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Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Where to Get Online Motor Trade Quotes

Many business owners think they will go online and find online motor trade quotes quickly and easily. While this is completely true and you will have hundreds of sites offering you good protection for your business, there are a few things you need to consider before putting pen to paper.
 
Comparison Sites

Many people prefer comparison sites, they believe the sites will offer them a good variety of quotes, finding the cheapest quote possible. Comparisonsites can save you a lot of time and energy. You put in your information once and the site will send you a number of quotations for your consideration.

Many insurance companies use the comparison sites to get business. Now while this may seem the most convenient method, you need to remember that the information you provide may help one company offer an accurate quote, while another may require additional information. This means you may need to follow up with ease of the companies to amend the estimates accordingly, until they meet your immediate requirements.

Independent Companies

Another option when looking for estimates online is to complete the online application form with different insurance companies. These days the majority of companies offer online estimates, due to demand. This saves you time and money, ideal for after hours when you can sit in the comfort of your own home and apply for new insurance.

Review and Compare

Whether you have chosen a comparison site or an independent company, it’s always advisable to have a minimum of three estimates. This enables you to review each quote and compare them against the other.
You may find that most of the time you will need to contact each of the companies directly and make some changes to ensure the policy they have offered covers your business completely.

When applying online you find that the form will only ask some basic information. This information enables them to offer a basic quotation, but probably not enough to offer your business the cover you deserve.

In most cases the online estimates don’t offer adequate public liability cover. You find they offer the minimum a business will need, which won’t cover you in the event of a claim.
Remember that cheaper isn’t always better and when obtaining online motor trade quotes the aim is to find the best level of cover at the lowest possible price. Take your time, review each quote, make necessary changes and then compare them against each other to find the right choice for your business.

Saturday, 17 August 2013

A simple guide to low tyre pressure

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Driving a car with tyres that have the wrong amount of pressure is taking a huge risk. Essentially you’re putting yourself in danger of getting a puncture, or worse still, a tyre burst that can cause you to lose control of your car. There are different kinds of tyres for different car models and different purposes and each of these tyres has an optimal filling pressure recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle. If you have no idea what this recommended tyre pressure is for your car, you can search for it online or use online tyre
pressure checkers. And different tyre pressures are recommended for different usages of the car. For instance the recommended tyre pressure for an empty car will be different from that recommended for it when full of passengers. Generally, the recommended tyre pressure for most cars, pickups and minivans will lie between 27 and 32 psi while the figure for SUVs will usually be 5-8 psi higher.

It is important for you as a driver to check your tyre pressure frequently. Whenever the quality of your ride is not as smooth as it usually is, seeming a bit bumpier than usual, the problem could be that the pressure of your tyres is not even. All tyres leak air imperceptibly over time and in checking your tyre pressure, you can be able to detect if one of your tyres is leaking air faster than it should. For the most accurate estimate ofyour tyre pressure, it is recommended to do the checking in the morning while the tyres are cold. If you check after driving for a while you will get an inaccurate reading as the air in the tyres will have heated and expanded. The same principle applies when you check the tyre pressure on a hot day.
Also in the interests of obtaining a trustworthy figure, you should not rely on your eyes as some tyres, especially the Radial variety tend to bulge even when the tyre is not overinflated. The pressure gauges at most petrol stations tend to be inaccurate so they shouldn’t be relied upon wholly. Gettingyour own pressure gauge is a worthwhile investment in this regard.
Once you’ve got the right reading of your tyre pressure, increase it if it below the recommended figure or vent some air if the opposite is true. Underinflated or overinflated tyres pose a grave driving risk which you don’t want to take.

Saturday, 20 April 2013

Motor Trader Insurance and My Garage Business

Your garage business deserves all the protection you can get a motor trade insurance guarantees your business is covered on a daily basis.

This level of cover is designed for anyone who works in the industry, with the repair vehicles, restore cars or sell them.  It is designed to give you an overall protective cover giving you peace of mind when you open your doors on a daily basis.


Under this policy you can protect your entire business starting with your building.  You can protect your building against theft, storm damage and fire.  This means in the event that your building gets damaged during the flood was struck by lightning causing serious damage, you can have it repaired in the shortest time possible.

