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What Authorities, Running Rights Do You Need to Start a Trucking Or Expedite Company?

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The authorities you need may vary depending on; where do you want your business to travel to and from? Will you be hauling truck load, less than truck load (ltl), and/or expedite. If you only obtain a licensing for an Expedite Business you will not be limited to the vehicles that you can run and the weight you are able to haul.

Who must register for Authorities, also known as running rights? All Companies that intend to use heavy commercial vehicle power units (including leased, rented and owned) having a gross weight or registered gross weight of more than 4500kgs.

Below are some examples of various authorities that are needed to start-up a company in the transportation industry

o CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration) Canada(under the transportation act valid insurance is required)

o USDOT (United States Department of Transportation) Number is required to haul goods into the us MCS-150,MCS-150A,MCS-150B,OP1

o FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration) Certificate is requires to haul freight, for hire, or under contract, into the U.S. regardless of the weight

o BOC-3 filing form (us processing agent will file your form)

o UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) is required if you have a USDOT Number. You must select a base state where the fees are to be sent. This new registration program has replaced the Single State Registration Program (SSRS)

o SCAC (Standard Carrier Alpha Code) is required to produce a PAPS code (Pre-Arrival Processing System)

o FORM 2290 (Heavy Highway Use Tax) must be filed for every vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight in excess of 55,000 lbs. or 25,000kgs., which will travel over 5,000 miles on highways in the U.S. during the registration period, July 1st to June 30th of each year

o EIN/FIN (Employer Identification Number, also referred as a Federal Identification Number is required in order to file a Form 2290

o W-8BEN is a Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Withholding Tax. You will be asked to submit this form to most U.S. entities that you do business

o IRP (International Registration Program)

o IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement)

o OPTIONAL PERMITS – KENTUCKY (KYU tax license number), OREGON (registration#),

NEW YORKSTATE (NY hut tax license #)

You could pay a consultant anywhere from $2500.00 and up to apply for your authorities and be your go between. I have been helping owner operators, expedite drivers; dispatchers and people genuinely interested in the transportation industry start up there own company.

I came up with three different packages/business kits that give you the cost cutting edge with simple step by step instructions. I did this to make it more affordable and enables a wider availability so anyone that is interested in starting their own business can access it. Having a better understanding of what’s needed when you are starting up, is a big advantage once you get going!

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Source by B. Hathaway

How Much Does It Cost To Start a Snow Cone Business?

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The snow cart business might sound great, but any smart person’s going to ask the same question whether it’s snow cones or any other business: how much does it cost to start? This is a big question since not many of us have a ton of cash on the side…if we did we wouldn’t be looking for an awesome cash business like snow cone stands!

Licenses

In most states, and even in some counties and cities, you will need to make sure you have all the business licenses available to operate. In some states these cost as little as $50 total, while in many others it may run up to a couple hundred, but it shouldn’t run any more than that. The cost also varies if you have a lawyer draw up business papers for you, or if you choose to do it yourself and hand the application into the courthouse personally. These fees can usually be made up with one or two good days.

The Snow Cone Cart

Prices can vary greatly depending on what type of a cart you buy to get started with. In fact, this expense is the single biggest factor in determining start up costs. Snow carts range anywhere from $400 to $4,000 for brand new shaved ice carts. There is also a ton of variety between these two extremes, but many people decide to start out with snow cone carts that are well under $1,000 starting out, and many make their money back in short time with just a few really good cash days.

While many people will do very well starting out with a small cart, don’t rely on price alone. There’s nothing wrong with starting cheap and working your way up (especially with how often the shaved ice business doesn’t even feel like work), but what if the early demand for your snow cones is three or four times what you can provide? Not only do all those profits walk away, but you will end up having to buy a larger and more expensive snow cone stand anyway. Take the time to make sure you’re making the right decision on this one.

The Shaved Ice Machine

The next most expensive piece of equipment is the shaved ice machine itself. The machine, along with your stand, is one of the cornerstones of your business starting out, and entry level machines are most commonly found in the $400-$600 range. The best place to find a good shaved ice machine is from an actual vendor or online website that specializes in them. Many of these sites will actually have several machines for easy comparison, making it easier for you to look at the deals available and decide on the best one for you.

