Choosing a vehicle for business is a slightly different exercise than choosing on for personal use. You’ll need something that’s practical, economical and comfortable – especially if you’re putting in a lot of miles. But you’ll also need to think about how your vehicle reflects on the business and its brand.
Let’s take a look at what you should be looking for when expanding your business fleet.
Get it all down in writing
It’s worth not only thinking about your criteria, but getting them all written down. That way, you’ll be able to account for any hidden costs, and make sure that the needs of your business are kept in mind.
Are you going to be transporting a lot of bulky items? Then you’ll need something that’s suitably capacious. Are you going to be transporting would-be clients? Then you’ll need something that’s plush and executive-friendly on the inside.
Think about Resale Value
When you invest in a certain kind of vehicle, then you’re going to be vulnerable to depreciation. This applies especially to brand-new cars, whose value will collapse within the first few months. Consequently, many businesses look to for used cars for sale, or to long-term leasing. The latter option will ensure that the fleet is regularly refreshed, and will remove much of the administrative cost of having to trade cars.
Think about the running costs
The cost of keeping your fleet on the road will inevitably factor into your thinking. Running costs come in many forms. There’s fuel, there’s maintenance, and there’s road tax, to name but a few. Make sure that you at least have an idea of how much you’re going to be spending on these things each year, perhaps with the aid of a mileage calculator. Some of these factors feed into one another, too; a car that’s poorly maintained, for example, might suffer from inferior fuel efficiency.
If your numbers show that owning a company car aren’t the best solution for your business, you may want to consider hiring a van, instead, from companies like Transport Executive.
Think about Electric Vehicles
Certain businesses might already be thinking about making the switch to electric, especially if they’re running short trips through zones with emission-based pollution charges. Whether this is appropriate for your business will depend on your circumstances.
Think about looks
The cars that you and your employees drive will reflect upon your company and its values. Some degree of uniformity is often desirable, with blacks, greys and dark blues being preferred. This not only helps to ensure that the vehicle can be sold again; it’ll also create the right impression during business travel.
