Equipment Protection for Essential Business Items 

 
All businesses need equipment to operate. They might be computer systems, manual items, vehicles and high-tech or high-grade items. These items, first of all, are expensive, and you want to safeguard them. Furthermore, they are also essential to the business’s long-term operational excess. If your equipment doesn’t work, then the business cannot work either. In that case, what can you do to protect these items? Does your commercial insurance help you? 

The good thing is that commercial property insurance can include various types of protection to safeguard your equipment. Furthermore, additional protective items, like a warranty, might be something you should consider carrying in addition to your insurance policies. 

Commercial Risks to Equipment 

Think about the items that you move into your business. These might include your computer and record-keeping systems, cash registers, and machinery of all shapes and sizes. 

Each of these items have very unique values, and they have significant purposes and uses to the business itself. Therefore, you don’t want anything to go wrong. But the simple fact is that things could go wrong at any time, in any way: 


Sometimes, even, equipment could simply break down, and you might not know the exact cause of the damage. All the same, it could still interrupt the regular goings on of the business. As a result, you’ll need to have the damage fixed, or get a replacement item as soon as possible. Sometimes, your insurance coverage can assist you in various ways. 

The Benefit of Commercial Insurance 

Business insurance comes in many different shapes. Each will work in various ways, but there are specific policies that can apply to your equipment. 

Contents Insurance 

This coverage applies to nearly any asset within the business. It can cover stock, various types of equipment and computer systems. Should an unpreventable or unavoidable event, like a fire, damage equipment, this is the portion of your coverage that will pay for repairs or replacements. 

In some cases, you can also add special high-value endorsements to your policy for certain items. This can ensure that you will be able to recoup your losses for that item’s full value. 

Equipment Breakdown Insurance 

The thing about contents insurance is that it will only pay when equipment gets damaged by unpreventable or unavoidable accidents. A more-specific type of coverage, equipment breakdown insurance, can help you pay for more mundane losses that might occur at any time. Suppose your industrial printer’s motor fails. You might be able to use this coverage to pay for repairs to the system. 

Business Income Coverage 

Should your equipment breakdowns cause a halt in operations, you won’t be able to make income during the stoppage. This coverage can help you get back a portion of that money, to ease the burden that might result. 

Cyber Liability Insurance 

Damage to your computer data systems might not only cause you losses, but also harm customers as well. After all, you might store their information on your systems, and the data’s loss could put them in a bind. Cyber liability insurance can help you cover the costs of data recovery, as well as the costs of harm that you might have caused to others. 

Keep in mind, it’s never a bad idea for you to look into the options offered by an equipment warranty. By buying the warranty, you might be able to receive free equipment repairs without having to make an insurance claim. Therefore, you can keep your insurance portfolio free of risky claims that might raise your prices. You will only have to refer to coverage at the time you most need it. 

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What does Business Insurance Protect Against? 

Business insurance helps to keep your company operational when an accident or other event occurs. Oftentimes, these are instances where you have no control over the loss. Perhaps it was a weather event. It could have been a fire or even a theft. When something happens that stops your company from earning income, your business' bottom line is impacted. In many small businesses, even a short delay in the ability to earn revenue leads to long-term financial consequences. Could you afford to pay your employees and meet supplier requirements after an unexpected loss? 

What is Business Income Insurance? 
If you own a business and an unexpected loss happens, you may need financial support while your company is not able to operate. Business income insurance can provide this. Though policies differ on what is a covered cost, as well as what amount of coverage is in place, this type of business insurance policy can offer a wide range of support to your company. This may include: 


Many policies have very specific lengths of time or amounts of coverage that business income insurance provides. However, it is often possible to purchase extended coverage (depending on the availability from the insurance carrier). This can help to extend the coverage for long-term needs. If your company will be struggling for a long period due to a covered event, this coverage helps continue to meet your needs. 

Business insurance can help you keep your company operational or financially solvent in the event of a significant incident. For many small businesses, this is financially necessary to make it through such events. Talk to your insurance agent about the availability, amount of coverage and length of coverage you have for business income. 

Is your revenue protected against the unexpected? Call us today for more information on business insurance. 

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4 Tips for Preparing for Home Insurance Claims Ahead of Time 

While home insurance gives you peace of mind in case of an emergency, filing a claim requires quite a lot of specific information. Organizing your information and preparing for the process ahead of time simplifies the claim process and reduces stress after a natural disaster or break-in. Prepare yourself for the claims process by finding the right professionals and making records of your home's condition and contents. 

Understand Your Coverage 

Start by going over your home insurance policy so you understand exactly what's covered and what's excluded. Filing a claim for damage that isn't covered can still raise your premiums, so you'll want to only file claims that your insurer is likely to approve. 