Buy Supplies Wholesale

While prices can vary for the supplies you need to run the snow cone business, most of these will at least be in the same price range. For materials like paper cups, plastic spoons, or Styrofoam cups, never be afraid to look around locally for a Sam’s Club, Costco, or other wholesale store that might give you the best deal. These types of overhead materials are cheap, and when bought wholesale they often cost only pennies per snow cone sold.

Snow Cone Syrup

Out of the actual overhead supplies, the concentrate syrup for mixing ingredients will cost the most, and a gallon of this can run anywhere from $30-50 depending on flavor and vendor. The good news is that one gallon of concentrate can make 8 gallons of syrup, or anywhere from 640-800 snow cones, leaving tons of room to make a boatload of profit. Look around for sales, especially when buying in bulk as some places offer steep discounts for bulk orders.

What’s This All Mean?

The up-front costs do add up, but a snow cone business has some really amazing profit margins, and it doesn’t take that many little league games, flea markets, or big days to make up a good chunk of that initial investment. It only takes a few good days to bring in enough cash to make up for all your investment, and after that it’s pure profit.

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Source by Jason Brasfield

Mobile Car Wash and Cleaning Post Office Jeeps

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If you own a mobile truck washing, pressure washing or mobile car wash business you may wish to consider washing postal vehicles. They have one of the largest fleets in the world and they are relatively easy to wash. Yes, like all quasi-government agencies they pay slowly, but you know you will get paid as long as you show up to wash.

Pressure washing companies should consider a wide market mix to protect them from sector rotations or downturns in their economy. You can wash things like things like wheel chairs at hospitals, shopping carts at Price Club and bus stop enclosures. The postal washing contracts generally last two-years and can automatically renue up to five times if the VOMA Vehicle Operations Manager Assistant likes you and gives you high scores for service. My company, The Truck Wash Guys was washing jeeps when the new LLV’s Long-life vehicles really were jeeps even though many are now Ford Winstars. This can be a very good niche for your cleaning service.

After working with USPS, we’ve discovered other niches at the Post Office such as steam cleaning mail trays, racks, even postal boxes and transfer boxes on corners. We’ve cleaned off holiday window paint. We’ve steam cleaned loading docks, trash areas, walkways and sidewalks; We’ve cleaned entire annex stations, air cargo containers, aircraft, ground equipment, you name it. If the USPS owns it, we’ve cleaned it somewhere. Any pressure washing company would be happy to have all that work and you really should look into becoming a certified USPS vendor.

Over the years EPA laws have changed, insurance requirements have changed, labor laws have changed, even the USPS needs have changed. So we too have changed. Customizing our services to their needs is our true specialty and I recommend that all pressure washing companies do the same. What do you need cleaned? Should be your mantra. You must be standing ready with waste water discharge permits, worker’s compensation insurance, city licenses and a million dollar liability policy and state of the art equipment to sell to the post office, but once you get the account these same requirements make for barriers to entry for your competitors and you stand to have these accounts for up to 10-years. You can prove your commitment to USPS, by offering to wash all the postal boxes on every corner in your zip code for $1.00 each and then offer to wax them for free as an introduction to your services. The local Post Master will generally take you up on the idea and then you can prove how good you are and get your foot in the door. It’s all about image in the delivery business and the USPS is no exception. Think about it and Wash On!

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Source by Lance Winslow

Automobile Dealerships – Out of Trust Situations – Tips For the Dealer

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Almost every financial organization has a workout department. Their names are as varied as Problem Loan Administration; Central Loan Department; or Special Assets Department. A dealer may be assigned to one of these special departments, or a member of the department may start appearing at meeting with the dealer’s regular bank officer.

The courts have consistently upheld the rights of lenders to have workout teams and to have those teams, within broad parameters, take affirmative actions to protect the lenders’ interests.

