business Archives - Page 2 of 3

Small Business Tips for Attracting and Retaining Employees

September 28, 2022 by Baily Sandage

Businesses of all sizes are currently facing attraction and retention challenges. Successful efforts to win over employees can require an investment of time and carry high costs. Unfortunately, small businesses often don’t have excess resources to invest in attraction and retention efforts in today’s worker-friendly labor market.

Amid these labor obstacles, smaller employers should focus on what’s feasible. Often, small employers have the agility to respond to the employment market with new strategies. This article highlights some small business tips for attracting and retaining employees.

Tips for Reducing Business Interruptions

September 14, 2022 by Baily Sandage

Business interruptions can occur after an anticipated or unanticipated event that delays or disrupts a business’s normal operations. Natural disasters, fires, cyberattacks, or the loss of a critical supplier can halt operations for an extended period of time, leading to a cash-flow imbalance that could force a business to close for good.

In this article, we’ll discuss some ways to minimize business interruptions. Let’s get started!

Are You Covered in Case of a Business Interruption?

August 24, 2022 by Baily Sandage

If a fire causes the facility to be temporarily unusable, what would you do next? Ideally, you would move to a temporary location while your permanent place of business is being repaired. Yet, traditional commercial insurance doesn’t cover this move or a loss of income when a business must temporarily close.

With business interruption insurance, this setback can be minimized by simply adding this coverage to your commercial insurance policy.

5 Reasons to Update Your Business Insurance

July 27, 2022 by Baily Sandage

If you’re looking to expand your business or make any sort of changes then updating your business insurance policy is critical. As your business grows, your workforce and premises will likely develop, which calls for added security and protection.

This is where business insurance comes in, so even if you already have a policy, you’ll need to update it regularly to make sure your coverage corresponds with your company’s value. This means your policy should provide adequate protection against various kinds of losses you may incur. By doing this you won’t be underinsured in any way.

Without further ado, let’s discuss the five scenarios when a business should update its business insurance policy.

Tips for Running a Small Business in Georgia

May 16, 2022March 11, 2022 by Baily Sandage

According to research done by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, up to 20% of small businesses fail within their first year.

It can occur for various reasons, such as too much competition, poor customer service, or not enough marketing.

Therefore, if you open a small business there will be a lot of risks. To mitigate those risks you need to be prepared.

Here are four tips for running a successful and profitable small business in Georgia.

Why is SEO important for marketing my business?

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019 by dee barnett

SEO is a marketing term you’ve probably heard of so much that you’re sick of it. It can seem like a vague, unreachable concept for small businesses, but don’t let the words of others scare you. Optimizing your business for search engines is easy and necessary if you want your company to flourish. So, here’s an easy guide to what SEO is and why your business needs it.

How to improve safety at your auto shop

June 16, 2020December 19, 2019 by Kate Betts

If you have an auto shop, it’s important to make safety a priority. Auto body shops aren’t devoid of hazards, and these things can hurt your customers or your employees. You need to be conscious of the risks of your shop so you can take steps to mitigate them. That being said, here are a few tips to help you lower the risk of something happening to either one of your employees or one of your customers.

What you need to know about commercial flood insurance

September 4, 2020October 31, 2019 by dee barnett

If your business is in a coastal area, you may be fully aware of the benefits of commercial flood insurance. However, even if you’re not in a flood-prone area, there are still tons of factors that could cause your business to flood. The worst part is, your standard commercial insurance policy won’t cover the damages due to this unforeseen incident. But how much of a risk does your company really have of flooding? Why aren’t you covered for flooding in a business insurance policy? And how can you protect your business and livelihood from flood damage? Here’s where we’ll give you a rundown.

What is commercial flood insurance?

Commercial flood insurance is a type of business insurance policy that can help you repair damages to your company building due to flooding and help you replace your inventory or office equipment because of flooding.

You may be thinking, “Doesn’t my regular business insurance policy cover the structure of my business location and my commercial property?” Yes, it does. The big BUT, though, is that business insurance policies specifically exclude flood damage. A regular commercial property or liability policy doesn’t include coverage for certain types of water damage, including flooding.

What does commercial flood insurance cover?

We’ve learned that a typical business insurance policy won’t cover damage due to flooding. So, when you add flood insurance to your coverage, what exactly does it cover? Well, flood insurance for a business can cover expenses like:

Replacing inventory & merchandise
Replacing or repairing machinery
Debris removal

Do I need commercial flood insurance?

Again, if you’re not in a flood or storm-prone area, you may ask yourself, “Why would I even need flood insurance?” However, statistics show that all 50 states have experienced floods and flood damage. Data also shows that:

25 percent of businesses shut down from flood-related natural disasters and never reopen.
The average amount of a flood claim from businesses in the past 5 years has been $89,000.
The average amount of commercial property damage sustained due to flooding totals to more than $3.5 billion each year.

