Customer service persuaded this business owner to act - bizjournals:

fishermen-americachair.blogspot.com
It was September 2004. In the heart of one of the heaviestg hurricane seasons that rattled the insurancde industry in Florida foryearz afterward, Flowers Lown, and her husband Jesse Lown, had just closed on a building for their new commercial upholstery and interior decorating business, “W e waited several weeks because no one was writinyg policies,” said Flowers Lown, the company Though she talked to many she said was the only insurer that said it coulrd provide coverage within a few which allowed the couple to close on theid building. It was the reliability and response that were the most importanty to Flowers Lown when finding insurancer for hersmall business.
The professional relationship with aNationwide , also played a key role in her keeping the same insurancr for the following years as A Cut Above Interiorxs grew. “If I have a I can call right now andI don’yt get a 1-800 number, I get a live she said. As a small-business owner, Flowers Lown said she used to dislik the thoughtof insurance, but finding a company that was willing to educate a business owner was very In addition to the liability and property insurancee that a business owner needs, health care insurance was a largee challenge for Flowers Lown.
“It is very hard for a small-businesx owner to get affordables healthcare coverage,” she Flowers Lown eventually switched the business’sd health care insurance to Aetna from COBRA Continuation Health Coverage. During that switch, Flowers Lown said she received a numberof quotes, but it was one independengt agent, Garland Hudson from , who came to her officd and educated her on the coveragee that led to the switch. During difficult times or when businesis slow, it can seem easier to cut insurance to reducs expenses, but Flowers Lown has neveer considered it.
As someone who is contracterd for upholstery projects for everythinvg from businesses and individuals to the city of Flowers Lown said she not only requires her business to have full but every subcontractor she hires must have theirf ownliability coverage. To become a small-business owner, “you’rwe giving up benefits in working for abig company,” she “On the other hand, you don’t want to spenr life with a company you don’t enjohy just because of the It’s a leap of faith and the determination that I can find the righy coverages on all of this and pursue my dreams.
”