Matching the average dealer’s experience with work-outs, to that of the lender’s experience, would be equivalent to matching a high school football team against a professional team. The professionals have played the game hundreds of times. They have seen and heard hundreds of presentations, arguments, excuses and reasons for a dealership’s problems, while the dealer, lacking experience, is encountering the trauma for the first time. Realizing the dealer will probably be a neophyte, with respect to workouts, the following rules are provided the dealer, as a plumb line, to be followed throughout the workout procedure:

1. Do Not Confuse Friendship with Business. Factories and lenders have seen and heard most of the workout plans any dealer could suggest. The have probably seen versions of each plan which have been refined over generations by some of the best minds in the business. Their experience, however, cannot help the dealer get the best benefits for the dealer.

Employees of the factory/lender have an obligation to their corporation and in turn to its shareholders, to get the best contract for their corporation. There is nothing wrong with that; they have a legal duty to their shareholders and creditors to protect them, not you.

They will, however, indicate whether or not you workout plan is “acceptable” or “unacceptable” to them. If the proposed plan is “unacceptable”, one of two things can happen. The dealer can keep proposing plans, until one is accepted, or the factory/lender might suggest an acceptable alternative.

If the factory/lender suggests a plan acceptable to them, it means just that: the workout plan is acceptable to the factory/lender. It does not mean, and should not mean, the factory/lender will not approve some other plan, which may be more beneficial to the dealer, if the dealer knows what to request and how to structure it.

2. Do Not Confuse Optimism with Confidence. Optimism means expecting a plan will work. Confidence means knowing what to do if it does not. Never act without confidence.

3. Do Not Value a Dealership by the “SOT + Assets” Formula. The odds against that plan working are about the same as the odds against winning the lottery, except the ante is higher.

4. Do Not Say “SOT”. Sometimes a dealer talks in terms of SOT (Sold Out of Trust) or OT (Out of Trust) with the factory or lender, when the dealer actually has SAU (Sold and Unpaid) units. Once the dealer refers to an out of trust situation, it puts the factory/lender in a precarious position. All sorts of rules then come into play, both legal rules and company rules, which would not have had to take effect if the dealer used the phrase SAU. The factory/lender can’t read minds to know the dealer really meant SAU, instead of SOT. From the moment the phrase SOT is used, the only thing the listener knows for certain is, if there is a law suit and the listener were asked if the dealer said he or she were SOT on such and such a date, the listener would have to answer “yes.” Don’t put them in that position.

5. Do Not Lie. Don’t lie to yourself; don’t lie to the factory; don’t lie to the lender.

Dealers, who lie to themselves about their problems, how they got there, or their ability to solve them, base their entire solution upon a lie and, without exception, compound and complicate the original problems.

A lie to the factory/lender will alienate the only entities which have both the ability to help and the most to gain, besides the dealer and the dealer’s family, in finding a workable solution. When in doubt, remember what Mark Twain said: “I never got hurt by anything I didn’t say.” He also said that when he was ninety, he recollected he had worried about a lot of things in life, most of which never happened.

6. Do Not Panic. There are many challenges in business, and being short of cash is but one of them. Numerous dealers have been there before and numerous dealers have survived.

Analyze the problem as if it were someone else’s problem, and compose a short letter as if you were giving advice to another dealer. The advice should be to get professional help. A storm at sea, calls for seasoned sailors. No one would want a crew with little experience in storms, unfamiliar with navigation, no charts, no radar and no one to call upon for advice. A dealer with a SOT problem is in a big storm, except it won’t go away with time. Without help, the dealer’s family, friends and employees will all be affected. The dealer has to make tough decisions, or time will make them-and the dealer will not like the decisions time makes.

At the time the lender has the second meeting, referred to above, wherein the lender wants the dealer to sign the work-out agreement, the dealer should be prepared to structuring of the work-out plan, the handling of a keeper, the method of repayment and such.

