We’ve always been told the end is nigh. But how will it happen? Cataclysmic asteroid? A wandering black hole? Killer robots sent from the future to destroy the Earth?

Obviously not! It’ll be a zombie apocalypse of course.

But what will our streets, towns and cars look like when the time finally comes? Using AI, we’ve been able to answer just that. Here’s the world you’ll be left with when the flesh-eaters finally take over.

As the virus sweeps across the country, many will flee towns and cities leaving them completely abandoned.

It may seem like a good idea to flee via motorways but with traffic beginning to get worse in the panic, many vehicles will be ditched as the horde approaches.

That’s if you can even get your car out. Why would they park like that in the first place? Flippin’ heck.

As you can see here, UK town centres will become dark and depressing places. Much like they were before the apocalypse.

Houses will be left empty, with fleeing families having hardly any time to gather their worldly possessions.

London will be filled with mindless zombies roaming the streets; scarcely interacting with each other. A lot like your morning commute is today.

As public transport completely shuts down and the streets become quiet you begin to ask yourself, what’s the point in survival if you’re not truly living? Still, at least it means no more tram journeys in the armpit of a stranger.

Many will take to the countryside in search of safety. 

Diesel and petrol will become a scarce commodity. Plus, pay at the pump will probably be down so you’ll need to go in and actually interact with the staff at the garage. Creepy stuff. 

Your new life is a far cry from your old one. Constantly on the run; driving from town to town to escape the undead. You pray daily your car will make it as far as the next stop necessary for survival. Maybe they were right. Maybe you did need that extended warranty after all. 

What would our streets, towns and cars look like after a zombie apocalypse?

We’re incredibly pleased to announce the winner of the Dealership of the Month for September 2023 is Rybrook BMW and MINI Wolverhampton. 

The BMW and MINI team have won the award following their strongest ever month since joining the Bumper network - 49 customers drove away with their bills split into manageable monthly payments in September alone. This record month solidified the site as the top performer in the Rybrook BMW network. 

Trustpilot reviews from mutual Rybrook-Bumper customers applauded the partnership with one customer describing the application process as a ‘very good experience’. Another celebrated the Bumper system, stating, ‘Very easy to set up and a nice surprise when BMW told me I could pay for my service interest-free over 4 months. Great service from Bumper!’ 

In addition to improved customer satisfaction, the implementation of Bumper’s PayLater product into their aftersales process has seen an increase in their red work conversion, labour rate and recovery rate. 

Bumper’s Islay Horton visited the site to hand over the award. ‘I’m really pleased to see Rybrook BMW and MINI Wolverhampton recognised for their fantastic achievement’, said Islay. ‘After implementing PayLater into their everyday conversations with customers the site has seen a huge increase in positive customer feedback and a strong improvement in their KPIs.’ 

Congratulations to Mohammed, Sureena, Kelly, Simon and the whole team at BMW and MINI Wolverhampton!

Rybrook BMW and MINI Wolverhampton Win Dealership of the Month 

This month's Dealership of the Month award goes to Chiswick Honda & MG, part of the Norton Way Group. 

Having recently gone live with Bumper’s PayLater and PayNow solutions, the Chiswick team have won the award for their instant adoption of these payment methods into their process across the business. 

Regional Account Manager Jack McHale said, “I’m delighted to hand the award to the dealership. Their win is a recognition of a shared performance with both the sales and aftersales departments utilising Bumper to benefit their customers with a choice of payment options. 

“The teams have integrated Bumper into their daily conversations with customers following their training and recent launch. The feedback from the customers, service advisors, and sales execs has been great; with them all stating the ease of use as a key reason for its rapid uptake and success”. 

Congratulations to William, Tracy, Elliott and the whole team at Chiswick Honda & MG. 

Chiswick Honda & MG Take Home Dealership of the Month Award 

Everyone knows Michelin Tyres - the company with the jolly man made of tyres as its mascot. You’ve also most likely heard of Michelin stars – stars awarded to high-quality restaurants around the globe. But did you know they’re both the same company? This is how a tyre company started giving out the world’s most prestigious restaurant awards. 

