Do I Need Commercial Insurance for a Sole Proprietorship in Colorado?

As more people join 37 million business owners in the U.S., they need to consider how they’ll protect their enterprise. It goes beyond a security system or power tools to protect data. They also need to consider protecting themselves, their property, and their reputation. 

Commercial insurance is the best way to cover unforeseen liabilities. However, is it needed if you’re a sole proprietor?

Commercial and Business Insurance

Some company owners are confused about the terms commercial and business insurance. In the end, they’re the same. According to the experts at Maanen Insurance Group in Greeley, CO, this form of coverage protects an organization against primary liabilities. These include:

  • Bodily injury of yourself or customers
  • Property damage to your organization or that of a client
  • Reputational harm against you or the company
  • Advertising errors

Additional Coverage

There are additional policies a business can purchase to maximize coverage. For instance, business interruption insurance helps pay for a company’s expenses when there’s a production outage due to a natural disaster, fire, or vandalism. Cyber liability insurance covers a company when its data is damaged or stolen by cybercriminals. 

Do Sole Proprietors Need Commercial Insurance?

Unlike someone who creates a limited liability corporation (LLC), sole proprietors are responsible for claims, debts, and potential customer issues. Unlike an LLC, there’s no separation between business and personal assets. Thus, sole proprietors could lose everything if a client or other company sues them.

Hence, a sole proprietor needs to purchase commercial liability insurance. To determine the best options, contact a representative of the Maanen Insurance Group in Greeley, CO for additional information. 

Do I Need Flood Insurance?

Even if flooding isn’t common in your area, you may still need flood insurance. At Maanen Insurance Group in Greeley, CO, we offer flood insurance policies that meet the needs of local homeowners. 

Flooding Basics 

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. When you think of a flood, you may picture submerged homes. However, even a few inches of water can significantly damage your home. 

Flooding is more common in some areas, but it can happen anywhere. Heavy rains, spring snow thaws, and hurricanes are common flooding causes. 

Who is Required to Have Flood Insurance? 

Some homeowners are legally required to have flood insurance. These are homeowners in a high-risk flood area who have a federally insured or backed mortgage.

Even if you don’t meet these criteria, your lender can require you to purchase flood insurance as part of the terms of your mortgage. 

Do I Need Flood Insurance? 

Do you need flood insurance? In short, yes. A standard homeowner’s policy doesn’t typically cover flooding. A flood policy will cover damage even if a state of emergency isn’t declared. 

Remember, even a few inches of water can damage your home. If you don’t have flood insurance, you’ll need to pay for repairs out of pocket. 

You may be wondering about federal disaster assistance. This comes in two types. One is a loan, which must be repaid-with interest. The other is a disaster grant, which averages about $5,000 per household. These types of relief will still leave you paying a great deal out of pocket to repair damages if a disaster is declared. 

Flood Insurance at Maanen Insurance Group

If you need flood insurance in Greeley, CO, contact us at Maaneen Insurance Group. We’ll help you choose the best policy for your needs and situation. 

Protect your inventory with commercial insurance

If you are a Greeley, CO business owner who needs to protect their inventory, you can count on the team at Maanen Insurance Group. Covering your company with the right commercial policy is an integral part of keeping your business protected now and in the future. We are here to help!

Protect your inventory with the right commercial insurance policy

Inventory management is a key part of any business’s success. If your company has a significant amount of inventory, it’s important to have the right amount of coverage. When calculating your coverage needs, it’s important to value your inventory at its highest level. This is especially true for seasonal businesses. For example, if you have a large amount of winter sports equipment like snowmobiles but are obtaining your policy in the summer, consider those higher inventory levels.

When you have a local agent that is your insurance partner, these decisions can be made a lot easier. Knowing the level of protection that you need makes choosing the commercial policy more straightforward. A comprehensive commercial policy is the first step in crafting an insurance portfolio that will provide the protection your business needs.

Without an inventory, there is no business. And, if yours is destroyed or damaged during a covered event, it can cause a major disruption to your operations and cash flow. Fortunately, recovering from such a loss is much more manageable when you have the proper protection from your commercial policy. Find out more today to protect your company.

Make sure you have the right commercial policy today

Maanen Insurance Group is here for the Greeley, CO business community. If you need to increase your inventory protection or have any other commercial insurance concerns, call our office today.

Protect Your Business in Greeley, CO

As a business owner in Colorado, you need to protect your property in case of an accident or natural disaster. Commercial insurance protects against large-scale events that are beyond your control. Here are a few options to consider when insuring your business.

Liability Insurance

This type of insurance protects your business against lawsuits. If an injury occurs on your property or because of your business operations, liability insurance can help cover the costs of medical bills and legal fees. Your Maanen Insurance Group agent can help you choose the right coverage for your business.

Property Insurance

Your business is likely your most significant investment. Property insurance can help protect that investment in case of a fire, theft, or another covered event. It’s vital to have property insurance to rebuild or replace your business if something happens.

