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When you want to buy a new laptop, office chair or even a car, you always shop around to find out what's available and compare quality and cost. Often though, that's not the case with business insurance. Business owners are busy and don't want to wade through pages of policy documents to learn the details; too many times they just chose the policy that's least expensive. Unfortunately that may cost them in the long run if they find they don't have enough coverage when something bad happens. Use these tips to help you find the best business insurance policy for your needs. Join a professional association in your industry. Trade associations and business groups usually provide insurance options at group rates for members. You might be able to find a policy through one, or even automatically get a small policy as a part of your membership benefits. Find out about your industry's settlements. To better understand what coverage you need, dig into records of legal actions and settlements in your line of work. Ask around in your network and find out what type and amount of insurance your colleagues have so that you can determine whether or not you're in line with the rest of the industry. Compare the coverage of various policies. Just because one policy is more expensive doesn't mean it has more benefits. Once you know what coverage you need, compare policies that suit your needs so you're not getting too much coverage that you don't need. When in doubt, opt for a package deal. A business owner package (usually referred to as BOP) will offer you the most common business insurance policies. You may need to tweak it to include extra coverage that's specific to your industry, but it usually offers greater savings than buying several policies on their own. Use a broker who knows your industry. Working with an insurance agent that is familiar with your line of work will give you peace of mind, along with saving you time and money. They can easily explain what coverage could be beneficial and find a good policy at an affordable price. Business insurance is vital to the long-term success of your company. It takes on the risk so that you can reinvest your money into growing your business. We’ll help you find the right policy. Call Skogman Insurance at 319-366-6288 for more information on business insurance.

You have a vehicle you do not use. Storing it can help minimize damage to it. But, there are still risks present. Should you have auto insurance? It is tempting to reduce or remove coverage. But, before you do, there are a few key things to consider about your coverage needs. How Long Do You Plan to Store Your Vehicle? Some people store their convertibles or off-roading vehicles during the winter months. Others store sports cars most of the year, except for those few weekends they decide to use them. The key to remember is this. If you plan to store your vehicle for an extended period (think for months) you may not need full coverage the whole time. Your auto insurance agent can work with you. They can create a policy with minimal coverage and cost to protect you during the off-season. Why Not Just Cancel Your Policy? Some people may think they do not need car insurance if they do not use the car. This is true. Legally, if the car is never in use, you may not need coverage. There are some facts to think about, though. If you drive it on the road, it must have a license with tags. This usually requires having the bare minimum of liability insurance. If it is in the garage unused, but a storm damages it, or someone steals it, you have no financial protection. This can be a big risk for valuable cars. You might need comprehensive coverage to make up for this loss. If you have a loan on the car, even if it is not in use, the lender is likely to require full coverage on it. This provides the lender with financial protection. Furthermore, simply cancelling and restarting coverage might increase your premiums time over time. In addition to this, consider where you are storing it. If you store it at home, it has a greater chance of damage due to the less-than-secure area. If you store it in a facility, you may be able to improve security and protection for the car to a higher value. But, remember this. If you decide to drive it, even one time a year, you need auto insurance in place. Most car insurance agents can activate a policy right away for you. However, this does not help if an accident occurs before you have the policy in place. Ensure your auto insurance reflects how you use the car. Yet, for most owners, keeping a basic policy on the car makes financial sense.

