Author Archives: Thomas Pollard

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If you have a conviction, whether it's for a motoring offence or something else, then you might think it's impossible to get work and find affordable insurance. This isn't necessarily true however.

It's certainly true that some employers and insurers might choose not to deal with you at all if you have a conviction but there are still options out there.

Below are some of the important things to be aware of.

Do I need to declare my conviction to employers?

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One of the most important things to be aware of when you have a conviction is whether you need to declare it or not. Whether you need to declare your conviction to employers will depend on whether it's spent or unspent.

For more serious convictions that carry a prison sentence of 2 and a half years or longer then the conviction will remain unspent indefinitely. For convictions that come with a fine or community service then they'll be spent after 5 years. For prison sentences of 6 months or less, the conviction will be spent after 7 years. For convictions with a 6 months to 2 and a half years prison sentence, they'll be spent after 10 years.

If you'd like to find out more about your particular conviction then here's a full list of motoring convictions along with their codes. 

Working as a freelance van driver

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The alternative to finding employment as a van driver is to set up as a freelancer. The good thing about working freelance is that you won't have the issue of having to declare your conviction to employers. However it's important to note that you'll still need to declare any unspent convictions to insurance providers. The same rules mentioned above apply.

Getting insurance at an affordable price

If you're looking for convicted driver's insurance then the best way to go about it is by going to a specialist provider. Many mainstream insurance providers don't deal with drivers who have a conviction; or if they do they only offer policies at drastically increased prices. The reason for this is simply because convicted drivers are statistically more likely to make a claim.

The good news is that there are specialist providers of van insurance for convicted drivers who deal with each person on a case-by-case basis. Although the price you can expect to pay for your van insurance will still be higher than it would if you didn't have a conviction, you will find that specialist providers offer much more reasonable prices that most people can afford.… Read more

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There are many great reasons to start your own business, especially given how difficult it can be to find regular employment nowadays. You get to make your own decisions and the success or failure of the business is completely down to you.

 

If you're considering starting your own business then below are some of the most important things to consider before you take the plunge.

1. Are you passionate about the industry?

Whatever industry your business is in, it should be one that you're passionate about. It's very easy to underestimate the amount of work that's required in order to get a new business off the ground and keep it going. If you're planning to go into an industry you don't know much about or don't have much passion for then you might want to think carefully before going ahead.

2. Are you going to invest in a premises?

Getting a business premises, whether you're planning to buy or rent, is a huge financial commitment. Because of this you should educate yourself on every aspect of the process, from the location and insurance to the pros and cons of renting vs buying.

3. Do you know what insurance you need?

insurance

One of the most important aspects of starting a new business is ensuring that you get the right level of cover. The level of insurance you'll need will depend on the industry you're operating in. If you're running a coffee shop for example, then you'll need cover for your building, cover for employee and public liability claims and cover for cash, stock and tools. If you're running a business in the motor trade then you'll need cover for your building as well as cover that allows you to work on and transport customer vehicles.

4. Are you going to need staff?

employees

If you've never hired employees before then you'll definitely want to educate yourself on the subject of recruitment. Good staff are vital to almost any type of business so you want to be sure you've taken the right steps to find the best employees possible for your business.

5. Where is your business going to be located?

Where your business is going to be located is vital and something you should put a lot of thought into. The location of a business can make or break it, especially for businesses that rely on a high volume of foot traffic. Generally businesses that are in built-up areas where a lot of people pass by are more successful but this is dependent on the industry you're in. It's always a good idea to get outside advice when making a decision as to the location of your business, particularly from other business owners in your industry.… Read more

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With offices in London, Oxford, Swindon, Marlborough and Bath, leading multi-practice law firm Royds Withy King, has achieved significant efficiency gains through Zylpha’s MOJ (Ministry of Justice) portal integration software.

Working in conjunction with Royds Withy King’s existing workflow and case management systems, Zylpha (www.zylpha.com) automates the transfer of case management information to the MoJ Portal for both RTA (Road Traffic Accident) and EL/PL (Employer’s and Public Liability) claims. This integration enables Royds Withy King to manage the processes involved more smoothly, with submission processing times reduced by over 80% when compared to previous paper based systems.

 Royds Withy King

Sarah Williams, Visualfiles Developer at Royds Withy King agrees that the benefits of Zylpha’s MOJ are clear. She said: “By using Zylpha’s MOJ Portal integrations for both RTA and EL/PL, we have completely eliminated the hassle of submitting and managing claims.

