Want a safer workplace? try an incentive program
A safe workplace is nearly impossible to attain without full employee cooperation. Therefore, implementing an incentive program may prove helpful. By providing small rewards to those who demonstrate safe behavior, you may motivate your workers to help reduce on-the-job accidents, which may, in turn, help reduce your insurance costs.

Computer security: breaking the code
Security breaches on the information superhighway are an increasingly serious problem for corporate America. Hackers, computer viruses, and fraud may wreak havoc that could be financially devastating. Such losses associated with computer break-ins could threaten any business.

The ABCs of an EPLI policy
More frequently, businesses are experiencing a host of employment-related lawsuits, including claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Invasion of privacy claims stemming from employer monitoring of voicemail, email, office computer systems, and the Internet are also on the rise.

How ergonomics can boost productivity
 As a business owner, did you know you may be able to cut costs and boost productivity by establishing an ergonomics program? Ergonomics is the science of modifying job tasks, equipment, tools, and the work environment to an individual worker's needs.

Health and safety laws for working teens
Every industry has its unique occupational hazards. For instance, food service jobs may expose workers to slippery floors, hot cooking equipment, and sharp objects. Janitorial work may require contact with hazardous chemicals in industrial cleaning supplies.

Using life insurance for business ends
Life insurance is an important component of many business arrangements. While most business owners are familiar with life insurance as an employee benefit, many may not be aware of the variety of other potential business uses.

Little-known facts about flood insurance
 FloodSmart.gov, the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP, 2010), reports that flood losses during the ten-year period of 1994 to 2004 totaled more than $2.4 billion dollars. Considering its relatively low cost and accompanying peace of mind, flood insurance may be a valuable addition to your business insurance program.

The basics of small business health insurance
Health insurance is one of the most important benefits a company can offer to its employees. A good health insurance plan that balances quality and cost can help you attract and retain qualified employees. However, many small employers do not offer health insurance.

In the aftermath: ordinance or law endorsement
Imagine that a sudden fire swept through the building that once housed your business, destroying over half of the property and its contents. After such a catastrophe, you learn that local ordinances require you to demolish the remainder of the building.

Termite prevention for business owners
In the natural world, termites digest cellulose and break down the wood of fallen and dead trees, thus facilitating the natural cycle of decomposition. In the business world, however, termites aren't quite so benevolent.

Product liability insurance: who's at risk?
Rigorous manufacturing standards and enhanced quality control are perhaps the best ways to prevent a product liability lawsuit. But things are not always that simple.

Security and your business
Burglaries can happen to any company, no matter its size, location, or business type. Fortunately, there are things you can do that may help make your business more resistant to crime.

Protecting your business on the road
When an employee drives for business purposes, your company is technically behind the wheel. Whether the trip involves one employee driving his or her car to a supply store or several delivery vans, your company could be held responsible for any accident that might occur during the trip.

Electronic commerce and communication: a few insurance tips
Business opportunities in the virtual world of electronic commerce abound, but they inherently include exposure to risks and possible losses. In fact, business owners who operate in cyberspace may be subject to risks that are not necessarily covered under their insurance policies.

When disaster strikes, business income insurance to the rescue!
Recent disasters have prompted business owners to evaluate their disaster preparedness, risk management, and insurance programs. If a natural disaster were to force you to temporarily suspend business operations, how would you meet your payroll obligations or cover other fixed costs?

Insurance certificates: the key to effective risk management
If your business hires contractors and other vendors, it may be important for you to confirm that these vendors have appropriate insurance coverage. In the event of a problem caused by the work of a hired subcontractor, you may be held liable if that vendor does not have proper coverage.

Auto theft: how to avoid becoming a victim
Auto theft is a common and costly occurrence. A motor vehicle is stolen every 28.8 seconds in America, according to the FBI's 2007 Uniform Crime Report. Many stolen vehicles are never found, and those that are recovered are often stripped, vandalized, or destroyed.

Office theft: cause for alarm
In response to growing concern about crime, nationwide efforts to curb burglary and other crimes have increased. Your business can take steps to help fight crime on your property by investing in a quality alarm system.

How crime-resistant is your business?
Crime and violence are everywhere?on the nightly news, in the movies, on TV, and maybe even at the business down the street. Nevertheless, you may think crime will never find its way to your business.

Guidelines for employment record-keeping
Good recordkeeping can help minimize your risk in the highly regulated arena of employment. There are Federal and state regulations regarding how long certain records must be kept in order to protect an employee?s privacy, meet auditing standards, and serve as documentation in the event of a lawsuit.