Staring a new business can be both exciting and frightening. You have sky-high goals but maybe you're overwhelmed with business-related tasks. These tasks are often mundane, but you need to do certain things to make your business run smoothly. You don't know where to start and are unsure that you are doing the most important things. Here are five things that you need to do to set yourself up for success: Invest in an accounting software . Getting paid and keeping the books both present challenges to business owners. A robust software can help you take care of this faster and with better accuracy. There are plenty of options, like Freshbooks and Quicken. Investigate a few that you think would be a good fit, and then choose one. Open bank accounts for the business . Getting a bank account (or accounts) for your business is important essential. Run all your business expenses and income through these accounts to keep your finances as organized as possible. Avoid mixing your personal and business finances. Create a business plan . There are many kinds of business plans and you could spend all day pondering which type is best. At its core, a business plan lays the foundation for how your will organize, run and grow your business. Some important things to consider while creating it include: your target customer scope of services you will provide who will help you and how you'll expand your business how much and how you will pay yourself Invest in yourself . Over time you'll find that you invest in bigger and better tools and materials. But, you also must invest in yourself. A good rule of thumb is to spend three to five percent of your income on personal development. Buy books to read, go through online courses, attend conferences and live events. Through all these things you'll gain new knowledge, learn how to apply it and build a better business. Buy business insurance . It might seem like an unnecessary expense. However, business insurance is one thing you should buy. This will protect your investment in the business if something goes wrong. It will give you peace of mind knowing that if the unexpected happens, you will not be financially ruined. Being a business owner is a huge commitment, but one of the best you can make. Follow these five tips to set yourself up for long lasting success. We've got you covered. Call Skogman Insurance at 319-366-6288 for a fast, free business insurance quote.

Parents often feel they should only teach their teenager how to drive when the roads are dry and conditions are ideal. The truth is that when a teenager has a license, he or she will likely have to drive in a variety of weather conditions. Take the opportunity to prepare your teenaged driver by providing him or her lessons in the winter months. It is important for all drivers to know how to handle a vehicle in adverse weather. Consider the following tips. Start with Minor Snow It is best to take a teenaged driver out for a lesson when the winter conditions are only minor. Skip the lesson if a blizzard is raging. Also, go out during daylight hours for the first few winter driving lessons. The goal is to slowly introduce him or her to driving in snow and ice. Practice Braking One of the major differences between driving on dry roads and driving on snowy or icy roads is how the vehicle slows and stops. Therefore, it is important to introduce your new driver to braking on winter roads. Have him or her gently test the brakes. Consider practicing in an empty parking lot or other open area. Discuss how important it is to allow extra distance between cars when traveling in the snow. Rear-end collisions are more likely. Explain what the anti-lock brakes feel like and that it is important to continually press down on the brake while the anti-lock brakes are working. If possible give him or her the opportunity to safely experience the feel of the anti-lock brakes. Discuss Appropriate Braking Explain that when making a turn on an icy road, it is important to not apply the brakes because the car may start to slide. Instead brake prior to starting the turn and then use the gas during the turn. Have your teen driver practice this skill. Emphasize the Importance of Extra Time It’s important to allow extra time when driving in winter conditions. First, take the necessary time to properly clear the snow off the car. Completely clear windows, mirrors and lights before departing. In addition, travel will be at slower speeds, so the amount of time it takes to get to the destination will be longer. Be sure to express how important both of these items are to your teenage driver. If you are teaching your child to drive, it is important that you prepare him or her for all weather conditions they will face on the road. Realize that although you may not want him or her to drive in the snow until they are older, storms sometimes pop up. You want your child ready for any situation he or she encounters when behind the wheel. We understand that accidents happen. Call Skogman Insurance for more information on auto insurance.

Many small business owners do not know about the different types of insurance they are required to have, they ought to have and how they can obtain insurance from different carriers. The following are some different types of commercial insurance. Government Insurance : Worker's compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, and now healthcare are all required by government policy, regardless of industry. These insurance policies are all provided through government agencies. Even though they are regulated, and mandated, many private insurance companies offer more affordable insurance programs for your business when you create a bundled insurance program. You are required to carry worker's comp, unemployment and healthcare, but each of these are affected by your size, revenue, industry and other categorizations. Rather than navigate the bureaucratic labyrinth yourself, talk to an independent insurance agent to discover what is required of your business. Bonds : Surety bonds are an insurance product that many commercial and non-profit entities are required to have by law or by contract. While they are similar to an insurance policy, one of the main aspects of a commercial bond is that it has surety, or capital, backing it; this means that it’s guaranteed that your business has the capital to pay if a claim arises. Make certain that your surety bond is with a company who will work with you, because if your insurance company pays out, they are obligated by contract to collect that debt from you.  Liability Insurance : Auto insurance, general liability, special liability and umbrella insurance all are designed to protect your business against liability risks. Liability insurance is generally offered by most insurance companies and is the core of any quality commercial insurance package. Protect your business. Contact Skogman Insurance for more information on commercial insurance .

