During the holiday season, business owners often plan team-building exercises and company functions to celebrate the company’s successes, reward hardworking employees, or serve the local community as a team.  However, sometimes company functions can get out of hand when employees celebrate a little too much, or they are injured while participating in an event, creating a potential Workers Compensation issue.

With Halloween less than a month away, many businesses have begun planning out their Halloween festivities and parties, whether for employees or customers. Activities might range from simple costume or pumpkin decorating contests to full-blown parties with alcohol, live music, and spooky events and games. Although Halloween can be a great opportunity for companies to attract new customers, or provide a fun event for employees, there are some risks with Halloween parties and activities that can pose liability threats.

Houston continues to develop new commercial, office, and residential properties at an astounding rate, far surpassing economic growth in other areas of the country. Our city's robust economy allows many individuals to take a leap of faith and become small business owners. However, owning a small business such as retail shop comes with both high rewards and high risk. Thankfully, there are proactive steps retail shop owners can take to minimize risk and protect their business.

As businesses change and expand, so should business insurance coverage. After all, the commercial coverage needs of a brand-new business are very different than insurance needs after several years in operation. Having the right type and amount of commercial coverage ensures that businesses and owners have the financial protection in place to recover quickly if disaster strikes. In today's blog post, we'll look at three key examples of when business insurance coverage should be updated and increased due to changes in the company.

Businesses are often looking for new ways to boost morale and reduce stress in the workplace. A new trend among small businesses is to allow employees to occasionally bring their pets to work with them. Although this option is growing in popularity, the decision to allow pets to enter the workplace does come with some serious liability risks for businesses of all sizes. In today's blog post, we'll look at the risks of allowing employees to bring their pets to the office or worksite.

One of the first questions any business owner is asked when researching commercial insurance options is where the business is located. While there are a number of factors that impact a business's risk, location is one of the most influential when it comes to premium rates, coverage options, endorsements, and exclusions. There is no such thing as the perfect location for a business, but understanding and thoroughly researching a location before establishing a business can significantly reduce potential risk.

Houston is home to thousands of businesses of all sizes, representing hundreds of different industries and professions, including retail shops, attorneys, farms, contractors, restaurants, oil and gas, and health professions. As these businesses vary, so do their commercial insurance needs.

When major storms or disasters strike, Houston businesses can be impacted in a number of ways, including major power outages, utility interruptions, structural damage, flooding, and the loss of customers and revenue. For many business owners, early disaster preparation can be the difference between reopening in a few days or weeks, and having to permanently close the business.

Businesses rely on company assets to provide valuable services to customers, create their products, and generate revenue. Business assets might include computer systems, smartphones, inventory, raw materials, company fleet vehicles, tools, specialized machinery, and sensitive customer data. Protecting these assets is crucial for businesses, but unfortunately, many business owners do not take security seriously until it is too late and they've become victim to thieves, vandals, or trespassers.

Houston business owners know that a successful company is more than just a product or service. It's a combination of important components such as an office or warehouse, employees, outdoor signs, beautiful landscaping and trees, equipment, company vehicles, inventory, and furniture. Businesses often utilize all these assets in order to achieve maximum productivity and value. When these assets are threatened or damaged, it can put business owners in a dire financial situation as the replacement and repair costs can be astronomical.