New businesses in their first year of trading have a flexible option to fund their new business cars instead of just buying them. It's called Flexi Hire, and it's just been launched by Fleet Alliance, the Glasgow-based business car solutions provider.

Flexi Hire is not just for start ups. It's useful for established companies that need more flexible car provision – such as new starters on probation, or simply small businesses that don't want to be tied to a long term lease.

"We have sought to provide our business customers with a greater flexibility and wider choice in terms of meeting their mobility needs," said Martin Brown, managing director at Fleet Alliance.

"Flexi Hire fits between short term or daily rental of vehicles and more traditional, longer term contract hire, and greatly increases the number of options for customers. It is very much complementary to our contract hire offering and we see it as a product for these harsher economic times," he said.

Fleet Alliance says there are several benefits to Flexi Hire:

• No long term contract to sign thus avoiding tying up valuable cashflow
• Maintenance costs, road fund licence and breakdown cover included in the Flexi Hire price
• No termination penalties thus providing risk-free mobility
• Flexibility to change the type of vehicle at any time
• No initial capital outlay
• No mileage penalties

Vehicles can also be delivered to one business location and collected from another, to suit customer requirements. Fleet Alliance has now appointed Martin Gray as fleet solutions manager responsible for the new product.

Originally featured in Business Car Manager (March 2010).