Back in the 1880s in France, when there were very few cars on the roads, brothers Andre and Edourard Michelin needed a way to increase their tyre sales. To get drivers out on the streets and using more tyres they had the bright idea to create a guidebook. 

The guide initially focused on essential travel information like maps, instructions on how to change tyres, and places to refuel. At first the guides were given out for free in the hopes this would encourage more drivers to use them, until one of the brothers entered a workshop to see a stack of their guides being used to prop up a workbench. 

Under the assumption that nobody cared about the books because they hadn’t spent their hard-earned money on them, the brothers reworked their guide and began selling them for seven francs each (92p in today’s money). 

Included in this new version was a list of hotels and restaurants. They also removed any paid advertising. Noticing how much influence the guide had on diners’ choice of restaurants the brothers started to send ‘mystery diners’ to write reviews. 

In 1926 their famous star system was introduced. Initially, only one star was used, but five years later they began a one, two and three-star rating system, where one star was worth a stop, two stars were worth a detour and three stars were worth a special journey. 

Today the star system is still in use and has become a symbol of a great quality restaurant and top-notch dining across the globe. 

The Michelin brother’s famous guidebook wasn’t their only stroke of marketing genius. Around the same time as the guide was introduced, the brothers began to use a mascot. 

Almost exclusively known as the ‘Michelin Man’ this mascot made entirely of tyres’ real name is Bibendum. The name comes from ‘Nunc est Bibendum’ which is Latin for ‘it’s time to drink’, as early adverts showed the character drinking a glass of nails to show how strong Michelin’s tyres were.

Other early adverts depicted Bibendum as a womanizing, cigar-smoking, beer drinker. But luckily, he soon cleared up his act and in the 1920s he was often shown participating in sports like cycling and running or helping families change their tyres. 

It’s safe to say the tyre-shaped mascot has been a work-in-progress for the company, which has now become a refined and instantly recognisable character for everyone. Just make sure you don’t type ‘vintage Michelin man’ into Google or you’ll be in for a bit of a fright! 

How a tyre company started giving out the world’s most prestigious restaurant awards 

Through our partnership with Ecologi, Bumper is contributing to major climate-positive projects throughout the world. Ecologi helps to support Bumper’s sustainability goals by using funding from its members to invest in carbon avoidance and tree planting projects around the globe.

Currently, India generates 62 million tonnes of waste annually. Although 75% of this waste is collected, only 20% is treated. This has a huge impact on environmental and health issues across the country. 

When the waste is sent to landfill sites the supply of oxygen to organic waste is often cut off causing it to decompose anaerobically. This produces, amongst other harmful emissions, methane. Methane produced in India contributes to around 29% of total greenhouse gases, with the global average being around 18%.

To make the issue worse, India’s demand for electricity is growing rapidly, with coal power plants often relied upon. This can lead to adverse environmental and health effects for local communities. 

The aim of the Organic Waste Management Programme is to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and firewood for cooking by placing biogas plants throughout the country. The biogas is recovered and used for thermal and electrical applications. The programme also helps to avoid emissions by ensuring waste at landfill sites is disposed of properly. 

Between 2016 and 2023 the project resulted in an annual emission avoidance of up to 70,000 tCO2e and supported 73 jobs in the local community. A recent survey also found that 100 families who had previously used firewood for heating food had switched to biogas created from organic waste.

Ecologi Project: Using organic waste to produce electricity in India 

The 2023 Best Workplaces in Tech™ list was launched this week by 

, recognising Bumper among the list of organisations in the small to medium-sized category for both UK and Turkey, where our tech centre is based. 

Bumper colleagues anonymously reported that Bumper’s way of working makes the company a Great Place to Work. Employees said Bumper is a peaceful, fun and inclusive place where there is emphasis on sharing knowledge and achieving together. Bumper’s Guiding Principles are that they think big together, make it happen together, and celebrate success together. 

