Whether your company involves one company car or a fleet of vehicles, you’ll want to find the best deal. A lot of dealers reward loyalty. If they know you’ll keep coming back to them for your company vehicles, they’re more likely to make you a good deal. Whether you’re buying or leasing, you’ll want to find a reputable dealer and a salesperson you like working with. Do your car research first at a place like Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book. Avoid pushy sales staff that is only looking to pressure you into a deal. Remember, your business is valuable to them too.5 ways a startup can save money on company cars.
Before you head to the dealer, read these five money saving tips.
1.) Compare buying with leasing costs
If your business involves a lot of travel time, it might make the most sense to lease a car. Of course, you’ll want to be aware of any mile limitations and renewal plans before signing any papers, but it is an option to consider. If your cars are clocking a lot of road time, maintenance fees can add up. Be sure to calculate the long-term costs, as well as, the short term. If you’re wondering how to figure out those numbers, use this site: carloancalculator.org
2.) Do your homework
If you’re in the market for a new car, don’t walk onto a car lot without a plan. Know what kind of vehicle you’re looking for and what the value of that vehicle is. To help nail down this information, visit a payment calculator site to get a handle on the cost and payments before talking with any sales staff.
3.) Plan for fuel consumption
While it might be difficult in the infant stages of your business to judge how much time your vehicles will be on the road, you’ll still want to estimate your fuel costs. Remember to plan for increase; it’s unlikely gas prices will go down in the future, so give your budget a little breathing room by figuring high. Consider having your employees keep a travel log to chart miles and gas cost, which you can see a good summary over at TurboTax.com. It’ll help you estimate costs going forward. When you’re buying or leasing a vehicle, you may want to consider the most fuel-efficient car you can find.
4.) Rotate vehicles
As your new business begins, you’ll want to keep an eye on the mileage of each car. If you see one car is being used a more than another, you might consider rotating the vehicles between employees so the cars see even wear.
5.) Don’t skimp on oil changes
One of the easiest ways to cut the life of your car short is to skimp on oil changes. Don’t stretch oil changes out longer than suggested and when a small problem is detected during an oil change, get it fixed. Keeping your fleet maintained is the best way to avoid big, cash-guzzling problems in the future.
About the Author
John Bishop is an experienced writer and journalist, helping start-up companies with their marketing and business plans.