As explained by ads running in the Triangle right now for this weekend's 2011 NC International Auto Expo, "people love their cars", and isn't Valentine's Day weekend a great time to fall in love with a new ride?!? If you're planning to head to the NC State Fairgrounds to find your next vehicle or just drool over the new Chevy Volt, Maserati Gran Truismo, Dodge Challenger and Aston Martin V8 Vantage, this is a great time to organize your car-buying process.
First and foremost, determine what type of vehicle you'll need and what equipment that vehicle will need to include by analyzing what you'll be doing with your vehicle... Do you need to haul furniture, gardening supplies, business equipment or some other large items in the bed of a pick-up truck or in the back of a SUV? Do you need a vehicle with really good fuel economy, like a coupe or compact sedan, or is towing a priority? Do you feel it's important to be able to check your Facebook newsfeed from your car or sync your MP3 player with your car's radio? Do you desire any bells and whistles, like heated seats, sunroof, navigation, rear entertainment system, parallel park assist or Bose speakers with your AM/FM/satellite radio? Does your extended travel make warranty coverage and roadside assistance important? Do you prefer leather or cloth, 4-wheel or 2-wheel drive and 4-, 6-, 8-cylinder or another option? The more you know with regards to what you like about your current vehicle, what you'd like to change about your current vehicle and what you'll be doing with your new vehicle, then the better prepared you'll be for the process of obtaining a new car, truck, van, SUV or crossover vehicle.
Speaking of this process, thinking about your buying and driving habits will help you determine if it is better for you to purchase or lease your next vehicle... How often do you want a new car? Do you prefer to change vehicles frequently or keep your car "until the wheels fall off"? How much do you drive? Does your annual driving fall within the 12,000 - 15,000 miles per year range allowed with leasing or do you tend to drive more each year? Do you use your car for business purposes, allowing more tax deductions with a lease? Do you worry about your car's resale value? Are you hard on your car and wear down the interior quickly, which might lead to penalties with leasing? Do you prefer to have equity in your investment as you pay off the vehicle's entire cost or to lower your payments by paying off just the depreciation on the car? Still, regardless of which automobile financing option you choose, a greater downpayment will lead to lower monthly payments so it's also a good idea to evaluate your downpayment options before heading out to shop for your new ride.
Then, you must tackle a really difficult task as you determine how much money you can spend... What payment will fit within your monthly budget's constraints? What sort of finance rate will your current credit situation allow you to obtain? There are tons of vehicles out right now that can fulfill both your automotive wants and needs while still fitting within your budgetary constraints, but it is important to be aware of that budget before starting the process of getting a new vehicle.
If you're replacing a vehicle, ensure you get the most money back from that previous investment... Gather together all documents for what maintenance work you've completed because that documentation will increase your vehicle's value. Then, check Black Book Online at http://bit.ly/eB4X6s to get a ballpark figure for the value of your vehicle, keeping in mind the final assigned value will depend on the dealership's assessment. Finally, thoroughly clean the inside and outside of your vehicle so it is in its best shape possible.
Now, it's time for the fun part... Shop online and in-store for the vehicle that you like best and that meets your needs best. Just remember that, although there's a great deal of information on the Internet, nothing can really give you a feel for which vehicle you should buy like sitting in the driver's seat. For more details on the Wake County New Vehicle Dealers Association's auto expo, visit http://www.ncautoexpo.com/, and I'll see you at the Jim Graham Building this weekend.
Showing posts with label vehicle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vehicle. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, March 29, 2010
When Your Office Is On The Run
If you have a mobile office, it absolutely must be efficient. Use these organizing tips to keep your necessary supplies at your fingertips and your mode of transportation neat as a pin.
Use an on-the-go filing system to get papers under control... For travel by automobile, one cost-effective option is Real Simple's Portable File Tote, available at Target or online. However, if you prefer, your local office supply store should have a wide array of portable, lidded file boxes in addition the opton of a simple plastic crate. Label hanging file folders with broad categories, and slide important papers into the correct spots. If traveling by air or train, invest in an expandable briefcase. Very important... Always make sure to have extra folders and labels so you can create new files on the run as needed.
Keep office supplies contained and handy... Stock a small, lidded, plastic box or a small Ziploc bag with essential office supplies, like pens, sticky notes, note cards & envelopes, stamps, return address labels, correction tape, paper clips and a roll of Scotch tape. Don't forget business cards, brochures and other promotional materials. If not in that same bag, keep pens and pencils in one of your automobile's cup holders. Always pack your supplies in the same area of your box, bag or auto organizer, and keep everything together... For auto organizers, I recommend the Case Logic Front Seat Mobile Office Organizer, the Sunshine Kids Travel Pal or the High Road Front Seat Organizer, all available from Target's website. Before leaving home or your physical office, give your in-vehicle storage solution a quick once-over to make sure it is completely stocked, and take a moment to fill in any missing items or those running low.
Be smart in recording expenses... Dedicate an envelope to hold business-related receipts, emptying it once each week. Don't forget to keep a mileage log tucked into your visor, door pocket or glove box for tax purposes. Cardinal Brands sells a great, 3.25" x 6.25" Vehicle Mileage with Annual Summary log that can be found on its website or through Office Max, which is an especially great option for recording mileage due to its compact size.