Plus, flooding isn’t only a result of hurricanes or heavy rains. Floods can happen because of:

Overflowing bodies of water
Mudslides
Melting snow
Ice jambs
New construction & Land development
Improper drainage

So, yeah. Flood insurance can be an extremely important addition to your business insurance.

How do I get flood insurance for my business?

Valid flood insurance can come from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). However, you can’t buy it directly from the organization. You must purchase a policy from an agent or agency that participates in the NFIP (like us! Give us a call today to start getting customized flood insurance quotes for your business.)

There are a few things to keep in mind before you buy, though. If you’re in a high-risk area for flooding, you may be required to get commercial flood insurance for your building. If you’re in a low-risk area for flooding and you still want to get flood insurance, you may qualify for a Preferred Risk flood insurance policy, which can cost and cover a bit less. Flood coverage also may have a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect. So, buying flood insurance at the last minute before a storm or hurricane could still mean trouble for your business.

How much does commercial flood insurance cost?

Flood insurance policies can vary. This is because the cost of flood insurance will be different from business to business, depending on certain factors. Usually, carriers determine the price of your commercial flood insurance from factors such as:

Your building’s height and age
Your building’s maximum occupancy
Your company’s location within a building (if you’re renting a space in an office complex)
The location of your lowest floor in relation to the elevation requirement on the NFIP flood map
The deductible and amount of coverage you choose for your building and contents coverage.

The good news is that NFIP commercial flood insurance policies can cover up to $500,000 of your building’s contents and $500,000 for the structure of the building itself.

How can I prevent my business from flooding?

You can also save money on your commercial flood insurance by taking preventative measures. Some of the most effective are:

Buying flood boards to install over your doors when a flood may be coming
Sealing floors to prevent water from seeping in through the ground
Installing non-return valves to drains and pipes inside and outside of your business
Checking and raising electrical sockets to a full foot above the 100-year flood level in your area
Keeping a water removal pump handy
Stockpiling useful materials like plastic sheeting, plywood, sandbags, nails, hammers, and shovels.

Additionally, you’ll want to form a flood emergency plan for your business to make sure your employees are safe and that damages to your company are minimized. Some tips you may want to consider are:

Know how to turn off your utilities

In a pinch, you’ll need to know exactly how to shut off your company’s electricity, water, and gas. This way, none of these power supplies can cause more damage to your property and the flood water damage to those utility lines.

Have a list of important phone numbers on hand

You should already have a contact list of numbers and other ways to reach your employees in an emergency. Additionally, your flood plan should include a list of useful phone numbers for your company posted in an easily found location. Include the numbers of your local government, your insurance carrier, additional flood warning systems, services for your building, your building manager, your suppliers, and any emergency contacts for your business overall.

Train your employees on flood safety

As a part of hiring or continuing education for the employees of your specific business, include proper flood safety measures for individuals, flood protocol for your company, and evacuation procedures. Make sure everyone knows where to find pertinent phone numbers and establish a meeting place is everyone suddenly needs to evacuate.

Create a stockpile of important supplies

Finally, create an emergency supply for your business. It will look a little different from your personal home emergency kit, but there are still some vital pieces you’ll need to have stocked at your commercial location. Stock up on materials like first aid kits, plastic sheeting, plywood, flood boards, sandbags, nails, hammers, and shovels. That way, the materials you need are on hand, and no one is running out to get an important supply in dangerous conditions.

Keep your flood plan in an easily accessible location so everyone can refer to it at any time.

Make sure your employees are trained on proper flood safety procedures. Designate an emergency flood contact and a safe meeting place if everyone suddenly needs to evacuate. Create a flood continuity and contact plan for your suppliers and clients.

You can get started on business insurance quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.

8 website tips for your business

October 17, 2019October 17, 2019 by dee barnett

Check out these tips for your business's website.

Building a website for your business now can be a lot like putting your name out there on a billboard or print advertisement a few decades ago. However, it’s not enough to place information on the internet. Just as there were certain practices and key points to include in traditional advertising, there are just as many factors to consider when curating your company website. So, here are some tips on just how to make the best digital footprint for your company.

8 tips for your business’s website

1. Pay attention to SEO

If you’re not paying attention to search engine optimization (SEO), your website is as good as nonexistent. Optimizing your business’s website for search engines is the main way to have your brand seen over everyone else’s. However, SEO is much more than loading up your webpage with keywords. In fact, doing so could hurt your website more than help it.

Instead, optimize your content by:

Using variations of words and phrases to describe your product or service, and
Using more specific keywords to draw in the exact clients you want.