Being your own boss
Running a business out of your home can be a lifestyle shift, particularly if you share your space with family or a roommate. It may not be as easy to leave work at the office when the office is at home.

Protecting customers from identity theft
Identity theft can have devastating financial and psychological consequences. When thieves make purchases, empty bank accounts, or take out loans under other people?s names, it can take months, or even years, for those who are victimized to restore their good credit.

Workers compensation: a time-honored benefit
Workers compensation has interesting roots. While you might think the concept originated during the industrial revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it actually dates back to the 17th century on the high seas.

Weathering the storm: is your business protected against mother nature?
No matter where your business is located, various forms of severe weather can pose a serious threat to your property. Whether from a hurricane, tornado, flood, or blizzard, inclement weather may leave a trail of widespread damage. Sometimes, the damage to a building and its surrounding property is minor; at other times, it may be catastrophic.

The benefits of key employee life insurance
If you employ a key person who significantly contributes to the success of your business, have you considered how losing such an employee could impact your operations? Key employee life insurance can help protect your business from the financial consequences of a key employee death. Consider the following hypothetical case.

Guarding against dangerous gases
You can't see them, you can't taste them, you can't even smell them, but they may be lurking in your place of business. Both carbon monoxide and radon can be a danger to you, your employees, and your customers. Similar to lead, carbon monoxide and radon enter the bloodstream through breathing, and high levels of ingestion can cause serious health problems.

Taking on a risk management role
There may not be anything unusual about your day today, but you never know what tomorrow has in store. Overnight, a theft, natural disaster, fire, or lawsuit could affect your business dramatically. Therefore,risk management deserves a top ranking on your list of priorities.

Is a “BOP” right for your business?
Considering all the things that can go wrong with a business, small business owners may be considered risk takers. However, there are two risk exposures that any business owner can ill-afford to overlook: property loss due to perils, such as fire, theft, and wind or water damage, and liability loss for injuries sustained by individuals while on business premises and/or during operation of the business.

Recovering quickly after a computer disaster
Suppose you open your doors for business one morning only to discover that water damage from heavy rains the night before has shorted out your computer equipment, leaving your automated systems inoperative. Or, perhaps, an overnight power failure has wiped out a large portion of your critical electronic records. Without warning, your entire business operation could be in jeopardy.

Using life insurance for business ends
Life insurance is an important feature of many business arrangements. While most business owners are familiar with providing life insurance as an employee benefit, many may not fully appreciate the variety of other business uses that are available.

Property and casualty insurance: covering life's uncertainties
Property and casualty insurance offers a cushion many business owners can reach for when their companies suffer a disaster or other loss. But, how do you know if you are carrying the right amount of coverage? On one hand, excess insurance could result in unnecessary expense to your company, but on the other, a shortage of the appropriate coverage could leave you with a large, untimely loss.

Reducing the effects of noise in the workplace
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, 2005), approximately 30 million workers in the U.S. are exposed to hazardous noise on the job each year. Extended noise exposure can cause a temporary ringing in the ears or other temporary changes in hearing (ears may feel stuffed up).

"Insure" success with your home-based business
Business owners with home- based companies face unique insurance considerations. Your homeowners or renters policy is not designed to protect your home-based business. In general, homeowners policies provide limited coverage (typically around $2,500) for business equipment.

Boiler and machinery insurance
When a mechanical, electrical, or pressure break- down occurs in your business, there?s no time to waste. Without the necessary equipment repairs, you may have to close shop until machines are up and running again.

Airport safety for business travelers
In this fast-moving world, many business owners, executives, and employees often find themselves, quite literally, up in the air.It is wise to remember that crime doesn?t stop at the airport terminal doors.

Precautions to prevent employee fraud
Is your company easy prey for employee fraud? Small to mid- sized businesses are especially vulnerable because they tend to place more trust in employees who have access to company assets, and they generally have fewer financial and security controls in place.

The importance of product liability insurance
In today's litigious society, businesses risk losing substantial sums in compensatory and punitive damages resulting from product–related accident and injury claims. Did you know your company could be sued if a customer is injured while using a product you manufacture, even if he or she used the product incorrectly or didn't follow directions?

The office party: consider liquor and liability
When planning company functions, business owners may question the appropriateness and circumstances surrounding the serving of alcohol as part of the festivities. While alcohol may seem to be a “fun extra” that adds to the party, businesses need to beware of the liability involved if an alcohol-related accident were to result.

