Archive for the ‘Small Business Help Tips’ Category
To Wrap or Not to Wrap Your Fleet Vehicles
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Has this ever happened to you? You’re sitting in traffic on the highway and a few cars up from you sits an 18-wheeler with a giant double cheeseburger plastered on the side of it.
Other than the guy rocking out in the car next to you, it’s the only thing you have to look at and as an advertisement it is starting to eat away at the promise you made to yourself to put an end to super-sizing, happy meals or #3 combos.
The next thing you know, that 10 ft tall, 15 ft wide cheeseburger that was professionally designed and photographed for thousands of dollars now has you pulling off the next exit ramp, sitting in the drive thru, justifying that the new Oreo Cookie shake available for a limited time only is a must as well.
The point is, as a marketing device, your fleet vehicle has the potential to be a highly valuable marketing resource, or in worst-case scenarios, one that hurts your business.
If you are thinking about wrapping your vehicles, or looking at redesigning them, here are few things to consider:
- Does your vehicle commands attention in a way that is consistent with the rest of your brand?
- Does the design on the vehicle cheapen your brand in any way?
- Does the marketing on your vehicle pique curiosity and increase recall through relevance to its target? Is it memorable in it’s approach…while staying on brand?
- If you are fronting a new brand, does it educate the viewer as to what your product or service is?
- Does the vehicle provide a clear action step or contact information to your prospective consumers?
As you may well know, consumers can make a judgment pretty quickly on a brand. Setting the right perception may make the difference between whether your next meal is a nice filet mignon or…a double cheeseburger off the dollar menu.
Photo copyright of misocrazy under the Creative Commons license
Tags: advertising, marketing, promotion, vehicle graphics, vehicle wraps
Posted in Fleet Resources, Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Diversification is Key for Small Business
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
If you work for or own a small business, this Wall Street Journal article might be of interest to you.
The article profiles companies that have used the struggling economy as an opportunity to diversify the services they offer and found that doing so has not just helped them survive, but in many cases thrive.
Smaller companies are able to adjust faster than larger businesses and whether it’s finding new markets, or increasing profits with existing clients the general consensus is that there is still money in the marketplace if you know your business well enough to find it.
From a personal trainer who turned his one-on-one sessions into smaller group training, to the landscape service that shifted its focus to environmental awareness, the article provides great examples that could help you generate some idea for your own business.
Photo copyright of jurveston under the Creative Commons License
Tags: diversification, economy, recession, small business strategies, Wall Street Journal
Posted in Industry News, Small Business Help Tips | Comments Off
Find the Cheapest Gas Prices Online
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Know before you go to save money by finding the lowest gas prices
Gas prices change not only from day-to-day, but from station-to-station. The price can vary by as much as 20% within a few blocks.
By knowing what the average price of gas is in your area, you can pass this information along to your drivers so they don’t fill up on the most expensive gas when a cheaper station is just a few blocks away. Make sure your guys have a fleet card with universal acceptance so they can take advantage of the lowest prices no matter what station they are at.
Bookmark the following sites so you’ll be able to quickly and easily find the cheapest prices in your area:
- GasBuddy.com: Find the day’s highest and lowest prices by entering your zip code or clicking on the interactive map. GasBuddy can also tell you historical prices, calculate the cost of your route and let you know if prices in your area are on the rise or falling.
- MSNAutos.com: Each night MSN Autos analyzes gas prices from more then 90,000 gas stations nation-wide. Enter in your zip code and MSN will tell you the average price for gas in your area, as well as the area’s highs and lows. You’ll get a complete list of prices by station and fuel grade.
- AAA: Similar to GasBuddy and MSNAutos, simply enter in your zip code and get a list of gas prices in your area.
- GasPriceWatch.com: You can perform a basic zip code search to find the cheapest gas, but we also like how you can also search by intersection or specific station brand.
Whichever site you use, it’s important to know what the average price is in your area and to pass it along to your drivers so they’ll know a good deal when they see one and to keep on truckin’ when prices are too high.
Help us add to this list: which sites do you use to find the lowest gas prices?
Photo copyright of riza under the Creative Commons license
Tags: AAA, cheap gas, fleet card, GasBuddy.com, GasPriceWatch.com, lowest gas prices, MSN Autos, universal acceptance
Posted in Fleet Resources, Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Tax Time doesn’t have to be so taxing for your business
Monday, April 20th, 2009
April 17th – Just two days after tax day. The perfect time to begin preparations anew for next year’s IRS deadline, and do it in a way that makes your life easier.
Start with a self-audit. Where did business fall short last year (besides the bottom line)? How can you create efficiencies? What can you do to get a jump on all that paperwork?
For several reasons, you might want to consider a fleet card that offers online controls and a reporting system. Not only will such a system aid in day-to-day organization, save time and money, it will prevent a last-minute scramble through damaged, dated and downright legitimate receipts. Some other benefits include:
- Document ALL purchases electronically for error-free record keeping
- Eliminate unwanted purchases and surprise expenses altogether, like hard-to-explain beef jerky, coffee and smokes
- Track purchases in real-time whenever you like
- Set the controls. You decide who gets a card, how much they can purchase with it, and where they can use it.
