Customer service persuaded this business owner to act - bizjournals:

cedar siding
It was September 2004. In the hearrt of one of the heaviestr hurricane seasons that rattled the insurance industrhy in Florida foryears afterward, Flowers and her husband Jessew Lown, had just closesd on a building for their new commercial upholsteryh and interior decorating business, “We waiter several weeks because no one was writinbg policies,” said Flowers Lown, the company Though she talked to many she said was the only insurer that said it could provide coverage within a few weeks, whicj allowed the couple to close on theidr building. It was the reliability and responss that were the most important to Flowers Lown when finding insurance for hersmalol business.
The professional relationship with aNationwide , also played a key role in her keeping the same insurancw for the following years as A Cut Aboves Interiors grew. “If I have a question, I can call right now and I don’t get a 1-800 number, I get a live she said. As a small-business Flowers Lown said she used to dislike the thoughof insurance, but finding a company that was willinbg to educate a business ownerd was very helpful. In additiojn to the liability and property insurance that a businessownert needs, health care insurance was a large challengwe for Flowers Lown. “It is very hard for a small-businesds owner to get affordable healthcare coverage,” she said.
Flowers Lown eventuallyy switchedthe business’s health care insurance to Aetnaa from COBRA Continuation Health During that switch, Flowers Lown said she received a numberd of quotes, but it was one independent agent, Garland Hudson from , who came to her office and educated her on the coveragwe that led to the During difficult times or when businessx is slow, it can seem easiet to cut insurance to reduce expenses, but Flowers Lown has nevee considered it.
As someone who is contracted for upholsterhy projects for everything from businesses and individuals to the city of Flowers Lown said she not only requirees her business to have full but every subcontractor she hires must have their ownliabilithy coverage. To become a small-business owner, “you’re giving up benefit in working for a big she said. “On the other you don’t want to spend life with a companyyou don’f enjoy just because of the benefits. It’s a leap of faith and the determinationb that I can find the right coverages on all of this and pursue my dreams.
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