With today’s busy schedules, long commutes and hi-tech lifestyles, more and more companies and individuals are opting to work from home.

If you or your company is in a position where working from home is a viable option, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration before you can settle down to a full day’s work.

One of the most important aspects of setting up a home office is to ensure that you have a serviceable and reliable network connection installed. This will to allow you to always stay up-to-date and connected to all of your clients. A good home office network requires an equally good internet line. There are many network options on the market today so be sure to get the best deal from a reliable network provider.

Furnishing your office is the next important issue. A comfortable chair and a user friendly desk are vital. Then find a dealer who specialises in home computers and software and find a computer and accompanying software that suits your needs, be it a design computer, an accounting programme or one with extra large storage capabilities.

In order to ensure that you home office functions effectively, you might also have to take into consideration that you will need a good printer and fax system, along with your network. Also consider whether or not you will be seeing clients in your home office, and if space for a boardroom may be necessary. Storage space is also vital for files and folders, books and pens and all the office paraphernalia that follows.  An untidy office gives a negative impression to clients and can also lead to lost or sloppy work.

A clean and well designed home office is a pleasure to all who work in it and to your clients.  So once all of these basic elements of your home office are in place you can get down to business.

To ensure your home office is in top working order, visit Full Control Networks for all of your home office network needs.  

While recently released British Crime Survey (BCS) statistics suggest that crime has stabilised and in some cases even declined, it would be wise for vehicle owners to remain alert regarding vehicle security. Incidences of vandalism, theft and burglary are still high enough to be of concern.

Based on the 2008/09 BCS, vehicle related theft figures have remained stable. This has been largely attributed to the fact that newer cars are harder to steal. Over 90% of all vehicle-owning households surveyed reported that their primary vehicle had central locking, while 67% reported that it had an alarm. Of all the cars and vans reported stolen during this period, only 64% had central locking and 40% had an alarm. 

Since 2007 the Home Office has collected data about instances of vehicle theft occurring during burglaries. These are generally referred to as ‘car key’ burglaries. Overall, 7% of home burglaries in the latest survey involved the theft of a vehicle, compared to 6% as reported in the previous report released in 2007/08. Car keys were stolen in 9% of burglaries, even if the vehicle wasn’t taken at the same time.  

Between 2007/08 and 2008/09 a decrease in the number of vehicle related offences was recorded by the police. The report revealed that motor vehicle theft declined by 14%. The most common types of car theft involve forced ignition, vehicles being towed and thieves using car keys to gain access to the vehicle.

Extra security devices can lower car insurance premiums, as protected vehicles pose a lower risk. In addition such vehicles are less likely to be stolen, and therefore less likely to result in the inconvenience of a claim.

About Prudential Insurance

Prudential is a leading UK provider of affordable car insurance policies. Their motor insurance policies offer protection against fire, theft and third party claims. Visit http://www.pru.co.uk/insurance_protection/car_insurance/ for more information or a free car insurance quote today.

Theincidence of insurance fraud in the UK is alarmingly high. An estimated£5.2 million worth of fraudulent insurance claims are processed and approved onany given day. These undetected financial losses have caused the average UK insurancepolicy premium to rise by £44 per month.

TheAssociation of British Insurers (ABI) has revealed that one in five peoplewould still consider submitting a fraudulent insurance claim despite the dangerof being caught. Getting caught could result in a criminal record and strugglingto obtain financial services access in the future. When the number of adultsthat own an insurance policy is taken into account, the magnitude of theproblem becomes clearly visible. According to the ABI, more than 90% of Britishadults use at least one insurance product.

Arecent insurance study reveals that up to 36,000 parents in the UKlist their children as spouses on their car insurancepolicies. This decreases their premiums, yet can effectively be prosecuted asfraud. TCF Corporate, a UKfraud solutions company, states that opportunistic retail fraud is the mostcommon type of fraud. This means that individuals exaggerate actual claims toincrease their payouts.

‘Crashfor cash’ – the practice of causing an accident in order to claim for money –is a fairy new phenomenon, but already creating quite a problem for UK insurers. A‘crash for cash’ scam typically involves two parties staging an accident inorder to claim from their insurance providers. Centenery Way in Manchesterhas been highlighted as the UK’shotspot for these types of schemes. The M65 in Lancashireis another known hotspot for this type of scam.

Accordingto UK insurance specialist Direct Line, the claims of these scams total around£350 million every year and play a huge part in the increase of honest drivers’car insurance premiums.

AboutPrudential Insurance

Prudential is a leading UK provider of affordable carinsurance. Their motor insurance policiesoffer comprehensive protection or protection against fire, theft andthird party claims. Visit http://www.pru.co.uk/insurance_protection/car_insurance/ for more information or a free car insurance quote today.