Business news and advise

In my life, I need what I call a three-in-one automobile.

I need a car to transport my family, I need a vehicle to transport tools and equipment for my business, and I also need a car to meet with clients when I put on my business suit.

The trouble is – I really only want to own one vehicle for reasons of cost, sheer hassle and because of environmental concerns.

What I’ve found is that the only way I can really tick all these three boxes at one time is via the right sort of estate car.

An estate enables me to pack up my tools, paints and other stuff for my property maintenance business but as long as I keep it clean in the trunk and pick an estate with no lip at the edge of the trunk) then I can load and unload everything I need without needing a pick-up truck or continually fixing a trailer on and off.

Perhaps more to the point, the car doesn’t look like a work vehicle when I don’t want it to. And this is quite often as I have to meet clients in more of a professional capacity for a lot of the time – and I really need to look the part.

And finally as a home-owner and family man, I need to take the family everywhere they want to go with all their sport equipment, friends, and, of course, on vacations for which an estate really is ideal.

I’ve looked into the low emission cars available, but overall, the estate which is conventionally gas-powered fits the bill better for now. I’m sure this will change in the future, but for the time being, I’m real happy with my three in one car!

You may wish t consider the same option if you have a similar needs.

We all know the temptation of buying a new car. You can choose the colour and all the extra features you want, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re the first person to drive it. It comes with the promise of trouble-free motoring and you’ll have the chance to impress your mates if you buy when the new registration plates come out.

Plenty of new car offers also help reel you in – including things like a period of free servicing and roadside assistance, payments to cover insurance premiums for a number of years, or straightforward cash back offers. They all make it sound good value.

However tempting the idea of buying a new car may be, you have to think hard about it and decide whether you really want to pay so much for a vehicle that will mainly be used for getting you from A to B.

Buying new cars are one of the main reasons for getting tied up in debt. Our desperation and desire to keep up with our peers and neighbours makes us blind to the real cost. It’s not helped by the low monthly payment figures that the car salesman tells you about and keeps you focused on.  It doesn’t sound much when you think about the monthly figure against your monthly salary.

£200 a month sounds fine, but you’re not thinking rationally when you sign on the dotted line and you forget that the £200 a month will go on for years before you get close to ever buying the car. It’s the business model, of course, and most people never buy their new car outright, they end up trading up and increasing the monthly payment on a better model a few years later.

You have to weigh up whether you’d rather the new car than be able to afford other luxuries in life – like meals out and holidays.  It depends on where you get your enjoyment from.

But many people who want a new car actually decide it’s not worth the expense in the end, and buy a perfectly decent second-hand car that they’ll keep for years instead. Even hybrids and electric vehicles are now coming onto the second hand market, so you can still make an eco-friendly transport choice even if you’re not buying new.

If you love cars and driving, then your choice of automobile and everything that goes with it will be such a matter of individual, personal taste, that it’s really difficult for anyone else to advise you properly.

If, on the other hand, you’re interested in getting round in safety and comfort as cost effectively as possible and don’t have any interest in motoring beyond a desire not to be too embarrassed or embarrassing while you go about it, then there are some easy ways to decide what to do.

I count myself in this group of people who have lost all interest in cars beyond these basic needs.

My hopes, these days are that my car will arrive at where I want to be without me having to do too much – and certainly not by spending too much. And if you look around the web, you’ll read loads of stuff about cars with incredible mpg figures, or eco cars that are ‘must-buys’. But really what you need to do is to buy a really good used car at a really cheap price.

Such a decision blows all other motoring cost considerations out of the water in terms of cash. In other words, most motorists in the developed world are really paying for their own vanity-driven weaknesses in their motoring choices – whilst pretending (maybe even to themselves…) that it’s something else.

The point is often well illustrated when you go on holiday to far distant lands and can’t tell one car from another, no matter what the age or prestige of the vehicles. The fact is that these days, cars tend to last a lot longer. And if you buy a car with a proven tack record for reliability like a Honda, as detailed in the post above, and get it at a cheap second-hand price – you are very likely to enjoy years of trouble-free and cost-effective motoring. So for your pocket’s sake, drop the vanity!

If you’re looking for a change of vehicle, the natural thing to do is to start poring over the statistical data to gauge performance figures, mileage per gallon, level of eco-friendliness and whatever other stats you’re particularly interested in.

But in my (practically based…) experience, this is a fundamental mistake. By far the wiser thing to do is to look at the history of each major motor manufacturer and to analyse their various track records – and to use this as your starting point

OK, you may quite logically think that “history is bunk” when it comes to performance on the current crop of cars available. And rapidly changing technology in the types of eco cars punters are chasing in ever-greater quantities for example may, to some extent, change the fundamental mechanics on which you’re making your decisions. But without history, what else have we to go on?

