Author Archives: Thomas Pollard

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If you've ever considered working as a courier then you're not alone. A lot of people like the idea of not being stuck behind a desk all day and being able to work without a boss looking over their shoulder.

Although working as a courier can definitely be a good way to make a living, there are some practical aspects of the job that you should be aware of. These include...

It can be stressful

One thing to know about working as a courier is that it can be very stressful, particularly when you're working during rush hour. This isn't unique to courier of course, any job that requires you to be on the road can be stressful at times.

Most courier drivers find they're able to cope with the stressful periods though as it doesn't make up the bulk of the job.

You'll need to have a suitable vehicle

Although it is possible to work as a courier by using a car, it's much better if you have a van. This is because you'll be able to take on more work and fit larger parcels in your vehicle.

Having your own van will make you more attractive to potential employers too so it's definitely worth making the investment.

You'll need to get your own insurance

Another aspect of working as a courier is that you'll need to get the right type of insurance. Although getting cover for road risks is important you'll also want to consider covering the parcels you carry as well as getting cover for things like liability claims and breakdowns. You can do this by getting a good courier insurance policy.

There are many sites where you can easily get courier insurance quotes now so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a policy at a reasonable price.

You'll often need to work long hours

Because working as a courier isn't what would be considered a highly specialised job i.e. you need a lot of training and expertise to do it - this means there are a lot of people currently working as couriers. The knock on effect of this is that you'll need to work long hours in order to make a decent wage. This will sometimes mean working till late into the evening to get all your deliveries done.… Read more

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As an analyst of the economy and the property market, one must be patient to see if one's predictions are right or wrong and to see what unfolds. One never knows if they'll be wrong or right, but they must have a sense of humility about it that they're not oblivious to the reality of the marketplace.

If possible, don't move out until you have sold the house. Maybe someone in the family can stay behind or live there sometimes until the home is sold.

If you made this error fast call your agent and check through your Empty House Insurance. Subtract the cost in the land and you'll find out that you will need far less coverage.

Discounts - A big property insurance company that covers vehicles and homes may offer discounts that are popular if you transfer them all your business. Some insurers will offer discounts for anti-theft or safety features also. You are going to desire to find the insurance company who'll give you the greatest price for things you do, or that you could do. Many of the reductions that insurers offer are for things that are wise to do anyway. Insurance companies keep lots of data, and they consider these activities, like installing smoke detectors, helps cut claims and saves lives.

Become a revered source empowering them to get what they want. For example if your target market is convenience stores and your niche is Clean Green Compare Unoccupied property insurance what makes that alluring to a convenience store owner? For preventing catastrophic differences in coverage that puts owners out of business you desire to become the recognized expert. You've got expertise working with small business owners like them. Their requirements are known by you, and you understand what to search for to make sure they are neither over nor under assured.

A motive to contact the owner to see if they desire to sell or lease the property. look for vacant property insurance, as this is A vacancy is typically a landlord 'pain' factor that requires relief.

Do not mail a letter or a postcard if it lists the benefits of working with you, doesn't have a powerful headline and offers people something free when they react.

Since the worth is what directly impacts your rates first to start this process, take time to value your house. What most people do is add the price of the property on which the building stands to the value of the building. Think about it, it has nothing to do with the worth of the building. land isn't to be contemplated the in valuing your home,. With this simple subtraction, lots of cash has only been saved.

When you make a promise, stand behind that guarantee to the best of your ability. Go beyond and above what you assure any time you are able to and do everything possible to preserve your integrity.

It's possible for you to use this strategy in your Contents claim. Your dwelling, condominium, apartment or business is full of personal property that you've bought over the years that (a) is obsolete or (b) you are not using anymore. A business could have office equipment that is not sold or outdated or inventory items. In each event, you have every right to be paid the correctly calculated ACV for those items. Then, you can use those dollars to offset the "holdback" sum when you are making your replacing purchases.… Read more

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If you want to save money on minibus insurance then it's incredibly useful to know what factors affect cost. This way you can make adjustments where possible in order to reduce the cost of your policy.

Below are some of the main things that affect the cost of minibus insurance policy -

How you use your minibus

How you plan to use your minibus will impact the level of cover you require and therefore how much you pay.

