Insurance Insights

Small businesses of many shapes and sizes depend on trucks to help keep their businesses up and running. Whether you own a service business, offer deliveries, or have routes to manage, accidents are a constant concern when you have vehicles on the road. A surprising number of these accidents are the result of tire problems — many of which are completely avoidable, such as those listed below.

The ways in which workers are paid in this country seem to be changing rapidly these days, as federal mandates are being handed down about the minimum wage and overtime pay with regularity.

If you have an eye for design and are adept at creating appealing and functional websites, you are a perfect fit for web design. But starting your own web design firm goes beyond choosing the type of business you will run, if you need to hire help and how to market your services. You also have some risks specifically related to the type of business you intend to run. By being aware of the following risks, you can help to mitigate them and avoid potential financial struggles at a later date.

The date by which individuals will have to be covered by some sort of health insurance plan is rapidly approaching, but the rules are very different for how businesses large and small will be mandated to provide coverage, both in terms of implementation date and the rules affecting them.

Operating a small online business gives you the opportunity to be your own boss and work from any remote location, including home. While it can be very successful if you put in the time and energy to advertise it properly, it also comes with its own set of risks. These risks tend to be quite different from a local brick and mortar business and you should be aware of them so you know how to protect yourself from them.

Many things about filing taxes remain the same year after year. This is especially true for people who work from home offices and claim these expenses on their taxes. However, for taxes filed in 2014 (for tax year 2013) there represents some interesting changes in the practice of claiming home-office deductions that most filers will find interesting.

Workplace safety is a major concern to large and small business owners throughout the country. As a small business owner you understand the importance of providing your employees a safe working environment. It’s important for small business owners to make every effort to become aware of noise pollution in the workplace and then to minimize it. Taking action now greatly reduces risks of hearing loss.                                     

These days, many small business owners have likely heard all the stories about how much easier it’s becoming for companies of their size to obtain financing from banks that would have, in the last few years, been far more difficult to obtain.

CNBC describes copper theft as an “epidemic” sweeping across the country with thieves hitting everything from middle class homes, catalytic converters, and highway construction sites to electrical power stations in search of scrap copper. Even tornado warning sirens and airport runways have been targeted by copper thieves posing a major risk to safety and infrastructure according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The CNBC article highlights that the business of copper theft has become a $1 billion, yes with a “B,” industry.

The types of people who become entrepreneurs are wide-ranging, and don’t really seem to fit within any particular demographic distinction.