Category: Operations

There are numerous positive reasons why you’d want to expand your business into the European markets. Not only will you be tapping into a huge range of opportunities and demographics, there are also valuable tips and tricks you can learn from the different cultures and societies you work with.

When you do decide to make the leap into the European markets though you’ll most probably have to travel for business purposes and if this is by road there are a few essentials you need to have in place first. To help point you in the right direction then, in this post you’ll find everything you need to know.

Choose an Appropriate Car

Firstly, the car(s) you choose needs to be something durable and reliable because the quality of the roads in different countries on the European continent can be quite variable. The last thing you want on a longer journey is an uncomfortable or noisy ride. Equally, for longer journeys a diesel model with good mpg is a financially sensible choice.

There’s also the important aesthetical aspects to consider. Don’t just choose any old car regardless of how reliable it is; you want something that is smart, attractive and will offer an air of professionalism. Remember your choice of vehicle will leave an impression on current and potential clients.

Have the Right Insurance

Whether you or your employees are driving you must ensure that the insurance policies you have in place for business driving are comprehensive and apply to all EU member states.

Have the Best Protection

Along with this above point you should also seek European breakdown cover from a specialist provider like Breakdown Direct. Such protection means you don’t have to worry about any language barriers should you breakdown, also the recovery can help ensure you don’t miss any important business meetings.

Drive to the Conditions

Much like the different road types, you’ll also encounter different conditions, climates and driver attitudes. It’s worth researching these before you head out so you can get at least some idea of what to expect. Again this can work towards ensuring you get to your destinations safely and on time.

So make sure you have these in place and you’ll help make sure you’re safe and protected when driving for business purposes in Europe. More to the point though, you’ll help towards protecting the interests of your business at the same time.

Article Contributed by Dennis Hung

If your small business gets bogged down by repetitive or unexpected activities that interfere with productivity, your company will lose time and money. With a reasonable approach to organizational efficiency, you can get the schedule and processes under control to maximize the work day for everyone. The following workflow management tips can help.

Prioritize workday tasks.

If your business follows a particular course of action each day, set up a system for handling them effectively. You can assign the same person or team to a certain type of tasks, for example, customer inquiries or complaints and monitoring daily productivity quotas. Make a list of tasks from most important to least important and designate them to specific time periods throughout the day. Although it may seem logical to appoint high-priority tasks to the beginning of the workday, a later time like after lunch might work better, when other tasks are out of the way and employees can focus on important issues that require careful consideration without interruption.

Automate repetitive tasks.

Repeat tasks like mail sorting, filing, and form letters may be managed by automation to save time. Check out current electronic systems for handling these tasks routinely rather than assigning them to employees. Electronic sorting and filing is faster and often more efficient than regular employees.

Establish a flowchart.

A flowchart for offices, duties, and tasks can reveal at a glance who should do what. The chart can be digitalized for everyone’s computers as well as posted in strategic company locations. This can save considerable time in trying to locate the right person to answer a question or solve a problem. Contact information for each individual should be included and updated as needed.

Outsource specialty work to experts.

It may be cost-effective to outsource specialty work like transcription or bookkeeping to professional individuals or organizations who will do it for you. Your company can save a great deal by not paying for office space, benefits, and other services that regular full-time employees are entitled to. You can also avoid recruiting and training costs for employees who know how to do this kind of work.

Invest in task management software.

Workflow software can be a tremendous time saver when organizing your office for efficiency. Online scheduling lets managers or employees arrange their schedule for doctor visits, vacation, and sick days as well as overtime. The schedule will be automatically updated to show existing gaps so these can be filled.

Project monitoring software is another valuable program. Using color coding, a numerical system, or other organizing means, a project can be tracked from start to finish so that everyone involved knows the status at a glance. This is especially helpful if some employees work different shifts or from different locations, including home.

Shared workgroups or projects is another great way to form teams and keep them on track with a given project. Specific tasks associated with a project can be assigned and tracked for completion outcomes, along with dates and notes to be included in the file. Only those people assigned to the project will have access, along with the ability to comment on each other’s work or edit the project overall.

Projects can be assessed for time spent, employees involved, costs, and other aspects in order to determine the efficacy of each phase or the final outcomes. Not only will this help to determine how well the project is handled, but it can serve as a model of comparison for subsequent projects if desired.

Accountability.

Every department should have a reporting chain of command to be followed. Each employee should know who to report to or who is monitoring the work. This stems from the flowchart but includes tasks like incident reports, training, monitoring, and performance evaluations.

A few thoughtful steps like these can streamline a small business approach to efficiency. Small investments of time and organization are advantageous.

About the author:

Dennis Hung is an entrepreneur and product analyst specializing in mobile technology and IoT. He’s spent most of his career consulting for businesses in North America.

