Finance Coach - Vol. 35

Finance tip: Transport

Make your vehicle as aerodynamic as possible. One of the best ways to reduce your fuel consumption is to make your vehicle aerodynamically efficient, as it then creates less resistance as it moves through the air (using less fuel in the process). Now, we don’t all have low-slung sports cars, but there a number of simple ways to help your fuel go further: Firstly, take off any removable roof racks that aren’t being used – all they are doing is creating more air turbulence as you drive. Secondly, keep your windows closed whenever possible – driving with one or more open windows can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 10%. And thirdly, give your car a regular wash. Not only will regular washes help to maintain its finish – and thus its value – and be some good exercise for you (that’s right, do it yourself!), but having a dirt-free car keeps its exposed surfaces smoother; decreasing air resistance while it’s moving. It’s one thing we can learn from the airlines – they have teams dedicated to keeping their planes clean, which helps to knock a few percent off of their fuel-burn rates…

Business tip: PR/Marketing

The timing of your PR and marketing efforts is everything. While it’s obvious that when you do your marketing is important, it’s even more so when working on public relations material through third-party publications. If you are trying to get an editorial though into a particular magazine or website, be sure to ask about their lead-times. Many publications plan their issues far in advance (sometimes as far as 6 months ahead), so be sure that you take this into account when approaching them, if you are looking to have your material out around a specific date. If you are wanting to advertise your Christmas promotions, for example, planning to start work on the campaign on 1 December will be far too late. In fact, if you haven’t approached your target publications at all yet, you’ve probably already missed the boat. Also keep in mind the theoretical ‘sales cycle’ – the theory that what you advertise now, you’ll start to see results on in six weeks. So pull out your calendar, and start planning now for your future campaigns…