- Many happy returns. The right fleet card can save you thousands of dollars a year of fuel and maintenance costs, which is great for building your business.
If you don’t already have a fleet card, are looking for a more comprehensive fleet management program, or just want to get an idea of what’s out there, start at FleetMatch™. It was created to for the sole purpose of custom-matching fleet cards with fleet-driven businesses like yours.
Photo copyright of jacobms under the Creative Common license
Tags: fleet card, Fleetmatch, taxes
Posted in Fleet Resources, Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Protecting Yourself From Corporate Fraud
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Identity theft has been a hot topic for some time, but as news about the economy continues to make people anxious, corporate fraud has also become a real issue.
The Federal Trade Commission’s website has an extensive list of tips and tricks to protect yourself from identity theft. However, the same tips that you use to keep your personal finances protected should also apply to your company’s finances.
Below is a list of some of the most helpful tips from the FTC site:
DO:
- Sign your credit cards as soon as they arrive
- Keep a record of your account numbers, their expiration dates, and the phone number and address of each company in a secure, preferrably locked, place
- Keep an eye on your card during the transaction, and get it back as quickly as possible
- Void incorrect receipts
- Destroy carbons
- Save receipts to compare with billing statements
- Open bills promptly and reconcile accounts monthly, just as you would your checking account
- Report any questionable charges promptly and in writing to the card issuer
- Notify card companies in advance of a change in address
DO NOT:
- Leave cards or receipts lying around
- Sign a blank receipt. When you sign a receipt, draw a line through any blank spaces above the total
- Write your account number on a postcard or the outside of an envelope
- Give out your account number over the phone unless you’re making the call to a company you know is reputable. If you have questions about a company, check it out with your local consumer protection office or Better Business Bureau
These are just a few — but important — tips on fraud prevention from the FTC web site.
What would you add to the list?
Tags: Better Business Bureau, corporate fraud, Federal Trade Commission, fraud prevention
Posted in Small Business Help Tips | 1 Comment »
Do You Know Who’s Using Your Company Card?
Saturday, April 11th, 2009
A recent story that should be of interest to fleet managers and small business owners in general showed up in the news earlier last week, where a former employee was arrested for accumulating thousands of dollars in personal charges on a company card.
Tami Nation Trull, who used to work at the Sunshine House school in Greenwood, South Carolina, was brought into custody by authorities after running up personal charges on an American Express Business Card and a Wright Express fleet fuel card.
Trull had worked for the company for 10 years and had access to the company card as a part of her job where she made travel arrangements for other employees, but over time had used these cards to pay for items for herself and family members that included airfare, hotel rooms, rental cards, tickets to a variety of events, meals and much more. Trull’s charges quickly added up to more then $20,000 in unauthorized expenses.
Unfortunately for you and your business, hearing stories like these are not that uncommon. The challenge is being able to trust employees–especially if they’ve worked with you for as many years as Trull had for her company–but also creating a system of accountability so that there is more than one person looking at what is being spent on your cards.
For fleet managers in particular, entrusting a number of drivers with gas cards can prove to be a challenge. However, many fleet fuel cards allow you to monitor spending and put controls on what can and cannot be purchased on your company’s card. If you’re not already set up and working with these controls, be sure to contact your fleet card provider as soon as possible to ask about how to set them up.
The Sunshine House would also have benfitted from a corporate lodging card. Similar to a fleet card, a corporate lodging card will set restrictions on the types of hotels your employees can stay at (since they may want to stay at the W, but the travel budget is more Best Western) as well as electronically audit your hotel bill before your card is charged.
You’ll sleep better at night knowing there’s one more layer of protection over your company’s expenses.
Tags: controls, fleet card, fuel card, unauthorized spending
Posted in Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Take Back Your Desk
Monday, March 30th, 2009
If you are a fleet manager, there’s a good chance that your desk is gets buried in paperwork, receipts and probably a few trade magazines faster than you can say, “I know it’s here somewhere”.
That’s not to say you don’t know where everything is, but we thought we’d share a few tips on how to get or keep things in order so nothing falls through the cracks at work.
Of course a good fleet fuel card service should provide you with reporting features that will help cut down on the need to save every receipt and maintenance record. (If you don’t have a fleet card, click here and let us help you find the right card for your company.)
At the same time, don’t underestimate the power of different color folders to help create a quick system that will bring sanity back to your desk.
When labeling your folders, be very specific. Write exactly what it is you have in the folder on the folder. You don’t want to put “Misc” on a file because that’s basically moving one pile to another.
You’ll be surprised at how quickly things get in order, without giving up the job security in you being the only one that knows what’s going on.
Next, get rid of any office supplies that don’t work or you haven’t used in a while – from the pen that doesn’t have any ink, to the coffee mug that’s started to look like a science project to all of the trade mags, complimentary calendars, beef jerky wrappers…you get the point. Get rid of the stuff you don’t use.
