Usually, a garage business has many exposures including auto, premises, operations, contractual and products completed. As a business owner of a garage or repair shop, you want to make sure your day-to-day business operations are not halted by faulty repair, damage to customer’s or non-dealer’s vehicles or bodily injury. In order to successfully cover all exposures your garage business may be vulnerable to, you must invest in the proper insurance coverage or else the financial and legal liability will be left in your hands. When you do your research, you find there are multiple coverages to choose from; Garage Liability Insurance and Garagekeepers Liability Insurance. So which one should you choose? Before you approach your insurer, you should educate yourself of the differences and similarities between the two because after all, you want to be informed before you make such an imperative investment within your business. Garage Liability Coverages: Garage Operations—Other Than Cover ...

It’s a nightmare that has befallen many small Asheboro, Boone and Southern Pines businesses. One of your best clients has just made a significant purchase, and it seems the world couldn’t be a better place. Then, on their way to their car, disaster strikes. A sudden trip, a slip and fall, and your happy client is now hurt, angry and a potential plaintiff in a lawsuit against your business, all in the space of a few disastrous seconds. Although you can wish it hadn’t happened, and you should always be certain to take any precautions about your business location to try and prevent such accidents, what happens from the standpoint of your insurance coverage? There are two extremely valuable provisions in a solid business insurance policy designed specifically to respond to incidents such as this. The goal of the provisions is twofold:  protect your business from the financial risk of such accidents—legal fees for defense, the potential for large lawsuit awards against you; and try ...

Winter brings the threat of freezing temperatures and harsh conditions to much of the U.S. Some places are well beyond the threat; it’s going to freeze—there’s no way around it. Such conditions pose unique hazards to commercial building owners. Following is some information on common winter threats and how they are addressed by commercial property insurance. FREEZING/BURSTING PIPES One of the most common causes of damage to commercial buildings during the colder months is freezing and bursting pipes. As a building owner, there are measures you can take to prevent pipes from freezing; however, sometimes the worst happens anyway. If it does, the result can be thousands of dollars of damage to your building, furniture, electronics, and other business property. If this happens, will your commercial property insurance pay? The answer is “it depends.” The property policy is not a maintenance contract, and the insurance company expects you to take every precaution to ensure that pip ...

As 2011 has drawn to close as a small business owner it is important to understand the improvements in social media from 2011, how best to use those and what to look forward to in 2012. Google has made upgrades to their Google Places which is a platform essential for local businesses. If you do not already have your location, hours of business, logo, products/services description, and a link to your website on Google Places be sure to make that a part of your 2012 marketing plan. Google changed the layout and prominence of Google Places when searching locally which should help small businesses gain more attention. Google has also introduced their Google Plus and Google +1, which is similar to Facebook’s “Like” button.  The Google + Pages are an interaction website with three main components. Share, Promote, and Measure. You can share with customers or potential customers different parts of your business they might not be aware of, as well as breaking news, updates, promotion ...

As Thanksgiving approaches, many people will celebrate the holiday by giving back to their community. Volunteering time or services to a company or non-profit organization may be a selfless act of generosity, but these acts of goodwill can also expose volunteers to possible lawsuits if they are making decisions on behalf of the organizations or company. Fortunately, there is a way to mitigate the exposure to lawsuits and continue lending a hand. A directors and officers (D&O) insurance policy protects directors and officers from liability risks associated with working or volunteering on the board of an organization or company. These risks can include negligent acts or omissions, antitrust violations, wrongful termination, libel and slander, and misleading statements that result in a lawsuit against the company. Whether you're working or volunteering as a director or officer, it's important to make sure you're protected from these risks with a D&O policy. Directors and officers can be sued by the c ...

How to Shield Yourself and Employees from the Heat

These days everyone is looking to save money. Looking for cheaper insurance is one way to lower costs. But, what if taking cheaper insurance was going to leave your family vulnerable to expensive denied claims? Do you know the true cost of your insurance policy? Toni Maccarone, Personal Lines Account Manager, just had a client come by to say he had received a lower quote from an 800# on his auto insurance. She asked if it offered the same protection as his current coverage and sure enough, it did not. The cheaper quote our client had received lacked the protection he needed. After comparing the 800# quote to his current protection, Toni took the time to explain the differences between the cheaper quote and his current protection. The client appreciated this personal service and decided to stay with the superior protection he has with First Pioneer Insurance Agency. Don’t let a few dollars put your family in harm’s way with expensive denied claims. We want you to know that your coverage is doing ...

In this year alone, tornadoes have struck towns that never expected the unpleasant visit from a tornado. A lot of towns that have never experienced a tornado are not prepared in the event of one occurring. Tornadoes have devastated towns such as Tuscaloosa (Alabama), Raleigh (North Carolina), and Joplin (Missouri). However, local towns such as Sanford (North Carolina), Johnson City (Tennessee), and Fayetteville (North Carolina) were not immune to the destruction of tornadoes. According to FEMA, there are several things you should know before, during, after a tornado hits your area. You should listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information. You should be aware and consciously looking for approaching storms ahead of time. If you see dark (often greenish) sky, large hail, a large low-lying cloud, or if you hear a loud roar (similar to a freight train) then you should seek shelter immediately. During a tornado: if you are in any kind of structure then you ...

Hurricane Awareness With wake of the most atrocious weather conditions recorded to date presently slamming our nation, families must set up an action plan for such unprecedented occurrences to ensure protection and prevention.  The initial step in making certain that you and your family are prepared BEFORE a hurricane hits North Carolina is to continually educate oneself of potential disastrous storms predicted to strike in our region. With reference to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website, the Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook can be obtained and plans for safety and avoidance can become implemented. Hurricane Preparation The following questions to consider when protecting oneself, family and possessions in the rouse of a disastrous storm are as followed: 1) Am I prepared? Acknowledge in advance of where to go if told to evacuate, choosing several places such as a friend’s residence in a different city, a motel, or a shelter. Also, make preparations to take and care ...