As soon as you know you are OT, your first call should be to us (or someone as experienced as us) and your second call (after visiting with us, your attorney and accountant) should be to the credit company. Telling the credit company you have sold and unpaid units before they tell you, is vital to establishing a foundation upon which to build a work-out plan. At the same time, Automotive Advisors’ experience is vital to the dealer and the dealer’s attorney and accountant, in providing constructive suggestions and in planning and recognizing realistic options.

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Source by John Pico J.D.

How to Paint a Car Picture

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So why is painting a picture of a car so hard compared to say a flower? Well, the main thing here with cars is if you don’t carry out every line in perfect proportion, if you just happen to make one little mistake then it can completely ruin the whole painting. The reason behind this is our brains are very good at remembering shapes and details around it. While a pink tulip can have different shades, come in different sizes, have different leaves etc, a car model remains the same, so when faced with a difference our brain will tend to spot it right away.

The idea is when you decide to start your next car painting, try to take your time and don’t rush the early stages, i am referring here to the part where you try to get all of the proportions right before starting to shade or paint your creation. Don’t let it get you down if you are not extremely talented with shading techniques or not the even the best with colors when you draw cars. The fact of the matter is, if you don’t manage to get the proportions right at the beginning the end result is usually a disaster. So you need to understand before going any further how important it is to get the proportions right. Which leaves us with the question of How do you do it? How do I do it?

Your first step is to start out with a clean sheet of paper, most preferably a pretty big one. Then go and find a picture of a car that inspires you to draw, a good picture of a car. This picture will now be used as a reference for your car painting or drawing.

Start of by drawing some soft lines on the paper, you want to try and get the general box proportion right. By box proportion I am referring to the most basic lines of the drawing such as the roof and bottom of the car. After having accomplished that, then start by adding on to your picture the front or rear of the car. This will probably be determined by how the car is positioned on your reference picture.

When you feel like you have done this and feel as if you have really nailed those lines well, then the next step will be to move on and start adding the small details to your picture such as the door handel’s, windows and the headlights etc. The next tip here is to not start doing the wheels to early because those are usually the hardest part. When you are happy with your overall lines of your car painting/picture then do the wheels. Then you need to take a well deserved break. Yes you heard right, make a cuppa take a time out. Why you might be asking? Well, this is an important step of the creation process as when you come back in an hour or so you will probably start to notice little things that need to be corrected which you didn’t happen to notice while you were drawing the car. So now add the small details and remember don’t start to shade and paint the car until you feel very satisfied with the cars shape and details. When you fell like you are happy with your design, then I would suggest you start to shade it carefully. Now how you shade it correctly is whole other topic topic, which I will be covering on my next article.

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Source by Lilly Jay

How To Hotwire A Car In An Emergency: 2 Surprisingly Easy Techniques

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When in a survival situation, it can be hard to know which way is up. Some skills that are frowned upon in conventional society actually come in handy in times likes this. For instance, have you ever heard of hotwiring a car? This is the process where someone starts a car but without a key. It’s something that is often seen in blockbuster movies and will be useful if you have misplaced your keys or if you must get out of town during an emergency or survival situation.

Interested in learning more? Keep reading for instruction on how to hotwire a car in an emergency so you can get moving once again.

What You Need

Before we begin, it’s important to note that, while hotwiring is an important skill to have in your bag of tricks, it’s also illegal and can land you in jail if used for nefarious purposes. We are not promoting any such activities here.

Also, the following methods are better suited for older model vehicles, especially the ones that don’t need microchip activation to start.

When you are learning how to hotwire a car in an emergency, it’s good to know about certain parts of the car as well as how they function i.e. what to touch and what to leave alone. In this way, when it’s necessary, you can start your car easily and safely.

But, that’s not all – you must also learn about the tools that you will need for the job. Thus, the second thing you must do is gather the materials that you will need – every car owner should have these on hand in case of emergency:

** Insulated gloves

** Driver’s License

** Proof of ownership

** Wire stripper

** Flat-bladed screwdriver

The Screwdriver

This method is much simpler and thus, should be tried first. But, you should also know that although it’s a relatively effective method used to disable the lock pins, it’s use will permanently damage the key mechanism. In other words, any screwdriver, key, or even flat piece of metal will be able to start the car from now on:

** Drill about 2/3 of an inch into the keyhole, where the inner flap starts.

** Remove the drill bit and let the lock bits fall into place

** Repeat as needed, until all the bits are in position

** Insert a flat head screwdriver into the keyhole and start the car normally.

If this method doesn’t work, don’t worry. You can use the screwdriver again for step two – as long as it didn’t get stuck in the ignition cover.

