How to start a bike plan at work?

Situation: you recently read an interesting article about the company bicycle that inspired you enormously. Or better: you went to a pub with a friend who arrived with a brand new electric bike and couldn't contain his enthusiasm. In short: you have been inspired to embrace the company bicycle within your professional organisation. So how do you get started?

Step 1: What is the purpose of the company bicycle?

The first question you need to ask yourself is very simple: what do you want to use the company bicycle for?

• Commuting: do you want to make the company bicycle available to your employees for commuting purposes? Then you can go for a 'salary bicycle' (a bicycle that is processed through the employees' wages) or organise a group purchase.
• Work-related travel: do you want to use the company bicycle for work-related activities? Then you can make the bicycle available as a pool bicycle. Perhaps you can use a cargo bicycle to create some more loading volume.

Commuting function

Currently, the 'salary bike' is very popular. With a salary bicycle, the cost of the bicycle is processed through a gross salary exchange. Because of the (para-)fiscal advantages, the bicycle is net cheaper than a private purchase for the employee and cost-neutral for the employer.

A gross wage exchange is sometimes impossible due to sector-wide measures such as pay scales or a statutory wage. In that case, the (para-)fiscal measures are no longer applicable and a group purchase might be more interesting.

A group purchase is a favourable purchase formula combined with free maintenance and possible accessories. This model is arranged by the company or public service, but it concerns a private purchase. The employee thus buys the package directly.

Both bicycles may also be used for private purposes.

Work commuting

Do you want to use the company bicycle during the hours? Then a pool bike or cargo bike is the solution. Here too, there are obvious fiscal and functional advantages.

The use of these bicycles is limited to journeys for professional activities or work commuting. So you cannot use the bike for private journeys if you want to benefit from the VAT deduction.

Step 2: Which formula do I choose?

You have made your choice. Well done! Step 2 is very simple. How do you want to acquire the company bicycle: via leasing or purchase?

• Bicycle leasing: you rent the bicycle for 36 months including a number of services such as annual maintenance, comprehensive damage and theft insurance and a breakdown assistance formula. Compare it to an all-in formula on holiday, everything is included.
• Bicycle purchase: you buy the bicycle and optionally take some extra services à la carte. The better 'bed & breakfast', in other words.

Each company has its own individuality and may therefore have different preferences. If you have a strong cash flow, a bicycle purchase is often chosen over an operational bicycle lease. Organisations that wish to offer salary bicycles may then more readily opt for a lease package. After all, the extra services are also eligible for the (para)fiscal advantage.

Step 3: Start-to-bike

Now all you have to do is choose the bicycle supplier and start up the bicycle plan.

Bike plan

The intensity of setting up a bike plan varies with its function and with whether the bike plan is part of a wider mobility policy. Setting up salary bicycles requires more organisation than purchasing a cargo bicycle.

Specifically, there are a number of elements that can be considered in a bicycle plan. At Joule, we are happy to help with the various dimensions of the bicycle plan:

• Administration: recording and making agreements with a bicycle supplier, communication with social secretariat, drawing up a bicycle policy
• Communication: survey and presentation employees, test days, advisory sessions and possible bicycle training sessions
• Order process: order cycle, approval and delivery
• Permanence: What in case of breakdown, maintenance and repair?
• Personalisation: employer branding by personalising accessories or even bicycles.

Bike supplier

OK, we are not entirely neutral in this piece. But honestly, our customers find our service and support for the bicycle plan excellent.

Joule is a B2B bike supplier. This means that we offer company bikes (salary bikes, cargo bikes, pool bikes, group purchases) including full service (maintenance, repair and warranty). We work as a distributor for 12 brands and offer a maintenance service at work. For companies and other organisations. From one-man businesses to public limited companies.

A one-stop-bike shop.