Latest Small Business Headlines

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

Zodiac Insurance Services to Distribute IronPro Small Business Coverages

Jul 16 2012 // IronPro, the U.S. professional and management liability unit of Ironshore, has announced a strategic alliance with Zodiac Insurance Services, Inc. focused on the coverage needs of small business enterprises. Zodiac...

Jacks of All Risks

Jul 2 2012 // The very same “can-do” attitude that makes many entrepreneurs so successful could also be their downfall.Despite 64 percent saying that legal issues should be handled by professionals, only 26 percent of small...

The Hartford Enhances Sales Support For Small Business Benefit Brokers

Jun 27 2012 // A new team at The Hartford is offering specialized services for benefits brokers, in order to meet the changing needs of small business owners and their employees.The Hartford recently launched a small business center...

Small Business Owners Dismiss Risk of Data Breach: Survey

Jun 14 2012 // As the number of data breaches involving smaller businesses continues to grow, a new survey by The Hartford finds 85 percent of small business owners believe a data breach is unlikely, and many are not implementing simple...

Small Firms’ Health Insurance Tax Break Disappoints

May 31 2012 // It seemed like a good idea at the time.But a health insurance tax credit for small businesses, part of President Barack Obama’s health care law that gets strong support in public opinion polls, has turned out to be a...

Indiana Finds Assurant Subsidiaries Overcharged Small Businesses

May 29 2012 // Three subsidiaries of Assurant Health will provide refunds to small group health insurance policyholders that Indiana insurance regulators say the companies overcharged.Indiana Insurance Commissioner Stephen W. Robertson...

N.J. Examines Stop-Loss Insurance for Self-Insured Small Businesses

May 2 2012 // A growing number of small businesses in New Jersey are self-funding or self-insuring their employees’ healthcare costs, and they are opting out of paying fixed premiums for traditional health insurance plans like...

How to Help Small Businesses Avoid Underinsurance and Anticipate the Unexpected

Apr 16 2012 // In recent years, the United States has been impacted by devastating weather events, many unprecedented and unexpected. According to the Environment America Research and Policy Center, more than 15 million Americans live in...

Oklahoma Gov. Signs Bill Limiting Liability at Gun Ranges, Shops, Clubs

Apr 12 2012 // Legislation signed by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin would limit the liability of owners, employees and customers for injuries that take place on gun ranges, gun shops and gun clubs.Senate Bill 875, by state Sen. Anthony Sykes...

N.Y. Financial Services Chief Pushes for State Health Exchange

Mar 23 2012 // New York State’s top financial regulator is urging the Republican majority in the state’s Senate to help establish the health insurance exchange.Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat-controlled Assembly, along...

5 Startup Businesses Agents Should Watch

Mar 1 2012 // It hasn’t been the best of times for America’s Main Street businesses. Often facing overwhelming competition from big box stores, many small businesses face an uphill battle from the outset and more than a few...

When Main Street Meets the Cloud

Feb 6 2012 // It’s a familiar small-business success story: A company extends its storefront from Main Street to the Internet. It uses social media to spread the word. Payment card processing is now outsourced to the cloud. The...

U.S. Offers Small Businesses Free Cyber Security Tool

Feb 6 2012 // The U.S. government is making it easier for small businesses to beef up defenses against cyber criminals through a free, online tool.The Small Biz Cyber Planner allows business owners to create customized cyber security...

Five Startup Businesses Agents Should Watch

Feb 6 2012 // It hasn’t been the best of times for America’s Main Street businesses. Often facing overwhelming competition from big box stores, many small businesses face an uphill battle from the outset and more than a few...

Report Says Mafia Now ‘Italy’s No.1 Bank’ as Economic Crisis Bites

Jan 11 2012 // Organized crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country’s biggest “bank” and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to...

Professional Lines Market Faces Uncertainty: Torus

Nov 22 2011 // The professional liability insurance market will face challenges in 2012 with widespread concerns over pricing, a heightened awareness of the current regulatory environment and fast-emerging new risks for small businesses,...

Small Business Owners Trust Their Agents, Survey Reports

Nov 21 2011 // Small business owners trust their independent insurance agents and commercial insurance carriers more than other financial services businesses, a new study reports. The study, commissioned by The Hanover Insurance Group...

Wall Street and Insurance Industry

Nov 21 2011 // The recent “Occupy Wall Street” movement highlighted the public’s discontent with giant financial institutions and the country’s growing income inequity between the rich and the poor.The protesters...

Beyond Wall Street

Nov 21 2011 // We’re in the news business and this isn’t exactly news. It’s more like another confirmation of something we have all known for a long time.Here is the not-so-new news flash: Small business owners trust...

Small Business Owners Report High Trust in Agents, Survey Reports

Nov 14 2011 // Small business owners trust their independent insurance agents and commercial insurance carriers more than other financial services businesses, a new study reports.The study, commissioned by The Hanover Insurance Group...