The Literal Hot Wire Method

Before we delve deeper into this particular step, it is important to note that you must use extreme caution when undertaking this task. Take your time so you will be sure to avoid painful electrical shocks and discomfort.

If you choose to use this method, you will have to rewire the car and bypass the ignition system, hence the name. The directions are as follows:

** The first thing you must do is to figure out if you can disable the steering wheel lock. Simply, remove the steering shaft from the back of the steering wheel. You will be looking for a little disk that looks like it can fit a key, remove it if possible.

** Use a screwdriver and remove the access cover that’s beneath the steering wheel.

** Next, look for two red wires, remove a ½ inch of insulation off of each end and twist the wires together, making sure that the exposed wires aren’t touching any metal. These wires must stay connected at all times.

** Find the brown wire and strip about ½ inch insulation of the end.

** Touch the end of the brown wire against the twisted ends of the red wires until the engine ignites.

Once you have the engine going, it is important to note that you must keep the red and brown wires separate, to avoid sparks which can drain the battery.

Important Considerations

To put it simply, the actual process of hotwiring a vehicle is easy. But, there are certain precautions that you should take before undertaking this task to ensure a successful result. For instance:

** Use caution when you are messing with the wiring and check with the Owner’s Manual for specific instruction about the wires and color coding for your specific model.

** Always wear insulated gloves when you are working on wires, as their exposed ends carry a powerful live current which can hurt you.

** After you get the car started initially, pull the wires apart and tape your ends to avoid getting electrocuted when you are driving.

** Modern cars feature microchip and transponder systems for getting the ignition unlocked, and if you try to hotwire them, it may set off an alarm.

The Conclusion

There’s nothing worse than being in a terrifying situation – where you have to move quickly – but you can’t find your car keys. Before panic sets in, take a step back and breathe. The above steps should provide you with all you need to hotwire your car in an emergency where staying put is just not an option.

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Source by Jeffrey Howie

The Jaws of Life

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Auto accidents are an unfortunate part of life. Even though traveling by car is becoming safer and safer, the reality is that you or someone you love will likely be involved in a car accident at some point in time.

Half of the battle of surviving a car accident is the safety precautions resident in the car itself. Things like seat belts, airbags, and crash zones can directly improve your chances of surviving a car accident during the event itself, but what happens after the wreck? When emergency personnel arrive on the scene, what can they do to extract you from the totaled vehicle?

Perhaps one of the most common, but widely misunderstood auto accident survival devices are hydraulic rescue tools, frequently referred to by their trademarked name “Jaws of Life.” This innovative set of tools has a number of unique advantages over older, less effective and even dangerous tools like saws, axes and crowbars.

Saws are useful in some applications, but can cause sparks when cutting through metal, which can be dangerous at car accident scenes due to the presence of flammable liquids and vapors. They also tend to be rather loud, which can further antagonize a victim that has already been traumatized by a car accident, and not every saw can cut through the strong materials used by auto manufacturers in most modern cars.

Axes and crowbars are also moderately effective, due to the fact they are limited by the strength of the user and the structural integrity of the car. In some cases of severe car accidents the motion of an axe or crowbar used to pry open a stuck door or collapsed roof can actually cause the bulk of the car to shift, endangering victim and rescuers alike.

Hydraulic rescue tools circumvent those dangers and provide a number of other important safety features. Their strong jaws can cut through most materials without causing sparks, and as the jaws clap shut they can hold the cut material together, unlike a saw which merely separates the two pieces.

