Before posing a question to you our dealer readers this week, I wanted to highlight a couple of positive stories featured in today's Update.

First up, there's a great new video you can view that was put together by the talented creatives at TAP, summarising last November's Service Dealer Conference & Awards. It serves as a great reminder of just what a superb day and night was enjoyed by all who attended. As well as this though, it also emphasises just how sorely missed the occasion had been during our enforced absence.

The video recaps the timely presentations given by the expert speakers at the Oxford Belfry - as well as hearing from delegates and sponsors alike regarding just why the date is an essential one in their calendar. Whist there is still of course a long way to go before this year's event, I have been assured by the organisers that there's exciting plans afoot already. The policy is one of continued improvement and of listening to feedback from all attendees, so I'm sure 2022's day will be bigger, better and more relevant than ever!

Also, pleasing today is the welcome return of LE-TEC's search for their Technician of the Year. In fact with this year's competition they are actually looking to crown two individuals, with one prize for someone who is just embarking on their career and another for someone who has made a successful vocation and seen their working life develop. 

2021's search highlighted some amazing young people doing great work at dealerships around the country. I feel any campaign such as this, that can shine a positive light on the life available to enthusiastic entrants into land-based engineering, must be applauded and given our encouragement.

Amongst other coverage, last year the winner Laura Bassnet ended up on the cover of our magazine and featured in Chris Biddle's podcast. Hopefully this year the publicity generated can go even further than before, with penetration into the more mainstream media surely being the goal? As well as celebrating individual success, letting the wider world know about the opportunities available in our sector must be one of the principal aims of the competition?

Living costs rising

Moving on, the news this week away from trips back from Tesco with jangling suitcases has concentrated on the increasing costs of living and the highest inflation levels since the early 90s. Add into this the soaring costs of energy and we have what journalists like to term a crisis.

A question today then that it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on in the comments below, is just how all of this is impacting on your dealership and what steps you feel you can take to mitigate the negative effects?

We know it's hard right now for small retail businesses. I read a quote this week from Dr Jackie Mulligan, who is an expert on the government’s High Streets Task Force and founder of the local shopping platform, Shopappy. She said, “After two years of unprecedented disruption, our high streets are now being savaged by the highest inflation in three decades.

"Customers have less to spend, raw materials are costing more, supply chains are being squeezed, interest rates are on the up and the cost to heat their premises is skyrocketing. It's a panoply of pain.

"In the glaring absence of Government support, it's down to us all to support our small local retailers and help them to weather the storm in 2022. More than ever it’s crucial we all love local and shop local.”

Is this something you can relate to in your own business? We know from conversations we've been having over the past 6 months that dealers have been raising their prices to help offset the increased costs they've seen themselves. Is this something you feel you will need to continue this year? Are you worried though, that there's a limit at which your customers won't accept further rises?

Also, as that quote above suggests, are you finding the direct costs of running your business are going up and up? I heard from a dealer this week who told me they had recently fitted LED low-energy bulbs throughout their showroom, both because they add to the eco-aware message they are trying convey throughout their business but also crucially, because they reduce their utility bills.

So if you've got some thoughts on this current squeeze, let us know how it's effecting you and what measures you are taking to combat it in the comments below.