Develop a Home Inventory 

Create a home inventory in order to ensure the insurance company pays for every belonging that is destroyed by a fire or goes missing due to theft. Photos, receipts, and other information about the value and purchase date of your belongings is easy to organize with a home inventory app. Don't forget to include some photos of your home's condition and layout so you can easily establish the impact of a fire or natural disaster damage. 

Check for Public Adjuster Services 

Your insurance company might offer free visits from the adjusters they employ. However, you can also hire a public adjuster to evaluate your home for a fee. A public adjuster usually handles all the work of filing a claim and pursuing its fulfillment, which is often worth the extra cost when you're dealing with major damage or a total loss of your home.  

Find a public adjuster that is recommended by your insurance company or lawyer before anything happens since the adjusters who reach out to contact you after a natural disaster may not offer the same quality of services. 

Build a Relationship with a Reliable Contractor 

Trying to find a trustworthy contractor when you're already dealing with the work of filing an insurance claim can feel overwhelming. Find a local contractor before anything happens and hire them to handle smaller maintenance and repair tasks first. Once you've built a good rapport with a company, you'll immediately know who to call for a fair estimate and fast response when your home insurance provider approves your claim. 

With these preparations in place, filing an insurance claim takes a lot less work. Don't wait until there's an emergency to think about your home insurance policy. 

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7 Ways to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance Premium

  

Homeowners insurance can prove to be an excellent deal for you and your family. For a relatively small cost, your insurance provider is there to make things better should an unexpected tragedy strike and there is damage to your home.

 

But while it's still a relative bargain compared to the cost of repairing your house, it's still an expense that you have to work into your budget. If you're looking for ways to save money, there are many things you can do to help lower your premium.

 

1.      Increase your deductible. If your deductible is low and you have a way (savings or credit) to pay a higher deductible should you need to file a claim, that will help lower your premium.

2.      If your car insurance is with a different insurer, placing them with the same insurer will usually earn you a multi-policy discount.

3.      Beef up security. Install deadbolt locks and if you have a system monitored by a security company, you usually qualify for a sizable discount.

4.      Ramp up safety. Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and a fire alarm that automatically contacts the local fire department may reduce your premium.

5.      Have you quit smoking? A lack of burning cigarettes around the house reduces the risk of fire and may lead to savings.

6.      Did you repair your credit? Rates are often based on credit history, so if you've worked hard to raise your credit score, you may be able to lower your premium.

7.      Have you de-cluttered? If you've gotten rid of expensive items like collectibles, jewelry or furs that were previously noted on your policy, you're likely eligible for a reduction.

 

If any of these seven things apply to you, then contact your independent insurance agent. You may be eligible for a lower premium based on some of these criteria, and every little bit helps when you're trying to save money.

 

How much can you save? Call us today to learn more about home insurance.

 

 

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3 Ways to Save on Business Insurance

 

 

This economy has been tough on many businesses, particularly small ones that don’t generate as much income as larger companies. However, insurance is still an important consideration for every business.

 

Think about the costs of rebuilding after a fire or the losses incurred after an overnight theft. These expenses can quickly exceed the cost of insurance, and can even mean closing business doors in extreme cases. Rather than getting rid of valuable coverage, try these three tips for saving on insurance premiums.

1.      Bundle your policies: Insurance companies want more business from customers, and bundling all of your policies with a single insurer is giving that company what it wants. This often means discounts across the board on your policies.  Another bundling option for small businesses is called a business owner’s policy (BOP), which is a single policy that includes property and liability coverage, along with additional coverages of your choice. This option is often a cheaper way to get comprehensive coverage for businesses that employ fewer than 100 employees and earn less than $1 million annually.

2.      Pick a higher deductible: A deductible is the expense a covered business is responsible for paying when filing a claim; the insurer will cover the rest of the costs following a covered event (up to policy limits). Choosing a higher deductible will often decrease monthly premiums, but it also means that your business will have to pay a higher amountwhen making a claim. It’s recommended that you pick the highest amount that your business can feasibly afford at any given time so you can enjoy lower premiums year-round.

3.      Install security features: Insurance companies calculate premiums by how much of a potential risk a businessposes. You can reduce the risk of a covered event occurring on business propertyby installing security features, such as burglar alarms, security cameras, smoke alarms, fire sprinklers, a stronger firewall on computers, etc. These devices will require an initial investment, but they help make your business much more secure. This added security can reduce your premiums and/or qualify your business for a safety discount.

 

Learn how you can save on comprehensive coverage today. Call us today to learn more about business insurance.