Six months on from gaining my FCA authorisation to act as an Appointed Representative of Fleet Alliance, it feels right to pause and look back—at the highs and lows, the achievements and the many learning moments.
Fleet Alliance has given me an outstanding platform, and my peer group of ARs has been incredibly supportive. Even so, the reality of starting out—especially after years of in-office routines—can be lonely. Those early days with no clients (not even prospects!) were a test of resolve.
What got me through? People. From small gestures of encouragement, to practical help incorporating, opening a bank account and getting the business off the ground, to bigger things like introductions, new doors opened and entrusted business—I’ve been blown away by the generosity of others. I’ve also drunk more coffee than I care to admit!
Find your rooms. You have to kiss a few frogs to discover the networking groups that suit you. I’m still exploring, and every group I’ve attended has been welcoming—that’s part of the journey.
Own your mistakes. If a client says 25k miles per annum and you run a quote at 10k, the rental will be out—literally miles out. Admitting the error and putting it right is always best. I’m human—and thankfully I still got the order.
Perspective matters. I recently lost a close friend and mentor to cancer, taken far too soon. Enjoy what you do, live in the moment and take nothing for granted. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.
January: My LinkedIn launch post, followed by BVRLA and lender-specific training.
February: FCA authorisation confirmed.
March: First networking events.
April: First customer order, and I signed Business Wales’ Green Growth Pledge.
May: Presented to my peers about my strategy and journey; launched my Test Drive Blog with the Jaecoo 7—over 6.5k impressions, and I’m still taking orders from it.
June: Went live with my first Salary Sacrifice client.
July: Second Salary Sacrifice client and my first repeat customer; more Test Drives with the Audi Q4 eTron and Kia EV3 (and more queued up to write!).
August: First multiple order and a new personal best—six orders in one day. Records are there to be broken, but it’s great to see hard work starting to pay off.
Best of all, I’ve received client testimonials. I’ll share those in a future post, but I’m proud of the personal, tailored service I’ve delivered and the feedback it’s earned.
Stepping away from the comfort of paid employment was always going to be a challenge. It’s been tough and rewarding in equal measure—and I still jump out of bed eager to make a difference.
To everyone who has supported me in any way and helped me build the self-belief to get here—even when I wasn’t sure myself—thank you. It’s been an incredible start, and I’m excited to see what the next six months bring.
6 Months as a Fleet Alliance Appointed Representative Six months on from gaining my FCA authorisation to act as an Appointed Representative of Fleet Alliance, it feels right to pause and look back—at the highs and lows, the achievements and the many learning moments. Fleet Alliance has given me an outstanding platform, and my peer … Continued
Last week the Supreme Court ruled on three motor finance cases. The finance involved was for used cars supplied by car dealer finance brokers for a car purchase agreement. Two of the three cases were dismissed, while the third was upheld by the Supreme Court, ruling that the finance agreement was unfair based on the … Continued
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Cardiff-based aviation specialist Aermach has chosen Fleet Alliance to launch a highly tax-efficient electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme for its workforce. The partnership—led by Chris Rowthorn, Fleet Alliance’s recently appointed representative for Wales and the South West—will supply Aermach employees with new EVs, enhancing their benefits package while helping the company reduce its carbon footprint. … Continued
Why it matters Fresh from scooping both ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Mainstream Electric Car’ at the 2025 AutoTrader Drivers’ Choice Awards, Kia’s baby EV became an easy choice for my next test drive, made possible by the excellent team at Snow’s Kia Basingstoke. The EV3 arrives with headline stats fleet managers love: up … Continued
I’m delighted to share that Fleet Alliance has been named a Best Workplace for Women in the 2025 certification rankings for medium-sized businesses by Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture. The accreditation is the fourth time that Fleet Alliance has been recognised, building on our culture of fairness, trust, engagement and … Continued
The Electric Car Grant, introduced by the Government on Tuesday 15 July, is definitely to be welcomed. I’ll caveat that slightly because it’s early days, and we really don’t have all the details of the grant. But it’s certainly a good indicator of the Government’s direction of travel and its continuing engagement with the automotive … Continued
The Company Car Sweet Spot for future-proofing your Fleet An Audi badge says professional without drifting into show-off territory, and the fully-electric Q4 adds a Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) bill that’s closer to a super-mini than a Q5. With up to 331 miles of WLTP range on the Sportback 45 e-tron, zero-emission access to city centres and … Continued
Why this newcomer matters China’s Chery Group is taking the UK by storm with a two-brand strategy: Omoda targets mainstream buyers while Jaecoo positions itself as the premium, design-led arm. If that’s new to you, picture the Volkswagen Group ladder: Chery = Skoda, Omoda = Volkswagen, Jaecoo = Audi. The Jaecoo 7 is the first … Continued
In a climate of persistent inflation, unpredictable tariffs and relentless cost pressure, “we’ve always done it this way” is the most expensive sentence in fleet management. If you’re already leasing, you’ve made a smart move—but chances are you’re still losing commercial tension on every vehicle. At Fleet Alliance, we see it every day: fleets locked … Continued