West Craven

Five ways your SME can be innovative, Brexit and its impact on drivers & more

Welcome to our August newsletter! In this edition; we give you five ways your business can be innovative, reveal how Brexit may affect drivers, our top tips for securing your home while you're away on holiday and finally, how to avoid the threat of terrorism.

Until next time,

West Craven Insurance

Five ways SME's can be innovative

Small and medium-sized enterprises are currently leading the charge for incorporating innovative new technology and methodologies into their way of doing things.

These businesses are well on their way to being big contenders in their fields which means there’s a lot to be learned from these up and comers.

Wearable technology
Everybody loves gadgets! Wearable tech like smart watches and FitBits allow people to have remote access to their phones and to monitor their health. When applied to the business place, wearable smart tech allows businesses to improve their customer service and monitor their employees’ health and safety, whether in the office or on the road.

Virtual Reality

The wave of VR tech is about to come crashing down on the public’s head. Several companies such as Samsung are already using VR for product development and training, saving money and time on both processes.

Imagine if rather than having in house training sessions you could load up a programme that led the induction process in a practical and engaging way. It could help you to save time and money!

Green Technology

Technology has completely revolutionised modern business. It’s now making it easier to keep the costs of running a business as low as possible, whilst also making you an ethically conscious and environmentally aware business. Automatic sensors will switch off lights when it no longer detects a presence in the building and smart devices monitor the temperature to better control heating and air conditioning.

Payment technology

As a business grows, they might find they wish to expand into different areas of the world or they may need to hire freelancers or employees from other countries. Paying across borders can be an expensive and complicated process. New technology like the Western Union’s WU Edge product allows its users to invoice clients, pay employees and handle processes as quickly and easy as if they lived in the UK.

Remote working

Previously a conference call or an expensive meet up would be required for a global team to work together. Now thanks to technology, teams can work together through applications like Google Hangout, webcams and virtual reality. It’ll almost seem like you’re in the room together!

How might Brexit might affect drivers?

Every sector in the UK has been affected in some shape or form by Brexit. Even a month on we’re still seeing different sectors react in some way to the monumental decision. For those who rely on their cars (or just love them to pieces!) there could be some big changes in the pipelines.

1. Insurance
The biggest impact that the European Union has had on the Insurance industry is their ruling on gender and car insurance premiums in 2012.

Previously the gender of the person applying for insurance played a large part in calculating premiums. Generally men and women crash as often as each other, but damage caused by women was usually minor when compared to men.

Head of Finance at car buying website Carwow, believes that lawmakers in the UK may try to unpick this European law so that the industry can revert to its previous method of calculating premiums.

2. Fuel Prices
Due to the fact that petrol is traded in dollars and we’ve seen a dip in the value of the pound following Brexit, we have seen the price of fuelling our vehicles rise. There is also likely to be a rise or fall in petrol prices depending on the results of the US Election in November according to Jason Lloyd from petrolprices.com.

3. Demand and Sales
So far, Brexit has not had any effect on the car market. This is due to the slow state of the car sales market. A slow market coupled with low interest rates will help to keep the car market buoyant.

4. Driving Abroad
The actual process of driving abroad is currently unchanged, although if freedom of movement is repealed then it might become a complex process driving from one end of Europe to the other.

In terms of the here and now, it’s worth bearing in mind that the pound’s drop in value means Europe is more expensive for petrol, food, than it was previously.

If you’re planning on driving in Europe, make sure you’ve got the correct insurance in place and make sure you have European break down cover.

Top tips for securing your property this summer

Going away somewhere nice? Whilst you’re relaxing on a sunny beach, there will always be a part of your mind that stresses about the safety of the house. Remove the added stress of “will the house be ok?” by following these top tips for securing your home.

1. Alarm home intruders
60% of home invasions attempted on a home with a house alarm fail according to research by Yale locks. House alarm technology has made massive leaps forward in recent years. Some smart alarms can be controlled by your smart phone and feature a camera so you can see why the alarm has been triggered.

2. Make it look like someone is home
Using similar Smart products, it is possible to make it look like someone is home. You can control the lights in your home from your phone. If this is out of your price range, park the car on the drive or invest in security lighting.

3. Turn it off
Make sure you turn everything off at the socket and unplug it (except the trusty fridge!) By doing this you reduce the risk of a fire and lower your energy bills.

4. Don’t broadcast your absence
These days, posting on social media is as much a part of a holiday as sun cream and ice cream, however by posting online, you let everyone know that you’re not home. Try to resist posting anything until you get home.

5. Post Pile-Up
A huge pile of post is a major give away for potential thieves. It’s unlikely you can get someone to come round every day to pick up the mail, so why not take advantage of the Royal Mail’s KeepSafe scheme? They can hold onto your mail for up to 66 days whilst you’re away, then you can schedule for them to deliver at a date to suit you.

6. Lock the door!
Sounds obvious? You’ll probably be plagued by the irrational fear that you’ve not locked all the doors and windows for the entirety of the holiday. Make sure you lock and deadbolt the door (leaving through the back). If you’ve got more money, you can invest in smart locks which require a pin and can be locked by remote.

How to avoid the threat of terrorism

Unfortunately, it’s a saddening thought that we currently must live with terrorism and the threat of terrorism. The threat to the UK is at the second highest of five possible levels, meaning an attack is highly likely.

When it comes to travelling, you might wonder if there is anything you can do to avoid the threat of terrorism. Here’s our advice:

• Check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s ‘Know Before You Go’ website for the latest security advice, recommendations for the destination you want to visit.
• Ensure you take out a good travel insurance policy that meets your needs and covers terrorism
• Check the policy is right for you and check any exclusions which apply
• Keep the policy details and the emergency helpline number with you
• Find out the details of the British Consular Office that services your destination and keep the number easily to hand.

When travelling abroad, you may feel it’s easier to just opt for a package that includes insurance. However, by doing this, you could be missing out on the level of insurance you really need. Speak to us here at West Craven for further advice.

British counter-terror officials issued the following advice on how to behave in a gun or bomb attack:

RUN
• Escape if you can
• Consider the safest options
• Is there a safe route? Run, if not hide
• Can you get there without exposing yourself to greater danger?
• Insist others leave with you
• Leave belongings behind

HIDE
• If you can’t run, hide
• Find cover from gunfire
• If you can see the attacker, they may be able to see you
• Cover from view does not mean you are safe, bullets go through glass, brick, wood and metal
• Find cover from gunfire e.g. substantial brickwork/heavy reinforced walls
• Be aware of your exits
• Try not to get trapped
• Be quiet, silence your phone
• Lock/barricade yourself in
• Move away from the door

TELL
• Call 999: What do the police need to know?
• Location: Where are the suspects?
• Direction: Where did you last see the suspects?
• Descriptions: Describe the attacker, numbers, features, clothing, weapons etc
• Further information: Casualties, type of injury, building information, entrances, exits, hostages etc
• Stop other people entering the building if it is safe to do so

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