Do I need commercial insurance for my service-based business?

When people think of commercial insurance, they often tend to think about a policy that covers a store or restaurant.  The truth is that service-based businesses are the companies most in need of commercial insurance policies.  If any of the following conditions apply to your business, then it’s time to invest in a policy.

  1. You travel to you clients.  Even if you’re using a personal vehicle, your personal auto insurance coverage may not cover an accident if you are using the vehicle primarily for business.  A commercial auto policy would cover all of the vehicles that you use for your business.
  2. You have business-related equipment.  Computers, cameras, power, tools, and anything else you use for work should be insured against loss and damage.  Criminal acts and natural disasters are next to impossible to avoid, but they can completely destroy your equipment and your only way of making a living. Make sure you talk to your agent about the type and value of the equipment you have, as well as where it is typically stored.
  3. You need coverage against lawsuits.  Commercial umbrella policies are strongly recommended for service-based companies because of the high number of individual clients that they work with.  Umbrella insurance will help you to pay for a lawyer and deal with the other costs involved in a lawsuit.  These policies can also help your business to be protected from a variety of other legal issues.

If you’re thinking about investing in a commercial insurance policy, call the agents at Cross Creek Insurance.  They can help you to find a policy that meets your needs without breaking your budget.

3 Ways Commercial Insurance Protects You, Employees and Customers

Commercial insurance is just one more task out of many a business owner has to understand and make decisions about, and it can feel like a complicated space to navigate for many. This is a very valuable service, though, and it’s important you realize just how important before deciding on a plan. Here’s what to keep in mind before moving forward. 

1. Protecting You

Chances are, you don’t have a lot of outside support coming in to help you out with your company. If it goes under due to a major flood or extensive vandalism, then you may not have any other recourse of supporting yourself if you can’t get your business back together. 

2. Protecting Employees 

Employees not only have a right to protection under the law, but you also need to look out for their best interests. There are a lot of unexpected events that can occur during any given workday, and you need to have the right preparation plan in place to best deal with it all. 

3. Protecting Customers 

Not only may customers be hurt on your property, but commercial insurance also helps you get your company back open as soon as possible. This can forge a bond with customers when they know that you’ve taken the precautions necessary to keep everyone safe and sound. 

Cross Creek Insurance serves Hope Hills, NC and we’re here to make finding a good policy as easy as possible. Talk to us about common events that are covered, and what you may need to purchase additional protection for. We’re here so you can understand everything before you’re faced with a problem. Call us and ask for a quote, or simply talk to us about your existing and future needs. 

Great Ways to Give Back to Your Fayetteville Community

You can give back to the community you live in by doing all types of great things, from adopting a shelter pet, to giving blood, to feeding the hungry and helping the homeless. If you’re interested in getting involved with the people of Fayetteville, there are plenty of choices for you to consider. Nearly all of those choices are great ways for you to focus on how you can help your community and how you can make some friends at the same time.

A lot of people think that giving back means they have to hand over money, but that’s not always the case. You can certainly donate cash to worthy local causes, but there are plenty of other options. Items you don’t use, food for the food pantry, and your time are also great things to donate. A lot of organizations need volunteers, and giving your time to help those who are less fortunate than you can provide a good feeling that you just can’t get any other way. Helping people also goes a long way toward making a better community, and that benefits everyone who lives and works in the area.

When you’re insured by someone in your community, like Cross Creek Insurance, you have that personal feel that you’re looking for in a Fayetteville insurance company. You help out a local business, and you also get the chance to see that business grow and develop, to serve you even better in the future. That can be a great feeling, and a way to really get to know more people throughout your community.

Finding the Right Protection in Life Insurance for Hope Hills

Protecting your life is not exactly like protecting your home or car. You likely have very different feelings about life insurance, but that’s not a reason to ignore the need for it. The financial support from a well-designed life insurance policy is what can keep a family going during an extremely difficult time. Your city is all about having the right attitude, so learn more about the kinds of protection available in Hope Hills. 

Term Insurance: A Good Choice for Those With Young Children 

When you have young kids, you already know it’s common to worry for their future. However, you also know that you want them to be able to provide for themselves at some point. Life insurance protects them against an emergency for the time they need it the most. Typically, this policy is set up to expire when a parent decides that their children will come of age. That could be 18 for one parent or 25 for another. Whatever you decide upon, this is a good way to set them up without overdoing it. 