Furthermore, the same action that cuts a piece of metal can also be used to separate crushed materials. The hydraulic jaws simply act in reverse and spread apart, and this action can be strong enough to lift a damaged car off the ground and delicate enough not to disturb and risk further injury to a person that has suffered a spinal injury or traumatic head wound.

The “Jaws of Life” were so named because of a number of reasons. One of the inventors was named Jack Allen Watson, and he signed his initials onto design documents, which gave the device its first name. The device often also has two toothed mandibles that in fact strongly resemble a set of jaws from some monstrous animal.

Perhaps the best, and most lasting reason the Jaws of Life got their name is due to their basic function. Car accidents often involve situations where the right tool for the right job could mean the difference between life and death. Hydraulic rescue tools like the Jaws of Live could very well snatch people back from the jaws of death, and that notion helped cement this important tool with an iconic and brand trademarked name that thousands of people depend on each year.

There is no doubt that if you are involved in a car accident, you have a number of things on your mind. Should this traumatic situation happen to you, keep in mind that help is on the way, and that there will be Jaws of Life to help save yours.

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Source by Bryan Snyder

The Functional and Stylish Benefits of Chain Wallets

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Since the beginning of men’s fashion, chain wallets have made its way into the lives of men. The idea of wallet chains originated from bikers even before they became popular with punk rockers in the 1970’s. The use of chains became ideal when bikers wanted a way to keep their wallets from falling out of their pockets while they are cruising or racing on their motorcycles. Just like any other product available to the people in the U.S, a wallet that consists of a security chain is a necessity.

Leather biker chain wallets became popular amongst punk rockers and grunge enthusiasts during the 1970’s and 1980’s. The most featured type was the black leather with a heavy gauge chain. Heavy metal enthusiasts found that the tough look of such wallets played an essential role in their appearance. Biker wallets are not only for appearances sake, but the usefulness of a chain wallet is the one major contributor its popularity and success.

The latest development is the trucker wallet which consists of a wallet chain for security. It is a great twist to an existing product, these trucker wallets are created with more pockets to easily store receipts and other paper slips that a trucker may need to keep throughout the day. By owning a chain wallet, truckers no longer have to fret about losing their wallet during their everyday workload and they do not have to think about easily being a victim to preying pick pockets during the night. Truckers do not have to run back and forth to their truck for a forgotten piece of paper or card because there is enough storage available to carry and organize all their essentials. Because of the design of increased storage, these wallets are much larger in size compared to ordinary wallets. If you are not comfortable with larger sized wallets, this may not be the style for you. You would probably be better of purchasing a traditional or smaller sized version that may or may not consist of a chain.

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Source by Dessie Campbell

Scope of Online Furniture Rental in India

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On an average an Indian living in a city moves once in three years, whether for work, education, or health-care. This simply calls the hassles of relocation. Apart from the difficulties faced while making arrangements for your journey and resettling in the new place, a relocation also means either dumping the furniture or selling it at very low-cost. Furniture, in the first place is quite expensive. In fact, furniture is the third most costly purchase that one makes. The first two being a house and a car. To call a flat – a home, it requires furniture, otherwise it will be just an empty space, and people willingly spend a lot on buying furniture. The furniture, in certain ways, mirrors the owner. It shows the owner’s taste of living. No wonder, why furniture is often associated with the owner’s class.

As wanting the best is the human behavior, one also looks for the best when it comes to picking furniture. However, to tell the truth, not everyone can have the furniture that they desire for a number of factors. The high cost plays a major factor here, plus, there is the problem of frequent relocation. Today someone who is 25-30 years old is still not sure of the city they want to get settled in. Still, they want everything even if it is out of their budget. Besides, buying a costly furniture is only ideal if you are going to stay in one place for at least four years. If you are relocating within 3 years, you have to sell the costly furniture at a rate which is less than half of the original cost. And in most of the cases, you have to just dump them.

So instead of buying the furniture, it is smart to rent them. Renting is not a new term, and has always been there. However, for the most part, it is fragmented and disorganized, constrained to certain limits. Online renting, on the other hand, is well-organized, easy and convenient, and it is growing at a very fast pace. In just a period of last three years around 100 online rental companies have come up, many of which were established in 2015.