Homeowners should always be aware of their home insurance policy and what is covered, as not all policies are created the same. Your personal belongings are generally covered under home insurance, but not always in the same way or to the same extent as you might expect. There are two main options when it comes to covering your personal belongings under home insurance : actual cash value and replacement cost value. Actual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost Value Both cash value policies and replacement cost policies cover your belongings from the same dangers, but the way compensation is calculated is different. For an actual cash value policy, depreciation is taken into account when the insurer’s claims adjuster is investigating the claim. This means that as the value of your items goes down over time, or depreciates, so does the amount of compensation you can receive in a claim. For example, say you purchase a $2,000 watch and insure it under home insurance. Over the years, its value depreciates. By the time the watch is stolen, it was only work $500. When you file a claim at this time, you will receive closer to $500 in compensation for the watch despite what its original value was due to depreciation. On the other hand, a replacement cost value policy does not account for depreciation. Instead, a replacement cost value policy provides compensation so that you may replace it with an item of similar or identical value. This type of policy is generally more expensive, but it is also more likely to allow you to replace your belongings in total after an incident. Which Policy is Best? The type of policy that is best depends on you and your belongings. Keep in mind that there are certain limitations under both policies, as well. Most home insurance policies do not cover damage or loss caused by floods or earthquakes. There is also limited coverage for expensive items such as jewelry, furs, art and electronics. If you have expensive items such as these, you may need additional policy floaters. Policy floaters allow you to fill in the gaps on your personal belongings coverage and insure your high value items more effectively. Speak with an agent to protect your personal belongings within your home. It is crucial to make sure that your items are protected so that you don’t have to pay for repairs or replacements out of pocket after an accident.

Every business needs business insurance – even small ones. Why? All businesses have risks. And it’s a fact that the right coverage for your small business can make or break your company if a covered incident occurs. Insurance is all about protecting your assets. And no matter how careful you are with every aspect of your business, unexpected disasters happen. You just don’t have control over them. But whether it is fire, flood or theft, an insurance policy take cares of that for you. Here are five tips to help you select the right policy. Make sure to discuss all potential losses to your agent. That $3,000 aquarium display in your lobby might not look much to your agent, so she might scratch it of as something “less valuable.” So be sure to specify the real value of all your assets in case any accidents occur. Discuss in length your full inventory to your agent. Coverage should replace all lost or damaged equipment with the same, or at least comparable, items instead of getting items of a depreciated value. We’ve heard some horror stories about company equipment getting replaced by cheaper versions, so be sure to discuss in great detail the value and the replacement potential of all your current inventory. Get worker’s compensation insurance. An accident in the workplace can cost you a lot of money. It will require you to pay all medical bills and lost wages, or face a lawsuit by a begrudged injured employee. Worker’s comp can cover these situations, saving you the expenses of work accidents. Consider a package deal, such as a business owner’s policy (BOP). It’s usually cheaper and can cover a long list of your concerns in one easy bundle with one premium payment. Hire an independent insurance agent. They are not bound by a single company, so they can broaden their horizons and really shop around. The insurance industry is vast and there are lots of factors involved. But the independent agent knows his stuff, and can really give you the best policy your business deserves. So now that you know about small business insurance. It’s time for you to contact that dependable agent of yours and start purchasing that perfect coverage for you!