Latest Small Business Headlines

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

Strengths and Weaknesses, Part 1: What Agents Think of Regional, National P/C Insurers

Jun 25 2008 // Regional carriers rate better in underwriting experience, relationships and stability as well as in customer service and agency relations than their national competitors in the view of independent agents. Regional insurers...

Exclusive Survey, Part 1: Strengths and Weaknesses – What Agents Think of Regional and National P/C Insurers

Jun 16 2008 // Regional carriers rate better in underwriting experience, relationships and stability as well as in customer service and agency relations than their national competitors in the view of independent agents.Regional insurers...

Survey: Small Business Customers Depend on Agents’ Expertise

May 19 2008 // Agent expertise in workers’ compensation insurance is a critical factor in small businesses’ choice of carriers, according to a recent national survey conducted by EMPLOYERS, which specializes in insurance for...

Survey: Small Business Customers Depend on Agents’ Expertise

May 19 2008 // Agent expertise in workers’ compensation insurance is a critical factor in small businesses’ choice of carriers, according to a recent national survey conducted by Employers, which specializes in insurance for...

Survey: Small Businesses Don’t Understand Dollars Spent on Workers’ Comp

May 19 2008 // Too many small business decision-makers appear to be spending money on workers’ compensation insurance coverage without understanding how workers’ compensation insurance works, what they get for their premium...

Survey: Small Businesses Don’t Understand Their Dollars Spent on Workers’ Comp

May 6 2008 // Too many small business decision-makers appear to be spending money on workers’ compensation insurance coverage without understanding how workers’ compensation insurance works, what they get for their premium...

Farmers Insurance Unit to Assume Zurich Small Business Renewals

Mar 5 2008 // Truck Insurance Exchange, a unit of Farmers Insurance Group, reports it will purchase the rights to access renewals on Zurich North America Commercial’s Small Business Solutions (SBS) $800 million book of business.In...

As Stocks Fall, Small Businesses Urged to Start Retirement Plans

Jan 25 2008 // Amid the turbulence of the plunging stock market, there’s a great opportunity for small business owners — if they set up retirement plans now, they’ll position themselves and their employees for big gains...

Small Business Groups Get Big Dividends from Texas Mutual

Dec 13 2007 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported $684,997 in dividends to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) workers’ compensation purchasing groups. The dividends were based largely on the groups’...

NAS Insurance Services Offers EPLI for Small Businesses

Nov 28 2007 // Encino, Calif.-based NAS Insurance Services has a new small business employment practices liability insurance coverage (for companies with 10 full time employees or less) featuring higher commissions. This new EPLI...

Zurich Adds 100 Small Business Workers’ Comp Classifications

Nov 28 2007 // Zurich North America announced it has added 100 monoline workers’ comp business classifications to its coverage offerings. Most of the new classes are for light manufacturing, wholesale and service company risks. The...

Audit: Wis. Never Implemented Health Care Program for Businesses

Nov 20 2007 // A program created by Wisconsin lawmakers in 1999 to reduce health care costs for small businesses was never implemented after running up nearly $500,000 in spending, according to an audit released last week.The Private...

CNA Gives Restructuring Details

Nov 7 2007 // CNA Financial Corporation has given further details to its recently announced restructuring program for its Property & Casualty Operations. The Chicago-based insurer said it aims to create a “more streamlined,...

Walking into a discrimination minefield

Nov 4 2007 // When a former employee sued Ernest for age discrimination, the owner of a small food services company fought back. He knew the allegation was totally false but, unfortunately for Ernest, he was completely on his own.Like...

Small businesses should take cover under excess liability coverage

Oct 27 2007 // The insurance buying habits of the typical small commercial customer haven’t changed much in 15 to 20 years, yet the small business owner may be in more need of the added protection given by the purchase of a...

OneBeacon Enters Indiana Small Business Market

Oct 24 2007 // Canton, Mass.-based One Beacon Insurance Group announced Tuesday that it will begin offering property-casualty products to small-business owners in Indiana through independent agent partners. OneBeacon’s local...

Harleysville Looks to Boost Benefits Sales Through Commercial P/C Agents

Oct 5 2007 // Pennsylvania-based Harleysville Life Insurance Co. says it sees great opportunity—and a natural market connection—for developing employee benefits programs through the commercial lines business generated by the...

Establish an authentic small business department

Sep 24 2007 // The small business insurance market has grown in importance to agencies and companies alike. Yet, despite the favorable attention given to this profitable arena, too many agencies still treat small business as they always...

Establish an authentic small business department

Sep 24 2007 // The small business insurance market has grown in importance to agencies and companies alike. Yet, despite the favorable attention given to this profitable arena, too many agencies still treat small business as they always...

Working ‘on’ instead of ‘in’ your business

Aug 6 2007 // At a recent event in Aspen, Colo., Michael Gerber, the author of “The E Myth,” and “The “E” Myth Revisited” spoke about the importance of living our dreams.Gerber, now 71 years old,...