As businesses look ahead to 2022 with optimism and new opportunities for growth, some might wonder what strategic steps they can take to be ready for the new year ahead. The answer for some industries is making improvements and upgrades now so they can be better prepared to handle new customers, fulfill additional orders, protect their business, and support their workforce.

As businesses approach the busy holiday season, it can become a stressful time for business owners as they prepare to host holiday parties, welcome an increase in shoppers, and offer a larger amount of merchandise and holiday specials. An important investment for many business owners is the hiring of professional security teams or off-duty police officers to monitor the property and provide extra security during a hectic time.

Companies often make a number of key investments into their business, such as recruiting for quality employees, clear and visible signage, marketing, and equipment and technology upgrades. However, businesses often make the mistake of not investing enough in high quality safety equipment for employees or thorough training for new hires.

With businesses facing all types of labor and supplier challenges right now, the last thing companies need is dealing with property damage or losses due to thieves and vandals. A single act of theft or property damage can cause thousands of dollars in repairs, or cause business operations to slow down. Some businesses might not even realize that they have made themselves an ideal target for criminals looking for an easy score.

Businesses are often so focused on running their business and meeting customer demands that they don't take the time to notice the condition of their building or surrounding property until it's too late. In the hustle and bustle of running a busy restaurant, an owner might not notice new cracks in the kitchen tile floors, or a retail store owner might not see a new water stain on the ceiling of their backroom storage area.

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.

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.