Latest Small Business Headlines

All the headlines from our Small Business Topic Page, ordered by recency.

HSB Extends Identity Theft Insurance to Small Business Owners for Employees

May 6 2016 // The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co. (HSB) is extending the availability of its identity theft insurance and services to the employees of small to mid-sized businesses as a standalone policy for...

The Hartford: St. Louis Small Businesses Seek Significant Growth

May 3 2016 // The Hartford says a recent survey shows that St. Louis small business owners are looking for significant growth this year.According to The Hartford’s 2015 Small Business Success Study, 56 percent of St. Louis owners...

How to Grow Your Insurance Agency One Call At A Time

May 2 2016 // The insurance industry is spending big on local marketing, but the results individual agencies experience depend on the tactics they execute. For independent agents and brokers looking to stand out online, positive web...

AIG, Hamilton, Two Sigma to Launch Small-Medium Business Insurance Joint Venture

Apr 26 2016 // American International Group, Bermuda-based Hamilton Insurance Group and affiliates of hedge fund firm Two Sigma Investments said they have agreed to create a technology-enabled insurance platform for sales to the small to...

Few Small Businesses Feel the Need to Prepare for Climate Change

Apr 14 2016 // Constant reminders in the media over threats of rising sea levels, more frequent storms, or the promise of blistering droughts along with water scarcity still won’t get people to prepare for the anticipated effects...

Aquiline Capital to Buy UK’s Simply Business, an Online Small Business Brokerage

Apr 14 2016 // New York-based private equity firm Aquiline Capital Partners LLC on Monday entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Simply Business, an online brokerage service, which delivers tailored small business insurance...

How Technology May Alter Small Commercial Lines Advantage

Mar 21 2016 // As more small business owners become comfortable buying everything including insurance online, exclusive agent carriers will gain an advantage over independent agency carriers in the highly-fragmented and increasingly...

2 Instech Startups Target Small Business Insurance Market

Mar 15 2016 // Small business insurance providers will soon have two new competitors from the technology world.Next Insurance, an online shopper for small businesses, today announced a $13 million seed investment led by investors Zeev...

Small-Business Owners Ask New York to Reject $15 Minimum Wage Plan

Mar 10 2016 // Small-business owners struck back against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to implement a $15 minimum wage Tuesday, saying the Democratic governor’s call to enact what would be the highest state minimum in the...

200 Small Business Leaders Sign Open Letter Supporting ‘Brexit’

Mar 4 2016 // More than 200 small-business leaders signed an open letter calling for British withdrawal from the European Union, highlighting a division with large companies over membership of the bloc.The letter, published in the Daily...

Why Small Commercial Lines May Not Be So Bright for Agency Carriers

Mar 3 2016 // As more small business owners become comfortable buying everything including insurance online, exclusive agent carriers will gain an advantage over independent agency carriers in the highly-fragmented and increasingly...

How Employer Joint Liability Is Changing

Feb 18 2016 // Businesses known for their uniforms are worried about lawyers in business suits in the wake of a change in the nation’s labor laws affecting their liability for employment practices.The change could unravel the...

Gridiron Insurance Releases Nationwide Small Business Program Platform

Feb 17 2016 // Gridiron Insurance Underwriters Inc., a program manager that specializes in program business on a regional and national basis, has launched a new platform product designed for small businesses.Gridiron Insurance...

Oklahoma Lawmaker: Small Businesses Back Asset Forfeiture Reform

Feb 3 2016 // An Oklahoma state lawmaker has filed a bill that would reform Oklahoma’s civil asset forfeiture law, an effort he says is supported by small businesses in the state.In May 2015, Sen. Kyle D. Loveless (R-Oklahoma...

NFIB, Markel to Offer Workers’ Comp Coverage to Small Businesses

Jan 20 2016 // The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Markel FirstComp, a division of Markel Service, Inc., have formed a new relationship through which eligible small business owners across the country can qualify...

New Look in Franchise Liability

Jan 11 2016 // Businesses known for their uniforms are worried about lawyers in business suits in the wake of a change in the nation’s labor laws affecting their liability for employment practices.The change could unravel the...

Don’t Treat Small Business Accounts Like Personal Lines

Dec 21 2015 // In the mad rush to economize on and digitize virtually every insurance transaction and relationship activity, some small-business owners are getting shortchanged — and that’s shortsighted.Still, the growing...

Wells Fargo Insurance Reports Hiring Spree

Dec 18 2015 // Wells Fargo Insurance said it has hired more than 100 professionals in recent months as it seeks to grow and improve customer service.“Continuing to invest in talent is critical to the success of our business and...

Disaster Loans Available to Agricultural Entities in South Carolina

Dec 14 2015 // The U.S. Small Business Administration announced Dec. 8 that federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most...

Nationwide Launches New Online Quoting System for Small Business Agents

Dec 11 2015 // Nationwide is launching FastPath, a quicker commercial quoting system for insurance agents serving small-business clients.Features of FastPath include: Faster quoting with an average of 80 percent fewer screens Streamlined...