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Confronting Substance Abuse In Small Business
Small businesses have not made the same pro...d costs are also the main concerns of small businesses in deciding whether to ...

... to $5,000 should be prosecuted in small claims court without hesitation. The ...s because of the attorney's fear of liability. Honest communication and a clea...

...there's less pricing volatility in small premiums didn't change the underwriti...in California who need Professional Liability insurance? What about the number...

...ction is properly structured. In a small entity, he may do it himself. In a la...laneous duties include supervising contractors' Certificates of Insurance, att...

...on at any time. And that’s just a small step short of actually being able to ...er evaluating it: CURRENT RATIO The general liquidity ratio measures your ag...

...ears. These aren't risks a typical small-business policy can cover. General contractors now mandate AM Best A-rated carrie...iscovered when a claim is filed and liability is contested between parties. Fi...

... in your analysis of the situation; $10,000 minimum debt is a general base figure to work with, although in today's economy even that figure may be too low to justify hiring a lawyer. Debts up to $5 ,000 should be prosecuted in small claims court without hesitation. The cost is minimal. The only adverse consequence is the amount of time spent at court. Debts between $5 ,000 and $10,000 are more difficult to assess. Remember the cost of an attorney. The closer ... work is the worst reason to accept a job. The money you're owed can earn a better return in an adequate investment vehicle, and this lost opportunity is hardly compensated by someone stringing out their payments-without interest, even! If you want to work with a general contractor, get names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three suppliers (five is better) and ask them: Does the contractor pay his bills on time? Is the contractor currently delinquent or late? Have there been any complaints about the contractor from ... for work is the worst reason to accept a job. The money you're owed can earn a better return in an adequate investment vehicle, and this lost opportunity is hardly compensated by someone stringing out their payments-without interest, even! If you want to work with a general contractor, get names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three suppliers (five is better) and ask them: Does the contractor pay his bills on time? Is the contractor currently delinquent or late? Have there been any complaints about the contractor ...

... policy to estimate the total premium volume the program will generate. In the past, I've been unsuccessful in securing insurance company markets because the average premium size was too low or the potential premium volume wasn't high enough. Even the argument that there's less pricing volatility in small premiums didn't change the underwriting philosophy of some carriers. The attitude that small accounts are a waste of time will change as technology becomes more sophisticated. Do your homework Before you find a market, the first step is to assess the potential of a specialty program ... business and target market? A. A narrowly defined target market is crucial to understanding the type of risk. Some underwriters also call this the class of business. A short description of your niche will suffice. For instance, say you're interested in writing artisan and specialty contractors, security guards, general contractors that do residential construction, dwelling policies, or drivers with four accidents in the last three years. Q. What lines of insurance will be offered and at what limits? A. The approach here would be to state that ... are interested in writing the Professional Liability for a home inspector or the General Liability for an artisan and specialty contractor. Retail producers should pay careful attention to the line of business and type of coverage required. Also of significance is the amount of the policy limits. Policy limits obviously will vary by class of business. It might be $1 million combined single limit for an independent trucker, or statutory limits for a Nonstandard Auto policy. Producers must do their homework to find out what the policy limits should be. Q. ...

... is about $9 ,000, with some departments paying as little as $3 ,500 and a few anteing more than $100,000. The Company estimates that about half of the state's 1,300 VFDs are target customers; the others are too small or are required to carry coverage through their city or county. The agency writes about two-thirds of its volunteer fire departments and emergency service organizations directly, with the remainder handled by a network of more than 70 agencies peppered across the state. Regnier refers potential clients ... Open Doors For Ward Insurance Agency of Gatesville, opportunity did more than just knock. It walked in the front door and asked for an application. In about 1980, a controller from a construction firm office up the street walked in and asked if we had a contractor surety questionnaire, ' recalls John Ward, one of two principals in the family-owned business. The contractor had messed up the form provided by an out-of-town agent and needed a clean version to fill out. I said I could provide the same service for him locally ... they are for more conventional property and casualty lines, too. One added expense is industry conventions. Seven years ago, I had no idea what a convention expense was, ' Regnier says. Now, we attend several firemen's and EMS conventions a year. We generally take three people-myself and two other producers-and that's very expensive. But we've seen a good return on that investment. The people in this field like to see you, slap you on the back and buy you a beer. The best advertising is word-of-mouth, and ...

...rget customers; the others are too small or are required to carry coverage thr...rage because they involve no public liability, Everhart notes. Avoiding ar...