Category: Career Advice

Saving Money on Car Insurance When You Have a Criminal Conviction

If you have a criminal conviction then getting car insurance at a reasonable price can be a challenge. There are things you can do in order to lower the cost however. Below are some of the best ways you can save money on car insurance with a conviction – Go to a specialist provider If you’re looking for car insurance with a criminal conviction then going to a specialist provider is certainly recommended. Some mainstream insurance providers don’t offer cover to people with convictions since they consider them too high risk. A specialist provider will take your circumstances into account and be able to offer a policy that’s fairly priced based on the severity of your conviction. Limit cover options Another good way to save money on car insurance when you have a conviction is to get a basic policy. Third party only is the lowest level of cover you’ll need in order to make your car road legal. Third party insurance is considerably cheaper than a comprehensive policy so this is definitely worth considering. Pay annually If you can afford to pay for your policy on annual basis then you’ll be able to make a decent saving with the majority of insurance providers. If you do decide to pay annually then be sure to push for the best discount possible. Make your vehicle secure Making your vehicle secure is certainly a good way to lower the cost of car insurance. If your car doesn’t already have an alarm and immobiliser then you should definitely consider having them fitted. Using a steering wheel lock is another way to deter thieves. Taking these measures as well as having somewhere safe to park your car will help to keep costs down. Get a lot of quotes Getting quotes from as many providers as possible is one of the best ways you can save money on car insurance with you have a criminal conviction. The prices you’re quoted can vary quite a lot from one insurance provider to the next so it’s incredibly important to shop around and select a policy that you know is good value for money. Increase excess Last but not least is increasing the excess on your policy. Excess is what you would have to pay if you made a claim. Increasing excess is not necessarily the best way to lower costs since you would have to pay more when making a claim.… Continue reading »

Keeping Costs Down When You Have a Taxi Firm

Running a taxi firm comes with a lot of challenges. Not only do you have to stay competitive but you also need to think about your overheads and the best ways you can keep costs down. Below are some of the best ways to accomplish this when you run a taxi firm. Get the right office Getting the right office is key when you have a taxi firm. You want to pick a premises that’s practical and affordable. A taxi office generally doesn’t need to be that big since it’s mainly used for administrative purposes and to communicate with drivers. Hire the right drivers Hiring the right drivers is extremely important if you want to keep costs down. Experience drivers with a good background will be much cheaper to insure on a private hire policy for example. An example of a good driver is one who – Is over 25 – Age is always going to be a big factor that insurance providers consider when calculating the cost of a policy. Drivers who are under 25 cost considerably more to insure since they’re statistically more likely to be involved in accidents. Doesn’t have any convictions – Convictions, especially driving convictions, can hike the price of a taxi insurance policy up considerably. Has a clean driving licence – Having a licence with no points on it is another thing that makes for a good taxi driver to hire. Has experience driving a taxi – Experience driving a taxi for a living is always good when hiring drivers for your firm. The more experience they have, the less they’re likely to cost to insure. Get the right cover You may choose to hire owner drivers who have their own insurance but if you opt to insure your own vehicles then you’ll want to get the right taxi insurance. You can choose exactly what level of cover you want to get when taking out a taxi fleet policy. The cheapest option is to get third party only cover. This will not cover any of your own vehicles though if one of your drivers is involved in a collision and they’re to blame. For more protection you can add fire and theft to a third party policy; or get fully comprehensive cover. Make security a priority You should make security a priority both at your office and in your taxis. Making sure that your drivers are safe is very important and installing CCTV in their vehicles is a good way to do this.… Continue reading »