“We are always looking for innovative ways to put the needs of our clients and our staff first. Zylpha is an excellent example of this investment in innovation, as our teams no longer have to spend hours on the portal re-keying data that is already contained in our Visualfiles case management system. This is extremely well thought of by our managers, staff and clients.

“From Zylpha’s own analysis we know that based on our number of claims to the MOJ Portal, we save a considerable amount of time a year. By reducing the administrative processes internally, we can focus more time on other areas of the business.”

Tim Long Zylpha’s CEO welcomed these comments adding,
“Whether the firm is dealing with businesses or private individuals, Royds Withy King creates and builds excellent relationships with its clients, based on mutual respect. Indeed, the practice never stops working to make service levels the best that they can be and innovation is an important element of this strategy. One area where technology has played such a role is reducing the time taken to make the MoJ Portal submission processes considerably more efficient.

“Naturally, we are delighted that Royds Withy King has chosen Zylpha’s Portal integration to achieve this and to hear that this has both benefitted Sarah’s team and helped to increase client focus too. We look forward to working closely with them and hopefully identifying other ways in which we can make a difference.”

 … Read more

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If you work as a courier, whether you work for a company or freelance, you’ll want to take every step you can to save money. This means getting fuel at the best price you can as well as taking any measures possible to save on insurance.

Courier insurance needs to protect you for the risks you face on the road, such as collisions, theft and fire. In addition to this you also need to think about the packages you’re transporting and protecting yourself from potential liability claims.
Before looking at the best ways you can save money on courier insurance, let’s look at the cover options available and the factors that impact on cost.

Types of courier insurance

  • Third party – Third party insurance is the minimum level of cover you need to be able to drive legally. It will cover other road users in the event that you are at fault for a collision. You can also add fire and theft to a third party policy for extra protection.
  • Comprehensive – A comprehensive policy will cover you for all types of collisions, even ones that you are liable for. It’s usually recommended when you can afford it.
  • Public liability – Public liability will protect you against liability claims from members of the public, should you injure or kill somewhere due to negligence.
  • Goods in transit – Goods in transit will protect the packages you’re carrying in your vehicle for theft and damage.
  • Breakdown assistance – Breakdown assistance is a must when you rely on your vehicle to make a living. If you already have it then it’s still worth finding out how much it would cost to have it included in your policy since you might be able to save money.

Factors that affect cost

  • Your age – Your age will certainly affect the price of your insurance. Drivers under the age of 25 are statistically more likely to be involved in a collision so if you’re in this age bracket then you can expect to pay more for a policy.
  • Your experience – Your driving experience will also impact the cost of courier insurance. The more experience you have on the roads, the less you can expect to pay.
  • Your vehicle – The value of your vehicle also has a big impact on cost. This is why it’s better to seek out a moderately priced vehicle if possible.

Best ways to save money

Below are some of the best ways to save money on courier insurance –

  • Make your vehicle secure – You should always make the effort to secure your vehicle by installing security devices such an alarm and tracking device. Taking these measures will help to lower the cost of your insurance significantly.
  • Pay annually – If you can afford to pay for your policy annually then you’ll be able to negotiate a lower rate with your insurance provider.
  • Get a lot of quotes - Getting quotes from different insurance providers makes it easy to pick out the policy that offers the best value for money.
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Recent Freedom of Information figures seen by the ADLV (Association for Driving Licence Verification) www.adlv.co.uk, show a significant rise in the volume and frequency of online driving licence data checking by UK Fleets. The 2016 DVLA statistics show that there was a 30.4% increase in checks by online intermediaries compared to the same period last year. The ADLV expects this growth to continue throughout 2016 and well into 2017, with the total number of checks rising from the current level of 2.35 million to a projected 3 million by March 2017. The ADLV accredits the rise to more frequent online checking of data, coupled with a broader use of other related datasets to promote ‘know your driver’ risk reduction strategies.

As Richard Payne Gill Deputy Chair of the ADLV notes, “The growth in volume is highly encouraging as it reflects that electronic checking, through a fully managed service from a professional third party, has now become a ‘best practice’ with full reporting and audit trails included. It is also a sign that the frequency of checking has increased too as fleet managers seek to both boost compliance certainty and reduce the risk from misuse and fraud. We are seeing quarterly checks becoming the norm.

Richard Payne-Gill

“There has also been a rise in the breadth of data now that is now being combined with licence information, and we are also confident that other datasets are likely to become available too including Tacho and CPC data for the UK Haulier sector. The integration of all this data will see a transformation on the overall professionalism of the sector with the ultimate benefits including major efficiency gains for Fleet operators and a marked boost for road safety.”

