Leasing a vehicle can be a major decision, and this is particularly true if you are a start-up business owner who wants to have a vehicle for regular use or would like to have a fleet of vehicles for your staff. Vehicle leasing for businesses has taken off in a big way, but you still have to make your decision wisely based precisely on what you need. You have to consider your budget, for one, and you also have to think about the vehicle that would be most economical for you. But what else should you think about when leasing a business vehicle for the first time? Here are some top tips to remember.
- Choose your vehicle carefully
When you have decided to lease a vehicle, the first step is to choose the vehicle carefully. But what kind of vehicle should you choose? Think about the type of business you have because this can impact the body type and make and model of your vehicle. For instance, if you have salespeople who regularly meet clients and need a vehicle for this, you can select between a diesel or petrol engine, and this will also depend on whether or not they are meeting clients locally or nationally.
If you make regular deliveries or provide trade services that require you to transport tools from one location to another, you may want to opt for a van. You also need to remember that you can make VAT claims on vehicles with lower CO2 emissions, which can bring you some great benefits.
- Think about your budget
Your budget is another prime consideration, so you need to figure out how much you can afford to pay monthly for your contract, as recommended by experts like Diamond Contract Hire. Many business enterprises often find that committing to a contract of two years works for them – but you also have to consider your exact requirements in order to make the best decision regarding your budget.
Apart from your budget, you have to come up with the initial deposit at the beginning of the contract, ranging from 1 month’s worth of the monthly payment to up to a year’s worth of the payment. For this, look through your finances carefully so you can determine what you can afford. It’s worth remembering that the more you pay in your upfront deposit, the less you have to pay for your monthly payments throughout the entire contract.
- Set your mileage and insurance coverage
You need to figure out the mileage you are most likely to use in one year because if you go above the limit on mileage, you could end up paying more for each extra mile above the limit. It would be wiser for you to set a higher limit on mileage from the start, so you don’t have to contend with extra charges.
Another aspect you should think about is your insurance cover. You cannot take out fire, third-party, or theft and accident insurance coverage on business vehicle leasing, so you will have to go for comprehensive insurance cover for the length of the contract.