Of course, this is particularly true when it comes to new car offers. At least with used cars, you can read the individual road test reports etc. But there’s such a surfeit of those out there that it’s hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. Each model has its quirks and foibles which may or may not bother you. It’s all down to personal tastes and needs.

Thankfully, though it’s far and away easier to make the basic decision of which manufacturer to go for – based on objective analysis of all of the major car maker’s history and performance data. And on that basis alone, the wisest choice simply has to be a Honda.

That’s because Honda has been found to be the UK’s most reliable car manufacturer for an unprecedented six years in a row by the What Car? and Warranty Direct annual survey. And you can’t ask for much more than that. The ability to get from A to B successfully has to be the single main decision starting point for me.

The all-new honda civic 2012 is now available to order for the New Year if you fancy treating yourself. And by all accounts, it could well be worth it.

The first of the new range (the ninth incarnation of the vehicle to which Honda owes its reputation in the car world more than any other since it first arrived back in 1972) will be available for delivery early in 2012.

The Civic 2012 will be going up mainly against the UK’s second best-selling car, the Ford Focus (its little sibling the Fiesta is the best seller), the Toyota Auris and the BMW 1 Series.

Style-wise, there’s little competition for me. Thankfully new Civic didn’t move too far away from its predecessor, which has to be the most attractive car in its class.

Put this together with Honda’s excellent and proven reputation for overall reliability and engine excellence, and the new Civic looks like being a good choice. Also, many parts, including the engines and gearboxes, are essentially the same as the tried and tested predecessors, so if reliability is the main criterion for selection, there’ll be little to rival the new car in its class.

Perhaps the best refinement on the new model is the suspension. The eighth generation Civic was criticised for the hardness of its ride but the ninth generation Civic’s fluid-filled rear suspension bushes make it a far more comfortable ride, while the new electric power steering system is smooth and accurate.

Initially, the new Civic is available with two petrol engines (1.8i or 2.2i) and a 2.2i diesel.

There are only two ways to improve margins; you either charge more or you spend less on production.

In today’s tough economic climate, the former just isn’t a realistic option for most business enterprises, so everyone is busy cutting costs in an attempt to stay competitive. But some of the most obvious cost-cutting measures are very often not taken by small businesses as they’re seen as too trifling.

Cutting down on expenses like meals and hotels, or even the small things like stationery items can make a real cumulative difference. Depending on the type of business you’re in – just the smallest cut in costs can often enable you to cut sale costs by tiny amounts which make a huge difference to sales. When all other factors are held equal, price is the only important variable. And in today’s lean times, buyers are looking at price before other factors more than ever before.

Fuel costs can also be a big potential area to make easy savings. If yours is a high mileage business, then driving so as to conserve fuel and ensuring that all staff do the same can make a real difference. Anticipating congestion and timing your journey accordingly or taking another route can help.

Then if you do find yourself in a traffic jam, turn off the engine. Even if the car will be stationary for 10 seconds or more, this has been shown to be worthwhile. And always try and drive at the optimal speed. This was always thought to be 55 mph, but it’s recently been suggested that 40 mph is better for fuel economy. In short, driving more steadily and slowly and planning journeys better will save money on fuel and wear and tear. Vehicle costs are often one of the single biggest costs for small businesses.

Or, if you need to invest in new vehicles, a little up-front investment in hybrids or other fuel-efficient vehicles can make a real difference to on-going costs.

Do your research here, too. For example, Honda has been shown to be the most reliable car on the UK’s roads according to a recent “What Car?” survey.

One thing that’s vital to stay on top of is making sure that your business has adequate internet security.  It can be one of those things that gets forgotten unless you keep a regular diary note to check it’s up to date and working efficiently for your business.

You may decide that you wish to change the antivirus programme that you have, having heard good things about a different brand.

But, before you uninstall your existing antivirus programme, do some research to check that the one you want to change to is as good as the competition out there. There are different programmes coming out all the time, and some are better than others.

A business needs to be covered for antivirus, anti-spyware, have a spam filter and firewall set up.  Make sure that any internet security software you choose covers all these.

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security in thinking that you’re completely protected by installing antivirus software. The basic functions of an internet security programme are:

• Scanning emails for any attached viruses
• Monitoring files to check they are not infected when you open them
• Regular scanning of all files on the computer to check for infections

There are things that it won’t protect you against:

• Programmes you install that might have unwanted features
• Spam
• Hackers trying to access your computer via the internet
• Online criminal or fraudulent activities

Of course, any antivirus software will be completely ineffective if you switch it off, and only partially effective if you don’t update it regularly with the latest virus signatures.  These are updates made by security firms on different viruses as and when they occur.  Downloading the new virus signatures allows your antivirus software to block those particular viruses.

