Author Archives: Thomas Pollard

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When you need to order a taxi, whether it’s to get to the airport, or to get home after an evening out – you no longer need to stand on the street corner or even call the taxi firm.

There are now several apps on the market that make ordering a taxi extremely quick and convenient. While the market is still relatively young, there are already some fantastic taxi apps available to try out. Below are five of the best.

Uber

Uber is easily the most well-known and widely available taxi app on the market and is available in some 48 countries. It’s incredibly easy to use – you simply book a taxi through the app when you need one. There’s no pre-booking option but this isn’t what Uber advertises itself as.

Another thing that makes Uber extremely convenient is that it lets you know what the journey will cost beforehand and you simply through the app – meaning you don’t have to worry about having the right amount of cash to pay the driver.

Also if you happen to leave something in the taxi then you can also message the driver to let them know.

Gett

Gett is an app for booking black cabs that’s available in 32 cities across the world. It allows you to request a taxi and then track where it is in real time. Like Uber – Gett enables you to pay for your journey through the app itself.

Gett only works with TfL regulated black cabs and meets up with every driver that signs up for their service to provide training to ensure passenger safety.

You can get credit to use with the service by recommending it to friends. You get £10 credit for every friend recommended who uses the service. It’s currently available in several major UK cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Hailo

Hailo is another excellent option for booking taxis. It works in a very similar way to Uber in that you simply select a pickup location and driver and then the taxi is sent to you immediately.

There is the ability to track the route of your taxi when it’s on the way but you’ll be informed when it arrives by the app anyhow.

Hailo is available in selected cities in the UK and nationwide in Ireland and Singapore. It’s also available in Spain’s two busiest cities – Madrid and Barcelona.

CabWise

CabWise is somewhat different to the apps above in that it doesn’t allow to book taxis through the app. Instead it simply lets you know of the nearest licensed minicab office.

This might sound like quite a basic thing but it’s actually an extremely useful way to ensure that the minicab that you’re getting in is from a licensed office and the driver is licensed and insured.

Kabbee

Kabbee provides a very similar similar to CabWise except it comes with the bonus of sorting the local minicab offices based on criteria such as fare rates, ratings, types of vehicles and punctuality. This makes it an excellent way to save money and pick the right service when you’re in an area you’re not familiar with.

Kabbee is currently only available in London.

If you considering working as a driver you will need to ensure that the correct uber driver insurance or private hire insurance cover is taken out. When carrying passenger for reward, normal car insurance isnt suitable (thank you to cleangreencars.co.uk for info).

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If you drive a black cab for a living then you need to make sure you're protected by getting the right type of insurance.

Below is a guide to black cab insurance as well as some excellent ways to save money.

Types of cover

Below are the main types of cover you can get with a black cab insurance policy.

  • Third party only - Third party only is the lowest level of cover you need in order for your taxi to be road legal. It doesn't provide any protection for your own vehicle if you're to blame for a crash so this is something to bear in mind. This is the cheapest type of cover you can get.
  • Third party, fire and theft - If you want to add more protection to a third party policy then you can get fire and theft cover included.
  • Fully comprehensive - A fully comprehensive policy will provide the most protection since it will cover your vehicle even for accidents where you're to blame. Comprehensive insurance typically includes fire and theft cover as standard.
  • Public liability - Public liability claims are something that taxi drivers must always be covered for. If a member of public were to be injured or killed as a result of your actions then a liability claim could easily follow. You can also have legal expenses included.
  • Breakdown assistance - Another very useful type of insurance you can have included in a black cab insurance policy is breakdown assistance. When you rely on your vehicle to make a living, it's extremely important that should you break down, you're able to get back on the road as soon as possible.

Ways you can save money

  • Pay for the policy upfront - A lot of black cab drivers will pay for their insurance on a monthly basis in order to spread the cost. Although this makes sense, you can save money on the overall cost of the policy by choosing to pay annually instead since most insurers will offer you a good discount for doing this.
  • Increase excess - Excess is the amount you'd pay towards a claim should you need to make one. Increasing the excess on your policy will reduce the cost of the policy premium.
  • Shop around - One of the most reliable ways to save money on black cab insurance is by getting quotes from a lot of different insurance providers. The good news is that getting a lot of quotes is easier than ever thanks to the internet.
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Buying and selling online is one of the best ways that you can get started working for yourself. With sites such as eBay and Amazon to sell through, the barrier to entry is very low.