Being in the industry your property of a number of expensive tools stored in the building, you want to know that these are also covered under the policy are not protected against theft and damage.  In the event that they are damaged replacement can be costly, it can give you peace of mind knowing that your policy will pay out for these items.

Depending on the type of business that you run you may be required to drive customer vehicles to ensure that repairs have been carried out correctly, this means you will be required to have road risks cover which gives you the ability to drive any vehicle on the UK roads.  As you know you need to have a policy in place to drive illegally on the road and your own private policy will not cover you for that.

On the subject of road risks cover, it important that you know that there are a number of options available.  Many brokers were offer you the bare minimum in order to offer you the best possible price, but as you know cheap isn’t and always better.  Third party, third party, fire and theft don’t offer you the best cover when you have an accident in a customer’s vehicle.  This means comprehensive cover is the safest option for your business covering both the customers’ vehicle and in the third party vehicles or property which may be damaged during an accident.

If you sell cars you want the ability to achieve the highest number of sales, customers are less likely to purchase a vehicle there are unable to drive before they make the decision.  For this you need demonstration cover, which gives you the ability to cover your vehicles while a customer tries before they buy.

Liability cover protects you when a customer visits your property or should a staff member injure themselves on the job, adding liability cover to your motor trade insurance policy offers you the level of protection you need.

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Are electric vehicles the best choice in 2013?


This is the question on many minds, what with all the hullabaloo about greenhouse gases and CO₂ emissions. Electric cars have long been touted as the solution to the environmental ills caused by exhaust emissions as they don’t produce any. They don’t in any way increase the amount of carbon in the environment and this has made them the darling of environmentalists. Even when it comes to noise pollution these cars contributevirtually none; they are as silent as cars can be.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by batteries that store electric charge. When the first EVs were entering the market, a major problem was where to charge the batteries as they had to be powered from specific power stations. And given the fact that the charge used to run out every few miles, this was a deterrent that gave EVs a bad reputation. However, the EVs in showrooms today can be charged from the mains electricity at home. And speaking of gassing up, it has been estimated that electric cars cost about a quarter of what it costs to run a car that runs on fuel.
Ok, so you can juice it up at home and it is much cheaper to keep on the road than an ordinary car. Plus an EV helps keep the planet greener for longer. Furthermore, you’ll be able to escape the London’s oppressive £10 congestion charge. So why again isn’t every car on the road an EV? Well, let’s start at the juicing-up question. While you can charge your car at your socket at home, it will take you 12 hours to do fully charge the battery if yours is a 120V-rated socket and about half that if it is a 240V socket. This is fine if you remember to connect your car to power every night before you retire to bed. But what happens on the days that you forget to do so? The only way to charge your vehicle in less than 2 hours is by using the public charging stations. But how many of these are they in the UK? And while today’s electric car can travel as far as 100 miles on a full battery, this is still low as compared to a car whose tank is filled with petrol.
Another thorny issue is the cost of these vehicles. It is true that the prices have plunged as many more carmakers have joined the electric fray and as technology has advanced. But electric cars are still dearer on average than their petrol-consuming equivalents.    

Saturday, 13 April 2013

How Many Years Do Mechanics Have To Study?



If you love working on cars, finding a solution for repairs and enjoying the success of a vehicle running smoothly again, then you may want to consider mechanics as a career.
There is a big advantage to choosing this as your career path, a school degree is often more than enough to be accepted for an apprenticeship. On the job training is the best way to learn and progress in the industry.
Of course you won't earn much being an apprentice, but you will learn both the theoretical and practical side of the job at hand, you can always move on once you apprenticeship is over. What many people don't realise is that when they are accepted for an apprenticeship this doesn't necessarily mean you have the security of a position with that specific company once your apprenticeship is over.
Another option is secondary studies. To take on this role you need to have made your decision at school, excelling in both science and maths. Many schools offer through courses in automotive engineering, which is an excellent stepping stone.
Courses and Degrees
Some companies prefer hiring people for the job that have a NVQ qualification. There are numerous colleges throughout the UK offering automotive engineering certificates, diplomas and degrees. Depending on which you choose, you can expect to study anywhere from six months to two years.
A basic NVQ level 1 certification can take six months to complete combining both class time and hands on working time. As you go up a NVQ level 2 is a diploma and as you study even further you obtain a degree.
As you can imagine having a degree secures you a position with a higher pay grade than if you started fresh out of school on an apprenticeship level.
Is The Studying Ever Over?
The industry is constantly evolving and there are courses you can take advantage of throughout your career. You may have been working for ten or more years and taking advantage of various courses which come on offer is a great way to secure your success, improve your pay packet and become proven in the sector you have chosen.
There are courses on everything from the basic workings of a vehicle to welding, restoration and so much more. Mechanics courses you can add to your CV as you go, courses that can help you change positions with ease, promotional possibilities and salary increase opportunities.