For example, a “website developer in Chicago” is a lot vaguer and will have a lot more competition for the top search result than “a full-stack PHP developer in Naperville.”

2. Make your website easy to navigate

If people don’t like using your website, they’re not going to stick around to learn more about your company. Heavily loaded navigation bars and demanding plugins can make a website look complicated and run at a snail’s pace. People don’t hang around waiting for things to load – every second of speed counts.

So, check your website speed with an online tool every so often. Make sure the information you want your clients to find is easily visible and/or readily available. If you add a navigation bar at the top of your page, everything should be clearly labeled without too many drop-down menus stemming from one section. Use plugins as sparingly as you can, and use picture resizing tools to make larger images load quickly.

3. Make your website easy to read

Most people only skim websites for the information that they’re looking for. If there’s a huge block of text, most people probably won’t read it at all.

To create content that’s easy to digest, use header tags to break up bits of information and draw attention to important points. Doing so gives potential clients a way to more readily find the information they need. Plus, header tags are a vital part of how Google determines the main ideas of your site to rank your webpage higher in its search results.

Additionally, if you must put a large amount of text under one header, break your thoughts into smaller paragraphs, lists, or graphics. The less intimidating your text looks, the better.

4. Don’t get too design-happy

With the ease and accessibility of website builders, it can be tempting to go a little crazy with templates, designs, fonts, etc. However, this can be a kiss of death for a website. Not every element available for a webpage compliments the other. If you include too many different pieces, your webpage could give your potential clients too much visual “noise.” Too much visual “noise”, and your clients can’t determine which information is relevant to what they’re looking for and what isn’t.

Instead, choose two or three colors that compliment your web design. Color schemes shouldn’t be too bright, but not every color has to be neutral. Go easy on using different font types, too.

5. Make it mobile-friendly

We have the power of supercomputers in the palms of our hands. It’s no wonder that most people today use their phones to access the internet. Therefore, not having a mobile version of your site severely cuts down the number of clients you could reach.

Meet your potential customers where they are by making your website mobile-friendly. It may sound super complicated, but these days, most website builders can do it automatically. It can be as easy as adding a mobile-friendly website to your regular webpage domain, or it may be included in a design template you’re already using.

6. Make sure your visitors know how to contact you

Your business website doesn’t do any good if people don’t know how to contact you to actually buy your product or service. So, make sure that your contact information is readily available throughout your website. The easiest way to do that is to include the name of your company, your business address, your company phone number and your email in the header and footer of the site. If your business has social media channels (and it should), include icons for people to engage with you on those platforms as well.

7. Add valuable content

Having valuable content on your website can be a great way to build your brand and keep your website active. The more active your website is, the more likely Google is to recommend and rank your page highly. Google wants to show people current information because it’s usually more relevant. Think about it – would you be more likely to visit a website that hasn’t been updated in 15 years or 1 year? Of course, there are some bits of information that will remain true throughout the years, but for the most part, Google recognizes the types of content that stay updated regularly.

Updating your website with articles about your industry, office activities, and insight is not only an easy way to keep your webpage updated, but an amazing way to market your business as a whole. No one else has your perspectives on your industry or your specific experiences. Creating articles and content around these aspects allows potential customers to see your passion and professionalise, distinguishing your company above the rest and adding a personal touch.

8. Take notes from other businesses

Even if you have a unique business, there may still be several others in your industry who you could learn from. Look at other successful businesses in your industry to see how they’ve laid out their websites, how they’ve optimized their online presence, and what kind of content has proven valuable to their customers. Seeing examples could give you a better idea of what your target audience will search to find you. That way, you can put your own spin on what works.

Overall, your online presence could take some time to curate, but building a webpage that works for you can be well worth the time and effort. A professional looking site builds a trustworthy image for your business before you even communicate with a customer. So does having the right business insurance. Our agents have decades of experience under their belts to help you grow your company and protect you and your customers for whatever comes your way. To start getting free, customized quotes on affordable business insurance, just give us a call, fill out our online form, or LiveChat with a professional today!

Which Atlanta neighborhood is right for your business?

November 30, 2022October 10, 2019 by dee barnett

Atlanta has no shortage of things to do, places to be, and community personalities to uncover. But what if you want your business to be the place to be? Where in Atlanta is the best place for your business? Let’s find out.

What is your business’s brand?

First off, you’ll need to know your business’s brand inside and out. What are your business goals? What message do you want your company to add to the city? Who are the groups of people you want to cater to? These are all important factors in not only starting your business, but developing a company voice and marketing it. Once you’ve got an idea of your brand, you can start thinking about choosing an Atlanta neighborhood.

What Atlanta neighborhood is right for my business?

Now that you’ve determined your business’s brand, which Atlanta neighborhood shares the personality of that brand? These are some of the most popular locales for new businesses and their distinct vibes.

