Can Manufacturing Overcome the Widening Skills Gap?

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Employee Benefits, Manufacturing

Manufacturing has always correlated with rapid economic growth. Time and time again we’ve seen manufacturing businesses create jobs and elevate a community’s standard of living. The development of a factory is the saving grace of poor communities all over the world. The International Monetary Fund and U.S. government projections expect our manufacturing sector to grow by 3 or 4 percent … Read More

The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Private Pay Division

Heather SinclairBusiness Insurance, Risk Management

Every day, countless patients are cared for by private nursing divisions of healthcare organizations. The National Association for Home Care estimates this is a $40 billion market. These healthcare providers handle anything a patient needs. They assist with feeding and hygiene, transporting patients to appointments, wounds and injury care, medication organization and distribution, equipment maintenance, and countless other tasks. These … Read More

The Key to Controlling your Workers’ Compensation Costs

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Risk Management, Workers Compensation

The key to controlling your workers’ compensation costs is understanding your experience modification factor and its effect on your insurance premium. Workers’ compensation costs can make or break your bottom line. But control over these costs is more attainable than you may think if you understand your experience modification factor and its effect on your insurance premium. Use Your Mod … Read More

Home Healthcare Safety Hazards That May Leave You Liable

Heather SinclairBusiness Insurance, Risk Management, Workers Compensation

Home healthcare workers are an essential component of the healthcare industry. They provide essential long-term service to patients who are unable to care for themselves. However, the healthcare worker and his/her employer have little control over the working environment, which means the following safety hazards are quite common. 1. Patient handling and lifting – This is one of the leading … Read More

Does a Healthcare Agency Need Marketing and Sales Teams?

Heather SinclairBusiness Insurance, Risk Management

Marketing is changing every day. Once, patients would choose their healthcare provider by location. Whichever clinic, hospital, doctor’s office or nursing home was closest was the one that got their business. But tools like Google, YELP, Facebook and numerous health care agency review websites allow patients to quickly compare services, medical staff credentials, and comments from former patients. The Pew Research Center … Read More

Planning for Construction Risk

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Construction, Workers Compensation

The construction industry is flourishing, with outlooks like the Wells Fargo 2016 Construction Industry Forecast’s Optimism Quotient predicting that local construction, profits, equipment purchases and rentals and overall future growth will be strong this year.  Add to this that warmer weather means the busy construction season is here and it’s a great time to be in the industry, whether you’re an independent … Read More

Food Safety: How to Protect Your Franchise

Kathy DouglasBusiness Insurance

Every day, stories about food safety issues dominate the headlines, from Chipotle’s famous contamination crisis to Dole’s bagged salad recall to the recent CRF Frozen Foods listeria scare. Contamination and illness issues present one of the greatest risks to the food industry. If you own a franchise, you may unexpectedly find yourself in the spotlight because of a foodborne illness … Read More

Home Renovation 101: Four Steps you MUST do before you pick up the hammer

Rachel WinslowBusiness Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Workers Compensation

As the seasons change, homeowners begin to think about tackling that latest house project – from redoing a kitchen to installing a pool to adding on an addition.  Whether your plans are small or large, make sure you’re prepared and covered before a shovel goes into the ground or a paint brush touches the wall.   Some people take the do-it-yourself … Read More

Spring Hazards: Worker Safety During Warmer Weather

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Construction, Workers Compensation

Spring signifies the end of winter and a season of new beginnings.  It ushers in budding trees, blooming flowers and warmer temperatures.  It can also bring with it quickly changing conditions and hazards that employers and workers need to be aware of and prepare for to ensure safety.  While, overall, workplaces are safer today, many people are still seriously injured … Read More

Are you Protecting Your Construction Business Properly?

Jonathan BelekBusiness Insurance, Construction

2016 is expected to be a strong, steady year of growth in the construction industry, with the 2016 Dodge Construction Outlook predicting that the U.S. construction starts for 2016 will rise 6% to $712 billion.  This environment is expected to be supported by the U.S. economy, with relaxed lending standards and support from state and local construction bond measures.  And … Read More