Now in its sixth year, the Best Workplaces in Tech

 list celebrates companies adept at developing dynamic, collaborative cultures that serve as a catalyst for innovation and personal growth for all. 

An example of how Bumper’s supportive and innovative culture comes following recent Pulse survey results. Bumper’s Personal Enhancement Allowance Policy was implemented following colleague feedback and allows colleagues to spend an annual allowance on all things wellness and development related, creating a bespoke benefit that colleagues can tailor to their own needs 

One colleague stated in their survey, “I have found Bumper to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. My manager is exceptional, providing valuable guidance and support for my development. The work is engaging and allows me to expand my skills while staying up to date with industry trends. The team is talented and collaborative, creating a positive and motivating atmosphere. I feel fortunate to be part of such a remarkable company.” 

James Jackson, CEO and co-founder for Bumper has said: “We are incredibly proud to be ranked as one of the Best Workplaces in Tech for both the UK and in Turkey. We have worked hard to create a culture centred around the wellbeing and development of our colleagues in a fun and innovative environment. This award showcases exactly how we have managed to achieve this and how much we value our colleagues and great contributions they bring to the growth of Bumper.” 

Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place To Work® UK said: “The Best Workplaces in Tech™️ list is created using the anonymous feedback collected from employees within the technology industry about their workplace experience. In one of the country’s fastest-growing industries, it’s fantastic to see these Tech organisations putting their people strategy at the heart of the business and implementing policies, practices and programmes that sustain an impactful and consistently great employee experience for all. A huge congratulations to Bumper for making one of our most prestigious lists.” 

Bumper Awarded Best Workplace in Tech 

We're pleased to announce the Dealership of the Month Award for July 2023 goes to Stratstone BMW & MINI Hull. 

Having joined the Bumper network last July, the Hull team has started with a strong first 12 months, helping hundreds of motorists drive away safer with their invoices split into interest-free monthly payments.

The team has fully utilised the Bumper-Pinewood integration, incorporating Buy Now Pay Later as a fundamental component of their aftersales process.

Mutual Bumper and Stratstone customers praised the partnership on Trustpilot. One reviewer said, ‘Really easy to set up a payment plan, literally took a few minutes.’ Another praised the team’s excellent support, ‘Customer service is good. Flexible payment arrangement is a good idea.’ 

Mark Flintoff, Aftersales Development Leader at Stratstone BMW & Mini, said, ‘Bumper has made a massive impact across the Stratstone BMW/MINI service teams. It offers multiple payment options which helps to support our valued customers when keeping their cars safe and roadworthy during these challenging times. Congratulations to the team at Stratstone BMW/MINI Hull on a great month, and we look forward to many more awards across the Division in the future.’

Well done to Mike, Chloe, Kirsty, Rui and the whole team at Stratstone BMW and MINI Hull! 

Dealership of the Month: Stratstone BMW & MINI Hull 

Today is World Entrepreneurs’ Day, and in aid of this, we are celebrating our very own co-founders, James Jackson and Jack Allman!

I spent some time with James and Jack and picked their brains about how Bumper came to be, what they think makes a successful business, and the key traits someone would need to be a strong entrepreneur.

The idea for what is now Bumper, was first thought up by James when speaking with a contact in the industry who had crunched some numbers on repair costs, and had identified that Peugeot-Citroën were losing around £1 billion a year from identified repair work that wasn’t being sold. This led to James developing a Buy Now Pay Later solution for this type of work in the automotive industry, then called Auto Service Finance. 

After receiving some funding from friends and family, James was introduced to the Allmans – he pitched the business idea to them and they developed a deal to launch the product to their dealers. 

Guy Allman suggested Jack’s involvement, and then, in James’ words, he ‘realised how brilliant and energetic Jack was’, which was when Jack went from 1-2 days a week to being an integral part of Auto Service Finance.

