Amy Pigott A good business owner wants to make sure their employees are treated well – it keeps them loyal and more productive, and it ensures work is done efficiency and that customers are happy too. Plus, it’s just a generally decent thing to do, of course.
There are lots of different benefits someone can get from their place of work, but one that is always looked at positively is a company car – after all, who wouldn’t want to have a job and car all in one bundle? Even with the taxes they’ll have to pay, it’s still usually a cheaper option for the employee than having their own car, and it’s going to have a number of benefits for the employer as well, including the ones we mentioned above.
The key to a company car is knowing how to really make the most of it, and whether you’re a business owner or an employee, here are some ways to ensure you do just that.
Stick To The Policy
When you’ve got a company car, you’re not going to be able to do whatever you want with it – it’s not technically (or legally) yours, after all; it belongs to the company. And a good business owner is going to understand that and put some rules in place about what you can and can’t do with a company car. It makes sense; that car, whether we’re talking about Mercedes convertibles or big vans, is an asset of the business, and if it’s driven in a way that could cause damage or other problems or if there’s too much wear and tear (including too many miles) on it when it has to be sold or the lease is up, that’s going to affect the cost.
That’s why, if you want to make the most of a company car and ensure you can keep that privilege, you need to stick to the policy that’s been drawn up. That’s going to lay everything out for you and if you follow the rules, you’ll be fine. If you’re the business owner who wrote the rules, remember they still apply to you too!
Keep Your Car Well-Maintained
You might already know, but a well-maintained car not only performs better, but it also lasts longer, so that’s going to save time and money in the long run, plus it helps with your business’s reputation. Therefore, if you’ve got a company car, you need to make it a priority to do whatever it is you need to do in terms of maintenance to keep it running well. That could include all kinds of things, from taking the car to be serviced regularly to rotating the tyres and changing the oil.
What you need to do will usually be in the policy we mentioned above, but there will be other things that are mentioned, and you’ll need to make a judgement call about what to do – what should you do if there’s a minor issue, for example? With cars, a minor issue can quickly become a major one, so it’s best to seek help as soon as possible so that doesn’t happen.
Plan Your Trips
Whether you’re travelling for meetings, sales calls, client visits, or just to and from the office, if you can plan your trip efficiently, you’ll be able to make the most of your company car. When it comes to route planning, use GPS as much as you can, as you’ll often be given the best routes in terms of fuel efficiency, which is really important.
Plus, when it comes to your appointments, try to keep them in one area at a time, which will reduce your journey times, make you more efficient, and help keep the car in good condition too.
