Call Sign September 2010 - Page 4 - Reflections of the Chairman

Quiet time again!
   As you read this, we will hopefully be coming out of the quietest period of the year - the holiday month of August. This particular month has always been a quiet one in the taxi industry and this August has been no exception, although I am happy to report that at the time of writing we have been a little busier than last August.
   Because it has been so quiet with so many people away, it makes writing the Chairman’s Report a little more difficult and no doubt editing the magazine even more so. I even looked at last years Chairman’s Report for September and I could quite easily have duplicated that article here, because I was saying exactly the same thing about it being so quiet!
   However, our Editor has had a very busy and traumatic month because his wife Linda had an emergency quadruple heart bypass operation. It goes without saying that I wish Linda a speedy recovery and I understand she is making good progress at the moment. I’m also hopeful that Linda is well enough to continue to proof read the magazine, at which she is excellent because as you all know, we do not have many mistakes in Call Sign, due entirely to the Editor and the eye for detail of proof reader, Linda – get well soon!

End of Year...
As most of you are aware, 31st August is the end of our current financial year. Once again it has been a very tough one for everyone in the taxi industry, although perhaps slightly better than the previous year. I am writing this piece before the end of the current year, but I do have a very good idea what the figures will show come the end of August and I’m extremely pleased to report that we will show quite a

substantial surplus for this current financial year.
   Unfortunately, the surplus has not been because of increased turnover, but is due to the fact that we have substantially cut our overheads in order to facilitate the fall in demand.
   Although naturally no one can be pleased at how tough the situation is out there, aligned to it also being extremely competitive, Dial-a-Cab has demonstrated that it can still return a surplus under very difficult trading conditions. I am hopeful, however, that business will improve in the coming year with confidence slowly returning to the financial sector, although if the press and media are to be believed then we are due to face massive cost savings in the public sector, which will inevitably lead to more job losses. That, in turn, will have a knock on effect in the private sector, which has already taken the brunt of the current downturn.
   But we have to be optimistic; we’ve all seen how we can talk ourselves into a recession by making everyone nervous and too frightened to spend any money, thereby making the situation worse.

Tenders
One of our largest accounts has informed me they are going out to tender in the very near future, in fact I have already signed their Non-Disclosure Agreement in preparation for the tender. It’s always a rather nervous time when a large account goes to

tender because although we give a first class service, cost seems to be playing an even more important part today than it even used to. As we are the incumbents, the client knows what we can do whereas our competitors can promise the earth in order to gain the account - a little like any political party that is in opposition to the Government – and then worry about it afterwards.
However, the shoe can also fit onto the other foot as there is another very large account that has gone out to tender for which we had to complete by 30th August. This particular account is serviced in the main by one of our competitors, with just a small part of the account using us. So yes, I suppose you could say it’s a little like swings and roundabouts when it comes to tendering for these large accounts nowadays!
Gone are the days when you had to submit three very large identical binders containing all the information the client required. Today, you are sent a password and a sign-on and the whole tender has to be completed electronically online, while the information required by the prospective client is quite phenomenal. They ask for past annual accounts, your diversity policy, green policy, corporate social responsibility, details of back-up systems and the list goes on and on. So as you can imagine, there is a colossal amount of work to do and it can take several weeks to complete. Naturally it does become extremely disappointing if all this work is completed and submitted and you do not win the tender, still I suppose it is the same for everyone.

Brian Rice
Chairman
Dial-a-Cab

BACK TO THE SIXTIES

Earn some money with that old 60’s photo
   Last month’s Call Sign ran an article on London 60s Week, which took place between 16th and 25th Robert Orbach (left) with 60s Tiles DJ Jeff Dexter July. The 50th anniversary week saw a relaunch – if brief - of the best of Britain in the 60s, with an explosion of the fashion, music, film and design of a decade that put Carnaby Street, Kings Road, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, David Bailey, David Hockney, Twiggy, the Shrimp et al onto the world map. In the swinging sixties, London was the only place to be!
   At the same time, Bill Harry was PR for many London clubs including Tiles, Speakeasy, Revolution and Blaises. He has handled press campaigns for every major record label and was personal press agent to over 40 major artists, including The Kinks, Pink Floyd, The Hollies and David Bowie. And 50 years on, all lent support to the London 60s week vision of intergenerational fun!
   Now Bill Harry and Robert Orbach – who in the 60s worked for John Stephen in Carnaby Street and was a Director in Portobello Road’s I was Lord Kitchener's Valet - are launching the Harry & Orbach archive campaign 60s On The Record. All you have to do is to go to your PC keyboard – or just use a pen and paper - and look into those souvenirs / mementoes you may have kept all these years and contact 60s On The Record to present your stories for 60s On The Record 2011. London 60s Week is even supported by Mayor Boris!
   And if you weren’t around to experience those heady times, ask your mum and dad what it was like and send in their memories for inclusion in 60s On The Record! You could have a photo that might be earning you money. The best stories, photos and film clips collected over the next 12 months will take centre stage at an exhibition in 2011’s London 60s Week. Send your stories to: enquiries@london60sweek.co.uk. Mention the reference On The Record...