Do the same with your address book or that rolodex on your desk. Take all the names out that you haven’t used in the last year or so. If you are feeling guilty, just take all those cards and drop them all in one of those “free lunch” bowls at a local restaurant.
Start keeping a check list of work you need to get done and goals you are trying to achieve, even if things keep coming up in your day to distract you, keeping a “to do/goals” list will help you get back on course throughout the day. Try updating the list at the end of each day so that you can add new items and even better, check a few things off.
Another idea that might make your life easier – only work from ONE calendar. Whether it’s on your computer, phone, or the “you might be a redneck” desk calendar you got at the office holiday party, only use one. That way you can truly keep an accurate schedule of both your personal and professional life. If you’re keeping track of more than one schedule, use different colors for each person.
Also, when you’re entering your schedule, make sure you give yourself a reminder about that event about a week out. That way you don’t send a truck out on a cross-country road trip on the day it’s due to at the mechanics for a tune up.
These are just a few basic tips that are an easy way to quickly get things in order and make your operation more efficient at a time when efficiency is everything.
Photo copyright of Visnup
Tags: efficiency, fleet fuel card, organization, reporting, work tips
Posted in Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Pressure Points
Friday, March 27th, 2009
Improve safety and save money on your fleet
Did you know that the maintaining the right tire pressure can save you about two weeks worth of fuel a year?
Fleet Equipment posted an article back in 2005 that may have even more relevance today, discussing the importance of keeping the tires on your commercial trucks properly inflated.
While it’s sometimes easier said than done, just having your fleet drivers follow a few simple steps could help save your company a lot of money at the pump and even more when it comes to maintenance:
- Make sure your drivers have an accurate pressure gauge and check the tires on their truck each day.
- Give every tire on your truck a quick inspection prior to operation.
- If you’re changing a tire, make sure to use a safety cage when inflating tires after mounting.
- Avoid mixing tires types on your vehicle.
- More extensive tire repair and service should be done by trained mechanics.
- If a tire has been running at less than 80 percent of the recommended pressure, always dismount and inspect that tire before putting it back on the road.
- Driving on a flat tire dual can cause irreparable damage to both tires because of the increased load the inflated tire must carry.
Keep this guide of handy and make it a regular practice and maybe some of those calls you get off of those “how’s my driving?” bumper stickers will just be to compliment you on how good those tires look.
Click here to read the entire article.
Tags: company savings, Fleet Equipment, maintenance, safety, tires
Posted in Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Smile, You May Be on Camera!
Friday, March 27th, 2009
In the US, red light cameras are used in more than 400 communities and speed cameras are used in more than 40 jurisdictions. If your drivers travels across different states, you will want to make sure they are aware of the laws in these states they travel.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently introduced interactive maps of the United States that show the different state laws in an easy-to-read, illustrated format.
Before your drivers hit the road, have them check to see if they’re going through a state that uses red light and speed cameras so they—or you—don’t get fined. These new maps will clearly show which states have these laws, and will detail what violations they record, who will be liable for the infraction and even tell you how much you will be fined for breaking the law.
These maps aren’t intended to let you know where you can speed and where you can’t; rather, they are designed to keep safety in mind for your drivers and the others on the road.
IIHS will be rolling out additional interactive maps in the near future, so be sure to check back here for updates.
Click here to view the maps
Tags: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, red light cameras, safety, speeding, traffic laws
Posted in Fleet Resources, Small Business Help Tips | 1 Comment »
Driving business while driving
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Turning your fleet into a moving billboard
Few small businesses these days have the cash flow to spend lavishly on local advertising, let alone immeasurable mass media. It turns out, the best use of your ad dollars may be capitalizing on the media you already have: your fleet.
Let’s say two fleet vehicles pull up to a stoplight side-by-side. One has eye-catching signage advertising your business. The other is plain white. A recent report in Fleet Financials suggests 90% of drivers will notice the first vehicle’s signage, and surprisingly 75% of them will develop an impression of that company based solely on what it says and how it looks (and how the vehicle is being operated).
It goes on to say that a single vehicle with the right signage can collect more than 8 million impressions a year.
So what works?
Simple sells. Bright colors. Easy-to-read fonts. Who you are. What you do. Phone number and Web site. Or try this: Hold your business card out in front of you. Now move it across your line of vision. Can you still read it? If not, consider what would make it more legible and apply the thinking to a moving billboard.
“Everywhere I park, people will walk up and ask for a business card. I don’t bother advertising any other way,” declares Tony Gallina, president and CEO of The Green Mop, a house and office cleaning service headquartered in Arlington, Va.
Did he invest $4,000 car wrap with neon lights and a flashy LED license plate? Nope. The article reveals Gallina’s secret to success: a couple 12×24-inch door magnets and 3×3-inch stickers for the rear window — all customized online in about 30 minutes.
To read more, visit Fleet Financials.
Photo copyright of Signarama
Tags: advertising, car wraps, Fleet Financials, fleet graphics, marketing
Posted in Small Business Help Tips | 1 Comment »