If you're minibus is purely for personal/domestic use then you are able to get a third party only policy, helping you to save money while still keeping your vehicle road legal. If you want to use your minibus to make money then you'll need to get a higher level of cover, including public liability insurance.

Note: You'll also need to ensure you have the correct type of licence if you're driving your minibus for hire or reward.

Who you get your policy from

The insurance provider you get your policy from will of course affect how much your cover costs too. The good news is that it's very easy to get minibus insurance quotes now thanks to sites such as Clean Green Compare Minibus insurance.

Your age

Your age is another thing that will affect how much you pay for minibus insurance. You'll need to be at least 21 years of age to be able to legally drive a minibus and unfortunately the younger you are, the more you can expect to pay for cover. This is because younger, more inexperienced drivers are more likely to be involved in incidents that result in a claim.

The value of your minibus

The value of your minibus is certainly something insurance providers will take into account when coming up with a price for your cover. As you would expect, the more your minibus is worth the more you can expect to pay for cover, particularly if you take a comprehensive policy.

The size of your minibus

The size of your minibus affects cost too. The larger your minibus is the more your cover will generally cost. This being the case if you want to save money then a smaller 9 seater minibus would be the best option.

How you pay for your policy

Most people chose to pay for their insurance monthly to help spread the cost but it's possible to get a significant discount by paying annually instead.… Read more

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The cost of car insurance is something that's seemingly increasing all the time. Knowing what factors affect the cost of car insurance can be very helpful when you're trying to save money. With this in mind below are some of the biggest ones.

Your age

Insurance providers consider your age to be one of the most important factors when calculating the cost of a car insurance policy. Younger people are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents and therefore more likely to make a claim. How likely you are to make a claim is one of the major factors that affects the cost of car insurance.

Your driving experience

Age isn't the only factor of course. Even if you're over 30, if you're a new driver then you can expect to pay more than somebody who has several years' worth of driving experience. Again this comes back to how likely you are to be involved in an incident that requires a claim.

Convictions

Criminal convictions are another thing that can increase the price of your car insurance. In fact, depending on how serious your conviction was you might struggle to find cover from a mainstream provider.

For example if you want to get car insurance with a drink driving conviction then you'll expect to pay more for cover and may have to go to a specialist provider.

Also drug driving insurance can also be very expensive and insurance offences can also result in high insurance premiums due to the IN10 conviction incurred

The value of your car

The value of your car will certainly affect how much you pay for cover. It makes sense that more expensive cars will cost more to insure since your insurance provider will have to pay out the repair/replacement costs if your vehicle is damaged, stolen or written off.

Where you park

Where you park your car when it's not being used will affect the cost of car insurance too. Parking your car on a public street will mean your insurance costs more than if you were able to park in a garage or driveway. This is because your car is at more risk of being vandalized or stolen when parked on the street.

The insurance provider

The insurance provider you get your cover from will obviously be a big deciding factor in how much you pay too. Because of this, it's always recommended that you get as many quotes as possible if you want to save money on car insurance.… Read more

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It’s no secret that the cost of motor insurance is rising all the time. A huge contributing factor to this is the large number of insurance scams that take place on the roads each and every year. Usually known as “crash for cash” schemes – these types of scams are designed to make quick and easy money at the expense of another party’s insurance provider.

The way insurance providers respond to these scams is by raising the price of insurance. As unfair as this is, it’s the only way that insurers can respond to an ever-growing problem.

These types of insurance scams not only affective individuals but also countless businesses that rely on the use of vehicles. Fraudsters usually aren’t picky with which type of vehicles they target so the raising insurance rates are causing a big problem across the board.

Something that’s not always discussed however, is that often insurance scams are carried out by employees within the company. This is particularly troublesome for business owners and many are now taking steps in order to combat this problem.

Ways around the problem

Below are some ways that business owners are tackling the problem of rising insurance rates due to crash for cash schemes.

  • Fleet insurance – Getting a fleet policy doesn’t directly tackle the problem of insurance scams but it does provide a way for businesses with multiple vehicles to save money on insurance. Fleet policies are typically cheaper than insuring separately so it’s definitely worth looking into. For haulage and courier delivery fleets its recommended to take out specialist courier insurance cover in addition
  • Background checks – A lot of companies are now carrying out extensive background checks on anyone who applies to work with them. This includes their insurance history and previous claims. This is one of the better ways to weed out any potential fraudsters.
  • Dash cams – There are also a growing number of businesses installing dash cams in their vehicles. Dash cams provide invaluable video evidence that can often prove who is at fault for a collision. An increasing number of insurance providers are now accepting dash cam footage in order to settle claims.

