Insurance Insights

Over the last few years, small businesses have had difficulty finding access to credit that can help make their companies grow. And while that trend hasn’t been as prevalent recently, there was a bit of a slowdown in demand for loans during the month of November.

Auto insurance is an important investment for business owners of all shapes and sizes to make. Even more important, though, is getting the right policy for your business needs. The advice below will help you decide which type of policy is the right choice for your small business whether you own one or two business vehicles or an entire fleet.

Over the past few years, millions of small business owners across the country have been able to weigh the benefits of finding new ways to accept credit card payments, outside the traditional transaction processing system. Instead of paying through the nose for expensive point of sale scanners and systems, they can now do so with just a little investment in a portable card reader from a small but growing number of different companies.

When your fleet drivers are behind the wheel, you expect them to pay attention to the road and do their best to avoid distractions that might lead to an accident. Unfortunately, there are many things that can distract a driver, even when it isn’t intentional. For safe driving, fleet drivers must have their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and full attention and focus on the task at hand. These three types of distracted driving – visual, manual and cognitive – are what can be the most risky.

Over the past week or two, much of the country has been hit with some seriously frigid temperatures that led to school cancelations and other issues. And that, in turn, can also have a negative impact on small businesses in those affected areas; if people don’t want to leave the house for things like work and school, they probably don’t want to go shopping.

Wi-Fi is a big deal for businesses today. There are tons of computers coming in the doors of most businesses, including tablet devices, laptops, iPods, and mobile phones. It’s enough to drive a wary business professional more than a little mad.

If you are planning on throwing a holiday party for your employees, it is imperative that you keep certain safety precautions in mind. By knowing what hazards to look for during the holidays, you can keep them under control and avoid any problems that result in employee injuries or property damages. This lets you decorate your office with Christmas lights, allow holiday attire and throw a fun party without worrying about accidents that might occur. Here are some of the top holiday hazards to look out for.

Now that the calendar has flipped over to 2015, many small business owners are of course turning their attentions to the ways in which they can best succeed in the new year. However, there may be a number of things of which they’ll have to be aware that will impact their companies despite being out of their control.

It has been against the law for a few years now in most states to use your cell phone while driving. The premise is that if you are not holding your phone during a phone call or texting with your eyes off the road, there will be less vehicle-related accidents.

Risk is part of the nature of business. All businesses have risks. But having the right business insurance policy can mitigate many of the risks and help businesses enjoy a much faster recovery whenever covered risks arise.