In this episode we are celebrating the career to date of Chris Barrett.

Chris is the founder and Managing Director of vAutoStock.  The company provides a suite of technology solutions designed to help dealers manage vehicle preparation, vehicle stock location and stock management.  These include vAutoPrep, vAutoTrack and vAutoService and they are just about to launch vAutoBots. 

Chris founded the company in 2015 having worked for 17 years in dealerships, including roles such as Sales Director, and also a short stint with a Manufacturer, Vauxhall. 

In our conversation we talk about his entry into automotive retail, starting with a weekend job and culminating in him being a Sales Director with responsibility for seven sites. Chris shares how the problems he experienced in that role trying to keep track of used vehicle stock being prepared provided the idea for his business.

He explains how he kept money coming in whilst developing his product and the highs and lows of signing up their first 10 customers.

Chris is open about the very real challenges that he and his family are facing that began during Covid and how having his own business has provided valuable autonomy.

I enjoyed hearing how Chris has managed his career from providing showroom support as a schoolboy to now getting great pleasure from knowing that the solutions his business develops are automating and streamlining processes for many colleagues in the retail automotive industry. As always, I look forward to hearing what resonates with you.

If you're listening for the first time, hello, I'm Andy Follows. I'm a trusted advisor to senior leaders in the automotive industry. I work alongside them and their teams to enable Fulfilling Performance. If you'd like to know more about Fulfilling Performance, check out: Release the handbrake! - The Fulfilling Performance Hub on Substack.

Connect with Chris
LinkedIn: Chris Barrett

Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: [email protected]

Aquilae
Email: [email protected]

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Episode recorded on 26 April, 2024.