Getting fleet insurance at a competitive rate

If you do decide to get a fleet insurance policy for your business, then you’ll want to take any steps possible to keep the cost to a minimum. Below are some excellent ways to do this.

  • Make your company vehicles secure – Making your vehicles secure will go a long way to reducing the amount you’ll pay for a company fleet insurance policy. Installing alarms, immobilisers and tracking devices is always recommended.
  • Hire experienced drivers – One of the biggest factors that insurance providers take into account when calculating the cost of a policy is the age and driving history of any named drivers. For this reason, you want to make sure that any drivers you hire are experienced and have a clean licence.
  • Shop around – You should make sure that you get quotes from more than one insurance provider so you can compare them and pick the one that offers the best value for money.

 … Read more

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When you start a new business it's fundamental that you know how to market it in the right way. Knowing how to market your business well can easily be the difference between success and failure, particularly with a new business.

With so many different methods of marketing now available to business owners, it can be difficult to know where to put your attention. Below are some of the main types of marketing you can use for your business and how to take advantage of them properly.

Use social media the right way

A lot of business owners are vaguely aware of how useful social media can be for marketing purposes without really having a grasp of how to use it effectively. One of the most important aspects of using social media to successfully market your business is knowing the right platforms to use and

The primary purpose of social media sites, whether it's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, sharing content. A lot of business owners forget this and simply see them as a platform to relentlessly push their products and services. Of course you do want to post about what it is that your business is offering sometimes but the key is to strike a balance between providing useful, shareable content and informing people of your products/services.

Don't dismiss real world marketing

Because there's so much focus on online marketing these days, it's easy to dismiss more traditional forms of advertising, such as leaflet marketing, print ads and billboards as being outdated. This couldn't be further from the truth. Depending on the type of business you run, real world advertising might actually be more beneficial than online marketing.

When thinking about how to use real world marketing for your business, you should think about the types of customers you want to reach and where to advertise for maximum impact. For example if you run a business selling computer supplies then a reputable PC or computing magazine would be a great place to run an ad.

Make sure your site is SEO optimized

Something that is easy to overlook since it isn't necessarily always considered a direct form of marketing is making your website SEO optimized. Search engine optimization might not be as direct when compared to other forms of marketing but it can make a huge difference to the amount of people who find your business through search engines. You should find out what keyword phrases your target customers are using to search for your products/services and make your pages optimized around these phrases.… Read more

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Running a motor trade business can be a great way to make a living.

If you're ever considered but weren't sure where to start then below are some of the main things you need to consider -

The type of business you want to run

There are many types of businesses that operate in the motor trade, from car showrooms to auction houses and MOT garages. When it comes to the type of business you want to run, you should think about where your strengths lie and what you have experience in. A lot of people get started in the motor trade by buying and selling cars. This makes sense since you don't necessarily need to have any prior experience and you can even do this without a premises when you're first starting out.

If you want to do something that requires technical expertise such as repairing or modifying cars, then you'll of course need the right experience and know-how.

Getting the right insurance

A vitally important aspect of running a motor trade business in the UK is having the right cover in place. The main types of cover you can get for a motor trade business are road risks, public liability, premises cover and cover for your tools, stock and cash. You can get motor trade insurance quotes online from sites such as https://www.traders-insurance.com

You are able to get cover for all of the above by getting a combined motor trade insurance policy. Traders-insurance.com combined motor trade insurance cover service enables you to get combined traders insurance quotes from different providers very easily.

Getting a good premises

Another thing you need to think about when starting a motor trade business is getting the right premises. Choosing a good business premises is vital and can be the difference between success and failure. Ideally a premises should be located in a good area, be a good size and be affordable, whether you choose to rent or buy.

Finding good help

Unless you plan to operate a business that you can run on your own then you'll need to find good help. Hiring people for your motor trade business requires to consider a few key things. Firstly and most obviously is the attitude and skills of any potential employees. In addition to having the right skills and experience, you also want to think about things from an insurance perspective. Ideally any staff you hire would be over 25 and have a clean driving and criminal record.… Read more