Doraville

Doraville is located just on the northeast outskirts of I-285. When you cross the city limits, you can immediately tell that it’s a cultural hub to the melting pot that is Atlanta. There are a good handful of chain restaurants and establishments, but there are plenty of local businesses with Hispanic, Eastern Asian, and even Greek roots. The most well-known place to find these businesses is Buford Highway, which also offers a host of international food and farmers markets. If you have a company with international flair or a restaurant with regional or fusion tastes, you’ll definitely want to consider Doraville as your location.

Decatur/Little 5 Points

This area is where little-known, cozy, offbeat businesses thrive. The Decatur/Little 5 Points area is still within Atlanta’s perimeter, so there’s no shortage of traffic. The difference is, you’ll find more foot traffic than cars. The area is entirely walkable and home to one of Atlanta’s most famous eateries, The Vortex Bar & Grill. However, as well known as it is, The Vortex only has two locations, which reflects the personalities of the small businesses surrounding the burger bar – even if the location itself is huge. Even larger chains like Starbucks have modeled their Decatur/Little 5 locations after the feeling of the locale. If you’re a specialty shop in things like records or jewelry or a business with a local coffeehouse feel, you’d probably do well in Decatur or Little 5 Points.

West Midtown

West Midtown is an up-and-coming industrial part of the Atlanta area. Shops and businesses have either a minimalistic feel or an old-style brick exterior. In parts of West Midtown, you may actually miss a restaurant, shop, or café entirely by mistaking it for a warehouse. The area also hosts the Georgia Tech and GCSU campuses closer to the center of Midtown. So, when moving toward and past the universities, the area is, again, very walkable. In fact, with all the foot traffic of college students and the winding, confusing roads of Atlanta, it’s probably best if you walk or bike around. If your business has an industrial feel with elegant undertones, West Midtown is probably the Atlanta neighborhood for you.

Downtown Marietta

Downtown Marietta is very much the small-town version of Little 5. Since the area is in the suburbs of Atlanta, shops are a bit more spread out and a little quieter, with just enough hustle and bustle to keep things interesting. You’ll find a ton of cool specialty shops and restaurants around the historic squares while still being able to find a place to park. There are also regular events that draw people to picnic, bike, play, and generally enjoy the green space among tons of things to do. If your business would be a cute place to happen upon on a beautiful day, you might enjoy the customers that downtown Marietta will bring.

Alpharetta/Roswell

Alpharetta and Roswell may be one of the best examples of high-class suburbia (along with Vinings, but more on that in a minute). The area is full of large department stores, as well as two huge malls/shopping centers, North Point Mall and Avalon. Nonetheless, this neighborhood hosts tons of suburban gems for shops. As much as people are drawn to large shops for their knee-jerk shopping needs, they’re also willing to check out any new specialty shops that come around. If you’re willing to cater to the occasional shop adventurer looking for items and foods a little off the beaten path, Alpharetta and Roswell might be for your company.

Vinings/Cumberland

Vinings and the Cumberland area may seem like an upscale option for chain stores, but rest assured, there are tons of hidden treasures to be found. A lot of businesses in the area gather their customer base through word-of-mouth. Don’t worry if you don’t have a loyal fan base built up. People in this area love to explore new companies that seem to pop up overnight. There are also numerous national and regional chains around to draw customers closer to your location. If you don’t mind doing a bit more advertising and want a quiet, but busy place to draw customers in, the Vinings/Cumberland area could be the best to start or grow your business.

Buckhead

Buckhead is known as one of the ritziest neighborhoods in the area. You’ll notice tons of skyscrapers full of big-name financial companies and headquarters of well-known brands. Even big-name stores like Target and CVS have supersized locations to match the feel. But there are also a handful of elegant spaces to get away from the suit-and-tie atmosphere. The bars, lounges, and small shop spaces are undeniably high-class and high-fashion. Nonetheless, Buckhead is a skip, hop, and a jump away from Brookhaven and Atlantic Station, where just as many big and small shops light up the Atlanta skyline. If your shop or restaurant is going for a low-key, after-work refuge kind of vibe, this area might be for you.

We could go on and on about the different neighborhoods of Atlanta, from the elegant, indie feel of Ponce City Market to the hustle and bustle of a city outside the city, John’s Creek. The only way to truly get an idea of the best vibe for your business may just be to visit. In any case, it’s always a good idea to explore! But hopefully, this list will give you a good idea of what the city has to offer and which Atlanta neighborhood could be a good fit for your business.

Wherever you choose to start or spread your business, make sure you have the right business insurance by contacting our agents. We’ll get to know your company to determine what you need and give you free, customized quotes on the right coverage. To start getting affordable rates on business insurance, just give us a call, fill out our online form, or LiveChat with an agent today.