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The issues facing small business fleets in 2007

Changing regulations, from compliance to tax, mean smaller businesses are facing many of the same challenges as larger companies. What should you be looking out for? Masterlease’s David Lloyd provides some action points for 2007.
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Lloyd: small business advice

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2 January 2007

David Lloyd
Lloyd: small business advice

Changing regulations, from compliance to tax, mean smaller businesses are facing many of the same challenges as larger companies. What should you be looking out for? Masterlease’s David Lloyd provides some action points for 2007.

 

Last year hardly a month went by without a government report or some proposed legislation appearing that could impact on businesses running company vehicles.

For a smaller company without the resources of a fleet manager, keeping up with all of these changes – from health and safety to road charging – is the issue that will affect them most in 2007.

Companies with vans will face even more changes in 2007. These include the introduction of speed limiter regulations from January 2007 for vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes.

Also from January there are changes to ADR Regulations – drivers of all vehicles carrying dangerous goods in “qualifying quantities” will need to hold an ADR Training Certificate. In April there will be significant changes to van tax (see our law & tax article at www.businessmotoring.co.uk.

Many smaller fleets mistakenly think that some of these issues, like duty of care, are for big corporates to worry about. In reality, it matters not whether you have one person driving for business. Or a 1000. Health and safety legislation still applies. Any penalties for not complying will hit smaller fleets much harder.

Driving licence checks are a case in point. All companies must check their employees are fit and qualified to drive. But many only check licences when people start their job. Making regular checks on employee licences is a must for managing risk in 2007.

We also expect to see smaller companies adopting the outsourcing services normally associated with larger fleets. Accident management is a good example.

Smaller firms are much harder hit by downtime following vehicle accidents or crime. They don’t have the time to deal with the paperwork in an increasingly litigious society. Outsourcing accident management makes sense.

In the same way we expect to see smaller companies turning to contract hire rather than using outright purchase. Leasing companies are also starting to dedicate specialist expertise to the small business market.

And the good news for small business is they can offer the same added value services they would to larger fleets.

You can visit Masterlease at www.masterlease.uk.com.

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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