At the beginning of a new year, it's common for people to set resolutions or goals for themselves, such as losing weight, eating healthier, quitting smoking, learning a new language, or some other personal achievement. However, it's far less common for businesses to set specific goals each year, beyond the generic "sell more" or "make more money" kind of goals. The truth is that all companies can benefit greatly from having a few goals to work towards throughout the year, especially if they are S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and timely).

Over time, a business owner may find it necessary to consider relocating their office, either because they have outgrown their current location, or they need to downsize to something more manageable and affordable. Unfortunately, office relocation can be a complex and challenging process, especially if business owners are not fully aware of all the factors they need to consider. Without the right information, a company could end up in a terrible location that dooms the future of their business.

At any given time, commercial properties of all industries may have a number of people on site, including employees, customers, vendors, and visitors. The number of individuals on the site can increase dramatically because of the busy holiday season. However, some commercial properties are not as safe as they could be, and any injuries or accidents that result could significantly hurt commercial property owners in a financial way.

The Houston area is still deep in recovery mode from the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Harvey. Businesses and their employees have been impacted across a wide expanse of the city, and for some companies, the damage may be too great to overcome. However, many companies were completely spared from major damages or flooding, and there are several important lessons they can learn from the damage inflicted on our area. In today's Aegis blog post, we look at three lessons companies can learn from Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.

Over the last two decades, laptops have become some of the most important assets a company or employee can have. These essential tools are vital because they allow companies to perform daily operations, store valuable data, create projects, and maintain communication, all without being tied to an office or desk all day. Unfortunately, because of their small size and value, business laptops are also extremely vulnerable as they are often the target of thieves and other criminals.

Opening your own business means developing your product or service, finding a location to perform your work, hiring employees, marketing your business to customers, and getting the tools, equipment, and materials needed for daily operations. Business owners also understand that Commercial Insurance is needed, and often required, in order to operate their business and also protect the value of their company and assets.

Businesses of all sizes and industries face the frustrating problem of theft, whether it's raw materials, money, inventory, tools, company vehicles, equipment, furniture and appliances, or even financial information or sensitive customer records. Many of these crimes can be traced back to individual criminals or gangs that focus on theft.

One of the biggest worries a business owner can have is shutting down their company temporarily due to an issue out of their control, such as a major weather event, utility outage, accident, or unforeseen property damages. For some companies, even the shortest closure could lead to the loss of customers, revenue, and even the business itself. However, when a company has the ability to quickly recover and resume operations from covered events, there is a greater likelihood that they'll survive the temporary closure.

Do you know that 4 out of every 10 businesses will experience some type of Commercial Property or General Liability claim over the next ten years? Although this might not be a surprising fact to business owners, many do not realize that the most common claims are not the most expensive ones they could face. As a result they might spend a lot of time worrying about a relatively inexpensive issue and end up overlooking a potential claim that could cost them far more in the long run.

In order for businesses to operate well and allow owners to focus on growth and sales, commercial properties need to be well maintained so they don't become unnecessary distractions or lead to expensive repairs. Unfortunately, some business owners forget to schedule or intentionally skip certain kinds of property maintenance, believing it's not needed or would be too expensive. In today's blog post, we'll look at four types of commercial real estate maintenance that should never be skipped, and how they can impact businesses financially.