LOCAL accountants should be targeted by leasing brokers to sway their views on vehicle financing methods.

Accountants are seen as trusted advisers by most small business owners and SME directors, and can have a significant impact on a business’s company car acquisition methods.

A survey by Sage Omnibus found that small businesses trusted their accountant more than their banks, while 50% said that their accountant provided the most valuable advice.

Currently, most small businesses continue to purchase their vehicles, overlooking the benefits of leasing. Arval’s Corporate Vehicle Observatory (CVO) Barometer demonstrated that for businesses with fewer than 10 employees, buying vehicles was the most popular acquisition method by some distance with 70% employing this approach – see Buying popular for small fleet operators.

“Most small companies quite rightly spend their time running their business and have little spare time to do things like researching types of vehicle funding,” commented Mike Waters, head of marketing – SME division at Arval.

“As a result many will approach trusted advisors like their accountant for information in this area, so it’s crucial that accountants have a clear view on the benefits of leasing and can advise accordingly. ”