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What Small Businesses Need To Do To Get Their Fleet Running
Small businesses typically don’t have a lot of finances when they first open. But many often require a fleet to get their products and services in the hands of the customers. A fleet is a huge investment and small businesses can have some difficulty getting their hands on one. But with a few tips from us, we can help make the process a little bit easier. In this article, we’ll be going over what small businesses need to do to get their fleet running.
Details About Small Businesses Need To Do To Get Their Fleet Running
1. Separate Your Business And Personal Finances
A very common mistake a lot of new owners make is not keeping their personal finances separate from their business. At first glance, it seems like you’ll be saving yourself some hassle by lumping everything on to a single payment method.
Everything is all in one place, so why bother separating them? Because of the sheer cost of a fleet, having both finances together can cause a few issues.
Becoming disorganized is one of the worst things that can happen to a business owner, especially when it comes to money. Not having a general idea of how much company funds you have can complicate your entire plan.
In this case, acquiring your fleet can be harder than it has to be. Furthermore, you can also fail at budget management and lose track of your personal finances because of combining the two. It may be a bit of extra work but remember that having peace of mind with both your personal and business funds is key.
2. See Where You Can Get Discounts
Not only can fleets be difficult to obtain, but they can also be even harder to maintain. Maintenance fees, fuel costs, and investing into the proper fleet management software can rack up your bill quickly.
Despite its unique versatility, even fleet insurance might not be easy to afford. That said, you need to see where you can apply discounts. If you’re a trucking company, fuel cards are a great way to not only lower the cost of fuel, but also helps you track your overall spending. For more information, there are plenty of helpful guides on what to look for in fuel cards, so you can find the best one for your fleet.
3. Register Your Vehicles
Before your fleet can be rendered operational, you must first register it with the Department of Transportation (DOT). Your fleet will be given a registration number, which is like a social security number.
It’s to help identify your fleet whenever you need to. Furthermore, you’ll also need to obtain certification from the Federal Fleet Manager Certification Program (FFMCP). This is to prove you’ve been extensively trained to manage and oversee a fleet properly and efficiently.
4. Purchase Fleet Insurance
We mentioned fleet insurance earlier, but it’s critical that every fleet manager understands what it is. You know how to purchase car insurance for your personal vehicle? That’s pretty much how fleet insurance works, but with a helpful twist.
Rather than insure every vehicle individually, fleet insurance allows you to put all of them on a single policy. This can save you money while also making it easier for you to get fleet insurance.
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