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Our blog is designed to be a "go to" resource for your small business. Here you will find valuable information and advice on launching, running, protecting and making your business a huge success.
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At Hiscox we strive to provide our small business clients with the protection they need for the specific risks of their industry in a way that is quick and affordable, with terms that are easy to understand. Today we are excited to expand our offerings and bring this approach to real estate professionals.
For the first time, those in the real estate industry can buy customized insurance for real estate agents/brokers and property managers direct and online in real time through Hiscox, or by calling 888-202-3007. So go ahead and concentrate on your real estate business, and we’ll protect you against risks that might come your way.
You’ve spent long hours building up your business, but is now the time to start cutting it back?
You haven’t finished your first morning cup of coffee before you’ve dealt with staff calling in sick, decided which invoices needed to be paid today and rebooted the email system (again). Then you get a call from a client, but you can’t find their contract. Before you know it, the day’s finished, and you’ve spent it just putting out one fire after another.
If this sounds like your typical working day then you need to simplify your business. Here are a few tips on how to do it: Read More
At Hiscox we focus on providing small business insurance solutions to small professional service businesses such as consultants, technology businesses and marketing professionals. As Head of Marketing I need to ensure our marketing is focused on these specific segments.
I recently did an interview for Direct Marketing News magazine on the importance of targeting – you can view the video below.
The same challenges apply to small business owners where every dollar has to deliver a return. My top 5 areas to think about are: Read More
In the past couple of years many Americans have chosen to set up businesses at home. There’s been a 25% jump in those who now work from home, according to research by Interbrand 2009 . It’s great to use your house as your business office: it makes financial sense when you’re starting out and gives you the flexibility to juggle work and family life. But, it can also create risks that you may not be aware of.
Your homeowners’ insurance policy won’t necessarily cover losses related to your business, such as a fire in your former-garage-now-office that destroys your paper records or computer. In fact, if you don’t declare that you run a home business to your insurer certain coverages in your homeowners’ policy may be unavailable following a loss.
Many home-based businesses do not carry business insurance, even though the cost of liability insurance can be very little, less than $25 a month. Also, just because your business is small, it’s wrong to think that it doesn’t run many of the same risks as much larger operations, such as being sued by an unhappy client or trading partner or facing a lawsuit as the result of someone being injured on your property. Most small business owners don’t have the time, resources or expertise to defend claims on their own, so having the right liability insurance is a extremely important.
It is important for small businesses to create mission statements that describe their business in short, sweet and swallowable terms. Think mantra not mission statement. What is Guy Kawasaki’s mantra? Empower People. Watch and learn how to define your small business’s mantra. Read More
New research shows that many Generation Ys have aspirations to run their own businesses but are being put off by the state of the economy. However, there’s never been a better time to set up a new firm.
A poll of 18 to 34 year olds found that over half (54%) wanted to start their own business but that only 8% owned a business now and 11% said they planned to set one up in the next year. Over a third said the economic conditions had caused them to put their entrepreneurial plans on hold, while others said they either couldn’t get their hands on the small business financing to follow their dream or didn’t think they had the knowledge to run their own firms. (1)
Young people have the right idea as far as their intentions. This country will need to create a total of 21 million jobs this decade to put the Americans who lost their jobs in the recession back to work and employ a growing population. (2)
In today’s fast-paced world it’s hard to keep up with the onslaught of emails, phone calls and other “to-do’s” in real-time. When you respond to someone, you keep your audience engaged.
In this video, Guy Kawasaki shares his rules of engagement: engage fast, engage many people, and engage them all the time. Read More
Now that you have your business up and running, you need to let prospective customers know you’re here so you can turn them into clients. If you’ve got the money you can hire a marketing and PR firm, but if your budget is tight why not run your own PR campaign?
The rise of social media means it’s never been easier to get the word out on your own. Why not start a blog? It’s a great way to advertise your expertise and generate awareness with your target audience. Research who else in your industry is blogging and what they’re saying, and look to reproduce this for your company. You can also get some tips on what makes these blogs so popular by doing some research on Technorati, the search engine for blogs. Read More
It was inappropriate. But I just couldn’t help a wry smile to myself.
I was reading my weekend New York paper when I saw the story about how a master illusionist and well known magician in Great Britain had managed to accidentally cut off his index finger with a circular saw while building safety props for his upcoming tour. Ouch, that’s got to hurt.
Paul Daniels is very well known in his native England. Aged 73, he is the ultimate professional in his field.
It reminded me of how many professionals at the top of their game can easily develop an attitude of ‘it will never happen to me,’ Read More
Part 3 of 8 – Guy Kawasaki small business advice series; you have to trust others before they trust you.
In the third part of the series, Guy shares the three points to trustworthiness and explains the difference between liking somebody and trusting them.
Small business owners must understand the sequence of events that happens with trust – you have to trust others before they will trust you.
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