FEATURE
Growth – Stockton-based Van Ninja ’ s team has grown to 12 in three years , including commercial manager Jonathan Beadle ( centre ), with sales director Gary Henry ( right ) and marketing assistant Mark Robson .
systems were robust at the outset , so there were positives to be found .”
Explaining the business model , Jonathan said : “ We ’ re a leasing broker . Van Ninja works with premium finance lenders and vehicle manufacturers to broker the best deals for our customers .
“ As we are part of Dawsongroup , we already have strong relationships with both lenders and manufacturers , which we can leverage to provide great prices .”
Lease options include contract hire and finance lease agreements , giving customers the option of returning the vehicle or selling it at the end of the contract .
But besides having the backing and resources of a major vehicle rental and leasing company behind it , as well as close connections with around 10 major finance companies , what is Van Ninja ’ s USP ? According to Jonathan , it ’ s the personal touch .
He explained : “ If you look at most leasing companies , whether it ’ s for cars or vans , they are online only . Most websites have a quote calculator where customers can set a few options , submit , and communication will be by email . It ’ s all very robotic .
“ Technology is important , and we have put a lot of work into sourcing and using state-of-the-art CRM and website systems . To reach our full potential , we needed to combine that with good customer service .
“ With Van Ninja , when you submit an enquiry through the website , you will receive a call from one of our sales
team who will discuss your specific situation . We have so much expertise and experience at Dawsongroup Vans , so we can use that knowledge to help you identify the correct van .
“ This also allows us to provide a point of contact further down the line . Van Ninja is far more transparent about delivery information than a lot of other leasing companies – and that ’ s a crucial point recently , especially with manufacturing shortage and semiconductor problems .” Indeed , Jonathan says the ongoing international shortage in semiconductors – and the subsequent effect on van availability – is just another challenge successfully faced in Van Ninja ’ s fledgling first few months .
For thanks to Dawsongroup ’ s close relationships with major van manufacturers , it means Van Ninja is better placed than most to source the vehicles other leasing companies might struggle to secure .
That personal touch also benefits from some cutting edge technology . The website was designed to work closely with a modern CRM system , which in turn integrates with the phone system for streamlined lead handling .
Jonathan added : “ Our customerfocused philosophy and the modern technology really complement each other , and both are vital to our success .”
Marketing assistant Mark Robson , who joined the project in 2020 , says the
Visit vanninja . co . uk project has grown rapidly in its first two years .
He said : “ We launched the new website in August 2020 , and by the end of that year received over 40,000 website visits .
“ In 2021 , that increased to 220,000 visits . We are really proud of our marketing strategy , which has taken us from 60 leads in that first August , to currently seeing 750 leads per month .”
With more than 250 five-star Trustpilot reviews in the first year , it is clear that Van Ninja is successfully fighting its corner in the van leasing market . But what ’ s next ? Jonathan said : “ Initially , we targeted sole traders and small businesses looking for two or three vans , but we have seen interest for larger fleet contracts , such as 10 or more vehicles .
“ The target audience at the moment is still companies who are looking for one or two vans , but we are open to speak to companies of any fleet size . And as we expand , and our capacity increases , we intend to establish Van Ninja as a company that can support any business in need of light commercial vehicles .”
Certainly , Jonathan is happy with how things are going after just two years , adding : “ We have a good team here at Van Ninja who can be proud of our success so far . Vans are being leased as quickly as we can source them .
“ We have some great ideas still in the works and we ’ re excited to see where we can take this project in the future .”
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