For just about any car or van buyer, the cost of depreciation is actually likely to be the biggest expense of them all. It can easily run into the thousands over just a few years, so anything you can do to limit it is a real bonus indeed. In the case of business vehicles, it can be even more important because you might be buying several of them, and you can’t often make the obvious choice of buying an old vehicle that has depreciated almost all the way already. Here are a few ways that you can limit that hit.

Buy Used

Yes, the most obvious one is to let someone else take those first few years of depreciation for you, so that you don’t lost too much when it comes to selling your vehicles on. There’s a certain art to this though, because there’s a reason cars depreciate. If you can purchase something that’s already depreciated a fair bit, but is still with a few years’ warranty, then this is the ideal sweet-spot. If you go too far you could end up with a car or van that costs you in repairs and maintenance. Time off the road can also cost you income too.

Leasing vs Buying

If you’re not selling the car when you get rid of it, then you’re not actually having to worry about depreciation, and this is the benefit of leasing. You pay a set monthly amount to have the use of your vehicles, and then give them back when the agreement is up. As you’re not actually paying for the car itself, the costs are generally lower, so this is a good, manageable and predictable way of avoiding the worry of depreciation entirely.

Know Your Cars

This is the hardest method of beating depreciation, but one of the most effective. Knowing which vehicles are most likely to lose the most value and when will mean you can make an informed choice. It can be a major difference between vehicles, so doing your research can really pay off. Car4Leasing have a good guide to the facts. Depreciation isn’t always linear either – there can be significant drop-offs after a certain number of years so again, it’s all about finding that sweet spot. Looking at previous generations of the cars you’re considering is a good way of working things out.

Professional Indemnity Insurance is an insurance policy that covers your business in the unfortunate event that a client makes a claim against you. Certain business professionals, from accountants and architects to solicitors, are required by law to secure Professional Indemnity Insurance, while others who are members of a regulatory body are strongly encouraged to take out a policy.

As a whole, it is highly advised that business professionals obtain this insurance, since a claim against your business – which could consist of anything from giving advice that results in your client losing money, to a confidentiality breach – could cost you and your business dearly.

WHAT LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE DO I NEED?

Your policy should cover claims made against your business and the defence of any disputes, so the level of Professional Indemnity Insurance (PI Insurance) you purchase will vary depending on the size of contracts you are involved in and may even be determined by your regulatory or client requirement.

When choosing a limit of indemnity for your PI Insurance it is best to consider what you could stand to lose from a dispute. However, ultimately you must satisfy yourself that you carry sufficient cover to meet any allegations which may be made against you. If you are unsure as to what level of insurance you should purchase, you can speak to the experts at Cavendish Munro.

While I hope that you never need to make a claim on your PI Insurance, it is far more beneficial to purchase the right policy from the outset, rather than find yourself in need without cover. If you don’t act today and get you and your business protected with PI Insurance then you could find yourself in heaps of trouble and debt tomorrow!

For many entrepreneurs, assembling a company fleet is something of a milestone. It tells the whole world that you’re really starting to get somewhere; that your business is lucrative and ought to be taken account of. Yet as delicious as it may feel to look at a long line of company cars parked up on your forecourt, this privilege brings with it a whole host of new responsibilities. It becomes imperative to keep these rolling symbols of your success on the road and fulfilling their purpose, and that’s no easy task. Luckily for you, we have three top tips to help…

#1: Choose Your Vehicles Wisely

As with any business idea, it’s important to start on the right foot, and in the case of your company fleet, this means choosing the right vehicles. Good business vehicles will be reliable, and as economical as possible to insure and run. Although flashier cars might be good for your brand, your main objective should be to choose vehicles that will stay on the roads. Unreliability entirely conflicts with your objectives, so take the time to do some research and find cars that are durable, reliable, and in keeping with your criteria. Be utterly meticulous in your homework to give your fleet the best possible chance of remaining on the roads and performing its purpose.

#2: Take Out Breakdown Cover

As costly as the initial outlay might appear, breakdown cover is more than worth its price tag. Problems are bound to arise at some point, and you never can guess how inopportunely they may strike. The whole purpose of your fleet is to have it out on the roads, and it’s no good to you at all if it’s stuck on some hard shoulder or marooned up a driveway. To keep you covered when disaster strikes, a good breakdown policy is imperative. However, it’s important to keep your wits about you: do your research, shop around, and see if you can’t negotiate a great bargain for insuring in bulk.

#3: Store Oil Onsite

Thirdly and finally, think about investing in an oil storage tank from a company like Commercial Fuel Solutions. This will allow you to store fuel onsite, saving your employees from unnecessary and time consuming trips to the petrol station, which will only waste more oil on the journey. The more you can store in-situ, the better the bulk buying deals you’ll be able to negotiate, and the easier it will be to keep track of your employees’ fuel consumption.

Follow these three top tips today to keep your company cars in motion.