Permanent Insurance: Excellent Coverage for Life 

If you want to be a continuous provider for family or even beloved friends, then permanent insurance will likely be for you. While these policies typically cost more, they give you the piece of mind that everyone will be covered should something happen. They can also be used as a type of savings fund as well, so you know you have fall-back funds if you should need them. 

Cross Creek Insurance serves the people of Hope Hills, and we can help you decide on a plan that works for both you and the people you love. Give us a call today for more info.

3 Important Ways to Manage Business Risks

To be successful, every business owner must learn to cope with risk. While it is probably not possible to totally eliminate risk, there are some basic ways to cope with it.

 

Stick to Your original Plan

When starting your business, you should draft an outline of every aspect of it from sales and marketing to projected revenues. You should consider several different perspectives as you go about running your business. Once your original plan is drafted and survives the first quarter, stick to it. You may be tempted by the opinions of others and trends to change horses mid-stream. Resist this temptation.

 

Purchase Insurance

Interacting with the public or even dealing with business to business commerce always comes with an element of risk. It’s possible that your product could be involved in an accident that causes injury or damage. No matter how well designed, or labeled your products are- you should protect yourself by purchasing liability insurance. If you are the target of a frivolous lawsuit- even if you win- you could lose an unacceptable amount of money in lost profits and court costs. Discuss a liability insurance policy with your insurance agent before you begin offering any products or services to customers.

 

Carefully Monitor Your Business

In order to manage risk, it is necessary to take steps to determine when risks may occur. These risks include the activities of your competition, marketplace fluctuation, trends in fraud, and weaknesses in your organization’s safety procedures and operations. It may be that your quality-control isn’t thorough enough and that defects are reaching the marketplace. These potential risks must be identified and remedied in order to help mitigate the total risk to your livelihood.

 

Cross Creek Insurance
The professionals at Cross Creek Insurance, are dedicated to giving clients the best insurance plans available. Our goal is to make your insurance purchase fast, simple, and productive.

Call or click today and the insurance experts help to protect your business when disaster strikes.

 

How Independent Insurance Agents Can Help Finding The Right Insurance Coverage For You

Independent insurance agents can make your life a lot easier, if you allow them to. They know about the industry and have spent a lot of time researching the different insurance companies and what they all offer. They have that ability to explain coverage, obtain the best discounts for you, and much more.

Instead of having to navigate through the complexity of insurance on your own over the Internet, you can work with an insurance agent who is going to help you every step of the way. Agents are often the pillars of the community and have your best interest in mind. They want to help you save money, and know how to accomplish this.

Whether you need insurance for your home, your car, or anything else, they can make sure that you have coverage that you can depend on. They will tell you what’s out there, what’s required in North Carolina, and show you what is going to fit your needs the most.

Insurance is a must to provide protection. It isn’t something you want to guess at. It could be very easy to spend a lot of money on insurance and there are affordable premiums out there – you just have to know how to get them.

Independent insurance agents are your gateway to getting the right insurance coverage. Let them help you with the options, the quotes, and everything else. This way, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you have sufficient and affordable coverage in place for all aspects of your life.

At Cross Creek Insurance we have friendly and experienced independent insurance agents to help you find a policy you can rely on in Hope Hills. Call now and let us help you every step of the way so that you’re not left alone.

 

 

Using Life Insurance to Borrow Money

As “The Brick Capital of the USA”, Sanford, NC once produced about 10% of the bricks produced in the entire country. While bricks are still an important part of our economy, we now have a much more diverse base of employment. We have large employers like Pfizer, small home based businesses and everything in between. They all have something in common. It takes money to get them going and it takes money to keep them going. It is part of the reason supporting our local businesses is so important.

If you’ve ever considered starting your own small or home-based business, there may be a source for funding you may not have considered. You may be able to borrow money from your life insurance policy.

You see, whole life insurance can build value as the years go by. That means not only is it providing important protection for your family, but it can be a financial resource in emergencies or opportunities. Loans against your life insurance are generally at very attractive interest rates. If something were to happen to you before the loan is repaid, the balance would be deducted from your life insurance proceeds. Your life insurance agent can help determine this “loan value” for you.

