SPONSORED ARTICLE
Why car leasing is the right fit for you and your business
N
o matter what size your company might be, in the current business climate, some rules are just as true for the micro-startup as they are for the biggest of blue-chips. Companies everywhere are looking to maximise value, simplify administration, and improve cash flow – all without compromising agility. As it is at work, so it is at home: the economy may be recovering but many family budgets remain squeezed and yet despite this, none of us want to cut back on our standard of living if we can avoid it. What you may not know is that whether you’re a running a multinational company or a middle-income household, car leasing can enable you to get more for your money and for a whole lot less hassle. Here’s how…
IT DOESN’T GET SIMPLER THAN THIS If there’s one thing that both fleet managers and school-run mums can understand, it’s that car ownership inevitably brings with it a certain quantity of hassle and headache. Whether it’s dealing with your vehicle’s road tax or keeping tabs on when its MOT is due, running a car turns us all into the administrators of our own transport department. And all of that is before you have to go through the process of selling the thing when that time comes. Car leasing on the other hand makes most of those problems disappear. The vast majority of car leasing deals, whether personal or business, include VED (aka ‘road tax’) as part of the monthly price. Add to that the fact that most leasing deals are on brand new cars and if you’re on a contract that runs for less than three years then you can forget all about facing the dreaded MOT. You can even roll a comprehensive service agreement
into the cost allowing you to avoid any nasty surprises as the service intervals arrive. And at the end of the contract, when you’re ready for something new, simply send it back: no need to consider a disappointing part-exchange deal or a derisory offer from a car-buying service. So with everything covered in a single monthly payment, you’ll be able to spend less time worrying about whether you’re still road legal and more time enjoying that new car smell. Unless of course you relish that kind of automotive admin…?
YOU CAN HAVE ANY COLOUR AS LONG AS IT’S TURQUOISE METALLIC We all like to have choices but whether you’re spreading the payments or laying down hard cash, when you buy a car the deal always boils down to the same thing: you hand over a big lump of money and the vehicle is yours to keep. These days you can pick the colour, you can pick the wheels, you can pick the trim level but if you absolutely, positively have to own the thing then the range of options open to you hasn’t changed all that much since Mr Ford rolled the first Model T off the production line. Leasing changes all of that. All of those specification options that you’ve grown to expect are still available but the level of flexibility that you have when configuring your car doesn’t stop when you’ve decided whether you want the metallic paint or the panoramic roof: it carries right through to the payments. Want the best possible rate? Go for a 36 or 48 month agreement to bring the monthly cost down. Want the option to upgrade in a year or two? Take a shorter deal and keep your neighbours guessing about how you always seem to be driving around in a brand new car. If you know you’re mainly going to be running
to the shops then shrink your mileage allowance for big savings. If your business takes you around the country then boost your mileage allowance for peace of mind. Whatever your circumstances, there’s a leasing deal out there that’s tailor-made for your requirements and with deposits that can be significantly lower than those of other finance options you can be driving a lot more car for your money. Unless of course you’d prefer to hand over your life’s savings (or a big chunk of your company’s capital) to own a rapidly depreciating asset forever…?
THE BOTTOM LINE For businesses of all sizes, the low costs, reduced administration overheads and increased flexibility of leasing can lift the image of your company’s fleet without landing a crater in the balance sheet. What may come as a surprise to some people is that it’s not just business users that can benefit: even if you’re just in the market for a family runabout personal users can access a huge selection of deals to fit all tastes and budgets. So if you’re not already thinking about leasing your next car, you really need to ask yourself - why not? Interested? Contact www. contracthireandleasing.com