Making your business more energy efficient
Over the last few decades, low energy prices have permitted U.S. companies to put energy efficiency near the bottom of their lists of business priorities. Poorly insulated buildings have been allowed to leak heat, computers and other equipment have been left on when not in use, and sales representatives have been allocated company cars that guzzle gas.

Auto theft?how to avoid becoming a victim
Auto theft is an all too common, and costly, occurrence. A motor vehicle is stolen every 26 seconds in America, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III, 2006). Many stolen vehicles are never found, and those that are recovered are often stripped, vandalized, or destroyed.

Protecting your business against mold
One of the worst effects of water damage comes in the form of mold. Whenever water enters a building, fungi commonly referred to as mold can form on a wide range of materials, including drywall, wood, and carpeting.

Guidelines for employment recordkeeping
Good recordkeeping can help minimize your risk in the highly regulated arena of employment. There are many federal and state regulations regarding how long certain records must be kept in order to protect an employee?s privacy, meet auditing standards, and serve as documentation in the event of a lawsuit.

Occupational safety and repetitive stress
If you spend time each day at a computer keyboard, you are probably familiar with one effect of repetitive stress—carpal tunnel syndrome, which can result in pain and/or numbness in the wrist and fingers.

Cleaning up after a disaster
Once the shock of a disaster wanes, it’s time to regroup and pick up the pieces. When cleaning up after a fire, storm, or flood, the business owner is left to decide what can be salvaged and what must be thrown away.

Insurance certificates: the key to effective risk management
If your business hires contractors and other vendors, it may be important for you to confirm that these companies have appropriate insurance coverage. In the event of a problem stemming from the work of a subcontractor you hire, you may be held liable if that company does not have the proper coverage.

Insurance claim tips
Consider what might happen if your company?s building was vandalized by a thief or damaged by a storm or fire. You know you should file an insurance claim, but the time and effort you believe it will take may cause you to delay this crucial process.

Six simple tips to trim auto insurance costs
Many business owners who use vehicles as a part of their operations recognize that auto insurance is an essential and valuable means of protection. However, increased repair costs, medical expenses, theft claims, and injury lawsuits are all adding to the cost of auto insurance.

Want a safer workplace? try an incentive program
Achieving a safe workplace is nearly impossible without full employee cooperation, so consider an incentive program. By providing small rewards to those who demonstrate safe behavior, you may motivate your workers to help you reduce on-the-job accidents, which may also help reduce your insurance costs.

Elements of an EPLI policy
In today’s litigious society, businesses are susceptible to a host of employment-related lawsuits, including claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and invasion of privacy. Such claims stem from employer monitoring of voicemail, email, office computer systems, and the Internet, as well as daily interactions between staff and management...

Securing your business—inside and out
Crime and violence seem to be everywhere—on the nightly news, in the movies, on television programs, and maybe even at the business down the street from you. Despite this fact, you may think it will never find its way to your company. Unfortunately, crime is often random in occurrence, and there’s no way of knowing who will be the next victim...

Do you need rental car insurance?
The cost of rental car insurance continues to increase each year. While, understandably, you may feel compelled to decline this coverage from the rental car agency, make sure you consider the following points first...

Building a company without adequate insurance: it?s risky business
You never know when disaster may strike, causing severe damage and disruption to your business operations. Business insurance should be considered a regular cost of doing business; it is important to expect the unexpected and manage your risks accordingly.

Professional liability insurance
Today, claims of “negligence” seem to arise more frequently than ever before. This is usually bad news for professionals, since the failure to provide reasonable service can be cited in many far-reaching situations and circumstances. Negligence may be claimed in conjunction with a mistake, an oversight, or a failure to deliver services in accordance with standards set by your peers...

Computer security: breaking the code
Security breaches on the information superhighway seem to be an increasingly serious problem for corporate America. Hackers, disgruntled employees, computer viruses, and fraud may wreak havoc that could threaten the stability and existence of any business...

Additional insured?not just a name
As a business owner, from time to time, you may enter into relationships with businesses, government agencies, other entities, or individuals. These relationships may expose you to risk, such as liability arising from another party’s negligence or faulty/hazardous products. “Hold harmless” agreements—provisions where one party assumes liability by indemnifying the first party—are a popular way to protect your company against potential liability; however, in many situations, it may be best if you are also covered as an additional insured by an insurance policy owned by that party.

Filling the gaps with endorsements
Companies may be hard-pressed to find affordable insurance policies that meet all of their business needs and objectives. Businesses concerned with stretching coverage over a wide array of possible risks could potentially broaden those policies by obtaining endorsements. Endorsements address exclusions and limitations under a basic insurance program. There may be many choices available for filling gaps in coverage.

