the type of objectives to be developed to fully realize the company’s long term goals. These objectives include:

o S Specific objectives

o M Measurable objectives

o A Achievable objectives

o R Resource-based, realistic objectives

o T Time-frame assessed objectives

* Critical Success Factors : Important milestones and achievements key to goal realization should be identified at the critical success factor stage of Strategic Planning. Singling out these factors provides an easy means for measuring the ongoing success of the business plan.

* Actions to be Implemented : After critical success factors have been identified, the next phase involves the development of action plans need to realize success. Specific tasks and organizations management strategies are designed to effectively implement the business plan. Task management is often defined by the core competencies required for each position in the company.

* Performance Analysis and Progress Measurement : The last of the most common steps is comprised of formulating methods by which to measure the organization’s progress. Comprehensive performance analysis tools and measurement criteria are developed to effectively monitor the success of the current system. These tools can be used to report both internally and externally on the progress and growth of the company.

Use Personal Keywords To Magnify Your Time

Hi, I’m Dave Crenshaw, author of the Myth of Multitasking. In the next few minutes, I’m going to share with you a tip about how to better to magnify your time and make yourself more valuable in the market place. And the tip that I’d like to share with you revolves around your personal keywords.

Now, you know what keywords are if you spend any time on the internet. They’re a select set of words that a page focuses on to draw traffic to it. If it has too many words on it, well, the search engines think it’s just talking about anything and it doesn’t have any real power. But pages that are focused on a few keywords, and are focused on providing knowledge to people become very powerful in search engine rankings.

Now, what is that have to do with you and your personal systems and your productivity? Everything.

By focusing on a few keywords, you become a powerful expert in that field and you draw people to you who are interested in those sorts of things, and you make yourself more valuable because you focus on your most valuable pieces of information.

So here are 3 tips to get you started:

Number one: Make a list of the things that you’re good at, and the things that interest you. Over time, pare that list down, to about 3 to 5 select keywords. For instance, in my case, off the top of my head I might say productivity, technology, business management, business development.Those would be keywords that I focus on in gaining knowledge, the magazines that I subscribe to, the books that I read.

And that lead us to step two: go out and seek information related to your personal keywords. Become a student and a scholar of those keywords . Become someone that other people look to as a source of information for those subjects, and you will draw personal traffic to you because they will seek you out for that information.

And number three: filter out unrelated information. Now, that’s not to say that you can’t occasionally read other news articles and enhance your education by looking of lots different sources, but you do want to be careful about the flow of information into your life. Every single one of us right now is bombarded by too much information. So use email filters, be selective about the magazines that you subscribe to and even selective about the books that you read.

Allow yourself to focus on your most valuable subjects and become more valuable in the market place.

Famous Scottish Entrepreneurs

Invention and entrepreneurship are concepts that are synonymous with Scotland. Scotland has a long standing tradition of producing world renowned inventors and entrepreneurs. The invention of the steam engine, television and penicillin can all be attributed to Scottish inventors and in this article I would like to highlight some of the most famous Scottish entrepreneurs of recent years.

Arnold Clark

Sir Arnold Clark grew up in Glasgow and joined the RAF in 1944, aged 17. He rose quickly through the ranks eventually becoming a Corporal and a Motor Mechanics Instructor. Upon leaving the RAF, Clark began buying and selling cars, and opened his first showroom in 1954 in Glasgows Park Road. Arnold Clark Automobiles is now the largest car dealership in Scotland, with over 145 car dealerships throughout the UK.

Michelle Mone

Michelle Mone OBE is the co-owner of MJM International and creator of Ultimo. She grew up in Glasgow and began her corporate career with Labatt Brewers. She rose quickly through the company and was running the Sales and Marketing department by the time she was 20. In 1996, came up with the idea to create Ultimo after wearing an uncomfortable bra to a dinner dance. Today Ultimo is one of the UKs leading designer lingerie brands.

Sir David Murray

Sir David Murray was born in Ayr in 1954 and educated at Ayr Academy, Fettes College and Broughton high School. By the age of 23 Murray had set up the metal company, Murray International Metals Limited. The Murray Group has expanded to include a wide range of industries including property, call centres, venture capital and mining.

Sir Brian Souter

Sir Brian Souter is another famous Scottish entrepreneur. Sir Brian Souter started his working life as student bus conductor while studying at University. Upon finishing University, Sir Brian Souter began working with Arthur Andersen, a leading chartered accountancy firm. In 1980, using his fathers redundancy money, Sir Brian Souter established Stagecoach Group with his sister. Thirty years later Stagecoach is one the largest transport companies in the world with 13,000 buses, coaches, trains and trams, employing over 30,000 employees worldwide. Sir Brian Souter also founded Souter Investments and the Souter Charitable Trust.