One of the stories dominating the U.S. economy headlines is the current labor shortage impacting industries across the nation.. Although a large percentage of businesses have been able to stay afloat, many have had to do so with a much smaller workforce. In addition to putting additional pressure on business owners as they figure out how to run their daily operations with a smaller staff, it can also create new or growing liability issues for business owners.

First impressions can make or break a business. Whether customers are walking into a restaurant, retail store, or other business, what they immediately see and experience will shape all future interactions with that business, and well as how they tell others about it. It's imperative that business owners take an honest look around their business on a regular basis to make sure they correct any red flag issues that could create bad first impressions with customers.

As restaurants, delis, and bakeries continue to recover from the impact of Covid-19 on their bottom line, many have relied heavily on third-party delivery services to fulfill orders to customers and help keep their businesses afloat. Although delivery apps have been a lifeline for some restaurants, using their services can come with some significant risks for business owners.

Crime is a growing problem across many parts of the state, particularly near businesses and busy retail centers. On an almost daily basis there are news reports of crime occurring at shopping malls, restaurants, banks, and grocery stores, with crimes ranging from robbery, assault, or car burglaries. With companies working around the clock to increase their revenue and deal with labor shortages, the last thing they need is to suffer losses or liability issues because of crime on their commercial property.

The past 18 months have been a time of uncertainty and changes for businesses across multiple industries. Many have had to tweak their business models, change their workflow and operations, and learn how to operate with ever-changing customer needs, health ordinances, and labor shortages. Although these changes have helped many companies survive the hardships of the pandemic, they may also impact business insurance policies by revealing gaps in coverage or needed adjustments in policies.

Over time, a business may find itself in need of a contractor to perform repairs, renovations, or replace key equipment or utility areas. For example, a busy restaurant may need to repair plumbing connections, or a retailer may need to replace damaged walkways or uneven flooring. In these cases, a contractor is needed, but it can be difficult to hire one that is trustworthy and performs quality work.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, every 7 seconds a worker in the U.S. is injured on the job, and the bulk of these occur in specific industries such as retail, hospitality and leisure, warehousing, transportation, and construction. For businesses in high-risk industries, they face the dual challenge of both finding good workers and also keeping them safe while on the job. In today's Aegis blog post, we look at some of the ways businesses can keep workers safer in high-risk industries.

Over the last year, thousands of companies have pivoted their business model to begin offering delivery services or expand current delivery service for customers who wanted food or merchandise delivered to their door. However, liability risks for business owners go up as they start or expand delivery services, so having thorough training programs is essential for companies. The focus of today's Aegis blog post are the areas to cover in order to have an effective driver training program, which protects both drivers and the company.

Businesses rely on both employees and customers in order to make their business successful, so it's important that both are safe when they're on your commercial property. No employee or customer should ever feel unsafe when they're coming or going from a business, nor should they risk injury walking or driving on a commercial lot. With crime on the rise, it's more important than ever for businesses to take also initiative and work to minimize potential crime on their commercial property.

This February, Texas residents and businesses across the state were caught off-guard when a devastating winter storm caused a major disruption on our state's electrical grid, causing millions to go without power for nearly a week. Although the freeze and widespread power outages caused millions of dollars in losses and damages, the reality is that Texas could continue experiencing severe utility outages like this, but in the summer months when the power grid is tested during the extreme heat and drought forecasted for this summer.