Online shopping is already huge business in the UK and it's only going to get bigger over the next few years. However to have success selling online, you have to find a good niche

Below are 5 of the best niches to sell in right now.

1. Electronics

Electronics are more popular now than they've ever been. With the huge surge in popularity of smart phones and tablets over the last 10 years, there is a massive potential customer base to tap into.

Selling high end products, such as iPhones or iPads might not be possible if you're new to buying and selling online. However there are many lower end and unbranded products you can sell and make an excellent profit from.

2. Pet products

There's no doubt that people in the UK love their pets. You can take advantage of this by entering the pet products industry. The great thing about selling pet products is that there's a lot of diversity in the products you can sell.

You can start out selling small accessories for hamster cages or aquariums and then move up to larger items such as dog beds or even horse trailers and horse boxes.

Get horsebox insurance quotes 

3. Phone accessories

With mobile phones now everywhere, there's a great opportunity to make money by selling accessories such as cases, covers, headphones, screen protectors etc.

Do your research and find out what the most popular phone models are so you can stock products that are most likely to sell.

4. Novelty gifts

The novelty gift market is growing all the time in the UK. The downside to selling in this niche is that it can be quiet fickle, with the popularity of products waning very quickly.

The flipside to this though, is that you can make plenty of money very quickly providing you have your finger on the pulse and know what it is that people are looking for.

5. Arts & crafts

Art and craft products are an excellent way to start making money selling online. Sites like YouTube and Pinterest have helped to spike a resurgence in the popularity of many types of arts and crafts so there's never been a better time to start selling products in this niche.… Read more

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There are many people across the UK who open their own shop every year. This can be a risky venture since not every business succeeds but there are plenty that do and it can be a great way to make a living.

If you're thinking of opening your own shop then below are some of the main things to think about in order to ensure your venture is a successful one. 

Things to consider

  • Type of shop - One of the most important decisions you have to make is the type of shop you're going to open. You likely already have a good idea about this but if not, it's the first thing you need to think about. You can open a general shop such as a newsagent but if you're going to be selling a particular line of products then it's always a good idea to sell things that you're knowledgeable about.
  • Location - The location of your shop is extremely important. It's never a good idea to try and save money on rent by choosing a location that's in a remote area since it will negatively affect your business in a big way. Always be sure to find out as much as you can about a location before you commit to it to avoid making a mistake.
  • Type of building - Some buildings will be a lot more suitable than others depending on the type of shop you want to open. For example, if it's a boutique shop, then something that's unique and quirky would be ideal. You can get creative with how you decorate it and even add things like like venetian blinds for slide and fold doors. 
  • Insurance - Insurance is another vital aspect of running your own shop. Shop insurance will protect your business for numerous risks, including structural damage to your building, business interruption, liability claims as well as contents, stock and cash. You can get shop insurance quotes online very easily now so this doesn't need to be too much of a headache. It's always recommended that you get quotes from several different insurance providers in order to save money.
  • Staff - Depending on the type of shop you decide to open, there's a good chance you'll need to hire at least one employee to help you run it on a day-to-day basis. Hiring staff can be daunting if you've never done it before so you should educate yourself on the subject of recruitment as much as possible.
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Letting property can be a great way to make a living, providing you get the fundamentals right. More people than ever are now renting rather than buying, whether out of choice or necessity so now is a great time to let property.

If you're currently letting property but feel you could be more successful at it, then below are 4 great ways to increase your income.

1. Diversify your property

Having multiple types of property is a very good way to increase your income as a landlord. Whilst apartment buildings are very practical since you can get income from multiple tenants, you shouldn't limit yourself only to them.

More obscure types of property, such as thatched roof houses can be a great way to attract new types of tenants. If you do invest in any thatched roof properties then you'll need to get a policy from a specialist provider. Sites such as http://www.thatchedinsure.co.uk/ make this process very quick and easy.

2. Offer furnished property

Offering furnished property might come with an initial investment but it means you're able to charge more rent too, which is beneficial in the long run.