Furniture industry is growing fast in India, and is expected to grow more than $32 billion by 2019, making it one of the fastest growing industries. The online furniture rental in India is still a new concept. It is most handy for those who are hopping places in a short time period and can’t afford to buy high-priced furniture. Expats, students, and young professionals are going to benefit the most. For a small monthly rental they can get access to a wide range of luxurious furniture. There are even online rental services that provide furniture rentals for office use.

Traditionally, Indians want to own things, but the time is changing and so is one’s attitude towards rental furniture. The good thing is that the furniture industry is growing, and renting furniture is quickly picking trend amongst the people. Most of the people who rent furniture are in the age window of 22 to 35 years and have a decent income. They are basically the young professionals looking for a fancy lifestyle and don’t believe in hoarding.

If one puts all the parameters together, online furniture rental makes complete sense where one can use the furniture as per the convenience and pay as per the budget, without having the need of owning the furniture. The user base is huge, and entrepreneurs and investors should keep a check on online furniture rental industry as it is certain to grow.

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Source by Sudeep Thapa

Mini Oil Change – Changing the Oil in Your Classic Mini Automobile

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Changing the oil in your Classic Mini is easy to do, yet you’d be amazed how many people pay garages to do this.

To carry out the oil change yourself you will need the following:

  • A 5 litre container of new oil
  • A new oil filter
  • A large spanner
  • A screwdriver set
  • An oil filter removal tool or large flat-headed screwdriver
  • A funnel
  • A clean rag
  • An oil tray

First, run your Mini engine for five minutes in order to heat up the oil in the engine. Then park the Mini on a level surface and turn off the engine and open up the bonnet.

Using the large spanner, unscrew the sump plug on the side of the sump beneath the car. Make sure you place an oil tray underneath the car to catch the oil.

When the oil is flowing out of the sump, unscrew the oil filler cap on top of the engine to allow the oil to flow faster.

A Mini engine and gearbox will hold over 4 litres of oil. If the container you are using to catch the oil cannot hold this amount, replace the sump plug to stop the flow of oil while you empty the container. I find it useful to keep an old oil container in which to empty the used oil. Use a funnel to prevent spillage.

While the oil is draining out of the engine, remove the front grill using your screwdriver set to gain access to the oil filter.

Eventually the oil will trickle to a few drips a minute. What I like to do next is to pour in some new oil into the top of the engine using a funnel, and let that drain through. It will come out black at first as it collects gunk along the way. When it starts coming out looking like it went in, clean the drain plug of all oil and metal filings with a clean rag. Use the rag to clean the grooves of the sump hole as well so that it is free of metal filings. You can also pour some new oil onto a clean rag and smooth it into the sump hole and over the sump plug.

Next screw the sump plug back in until tight, but don’t go mad and try to over tighten it. It’s tight enough if no oil drips out when you fill it back up.

Mini oil filters can be hard to remove, which is why you can buy oil filter removal tools. Use the oil filter removal tool to remove the old oil filter. With the old Mini oil filter removed, dab some new oil onto a clean rag and clean the oil filter seal on both the engine and the new oil filter.

Screw the new Mini oil filter onto the engine making sure that your hands and the filter casing are not covered in oil, which can cause slippage and prevent a tight seal. Replace the front grill.

With the sump plug back in place and the new oil filter fitted, start pouring new oil into the top of the engine through the filler hole using the funnel, and let it settle. Keep topping up the oil until the dipstick level reads close to max.

Replace the oil filler cap and close the bonnet. Take the car for a short drive around the block and then park it up and allow the engine to cool down.

Once the engine is cold you will find that the oil level has dropped. Remove the filler cap and top up the oil until the oil level reaches max.

You should find that your Classic Mini runs a lot better after an oil change. I could not believe the difference an oil change made to my Mini in both terms of performance and how smooth the engine ran.

It is worth giving your Mini a regular oil change. Check your oil level periodically, and if the oil on your dipstick starts looking a little black, it’s time for another change.

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Source by David Flint