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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 are continuously looking for new ways to help our customers grow their business. In addition to recently launching our new Authors Series for Entrepreneurs, we have teamed up to sponsor a brand new small business resource channel on Fora.tv called – “Think Big – strategies to improve your small business”. Think Big is a collection of videos from leading entrepreneurs and business icons including, Guy Kawasaki, Gary Vaynerchuck, Steve Wosniak, and Seth Godin that highlights their passions, their struggles, and journeys to business success.
The first film in the series, featuring Jay Blakesburg, a professional photographer, showcases what it took to build his own business, as well as some great advice for aspiring business owners. Watch his video and let us know what you think! Read More
Episode 7 – Corporate Cupid
Derek gets slapped with a lawsuit and seeks help from his attorney Josie Lanning (special guest star Julie Warner). Jack loses his only client and most of his friends.
Hiscox Commentary on Small Business Insurance
In this episode we find out that Derek stole the server and Scarlett threatened to sue Jack after she found out about his double-dealing.
These might not be typical situations, and Derek’s actions would not be covered under an E&O policy, however there are plenty of cases where errors and omissions insurance (professional liability insurance) will provide small businesses the legal representation they need for claims against their business without breaking the bank. You never know what danger might be lurking around the corner, that’s why you can even get coverage for past work as part of your policy.
The Hiscox Authors Series will host a live Twitter Chat with Susan Urquhart-Brown, author of The Accidental Entrpreneur: The 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business. Join us on Twitter @hiscoxsmallbiz tomorrow, April 26th at 2 P.M EST and you can ask Susan your small business-related questions. We’ll also be giving away 10 copies of Susan’s book, The Accidental Entrepreneur, to 10 lucky participants.
Tweet your questions with hashtag #HiscoxAuthorSeries, and Susan will respond – it’s that simple!
If you won’t be able to participate during the twitter chat tomorrow leave a comment here with your question and Twitter handle and Susan will respond.
Curious about the topics of discussion? Read More
Expert author Susan Urquhart-Brown says being grateful is a powerful component to small business success.
Being grateful is another often overlooked powerful component of being successful.
My Mom always taught me to say thank you sincerely when someone helped me or did something nice for me. I have found that this applies in business as well! For example, I take the time to personally thank a colleague who has referred a client to me or was kind enough to give me advice when I needed it most. Read More
As a small business owner, a common request from your clients is that you obtain liability insurance such as professional liability insurance and general liability insurance. Another type of request that’s becoming more frequent is that a waiver of subrogation be included as part of those policies. So what is a waiver of subrogation?
Subrogation is when one party steps into the shoes of another and is allowed to exercise the other’s rights. In the world of insurance, this is when an insurer inherits the insured’s right to recover losses from another party that is responsible for the loss for a paid claim.
For example, suppose you and your client face a common lawsuit for negligence. Part of that claim alleges you were faulty in delivering your services and part of it alleges fault due to your client’s faulty services. A judgment may be awarded that your insurance company pays in full in order to release you from the claim. However, if your client was also partially responsible for the loss, you would have the right to recover that part of the loss that is their fault. But, since your insurance company has paid the full amount on your behalf, they now inherit your right to recover that portion of the loss. The insurance company can in turn seek to recover damages directly from your client or their insurance company.
Join our live chat with Susan Urquhart-Brown, author of The Accidental Entrepreneur.
As part of our Hiscox Author Series for Entrepreneurs we will be hosting a:
Live Twitter Chat
with The Accidental Entrepreneur author
Susan Urquhart-Brown
Thursday, April 26th at 2 P.M. EST
During this Twitter chat you can ask Susan about her journey as an “accidental entrepreneur,” as well as other small business-related questions.
It’s simple, and free to join the conversation. Join us on Twitter @hiscoxsmallbiz and tweet your questions with: hashtag #HiscoxAuthorSeries, and Susan will respond. That’s it. Read More
I was lucky enough to attend the annual Rice University Business Plan competition last weekend in Houston, Texas. This is the world’s biggest business plan competition and over $1.5m was awarded in prizes and funding. Hundreds of applications from around the world were submitted and then 42 teams picked to compete head to head over 3 days of intense competition in front of 250 judges. Make no mistake – it was a very intense 3 days for all concerned!
We were a sponsor of the competition and I was really impressed at the quality of the ideas, the presentations and the entrepreneurs involved. Ideas spanned a range of industries and many could be truly life changing if they succeed. Most presenters had just completed their degree or PHD but had crafted business plans and presentations which most senior CEOs would be proud of! They also answered tough questions from experienced investors with confidence – they really knew their small business plans inside out.
One of my favorite rounds was the Elevator Pitch round. One member from each team had 60 seconds to pitch their business to an imaginary Warren Buffet. In the video below, you’ll see Solanux, Inc presenting their winning elevator pitch: Read More
Susan Urquhart-Brown, author of The Accidental Entrepreneur: The 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business
Hiscox Authors Series: Leverage knowledge from experts to make your small business a success.
Do you often feel like you’re doing everything yourself and feeling exhausted? I call this the “lone wolf” syndrome. How can you avoid this?
ASK! Ask for what you want. Be clear and specific. Ask for help. Ask for feedback. Ask for information. For example, website design, maintenance and SEO optimization is not my forte! After asking for help from many experts, I found one person who does all three reasonably and well. Now I can make one phone call or send one email to make changes or ask a question.
This has eliminated stress and saved me time and money. Doing it myself takes me much longer. My time is better spent doing what I’m best at in my business. Read More
Episode 6 – That Kind of Day
The office server goes missing and Bryn faces a crisis of conscience and identity. Aaron, furious over Olivia’s and Jack’s betrayal, unleashes the full fury of a financial analyst.
Hiscox Commentary on Small Business Insurance
In this episode Brynn’s feeling guilty about losing the server without a backup and also about keeping secrets from the rest of the group. Hopefully you have never been faced with this issue, however, having an important piece of equipment like a server stolen could happen - especially when over one quarter of respondents (26%) to a recent Hiscox survey said they had no security measures at all in place at their office*. A business owners policy is the best way to protect your business equipment in case it’s damaged or stolen. This policy also includes general liability insurance, an essential for any small business, so you’ll be covered for those risks, too.
Today we launched the Hiscox Authors Series for Entrepreneurs, an additional resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to grow their businesses. The Hiscox Authors Series for Entrepreneurs offers creative content, tips and advice from popular authors who are themselves entrepreneurs. Our first featured experts are Susan Urquhart-Brown, author of The Accidental Entrepreneur: The 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business, and Stephanie Chandler, author of Leap! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business.
Subscribe to our small business blog to access all the content we’ll be rolling out over the next two months. You’ll get practical advice from our expert authors through blog posts, a live Twitter chat and a Webinar during April and May. There will also be several opportunities to win free copies of the authors books. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for details and a chance to win!
But don’t take our word for it, hear from the experts themselves in our introductory video.
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