You don't necessarily have to furnish your property with designer furniture or state of the art technology. Just basics such a dining table, sofa and beds can make a huge difference and help you to attract tenants more easily.

3. Get the best price for insurance possible

Sometimes the best way to increase your income is by cutting down on expenditure. One of the biggest outgoings for landlords is insurance. Landlord insurance can be costly but it is a must when you let out property.

Landlord is not difficult to find but there's a good chance you're overpaying for your insurance. If you suspect you could be getting a better deal then don't be afraid to contact other insurance providers to see what price they can offer you.

4. Be very selective with tenants

It might not be immediately obvious how being selective with tenants can increase your income as a landlord but if you deal with problem tenants then you'll certainly understand.

Tenants who can't/won't pay rent or refuse to leave your property can cause all sorts of problems for you and will certainly affect your income. To avoid this you should always take steps to ensure that the tenants you let your property are likely to be reliable paying rent and won't cause problems.… Read more

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The courier industry is notoriously competitive and only the most efficient businesses survive. If you run a courier firm and feel like your business could be performing better then you should find the tips below extremely useful.

1. Use the internet to bring in new customers

Given how prevalent the internet has become, it's very surprising just how underutilised it is by a lot of businesses. There are countless ways you can advertise your courier firm online, from social media to paid advertising platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads. The great thing about advertising online is that you can be very specific with who you target so if you're trying to get more customers in a certain age range or area of the country then this is certainly possible.

2. Don't neglect real world advertising

As useful as online advertising is, there's still plenty to be said for real world advertising methods such as leaflet marketing and print advertisements. Print adverts in trade magazines and literature that's aimed at online sellers can be an excellent way to attract new customers.

3. Hire reliable drivers

Hiring reliable drivers can help you increase profits in a couple of ways. Firstly having reliable drivers that know how to deal with customers well will help to boost the reputation of your business and ultimately this could easily lead to a larger customer base and increased profits. Secondly, reliable drivers are less likely to be involved in collisions or other incidents and therefore you can save money on insurance.

4. Get a better deal on insurance

Another very reliable way to increase profits in your courier firm is to look for a better deal on insurance. There are many excellent sites where you can get courier insurance quotes from Clean Green Compare. Such sites make getting courier insurance quotes very quick and easy so there's no reason not to do this since it could save you a good deal of money.

5. Make your business stand out

There are many ways you can make your business stand out from the competition. Something as seemingly simple as a good business name can make a big difference to your success. Branding in general is something you should invest in if you want to make your business unique and appealing. In addition to this you should also ensure that you offer and excellent service that customers can rely on.… Read more

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You might have heard that the majority of restaurants fail in their first year. This fact alone is enough to put a lot of people off entering the industry. However in spite of this fact, there are still plenty of restaurants that thrive.

If you're thinking of entering  industry and starting your own restaurant then below are some of the most important considerations to ensure your business is a success. 

  • Type of food to serve - One of the most fundamental decisions you have to make when starting your own restaurant is the type of food you're going to serve. The vast majority of restaurants will have a selection of meat dishes in addition to at least one vegetarian/vegan option for each course. There's a growing trend for more simple and unpretentious food in the UK right now so there's nothing wrong with doing simple dishes very well.
  • Decor - The decor of your restaurant helps to set the atmosphere. Atmosphere is extremely important to people when they're eating out so this is something you want to get right. If you're not certain exactly what sort of look you want for your restaurant then don't be afraid to hire an expert to help you with this.
  • Location - The location of your restaurant is another key factor. Restaurants rely on a good amount of foot traffic for business so you want to open a restaurant in a location that's in a fairly densely populated area that's convenient for people to get to by car, taxi, metro etc.
  • Insurance - Protecting your restaurant against risks such as business interruption, theft, structural damage, liability claims and loss of licence is a must. The way to do this is by getting a restaurant insurance policy from a specialist provider. Having a good insurance policy for your restaurant will enable you to run your business with full peace of mind and means that you're prepared for the worst.
  • Staff - The staff you employ if your restaurant are going to play a huge role in whether it's successful or not. For this reason you should be as selective as possible and only hire people who you're certain will help your restaurant to thrive. The servers in your restaurant are of course important but you should also spend a lot of time finding the right restaurant manager and head chef.
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