Guides for UK used car dealers

Earlier guides

• 17 October 20265 min readFrom spec to sale, writing a used car advert buyers will readHow to write a used car advert from a confirmed stock record: what buyers scan first, the details that build trust, and a six-step routine to check it.
• 17 October 20265 min readOne enquiry, three touchpoints: what happens now and what used toFollow one buyer's enquiry from a 7pm website message to a phone call and a test drive, the old way and with one connected record of every step.
• 17 October 20265 min readPhotograph, check, save, handling supplier invoices without the paperwork pilePhotograph a supplier invoice, check the draft against the paper, then save it: a four-step routine for a garage, and what to check on every line.
• 17 October 20266 min readPlan the ramp week before it plans youRead the workshop diary as a capacity plan: where jobs overrun, how to protect space on each ramp, and a 15-minute Monday review for an independent garage.
• 17 October 20266 min readShoot once, sell sooner, a stock photo routine for busy forecourtsA repeatable stock photo routine for a used car forecourt: one spot, one shot list, honest pictures of marks, and photographs kept with the car's record.
• 17 October 20266 min readStart small or buy the suite? How to decide your first moveHow to choose your first move in motor trade software: find the bottleneck, test what connected means, and see when one module or the whole suite fits.
• 17 October 20265 min readThe sale-day paperwork chain, invoice, handover and stock book without the duplicationHow one sale should flow from the vehicle record to the invoice, the handover paperwork and the stock book, with a worked VAT margin scheme example.
• 17 October 20266 min readWhen the Wi-Fi drops, why offline-first software suits forecourt lifeWhat a dealer management system that works offline keeps going when the internet drops, what still needs a connection, and the check after you synchronise.
• 17 October 20266 min readYour booking website answers while you're under the carWhat a workshop booking website should do while you work: show real availability, take the right details, and put each booking straight into the diary.
• 12 October 20266 min read7 common car dealer inventory management mistakes, and how to fix themSeven stock mistakes that cost a used car forecourt time and money, from details typed in more than once to sold cars left live online, and a fix for each.
• 12 October 20266 min readCar dealership management software vs spreadsheets, which is better for your forecourt?What a spreadsheet does well for a small forecourt, where it starts to cost time, and when car dealership management software is the better fit.
• 12 October 20265 min readGarage management software vs a paper diary, which is better for your workshop?When a paper diary is enough for a small garage, where it starts to cost time, and how a two-ramp workshop might run its week on garage management software.
• 12 October 20266 min readLooking for used car dealer software? 10 things to considerTen things to ask when choosing used car dealer software, from registration lookups and portal feeds to the stock book, working offline and your local area.
• 12 October 20266 min readVAT margin scheme stock books, what used car dealers need to knowWhat a VAT margin scheme stock book must record for each used car, what goes on the sales invoice, the common mistakes, and where software can help.

The pictures on this page are illustrations.