Don't forget to say "thank you"... Always have a box of "thank you" notes and envelopes on-hand to write while on-the-go. Also, since you'll have postage stamps and return address labels in the aforementioned plastic box or bag, always make sure to have your address book (or method of looking up people's addresses), too. If you want to personalize your postage, just like you can get professional-looking, pre-printed return address labels, you can order stamps that include your business' logo from Zazzle's website, delivered directly to your home or office.
Utilize technology for improved efficiencies... If you have a laptop computer, store as much information on it as you can, like phone numbers, calendars, client information and important documents. Or, if not your laptop computer, any "smart phone" cell phone will work, too. This will limit the hard copy materials you'll need to lug around, but make sure that you back-up your electronic files and information regularly.
Keep reading material together in one file... When you receive a new magazine, thumb through for the articles you'll want to read and add them to your "to-read" file. When you find yourself waiting for an appointment or the next leg of your travels, take that opportunity to catch up on the latest industry news or clean unnecessary information out of your briefcase.
Consider some specialty car organizers... There are visor organizers for CDs, auto litterbags for trash, auto tray tables and back-of-the-seat organizers for cleaning wipes, tissues and an extra bottle of water. Case Logic is an excellent and well-known brand for these items, and their items can be found online or at Target stores nationwide.
Make sure you don't forget your brilliant ideas... or the "to-do" list items that randomly pop into your head... or that great comment made on the phone call you just wrapped up... or anything else that is filling up your mind. Stash a small, hard-cover or spiral-bound notebook to catch those moments and details. On the other hand, to keep your eyes on the road, tote a mini-recorder, use the voice record feature on a "smart phone" or call your own voice mail to leave yourself a reminder message.
Toss it out and tidy up each day... Keep a nylon or plastic garbage bag in the vehicle so messes get cleaned up as you go. Simply take five minutes at the end of each day to empty the bag and tidy up the entire vehicle. This small investment of time will prevent the need for a longer clean-up later.
Use an on-the-go filing system to get papers under control... For travel by automobile, one cost-effective option is Real Simple's Portable File Tote, available at Target or online. However, if you prefer, your local office supply store should have a wide array of portable, lidded file boxes in addition the opton of a simple plastic crate. Label hanging file folders with broad categories, and slide important papers into the correct spots. If traveling by air or train, invest in an expandable briefcase. Very important... Always make sure to have extra folders and labels so you can create new files on the run as needed.
Keep office supplies contained and handy... Stock a small, lidded, plastic box or a small Ziploc bag with essential office supplies, like pens, sticky notes, note cards & envelopes, stamps, return address labels, correction tape, paper clips and a roll of Scotch tape. Don't forget business cards, brochures and other promotional materials. If not in that same bag, keep pens and pencils in one of your automobile's cup holders. Always pack your supplies in the same area of your box, bag or auto organizer, and keep everything together... For auto organizers, I recommend the Case Logic Front Seat Mobile Office Organizer, the Sunshine Kids Travel Pal or the High Road Front Seat Organizer, all available from Target's website. Before leaving home or your physical office, give your in-vehicle storage solution a quick once-over to make sure it is completely stocked, and take a moment to fill in any missing items or those running low.
Be smart in recording expenses... Dedicate an envelope to hold business-related receipts, emptying it once each week. Don't forget to keep a mileage log tucked into your visor, door pocket or glove box for tax purposes. Cardinal Brands sells a great, 3.25" x 6.25" Vehicle Mileage with Annual Summary log that can be found on its website or through Office Max, which is an especially great option for recording mileage due to its compact size.
Don't forget to say "thank you"... Always have a box of "thank you" notes and envelopes on-hand to write while on-the-go. Also, since you'll have postage stamps and return address labels in the aforementioned plastic box or bag, always make sure to have your address book (or method of looking up people's addresses), too. If you want to personalize your postage, just like you can get professional-looking, pre-printed return address labels, you can order stamps that include your business' logo from Zazzle's website, delivered directly to your home or office.
Utilize technology for improved efficiencies... If you have a laptop computer, store as much information on it as you can, like phone numbers, calendars, client information and important documents. Or, if not your laptop computer, any "smart phone" cell phone will work, too. This will limit the hard copy materials you'll need to lug around, but make sure that you back-up your electronic files and information regularly.
Keep reading material together in one file... When you receive a new magazine, thumb through for the articles you'll want to read and add them to your "to-read" file. When you find yourself waiting for an appointment or the next leg of your travels, take that opportunity to catch up on the latest industry news or clean unnecessary information out of your briefcase.
Consider some specialty car organizers... There are visor organizers for CDs, auto litterbags for trash, auto tray tables and back-of-the-seat organizers for cleaning wipes, tissues and an extra bottle of water. Case Logic is an excellent and well-known brand for these items, and their items can be found online or at Target stores nationwide.
Make sure you don't forget your brilliant ideas... or the "to-do" list items that randomly pop into your head... or that great comment made on the phone call you just wrapped up... or anything else that is filling up your mind. Stash a small, hard-cover or spiral-bound notebook to catch those moments and details. On the other hand, to keep your eyes on the road, tote a mini-recorder, use the voice record feature on a "smart phone" or call your own voice mail to leave yourself a reminder message.
Toss it out and tidy up each day... Keep a nylon or plastic garbage bag in the vehicle so messes get cleaned up as you go. Simply take five minutes at the end of each day to empty the bag and tidy up the entire vehicle. This small investment of time will prevent the need for a longer clean-up later.
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