Loans are just one of the many ways that life insurance is a valuable financial asset. If you would like to know more, we invite you to contact us. We are independent insurance agents who can work with a variety of providers to find the best insurance coverage for you. If you live in the Sanford area, we invite you visit our website for a comparative online quote on your homeowners and auto insurance. It is a convenient and simple way to compare rates. Give it a try. We look forward to serving you.

Does Your Health Impact Your Auto Insurance Rates?

Fuquay-Varina, NC has a quite a charming history. Established around mineral springs because they were believed to have healing powers, this quaint town continues to thrive. Unfortunately, the mineral springs in Fuquay-Varina do not have healing powers, and medical conditions you may suffer from can affect the rate you have to pay for your car insurance each month.

Medical Conditions and Car Insurance Rates

Your car insurance is rated based on risks. If you are a considered a risk after a risk assessment has been completed for you then you will likely pay more for your car insurance. Unfortunately, individuals with certain medical conditions are considered a risk. For instance, individuals with diabetes may have blurred vision, which compromises their ability to see while driving. Additionally, patients taking certain medications are considered a risk behind the wheel because their prescriptions may affect their ability to drive.

What Should Businesses Do About Drivers with Risky Medical Conditions

Since business insurance is expensive and many managers may not know what conditions are affecting employees driving their company vehicle, businesses must take a proactive position to protect their assets. Most businesses ask their drivers about medical conditions affecting their ability to drive and provide annual screenings or require DOT physicals that will help keep drivers honest. We encourage businesses to know their driver’s status because the company is liable for losses and accidents caused by the driver, ultimately.

Discuss Your Limitations with Your Agent

To ensure that you do not threaten your life or the lives of others, it is in your best interest to discuss your medical conditions with your doctor and your insurance agent. Both professionals will provide you with detailed information about what you should do to protect yourself and your family while driving. As your insurance agent, we can recommend measures you can take to reduce the chances of you getting in a wreck, which will help you save money on your insurance. 

Tips for Knowing How Much Life Insurance You Need

When it comes to purchasing life insurance, many people get more than a little confused on how much coverage they need. Truth is, though, it's fairly simple and straightforward to calculate how much is needed.

If a person doesn't have anyone who is dependent upon him — spouse, children, grandchildren, etc. — then there's really no need to purchase a life insurance policy. If however, there are dependents, then a policy that equals about 10x as much as the policyholder's annual income should be obtained. Take for instance that the person makes $60,000 a year. A life insurance policy in the amount of $600,000 should be sufficient.

Then again, if a retirement fund or savings account has been paid into, then such a high life insurance policy may not be needed. It all comes down to what a person wants to leave behind to their beneficiaries. But the important thing to note is that life insurance funds are not meant to make a family rich once the policyholder becomes deceased. The funds are supposed to be used so that the family can maintain the same standard of living as it was when the policyholder was alive.

By speaking with our insurance agents in Hope Mills, NC, you can easily identify how much of a life insurance policy that you need. Our agents in the 28348 area will know how to best assess your life situation, which will go a long way in helping you create a life insurance policy that best accommodates you and your family's needs as well as fits within your budget. Do keep in mind there are several types of policies to choose from, with the cheapest usually being term life coverage plans.

Could Your Business in North Carolina Survive a Shutdown?

Whether it’s due to a bedbug infestation at your downtown hotel, roaches in the kitchen at your local cafe or mold in the walls at your office space, would your business in North Carolina be able to survive during the time it was shutdown? Would your company still be able to come out on top and perform like it did before the shutdown?

Costly Consequences of Shutdowns

In a situation like this, you have to think about everything. This includes how much revenue was lost, how much it cost to remedy the situation and whether or not you’ll be paying your employees while the company is shut.

It Won’t Ever Happen To Me.

Sure, you probably think that this will never happen to you, but that’s exactly when it does. In some cases, it may not have anything to do with a health code violation. In fact, your office could get vandalized and need to be shut down until repairs can be made. This temporary shutdown will cost your business a significant amount of money. Will you and your business be able to survive?

Protect Yourself. Protect Your Company.

If the healthier department shut down your business due to a violation, would you be okay? If you aren’t sure, then it’s time to speak to one of out independent agents. We can help you get the commercial insurance coverage that you need to ensure your business stays afloat even when times get tough. It is when you don’t have business insurance when you can’t survive a shutdown. Give us a call today so that our commercial insurance agents can help save your business in North Carolina.

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