If you look around your retail store, restaurant, or office space right now, how many potential hazards do you see? At first, you might say "none," but take a closer look. Do you have retail merchandise stacked a little too high, where it could fall down onto a customer? Are there any cracks in your restroom tile or uneven sections of office carpet that could trip a vendor or client? Does your company's parking garage lack adequate lighting in stairwells?

The United States is home to some of the best dining cities in the world, offering dazzling arrays of diverse cuisines and inventive dishes. From small, rustic cafes to opulent, breathtaking dining rooms, chefs and owners strive to grow their restaurants and establish a place in their local dining scene. Unfortunately, there can be obstacles to a restaurant's growth and success, but having the right kind of commercial insurance protection can help restaurants and cafes weather any kind of storm.

Changes happen in all facets of business, whether it's expanding your company, buying equipment, hiring or firing employees, relocating, or making other important business decisions. Although many of these changes can impact commercial lines of insurance coverage, it can be hard to know when these changes mean cancelling or simply adjusting current insurance coverage. In today's blog post, we'll detail how consumers can know whether they should adjust their coverage, or if the policy should be canceled altogether.

Business owners face a number of obstacles in the process of creating and establishing their companies. Common obstacles for growing companies include marketing challenges, competition from nearby businesses, hiring and keeping the best people, and reducing expenses. However, one of the most significant obstacles a business can face comes from lawsuits, either from former employees, customers, or other companies.

Contracts are a part of life for businesses, regardless of their size or industry. They may range from the simple, short-term contract to the complex and long-term contracts. However, some contracts require a bit more coverage and protection because of the assets, risks, and contract requirements involved. For these reasons, some contracts may require companies to secure additional commercial insurance coverage.

When a business is forced to close due to severe weather disasters, major repairs, utility outages, or other disruptions, it can cause significant revenue and customer losses. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that nearly fifty percent of businesses are unable to reopen after a catastrophic event. The key to minimizing business closures after a major disaster is early preparation, and this starts with developing an effective Business Interruption Plan.

In part one of our series on making an effective Business Interruption Plan, we looked at the documentation that should be done before disaster strikes. Proactive planning now can significantly reduce company downtime and ensure that the business fully recovers from any closures or interruptions to services. In part two of our series, we look at how to make a plan for the people involved in your day-to-day business operations, from the CEO/President to entry-level workers and everyone in between.

Winter Storm Jonas recently hit a large section of the United States, causing record levels of snowfall, flooding, utility outages and property damages across the East Coast.  Although Texas was spared from any severe winter storm conditions this time, the reality is that major weather events or disasters can strike our area at any time, throughout the year.  When this occurs, businesses of all sizes and industries are forced to shut down for a period of time due to road closures, power outages, flooding, and other major commercial property damages

Over time, businesses can accumulate a large inventory of assets, including basic office supplies, tools, specialized machinery and equipment, computers and electronics, and even company vehicles and raw materials.

Owning your own business comes with a bounty of rewards and advantages, but it can also come with a high level of risk, particularly if you have employees on your worksite. Regardless of the industry and levels of training, employees can and do get hurt on the job every day, creating serious liability issues for employers. Workers Compensation insurance makes payments to injured employees for lost wages and medical expenses related to workplace injuries, while also shielding employers from both covering these expenses out of pocket and costly lawsuits.