The preferred course for business continuation
It takes years of hard work to build a successful and profitable business. To protect your investment, it is important to consider how you will keep the business running smoothly if something should happen to you or one of your business partners. Death, disability, or retirement of key shareholders can threaten the survival of your company if proper planning is not in place.

Protecting customers from identity theft
Identity theft can have devastating financial and psychological consequences for the individuals whose information is stolen. When thieves make purchases, empty bank accounts, or take out loans under peoples names, it can take months, or even years, for victims to restore their credit records.

Using life insurance for business ends
Life insurance is an important feature of many business arrangements. While most business owners are familiar with providing life insurance as an employee benefit, many may not fully appreciate the variety of other business uses that are available. Here are some of the more common ways you can use life insurance to help benefit and solidify your business:

Product liability insurance: who's at risk?
Lighter manufacturing standards and enhanced quality control are perhaps the ideal ways to prevent a product liability lawsuit. Manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers are increasingly at risk when customers incorrectly use their products and become injured.

Protecting your business against theft
All businesses are susceptible to crime associated with theft of their computers, office equipment, or cash. Generally, insurance coverage for theft is only a marginal provision under business policies and should be obtained under separate endorsements.

Workers compensation protects employer and employee
The idea of workers compensation has some strange roots. While you might think the concept has its origin in the industrial revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the notion actually dates to the 17th century and was born on the high seas.

Examine the health and safety laws for working teens
Every industry has its unique occupational hazards. For instance, food service jobs may expose workers to slippery floors, hot cooking equipment, and sharp objects. Janitorial work may include contact with hazardous chemicals.

Reduce workplace stress?improve your company?s health
In today?s increasingly demanding work world, it is not surprising that workplace stress is on the rise. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, 2005) reports that 40% of workers describe their jobs as ?very or extremely stressful? and 25% of employees view their jobs as the most stressful area of their lives.

Keep your business insurance current with regular reviews
With the varied tasks and responsibilities of a busi- ness owner, it is impossible to find time for everything. However, one thing you should not overlook is a regular business insurance review.

Environmental liability: a concern for businesses
Environmental liability: a concern for businesses usinesses of all sizes and types can potentially face pollution liability, the effects of which could be devastating to a company?s finances and its ability to continue business operations. For many, obtaining environmental impairment liability insurance coverage?either through a separate policy or by obtaining a specific endorsement?is becoming a critical part of risk management.

Making your business more energy efficient
Low energy prices over much of the last two decades have permitted U.S. companies to put improving energy efficiency near the bottom of their lists of business priorities. Taking the steps necessary to ensure your facilities, equipment, and vehicles are energy efficient is certainly an investment, but it is one that can bring substantial dividends.

Employee fraud: costly problem, low cost solution
Small to mid-sized businesses are often vulnerable to employee fraud because they tend to place more trust in employees who have access to company assets, and they generally have fewer financial and security controls in place. The most commonly targeted assets are cash, tangible assets, intellectual property, and time.

Scrambling to stay awake on the job
If it seems that, nowadays, employees look like they have not had a good night?s sleep for some time, it is probably because they have not. Em-ployee fatigue appears to be a growing problem for many companies. As a result, pressure on employees, as well as employers, is building.

Protecting your company from disaster
Recent catastrophic events, ranging from natural disasters to terrorist attacks, have clearly demonstrated that the homes, businesses, and communities Americans have invested in over many years can be wiped out in a matter of hours. While there is little you can do to prevent a disaster from striking, there are steps you can take to protect your business from ruin should you be faced with an emergency

E-commerce & communication: a few insurance tips
Business opportunities in the virtual world of electronic com- merce continue to grow, but this technology comes with exposure to risks and possible losses. In today’s Internet economy, business owners who operate in cyberspace may be subject to risks that are not necessarily covered under their insurance policies.

Report claims immediately
We are constantly looking for new and better ways to help control your insurance costs and improve our service to you. You can help us achieve both of these goals by immediately reporting any claims you may have or incidents that could possibly result in claims. We can then offer suggestions on what steps to take next and promptly notify your insurance company of the details.

An environmental issue: something in the air?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a grow- ing concern for many companies. Whether you are a business owner or building owner, you should take potential IAQ problems seriously.

Facts you should know about flood insurance
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA 2005) reports that flooding causes over $2 billion in property damages each year in the U.S. Considering its relatively low cost and attendant peace of mind, flood insurance may be a valuable addition to your business insurance program.