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Contractors Insurance Agency

May 14
0

8 Tips to Growing Your Construction Business

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Are you ready to ramp up your business? Are you looking for the best ways to grow?  Having a plan in place is key to growth and that plan needs to have strategic ways to increase your operations effectively and ensure you have the resources for the growth you are looking for. 

Here are 8 tips to help you successfully grow your construction business

1.) Your Team: In construction, your team is one of your most important assets. Be sure to take your time hiring and put team members in place that are dependable, knowledgeable and skilled in their areas. Then once you have them you want to keep them so be sure to always promote and reward them for jobs well done. 

2.) Be a Leader: You don’t need to manage your team, you need to lead them.  You brought each person on for their unique talents so let them do what they are good at.  You oversee that and lead them and you will have a team that is happy and wants to expand your business just as much as you do. 

3.) Invest: To make money you also need to spend money. Invest not only time but money into your company’s growth. Invest in new equipment and technology when needed, train your employees and actively market your business.

4.) Word of mouth: The number one method to growth is having people refer you to others. Let your customers know you appreciate their referrals and will do right by them. 

5.) Network: One of the best ways to grow is to have the resources and people around you that can help you do that.  Networking is a great way to accomplish this.  You want to go into this process by not just thinking of how others can benefit you but how you can serve others as well. Being active in your community and giving back when you can is a great way to build repo ire. 

6.) Quality Work: Don’t sacrifice the quality of your work.  When it comes down to it, your company will be remembered for how well the job held up in the long term, not how cheap you could do it for. Cutting corners to reduce costs can be detrimental. Your company’s reputation is key to growth. Never compromise your high standards.

7.) Customer Service: Ensuring your customers are happy is extremely important to building your business and your brand.  This doesn’t mean they are always right or that you need to cave in on everything they want. You are the expert. It is about actively communicating with your client on the project and making decisions together on the progress. Happy customers will send you referrals and choose to work with you again. 

8.) Be Proactive: Proactively seek new opportunities to retain and grow your business. Reach out to the owners, architects and general contractors you know and have worked with to find out what projects they have on the horizon.

Here at Contactors Insurance Agency we want to support you in your growth and make sure that you have the best insurance coverage in place.  Call us today to review your policy and make sure you are ready for the growth that will be coming your way!

Apr 25
0

TREE CARE INDUSTRY BACK TO WORK

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We just wanted to take a moment to share an update we recently received for the Tree/Landscaping businesses that we insure.  Stay Safe!

ISA Michigan Members and Industry Colleagues:

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a revised stay-at-home order Friday, reopening several businesses in the process. The updated Executive Order, includes landscaping/tree care as a low risk industry regarding Covid-19, per OSHA.

Please read the Executive Order (EO) carefully, line by line, and follow the recommended PPE and related Safe Work Guidelines to protect employees and the public.  If we don’t follow the proper safety procedures, we could go under another stay at home order. For reference, landscaping services is located in line 10c of the EO.

Remember:

  • Limit contact with clients
  • Wear PPE
  • Provide extra sanitation efforts on any shared equipment
  • Be safe in the trees and on the ground

It is vital as leaders of your business operations that you please make sure that your employees are seen following social distancing rules, wearing masks and that you are screening your team as the CDC requires upon arriving for work each day. You should also review your county Department of Health’s recommendations for working safely. You must obey all parts of the Executive Order.

As we reintegrate into our world of production tree care that we do not lose sight of proper safety practices. Consider registering for our free Safety Awareness-Back to Workplace Mindset webinar on April 29, 2020. It’s a 1-hour presentation that will provide important reminders about work and personal controls in safety: engineering, administrative, and PPE. Join our Panelists for an in-depth discussion on how these controls work and how they affect everyone from owner to the crew.

Thank you and Stay Safe,

Brian Barnard
President, ISA Michigan

Annie Kruise
Executive Director, ISA Michigan

For additional resources to help your business and timely updates on what is happening with ISA Michigan during this pandemic, please visit the Covid-19 Update page on our website. Feel free to reach out to us at any time via the links above or at 517-337-4999.

 

Apr 09
0

Surviving as a Small Business Through Difficult Times

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The COVID-19 pandemic has hit a lot of small businesses hard since many have had to close down temporarily to help slow the spread of the virus.  There are a growing number of resources available to assist you if your business is one that will be recovering from economic losses. 

