Month: March 2015

As a business owner, you are already a risk-taker. However, when it comes to your employees and customers, you shouldn't be taking any risks in terms of their safety. Luckily, you can limit your risks as a business owner in Plano, TX, by following these three tips:

1. Ensure Alarms and Security Systems are Installed and Maintained

Although you could say it's common sense to install fire alarms and a security system, the truth of the matter is that not all businesses use their head, so to speak. In order to fully protect your company from various damages that may be caused by a fire, you should have a sprinkler system and smoke alarms that are monitored off-site. At the same time, you need to have a solid security system with cameras and lights to deviate theft and vandalism while also providing you with video evidence in the event that something did occur.

2. Keep the Office Spic and Span

It is crucial that you keep the office space completely free from any obstructions that could injuries to customers or employees. For example, a look piece of carpet could cause someone to trip, fall and suffer serious injuries. A severe injury could occur from slipping on a pile of papers on the floor, tripping on a loose ceramic tile or even tripping over something blocking a doorway. By keeping your building clean, you will significantly reduce the likelihood of injuries on-site.

3. Make Sure You Have a Disaster Plan

You never know when disaster is going to strike, even when you do everything that you can as a business owner to prevent accidents from occurring. Therefore, it is imperative that you have a disaster plan in place ahead of time. After all, all accidents cannot be foreseen. A disaster plan that is carefully planned, thought out and executed can go a very long way in eliminating potential risk of major disasters.

Unfortunately, there is no way to erase all scenarios of liability and injuries from your business as a whole. However, there are plenty of ways you minimize these risks to keep your employees and customers safe while also maintaining a professional place of business. Contact one of our local independent agents who serves the Plano, TX 75024 area and can help you obtain the commercial insurance quotes that you need to make sure your business is protected when disaster strikes.

Texas is the second largest state in the United States, and as such Texans like to do things big. That’s the approach your business should take when it comes to filing insurance claims, only file when the claim is a big deal. Only file when you can’t cover the cost of the loss on your own. Although commercial insuranceagents in Texas are there to help you protect your vehicles, there are times when it is in your best interest to handle the damage and not involve the insurance company, and generally this is done when the loss is insignificant.

Is it Worth Paying the Deductible?

The deductible is your portion of the insurance you are responsible for when you file a claim. If you incur a minor accident (cosmetic damage to one of the vehicles in your fleet) towards the end of the year, then it may be in your best interest to handle the claim on your own. If you consider the fact that you will still be responsible for the deductible next year and the damage is minor, filing a claim on your insurance would serve no purpose but to increase your insurance.

Does Your Company Have a History of Filing Claims?

Although insurance companies don’t automatically increase your rates when you are in an accident, if your employees have a history of getting into accidents then you may want to seriously consider each claim you file. Your driving history significantly impacts how much you pay for your business car insurance each month, so if you have a claim that you can easily remedy and your claims history is questionable, consider taking care of the situation through your business.

Is Your Policy Forgiving?

There are some policies that will forgive an accident periodically. If you have this type of policy filing a claim is okay if you have a staff of safe drivers because it won’t result in your insurance increasing due to the type of policy you have. It is in your best interest to think strategically about filing the claim if you feel as if you may incur another loss due to careless employees on your staff.

You can talk to your commercial insuranceagent in Texas to determine what approach is best for you before filing a claim. They will assist you by providing you with information that will ultimately affect the price you pay each month. Since you have to call them when you experience a loss anyway, make sure you leverage the knowledge they have so that your business isn’t needlessly incurring costs.