James’ key piece of advice for being a budding entrepreneur would be to first work in a business that does the thing they want to create before setting up the business. This is when you meet key stakeholders in the industry and start to understand all the elements that you need to launch that kind of startup. James had previously worked at 3 tech startups before launching this product and Jack had been at an automotive tech startup. This is where they both gained key contacts in the industry, and the know-how on what to do, and what not to do. 

James said this is key when it comes to gaining funding. Investors are not only investing in an idea, but they are also investing in the people who are driving it. In the early days, James and Jack put together a team of people who they knew were credible and had been successful in working with previously. It seems there is some truth in the adage ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’.

When discussing the key to getting a new business off the ground, James cites a Ted Talk that he recently sent to Jack. It was centred around 5 reasons startups succeed or fail – the idea, the team, funding, the business model, and timing. By far the biggest factor in the research was timing. Both Uber and Airbnb launched at the height of the financial crash in 2008; a time when people were more inclined to rent their rooms out for extra money or to drive strangers around in their cars when they had lost their job. 

James points out that the launch of Auto Service Finance was well-timed as the automotive sector was becoming more digital and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) was about to boom, just before Klarna gained traction. In fact, early funding rounds for Auto Service Finance happened at the same time as Klarna and BNPL were expanding. The Covid Pandemic, and subsequently dealers having to rely on digital solutions, was also a big help when pitching the product to dealers. 

It seems Bumper has managed to tick all boxes – it’s a sterling idea, we have a great team, it’s well-funded, it has a strong business model, and the launch was perfectly timed. (James also made sure to get in there that it would never have happened without its inspirational founders…). Jack adds that a huge amount of luck also helps, as well as the characteristics of the team you put in place. Persistence and tenacity are key – he says there were some pretty dark times in the early days of Bumper, where the team needed to band together and help each other get through it.

This leads us to talk about traits that best help a person become a successful entrepreneur. James reiterates Jack’s point – tenacity is needed on every level. He says that when it came to fundraising, there were so many knockbacks, and the same is true from a sales perspective too. He goes on to say that really they have spent their careers being rejected by everyone. James credits Jack for supporting him and being the person to cheer him up in those dark times. James says he would’ve hated to have done this alone and would’ve given up a long time ago. 

To that point, Jack says optimism is important too; even when certain markets don’t go as well as you’d hoped, you have to find the positives where you can. He says that he’d like to think that optimism is felt throughout the company, where we all have a glass-half-full attitude, nothing is impossible, and no matter how bad things get we find a way around it and persevere. This requires a level of adaptability too. Jack expresses that as much as you think this is how the business will run, or these are the markets you’ll launch in, or these are the products you’ll launch, it never works out that way. Bumper have had so many curve balls thrown at them, and being adaptable and flexible is essential.

James states that you also need to love every aspect of the job – James and Jack are clearly dedicated and are always thinking about the business in some form, and that’s because they love it and are energised by it. The money is not what drives them – it’s the joy of building the product and the company, having amazing customers, and building something that could be here and still be being used in 30 years’ time.

The final trait that Jack thinks is key to being successful, is the ability to get others to come along with you on the journey. Being able to inspire others to be as optimistic, energised, and excited by the product and the company as you are is important. Similarly to James’ earlier point, Jack says that one wouldn’t be able to do this alone and therefore you have to be able to get along with people and build a strong team around you. Being a good storyteller helps to get buy-in from others into your brand, both internally and externally. It is felt across Bumper that when a new starter joins the team, they are immediately bought into the product, the culture, and the company as a whole.

I was interested to see if either of them had glimmers of entrepreneurial traits when they were younger and asked what they both wanted to be when they were kids. After some thinking, Jack settled on either a professional sportsman or an architect. Interestingly, James also said an architect, before admitting that when he was 13 years old he wanted to be an investment banker, which frankly Jack and I could hardly believe.

Thankfully, James didn’t become an investment banker and instead created this amazing company we’re all working for - here’s to the entrepreneurs!

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer