The seven-person firm, set up in , leases all manner of equipment including furniture, communications, security and dental equipment, cars and machinery such as forklifts, to businesses.

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The business is relatively small but has grown significantly in the last two years. Turnover grew 72 percent last year and is expected to increase by almost percent this year. If they lease it, it becomes just another operating cost. Customers range from a panel beater leasing a small phone system to big corporates leasing a whole range of equipment.

Lease terms are months depending on the equipment. The three businessmen are now on the hunt for acquisitions in the market and setting up an office in Australia is in the five-year plan, Steve says. But if you love it, you are, and you are going to play as hard as you can and then the high cricket score, or high profits, will come. The sale of Atlas Gentech has not sated his thirst for success, Steve says.

On the other hand, anemic resale values can wreak havoc. For the lessor, the wheels can come off a lease deal its monthly payments based largely on its projected off-lease value if the actual value turns out to be far less than the predicted value. Residual values have been inflated for years, allowing unrealistically low monthly lease payments to drive sales. That's changing. Residual setters are becoming more conservative. That creates lease market challenges this year and next, as the great lease deals of yesteryear become more extinct.

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Low-residual vehicles can haunt a model's demand, tarnish the overall brand and hurt new-car sales. Doolan says that Volvo, like all premium car companies, has long paid attention to residual values.

Many leasing firms and captive finance companies, including Volvo Financial, get burned when forecasts are way off — as they have been in recent years. Industry-wide residual loss levels are declining but the money involved is still staggering.

Resale value is the ultimate mirror that reflects true strength of a premium brand. The Ford-owned Swedish auto maker has struggled with residuals in the past.

Volvo finished dead last in a Consumer Reports' ranking of premium car brands' residual values. They need to get better.

Towards that end, Volvo is getting more involved in used-car marketing. The auto maker is trying to do that through a certified pre-owned program, considered a good way for manufacturers to remarket cars coming off lease. Volvo hopes to sell 37, certified used vehicles this year. They appreciate it and profit from it. They must move the metal, but not dilute the exclusivity of the luxury brand.

One way to do the latter — and mess up residual values at the same time — is to glut the market. Residual setters and experts are watching with interest as Volvo addresses resale value issues for a vehicle that isn't even out yet. Mark Perleberg of the NADA Appraisal Guides warns that vehicles take residual hits when manufacturers focus heavily on fleet and rental lease sales.

It's hard to remarket all of them at once and it hurts residuals if Enterprise dumps cars on a place like Orange County, CA, which only has three Volvo dealers.