Recent support came from the U.S. Small Business Administration statewide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration, with the support of the Michigan Small Business Development Center   and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) which is the state’s lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development. 

MichiganBusiness.org reports that the “EIDL designation means that Michigan small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and nonprofits that suffer substantial economic losses as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak will now have the ability to apply for low-interest loans as part of $1 billion in funding made available to the SBA by Congress earlier this month.”

Under the CARES Act, small businesses can receive up to $10M through the SBA Paycheck Protection Program. This loan can be used to pay up to 2 months payroll, rent and utilities. If at least 75% of the loan is used for payroll, then it is forgiven..you do not have to pay it back. 

For more information on the SBA loans and to get assistance you can contact Colin Hutchinson in the Kalamazoo office at (269) 231-4660

Here at Contractors Insurance Agency we wish you and your loved ones health, safety and security.  We are working remotely but we are still available to help you!  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Mar 12
0

What Are the Basic Insurance Needs for Most Businesses?

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If you are a small business owner you most likely know that you need some time of insurance but do you know what you need to insure? It can be confusing sometimes and you want to make sure that you have all your needs covered as best as you can.

Business insurance will help cover costs associated with property damage and liability claims. If you don’t have the proper coverage (or any coverage) you will end up paying out of pocket for damages and legal claims against your company and unfortunately, if that amount is a lot it could put you out of business or even bankrupt you.

A business owners policy (BOP) combines business property, business liability and business income insurance in one policy.

Let me break that down a bit for you so it is easier to understand each part.

Business Property (also referred to as commercial property), helps protect the physical location of your business and assets including tools, documents, and furniture.

Business Liability (also referred to as commercial liability) helps cover the costs of liability claims made against your business. For example, if a customer injures them self on your business property, it could result in a lawsuit against your company and this is where having business liability in place will be beneficial.

Business Income Insurance helps replace lost income when your business can’t operate due to a covered loss. The benefit to having this coverage in place is that you can continue to pay your bills and payroll while you are recovering. For example, if you had a fire that damaged your business and you had to close while repairs were being made you would still be able to replace the lost income with this coverage.

When you are exploring your options for business insurance understand that you can tailor your needs to address specific risks your business would face.  Not all businesses are the same and not all insurance coverage is the same.

Here at Contractors Insurance Agency we are all about serving you and making sure your business is protected.  We know how hard you work and what your business means to you and we take your insurance needs seriously.  Give us a call and let us help you sort through all the different options to choose what is best for your unique business.

 

Feb 13
0

Benefits of Crime Insurance

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As a leader within your organization, you want to trust your employees and the people you do business with. However, the reality is that no business is immune to the threat of crime and fraud. In fact, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates that a business can expect to lose 5 percent of its revenue to fraud each year.

Thankfully, companies can turn to crime insurance,
which can provide the following benefits:

Coverage for the misuse of funds. It is likely that a number of your employees have access to company funds or financial information. In some cases, employees may abuse this access for personal gain. Crime insurance can protect organizations from the misuse or illegal transfer of funds, ensuring your finances are safe from internal criminal acts.

Extortion Safeguards. While it can be difficult to imagine, employees and outside actors can extort a company for funds by holding a director or officer hostage or through other illegal methods. Without crime insurance, your organization would have no means to recoup these losses, which could devastate your bottom line.

Reimbursement for computer fraud. Computers and emerging technologies have made it easier than ever for employees to carry out crimes against their employers. Crime insurance can provide a crucial layer of protection for any money or securities lost via computer fraud, which is an important piece to an effective cyber risk management program.

Insurance for goods in transit. Goods in transit are particularly vulnerable to employee theft and, in some cases, organizations may not notice anything has been stolen until it is too late. What’s more, if the theft takes place outside of the organizations’ premises, it can be difficult to prove, often leading to drawn out and expensive legal battles. Crime insurance policies can provide ample protection for goods in transit and reduce the likelihood of extreme losses whenever you send or receive products.

Coverage for forgery and alteration. In some cases, your employees have access to checks that they can easily alter for their own gain. Effective crime insurance policies provide coverage for losses that result from the forgery or alteration of a check.

Want to Learn More About Crime Insurance? 

Even if your organization takes the necessary precautions, you could still end up the victim of employee fraud and similar crimes. The only way to ensure your company has the protection it needs is through crime insurance.  To discuss your unique risks and to learn more about  crime insurance policies, contact Contractors Insurance Agency today.

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