3 Things to Consider Before Buying a Car for Your Small Business
Whether you’re a one-person operation that relies heavily on a vehicle or need a fleet for your employees and reps, the decision you make could have serious repercussions for your business. The vehicle you pick could affect the quality of your service, your overhead costs, and profit margins. It can also affect the security of your employees. This is why you can’t just pick a vehicle based on what someone you know told you or what your competition is doing. Let’s take a look at a few things you need to consider before buying a car for your small business.
New or Used?
The first thing you have to consider is whether you’re going to buy a used vehicle or a new one. Here, it would usually be a better option to go for a slightly used vehicle. You should plan to get rid of the vehicle before it’s off the warranty, however.
If you intend to keep the vehicle for longer than the warranty period, you have to be very careful with the brand that you pick. Go with a reliable brand that has plenty of service centres around the country and will be easy to sell once you’re done with it.
If you’re looking for a brand that ticks all these boxes, you could look at a Toyota, a Hyundai, or a Ford vehicle. You could find used cars from a place like the Liverpool Car Centre for as low as £5,997 for a supermini or as low as £18,000 if you need something like an SUV.
How Much Does It Cost to Run and Maintain?
Another thing you should consider is how much the vehicle will cost to run. You have to think about things like repair costs, routine maintenance, and fuel consumption.
Before you pick a vehicle, we suggest that you make a list of models you are considering and speak with one or a few mechanics. They will be able to tell which vehicles you should consider and which ones you should avoid. They’ll also be able to tell you if parts for a particular vehicle are expensive or hard to find. This is very important as you don’t want to deal with excessive delays if one of your vehicles breaks down.
Should I Go Electric?
Know that you always have the option of going for an electric car instead of a fuel-powered one. You could save a lot of money on fuel by doing so, but you have to be prepared to pay more for the vehicle.
Also, note that these vehicles tend to depreciate much faster. You also have to think about how much distance you’ll be driving daily. If you have to do many trips in a single day and don’t have time for stops in between, then you might run into trouble with an electric car, so think about it before you go for the option.
Buying a car or multiple vehicles for your business is a very important decision, so take your time. Speak with a few people who know vehicles first and make reliability a priority.
