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Small Business Safety Tips: Business Property

Possible accidents: Fire occurs due to outdated or old wiring damaging both the building your business owns and some of your equipment inside A roof leak causes significant damage to the goods in your warehouse Computers and media equipment are stolen from your place of business over the weekend How can I protect my building/premises, equipment, and materials from water damage and fires? The following questions point out basic building maintenance and fire prevention controls that should be in place: Is the building’s exterior structure, including all equipment, in good condition? Are drain pipes, signs, tanks, fences, canopies, etc. secured?… Read More »Small Business Safety Tips: Business Property

Laws Regarding the Recording of Phone Calls

Many businesses and other organizations record their phone calls so that they can document business transactions, train their employees, and improve customer service. It is extremely important to seek legal advice from an attorney if you are considering recording telephone calls or oral communication between parties. This article is not meant to serve as legal advice. However, we want to remind that there are federal and state laws regarding this practice. Florida, for example, is a “two-party consent” state, which requires that all parties of a conversation must give consent when one party wants to record a phone conversation. This includes the… Read More »Laws Regarding the Recording of Phone Calls

Text Alert System Warns Users about Disasters

Wireless carriers and the federal government are launching a system to automatically warn people of dangerous weather and other emergencies via a special type of text messaging to cell phones, USA Today reports. This is the first national service by the federal government and the wireless industry. The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, which begins this month, is free, and consumers won’t have to sign up. Warnings will be location-based: If you’re traveling, you’ll get an alert for whatever emergency is happening where you are. WEA is a collaboration by the wireless industry, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Emergency… Read More »Text Alert System Warns Users about Disasters

Five Ways to Grow in Any Market

These are difficult times… but “Best Practice” businesses continue to thrive in any market economy. What are their secrets? Here are easy five ways to get your entity back on the path of growth. 1. Strengthen your value proposition. Make it stronger and promote it. These days people can buy anything anywhere but only a local professional can offer people highly personalized, consultative service. 2. Never offer one product or service; sell packages. Customers expert advice. 3. Increase your lists of prospects. Sources of new business prospects: your existing clients, previous clients and third party claimants. S 4. Seek referrals… Read More »Five Ways to Grow in Any Market

Top 10 States Vehicle Theft List

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported 2011 is on track for another consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts, but California still dominates the top 10 list for areas highest auto theft rates. Seven of the top 10 areas were in California, mostly in the central and northern portion of the state. The report is a reflection of vehicle thefts on a per capita basis, and the authors of the report note that an area with a much smaller population and a moderate number of thefts can, and often does, have a higher theft rate than an area with a much… Read More »Top 10 States Vehicle Theft List

Home Foreclosure Prevention Program in R.I.

Only about one-third of the more than $79 million available from a federal foreclosure prevention program in Rhode Island has been spent to help struggling homeowners. Some states have spent a far lower percentage of their Hardest Hit Fund allocations than Rhode Island. Andrea Risotto, a Treasury Department spokeswoman, said that as of the end of May, states had drawn almost $1 billion from the $7.6 billion available to help homeowners make their mortgage payments. As of the end of last month, about $650 million of the total — or about 9 percent — had actually been spent, she said,… Read More »Home Foreclosure Prevention Program in R.I.

What is Loan Gap Coverage

When a financed vehicle is declared a total loss and your insured’s outstanding loan balance is greater than the actual cost value of the vehicle, an insurance carrier will pay the difference between the outstanding loan balance and the actual cash value of the vehicle. Who Benefits Most:  An owner of the financed vehicle. Claim Scenario:  Like many small business owners, Jane financed the Ford F350 truck she uses for her gardening business. Just a year after purchase, her employee totaled the vehicle on the highway between customer sites. Due to the steep depreciation in vehicle value, particularly in the first year of ownership, the truck was worth less than the… Read More »What is Loan Gap Coverage

New Commercial Auto product has officially launched!

Hurry up and quote today! Lowered the threshold for schedule rating to one vehicle! Automatic reporting proof of coverage to the CA DMV! Introduction of 10% account credit when auto is written with a Spectrum policy! Multi-State risks w/ CA exposure can now be written in Sentinel! The iPhone mobile app is here! Get ID cards, report a claim, upload accident photos… Everything right at your fingertips! So….What are some of our target classes??? Retailers – including auto parts and supplies, bakery store, book store, wine store, vitamin store Wholesalers – including beauty supplies distributor, clothing distributor, drapery distributor, hardware distributor… Read More »New Commercial Auto product has officially launched!

Building Codes Study Results 2012

FL and VA have received good marks in a survey that looks at building codes in hurricane-prone states. The Tampa-based Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety conducted an analysis, evaluation, and comparison of building code and enforcement systems for residential buildings in the 18 states most vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes in the U.S. Florida and Virginia both scored the highest, with 95 out of 100 possible points. Institute spokesman Joseph King said last week the two states did well due to a combination of strong statewide residential building codes and comprehensive regulatory processes for the building code officials, contractors, and subcontractors.… Read More »Building Codes Study Results 2012