Considerations of Running a Taxi Firm

If you have experience in the taxi industry then you might have considered starting your own taxi firm. When it comes to running a taxi company, there are a lot of things to consider. In order to help you get started, below are some of the most important steps you have to take. Getting a premises To run a taxi firm successfully, you’ll need some kind of premises to base your operations from. Some people start from home but this isn’t always the best idea and even if you do, you’ll need to think about getting a premises fairly quickly. When looking for a premises, you should take certain things into account. Firstly you should think about whether you’re going to rent or buy. It’s usually a good idea to rent first and then you can always decide if you want to buy later. Another key consideration is size. Although you don’t need a huge premises to run a taxi firm from, you still want it to be a decent size. Lastly is location. The location of a taxi office is very important, not only because you want to attract new business but also because you’ll need to choose somewhere that’s on fairly high ground so you can communicate with your drivers. Getting insurance Once you have a premises, you’ll also need to get insurance. The level of cover you need to get will depend on whether you own and insure your own vehicles or you hire owner drivers. If you insure your own vehicles then you’ll need to get a taxi insurance policy to cover them for road risks. You’ll also want to get cover for things such as liability claims. Hiring drivers Hiring good drivers is essential when running a taxi firm. Although there are many people out there who have a lot of driving experience, not everyone is suited to being a taxi driver. The best type of drivers to hire are those who are over the age of 30, have a good deal of driving experience (preferably in a professional capacity) and who do not have any criminal convictions. This will help to keep the cost of your insurance down.… Continue reading »

The Pros and Cons of Freelancing

Many people don’t consider a career as a freelancer but the truth is there’s never been more opportunity as far as freelancing goes. Below are some of the main pros and cons of working as a freelancer so you can decide if it’s the right move for you. Pros You have a lot more flexibility – One of the major benefits of working freelance as opposed to a regular job is that you have a lot more flexibility in your working hours. For example, if you have work to do, you don’t have to do it during traditional working hours and can instead make it fit your schedule. You can choose a career you’re passionate about – Another great benefit of working as a freelancer is that you’re able to do something that you’re passionate about. One of the most popular freelance paths is graphic design. However if you’re not interested in that there are many other things you can do i.e. web development, freelance writing, teaching etc. Cons Finding steady work can be tough – One of the major challenges that new freelancers face is finding enough work to support themselves. It’s certainly true that when you first start freelancing, finding clients can be tough, especially if you don’t have much experience or an established presence online. You need to be self-motivated – For a lot of people, this is the biggest challenge of freelancing. It’s easy to underestimate how much motivation you need in order to succeed as a freelancer. It’s not just completing the work that you have from home where there’s no boss looking over your shoulder; but also being motivated to grow your business and expand your client base. Conclusion Whether working as a freelancer is right for you will depend largely on your personality type. If you need a lot of stimulation and enjoy working around other people then it’s probably not the right choice for you. However if you’re self-motivated, can work to deadlines and don’t mind the challenge of finding new clients then working freelance can be a great way to gain financial independence.… Continue reading »

5 Tips to Find the Right Career Path For You

Finding the right career path is something a lot of people struggle with. In order to help you make the right decisions when it comes to your own career, below are 5 key tips to finding the right career path. There is also a great UK government site to help you decide on your career. 1. Know your strengths Knowing your strengths is one of the best ways to find the right career path. Everyone has things they’re naturally good at but people often don’t pay attention to them when thinking about their ideal career path, instead choosing something that’s practical or available. By knowing your strengths you can then work towards a career that you’d be ideally suited to. 2. Know your weaknesses Just as important as knowing your strengths is knowing your weaknesses. For example, if you’re easily bored and need a lot of stimulation then an office job where you’re stuck behind a desk for 8 hours a day probably isn’t the best choice of career for you. 3. Think about what you would enjoy doing This is something that so many people neglect when it comes to their career. Thanks to the internet and social media, people now have more choice than ever when it comes to careers. There are so many skills you can learn online, such as web design, graphic design, web development etc. that you no longer have to do something simply because it makes money. Think about what you would enjoy doing in the long term and aim towards that. 4. Make use of connections If you know people who are able to help your career then this is a huge advantage. Of course you want to be sure you’re suited to any particular role before going for it but having connections in a particular industry is something that can really boost your career. Think about practical considerations Sometimes it’s easy to like the idea of a career without really considering if it would be practical for you. For example, if you wanted to work as a courier then it’s not just about whether you’re able to drive but if you can afford the initial investment in a van and whether you’re fit enough to carry parcels around all day. Thinking about the practical everyday realities of a job will help you avoid those you’re not suited to.  … Continue reading »