Business Topic Series, Essay Example

The purpose of this paper is to show students at my community centre how to properly purchase or learn business services. One important aspect of learning to properly purchase items deal with learning to shop effectively and efficiently. The what, why, when and where is satisfied in comparison shopping when a consumer effectively researches the product they are interested in purchasing, considers the advantages and disadvantages of different manufacturers, considers the market price at the time of purchase and considers which manufacturer would be most advantageous to purchase from. (Rivera 2006). Considering what you are purchasing and researching the purchase prior to buying gives you ‘buying power’. The reason for this is because say for instance you went to a dealership with the intention to buy an economical car and left with the fresh shiny blue car that looked hip and fancy instead that got only 20 MPG.  Well when you came to your senses after the purchase a day or two later and realized you did not buy what you went there for and were persuaded by salesman influence and cosmetic appearance of a car, you then felt you had been nipped and wanted out of the contract. Well you could not get out of the signed contract because there was no such legal cause of action for remedy. If you had instead conducted your ‘homework’ this might not have happened and you might have stuck to your original plan rather than having the new ‘fancy car’ inspiration that new shoppers are often succumbed to with high pressure salesman. Perhaps you realized you could have purchased the same car at another dealership down the road for $1500 less with a larger engine. Would you not be upset with yourself for not conducting the proper research prior to making the purchase?

When purchasing a large or small product one should not substitute quality for price with major essentials such as food, clothing and shelter however some items of great quality can be found at different manufacturers with just a little research. Often direct manufacturers charge absorbent prices where a person could find the same item at a liquidation store or online store for cheaper on the dollar. Yes research is time consuming and takes effort but at the same time is good business sense and saves money to your pocketbook.

Another frequent misconception of business services that gives rise to query is the concept of ‘Rent a Car’ and ‘Hire a Car’.  This misconception is often prevalent in countries such as Europe, India and Britain and the reason for such misunderstandings are because in North America and Britain, rent a car is described as a service to rent a car for a day or longer which is provided as a purchased contract lender car. Hire a car is typically defined as renting a car for a daily or hourly use. This does not include taxi services. Typically in the United States a person simply stands out on the curb to hail a taxi cab but in Britain, India and Europe, hiring a taxi cab can be quite a tedious job. There are many cab companies competing for business and most of them are paid a flat rate and per minute after that. There are certain areas of the street that a patron must stand in order to hail a taxi cab in London. These areas are designated safe areas for taxi cab hailers whereas in the states a person can stand on just about any side street of a major intersection in a large city and hail a taxi. The black cabs are normally more expensive than the yellow and white cabs in Britain and most of Europe.

Hiring a car or renting a car is normally the least expensive means of travel for a person in Europe, India and Britain as opposed to your own personal transportation. There is normally free mileage associated with the daily contract. In the states it is much easier to negotiate a fixed rate taxi cab ride than in Britain because there are many taxi cabs and many people hence the taxi drivers can basically name their price. The concept is basically paying the price or finds another means of transportation. In Britain, Europe and London there is the option to take paid subway and bus services just about to any place. Taking the bus or train avoids having the pay the excessive in city fees for parking a personal car. Taxi drivers are normally on a flat rate or exempt for this hourly charge. The reason the city of London states they charge this parking rate in the city is to minimize the combustion during work hours.

Many travellers find it convenient to rent or hire a car in Europe because “this renting releases the customer from the responsibility of paying international drivers license fees and paying an insurance surcharge of about 15-25 Euros a day.”(Steves, 2009). The older seasoned person of over the age of 69 may have trouble renting or hiring a car in Europe due to age restrictions put on most rental contracts. This may be considered a blatant discrimination but insurance carriers feel it is a risk for older drivers to drive in the city due to poor health, poor eye sight and stress from driving in an unfamiliar city and country. Often there are restrictions on taking a rental car out of the country even with unlimited mileage. The problem would occur if a person took the car out of the country to drive without permission and would get into a vehicular accident. Then the insurance would not cover the damage to the vehicle, hence the renter would be forced to cover the damages. Typically across the states, Europe, India and Britain offer lower prices to drivers who lease or rent vehicles for longer periods of time. There definitely would need proof of itinerary for long excursions.

The last topic I will discuss with reference to learning business services is through the preparation of taking and passing the contractor licensing examination. Construction contract work is a booming business in the United States for two distinct reasons: Contractors are able to charge very high prices according to the market rate because people need homes to live in and secondly preparation for the examination is very tedious because the Federal Government wants to ensure the contractors are meeting the specifications of what the banks require for loan approvals. A bank cannot sell a house for a good value if the mortgage goes into default if the home does not pass an independent inspection. Hence the home must be built with a minimum of quality materials that can last the lifetime of numerous homeowners (according to a defined standard).

In Louisiana and California examinees for licensing must study, “learn and show above average proficiency in general electricity, residential electricity and fire and safety alarm schooling.” (“California License Preparation Examination”). Other courses include piping and design, painting and decorating, plumbing amongst other related topics. Most of the licensing tests are closed book sessions and cost in the neighbourhood of 160-200 US dollars per licensing examination. There are typically 100 questions on each section of the test in which an examinee has 4 hours to complete the questions. The questions are a combination of essay, explanation, multiple choice and true and false. If a person has little to no practical field experience with contracting work it is recommended they invest in a 150 US dollar preparation test of which locations can be easily found online. Many of these testing services have a money back guarantee if a person completes the preparation course and does not pass the actual examination. The preparation course will be fully refunded to the purchaser. Many online preparations even advertise a “success rate of exam passers of 98% after taking their preparation course.” The preparation courses are designed with the working individual in mind. Hence, they are often given online to take the courses in the convenience of your home or of you prefer an on site study group they can be found through online or a yellow pages search.

The wise business purchaser will conduct extensive research on the product or service in which they are seeking to purchase. The higher the cost, generally the more research should be conducted. For example, if a person is seeking to invest in a home mortgage or a lease of a car they might want to do extensive research including price comparison at various dealerships, banks and product reliability. When shopping for a mortgage, interest rates, lock in rate fees, contract variances amongst other legal implications are very important when determining a choice. Large purchases that require instalment payments longer than six months should be typically research up to two weeks through three months before finalizing a decision. This allows the shopper to antiquate and absorb the differences of customer opinions, manufacturer statements and return policies as such. Also customer service documentation and blogs can be often viewed online to aid in making purchase decisions. A wise person will always weigh out his/her options before making a large investment purchase. Evaluations and recommendations from other customers certainly aid in making a sound decision. Often test driving a vehicle for a few days can enable a person to make the best decision whilst purchasing a new vehicle. Often knowing your specific demands such as purchasing services for internet or cable can ease the burden and costs associated with choosing a carrier. Often there is a monopoly establishment with service industries such as cable and internet in small towns but the larger towns normally offer great competitive choices. You may see less competition amongst electric, water and gas companies, but that is part of life and until legislation can be amended with respect to Sale of Goods and Trading this monopoly will continue to exist.

The last important note to ponder is when making choices of buying and purchasing services often seminars are given in areas to help a purchaser gain ‘bargaining and buying power’. This terminology describes the fact that research empowers the buyer to obtain the best available deal.

Works Cited

Rivera, J. (2006) The Advantages of Comparison Shopping Retrieved January 4, 2010 from, http://www.articlealley.com/article_88675_47.html

Steves, R. (2009) Driving in Europe Retrieved January 5, 2010 from, http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/carrental_2005.htm

California License Preparation Examination (2010) Retrieved January 5, 2010 from, http://www.contractorexam.com/california.htm