If you’re interested in trying to make a living from real estate investment, it will no doubt not have escaped your attention that it got a lot harder over the last few years!

But fear not, if you have a winning strategy and the self-discipline to stick to it, you can still do it. Here’s how…

You need a solid strategy. One of the most successful real estate companies around is Lightstone Real Estate Group.

It has a winning formula, which goes something like this:

• Always target value-added investment opportunities in growing markets which demonstrate high barriers to entry.
• Search for properties that will provide you with a competitive advantage that may not be available or obvious to other investors.
• Specifically; seek out properties in distressed situations with owners who really need to sell – no matter how low the market is heading. Auctions may be a quick route to this for individual private investors.

In retail real estate, go for property with a good community and powerful retail centres with a minimum of 50,000 square feet of rentable space dating from 1980 and later, with strong anchor tenants, good market demographics and good visibility and access.

Multi-family residential developments can also make excellent investments if the basics are right. Go for apartment blocks with multi-family properties which include gardens.

If it’s industrial property you’re interested in, go for single or multi-tenant warehouse/distribution centres built over the last 30 years or so.

Above all, try and make sure the structure is sound, that the yield figures make sense (even allowing for contingency) and that the basic appeal of the place (demographics and economy) are likely to remain appealing for the foreseeable future.

Do your research before you buy, checking out opinions on online resources like David Lichtenstein’s blog, before making any big decisions.

If your business has any vehicles owned or leased by the business, it’s important to maintain them well and regularly, along with keeping accurate records.  It helps protect those employees that use the vehicles, and it’s useful to keep full records in case of any accidents or legal claims.

The following tips will help you keep your fleet – and drivers – in top form.

Safety inspections

Train your drivers to carry out visual inspections on the vehicles they use, once a week.  They should note down and report any defects.  Log these driver records on the fleet file.

Make sure that the cars are booked in for regular safety inspections by a qualified mechanic.  As well as visually checking the car on a weekly basis, a mechanical check every quarter or every six months can give you an early heads up on any mechanical problems that the driver may not have picked up on.  Don’t just wait for the MOT – which only does enough checks to confirm the vehicle is roadworthy at the time of the test.

Don’t delay on fixing problems

Remind drivers to let the person responsible for fleet management about any problems as soon as they become aware of them. Get problems fixed as soon as possible, and keep a record of when any defects were put right. An invoice from the repairer or a specific repair report kept on the computer system will suffice.

Diary dates

Make sure you plan in any important dates for the fleet of vehicles. These include insurance renewal dates, MOTs, and tax documents.  It’s important that one person has overall responsibility for this, but ask drivers to be vigilant in looking after the vehicle that they drive and providing copies of all necessary documentation.

Find the best value

Make sure that any lease contracts are kept up to date, and look into cost savings. Hybrid cars can save money on fuel costs and as they are low emission cars, this can have tax benefits for the company, too.

Driver training

Remind drivers of business policies for driving – on things like mobile phone use, driving hours, weight restrictions and accident procedures. Keep a record of these training sessions. Make sure drivers have valid licences and they have not accrued any driving convictions.

Be organised

Have all records to hand if and when you need them, for example, in case of an accident.

A few years ago nobody recycled anything, but these days it is essential to get on board with environmentally friendly practices in order to play a useful part in society. Most of us are now pretty much in the habit of recycling at home, often prompted by our children, but how many of us are as vigilant in our office environments?

Many offices get through an enormous amount of resources every week, and if care isn’t taken to dispose of waste properly then it really is a shame. Take paper for example: how many of us print things out and then end up dropping them into a bin? Unwanted mail goes the same way, as do files and paper-based information that we have finished with. Apart from anything this is simply not a secure way to conduct business so if you don’t already have one, invest in a paper shredder straight away, an up-to-date confetti cut shredder is an ideal model for optimum security.

Paper shredders are not the only way to dispose of paper waste either. There are a whole host of companies out there who will collect and recycle paper from your office and they even provide their own bins quite often too. How about switching paper towels for cloth versions to save on resources as well, and even getting the local milkman in with glass bottles rather than disposing of cartons all the time.

Have a look around your workplace and see what improvements can be made. You will feel better about your impact on the world and the whole team can be proud of their efforts to lead a greener life on an every day basis. If we all do our bit then everyone benefits and the world will be a better place… I feel a song coming on!