Thursday, 11 April 2013

Are flashy-expensive cars a thing of the past?


Any man worth his salt will not think twice if offered the keys of a Bugatti Veyron. They would grab them without a word and try and crack the 200mph barrier at the first opportunity. But you will be hard-pressed to find anyone, even those who seem to be swimming in money, saving to buy the $2.25 million car. While
everyone dreams of owning a flashy car; if not a Veyron a Rolls Royce Phantom or an AMG Mercedes, people are not exactly trooping into showrooms and placing orders for them. In fact, even celebrities are opting for less glamorous vehicles for a variety of reasons. And wonder of wonders, even the hip-hop stars who seem to live for all things flashy appear to want to tone down their garages.
For some stars, it is simply a case of wanting to become less conspicuous. A renowned hip-hop artist gave away one of his prized cars to avoid being spotted. Others have embraced the green cause and no longer want to drive or be driven in guzzlers. Of the guests interviewed by Jeremy Clarkson on the popular Top Gear TV series, a surprising number of them admit to owning a Toyota Prius or Nissan Leaf, both of which use hybrid technology to curb CO₂ emissions. Some Hollywood and TV stars even cycle around despite having the ability to purchase any super car of their choice. Apart from the greenhouse gas issue, they find using bicycles a faster way to travel in cities such as London where traffic snarl-ups are the order of the day.

Then there is the question of the practicality of some of these sports cars. The manufacturers of Lamborghinis, Porsche 911s, Ferraris and other such sports cars build them with only two main objectives: speed and sex appeal. They don’t bother with details such as storage or seating space as these are not cars made for school runs or weekly shopping. Heck, some of these speed demons don’t even have a car stereo or air-conditioning, as these will add to the weight of the vehicle and bring down its top speed. For the average working family with kids, which is the majority of car owners, it makes absolutely no sense to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on such a car.
But having said all this, don’t hold your breath for the day carmakers will stop producing flashy, pricey cars as the market for them is still there. In fact China and other emerging economies are providing a burgeoning market.     

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Cheap Traders Insurance And The Law

It is a legal requirement in the UK that if you run a motor trade business you need cheap traders insurance. As you know it is illegal to drive on the UK roads without the road risk policy in place and your private auto policy does not cover you when driving customer vehicles.
Again if you sell vehicles and allow your customers to test drive a vehicle before they buy, your policy needs to cover both you and the customer, giving them the ability to drive legally on the road.


Now this may sound like a lot of trouble to go through just to take a quick test drive or to allow a customer to drive around the block a few times, but in the event of an accident you legally have to have a minimum of third party cover to protect the other vehicle or property that could be damaged if you caused the accident.
Other legal requirements you may not be aware of is the minute you hire one or more staff members you have to have employer's liability cover in place. This cover protects you when an employee injures themselves at work. A claim against you for a liability case can amount to thousands and without the right policy, you can end up paying this out of your pocket. In the event that you don't have the money to pay, you may even end up having your assets seized to cover the amount due.
What You Need
Thinking about the legal requirements expected of your business, there are certain criteria that needs to be met when choosing the right policy. Firstly there is the liability cover. Now you know you must have employer's liability cover once you hire your first staff member, but public liability cover is just as important.
Public liability protects you every time a customer steps through your doors. Again a customer injuring themselves can leave you with a huge claim against you, a claim you are legally responsible for.
Then there is professional indemnity cover, another essential cover which can save you money in the long run. Should a customer purchase a vehicle from you which has a fault causing a huge accident on their way home with the car, then this will be a claim against you. Another example is if you carry out repairs and something goes wrong when the customer collects the vehicle, again you will be held responsible.

Cheap traders insurance is a peace of mind for any business owner in the industry, a chance to know that your business is abiding by the law and keeping you safe on a daily basis.