The current list of ADLV members that fleet managers can contact should they require online driver entitlement checks is as follows: Admin Business Solutions, Descartes Systems UK Ltd., Drivercheck Ltd., Driving Monitor, Fleet Claims Administration Ltd., GB Group plc, Intelligent Data Systems (UK) Ltd., Interactive Driving Systems Ltd., Jaama Ltd., Licence Bureau Ltd., Licence Check Ltd., Pinewood.

 

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If you enjoy working with cars then you might be considering setting up your own business in the motor trade. The great thing about working in the motor trade is that there are a lot of different paths to choose. Some common businesses in the motor trade include –

  • Car showrooms
  • Car auctions
  • Valeting services
  • MOT centres
  • Mechanics
  • Auto electricians
  • Delivery agents
  • Accessory fitters
  • Vehicle importers

These are just some of the businesses you could set up in the motor trade. In order to help you get started, below are some of the most important things to consider when setting up a new business.

Premises

Thinking about the type of premises you’ll need is extremely important. Some businesses will require much larger premises than others. For example, a car auction will typically need a very large plot of land, while you could set up a car showroom on much more modest premises.

When thinking about the premises, it’s not just size you need to consider though. Location is also extremely important. The location of your premises could have a big impact on how well your business performs. For businesses that rely on a good amount of foot traffic, such as showrooms and valeting services, you’ll want to find a place that has good visibility.

Another key decision to make where premises are concerned is whether you’re going to rent or buy. For most new starters in the motor trade, it’s much better to rent until you’re fully confident that you’re happy with the premises.

Staff

Staff is another key consideration when setting up a new business in the motor trade. Different types of businesses require different skills. Ideally you’ll be starting a business that you have personal experience in so you can easily identify and hire the right people.

Motor trade insurance

The minimum requirements for getting a motor trade insurance policy are as follows –

  • You must hold a full UK driver’s licence
  • You must be at least 21 years of age
  • You must be able to prove that you work in the motor trade

Types of cover you can get include –

  • Third party – A third party policy will provide enough protection so you and your staff can drive customer vehicles legally. It’s important to note that your vehicles wouldn’t be covered unless a third party was to blame for

the collision.

  • Third party, fire & theft – If want to add extra protection to a third party policy then this is a good option. If any of your vehicles are stolen or damaged by fire then you’d be compensated.
  • Comprehensive – Comprehensive insurance will provide the best level of protection and will cover customer vehicles for all types of collisions, even when you or your staff are liable for them.

Combined policy – A combined policy is an excellent choice when you work in the motor trade. It will not only provide full protection for customer and company vehicles but also cover your premises for theft and vandalism. Stock, tools and cash can

Shop around for your motor trade insurance (traders-insurance.com is a good place to start and they can provide insurance quotes for full time and part time motor traders)… Read more

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Leading international manufacturer of components and systems for optical and electrical connectivity, HUBER+SUHNER, is sponsoring two teams at this year’s Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IME) Formula Student event at Britain’s iconic Silverstone circuit.

Formula Student is Europe's most established educational motorsport competition, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and backed by industry and high profile engineers, such as Ross Brawn OBE. The competition aims to inspire and develop enterprising and innovative young engineers. Universities from across the globe are challenged to design and build a single-seat racing car in order to compete in static and dynamic events, which demonstrate their understanding and test the performance of the vehicle.

HUBER+SUHNER headquarters is sponsoring the AMZ Racing team based in the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and also providing cabling for their build. HUBER+SUHNER India has given its backing to the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Racing team, also supplying cables.

“The Formula Student event is a fantastic initiative that champions the great work Engineering students are doing across the world,” said Frank Rothe, who heads the Automotive Market Unit at HUBER+SUHNER. “We’re delighted to have helped two of the teams here today showcase their talents on an iconic stage like Silverstone.”

Each participating team is tasked to produce a prototype for a single-seat race car for autocross or sprint racing, and present it to a hypothetical manufacturing firm. The car must be low in cost, easy to maintain, and reliable, with high performance in terms of its acceleration, braking, and handling qualities. During the competition each team must demonstrate the logic behind their proposal and must be able to demonstrate that it can support a viable business model for both parties.

“This event is massively valued within the industry, and we are excited to see what the 2016 batch of young engineers has to offer,” concluded Rothe.

The Formula Student event runs from 14-17 July, 2016, at Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire. Tickets are available from http://formulastudent.imeche.org.

To arrange a briefing or product demonstration, please reply to this email or contact the HUBER+SUHNER Team on the details below

 … Read more