Business Interruption Insurance

When a covered peril forces your business to close, business interruption insurance can help with the cost of lost income. This type of insurance may keep your business afloat while you make repairs or wait for customers to return. How much and how long the coverage lasts depends on your policy.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance is a must if you use vehicles for your Colorado business. This type of policy covers you in case of an accident while driving for work. It can also help protect your employees if they travel on company business.

Make sure your business is fully protected by talking to an agent at Maanen Insurance Group in Greeley, CO. We can help you choose the right coverage for your needs. Call us today.

Does Your Business Need Commercial Vehicle Insurance?

If you utilize your personal vehicle to run errands for your small business, you may be wondering whether this is alright or if you need to purchase a commercial auto insurance policy. Ideally, the best way to determine what you need is to consult with one of our agents at Maanen Insurance Group. However, here is some basic information for Greeley, CO small business owners.

When Do You Need Commercial Auto Insurance?

Your standard auto insurance coverage will only apply when you are using your vehicle for personal use and not any kind of business-related tasks. In the event, something occurs while you are using your vehicle for business purposes, you will be solely responsible for any damage, expenses, etc.

It is important to understand that this is true even if you only drive your vehicle for business purposes every now and then. A commercial auto insurance policy is necessary. Otherwise, you will face the financial burden of any property repairs, medical bills, and the like. These expenses can add up rather quickly.

In some instances, you may not need an entirely new policy. Instead, you may be able to add an endorsement to your personal auto insurance policy.

In either case, commercial auto coverage will offer more coverage than a personal auto insurance policy.

Contact Our Team to Schedule a Consultation

When you aren’t entirely sure whether you are in need of commercial auto insurance, get in touch with our insurance team at Maanen Insurance Group. We can sit down with you, discuss your individual situation, and get you set up with a commercial auto insurance policy (if needed) in Greeley, CO.

When Should I Consider Flood Insurance

At Maanen Insurance Group, we are always considering the insurance risks for our clients. You don’t have to spend as much time, but you should know the key points in time to consider purchasing flood insurance.

When Purchasing a New Home

Picking a home also means you pick the geography and climate of its surroundings. Unless there has been recent flooding, other concerns can make it easy to consider floods a far-off problem that might never happen. A home purchase can stay with your family for hundreds of years, and that’s the time scale that flood risk prediction uses. Knowing the flood risk of the house and its surroundings might influence your long-term outlook. 

When the Floodplain Maps Are Updated

FEMA updates its flood risk maps with the help of locals. Greeley, CO has been working to update these maps, and they are expected to come into effect in 2022. As these maps are updated, your home might be moved into a different flood risk zone that influences your insurance rates and liabilities. If you act quickly after a change, you may be eligible for short-term discounts.

Regular Disaster Risk Checkups

Examining the threat of disasters to your home and family gives you a chance to recognize danger before it can strike. For floods, the long-term nature of the risk means an annual checkup of the same research you did before purchasing a home or flood insurance should be enough. With the time it takes to update floodplains maps, you should see upcoming changes in plenty of time to get any discounts. For example, Greeley, CO residents who checked at any point this year would know when the new maps are expected.

Right Now

Even if you are not in an area where flood risks are high, not having flood insurance leaves a vulnerable gap in your financial future. Maanen Insurance Group will get you into the right policy as fast as possible to get your monetary sandbags in place.

How to Assess Flood Risk in Greeley, CO

Whether you’re a potential transplant considering making your home in a new town or you’re a long-time resident, you should always know the flood risk level of any home you own or plan on owning.

FEMA maintains a website where you can sort through flood risk maps by location. If you want a reliable resource from a government source, start here. Updates to the map are also dependent on the local floodplain coordinators, so maps from different areas may not be the same age. If you search for Greeley, CO where Maanen Insurance Group is proud to offer flood insurance brokerage, you can see maps ranging from a few years old to less than a year old. Once you find the grid with your home in it, you can see the exact locations of flood risk zones and other features relevant to assessing flood risk.

For a faster breakdown of information from a wider range of sources, FloodFactor is an easy online tool made by a non-profit and relied on by notable real estate companies. The information is quickly broken down into a digestible format whether you look at a house, a city, or a larger area. With the adjustable map, you can see the same information available on the FEMA site with zoom and scroll features. While the more user-friendly of the two features, you should use both to double-check.

Even if these websites didn’t have sobering facts, like that there are over 700 homes in Greeley, CO with over a 26% chance of a flood within 30 years, there is a chance that flooding could happen. Maanen Insurance Group can pair you with the right flood insurance policy to protect your home from a risk that is nearly inevitable over time but still could happen at any moment without warning.

What does flood insurance cover?

Whether you live in a flood-prone area or not, flood insurance provides additional protection to your house and your belongings. Usually, flood insurance is not obligatory, but sometimes it may be required by your mortgage lender. If you are thinking of getting this type of insurance, and you want to know more about it, Maanen Insurance Group serving clients in Greeley, CO and other nearby towns prepared information on what exactly flood insurance covers:

What Does Flood Insurance Cover?

Standard flood insurance covers the following: 

  • The structure of the building itself. This includes foundation walls, staircases, and anchorage systems. 
  • Essential systems in your home. This includes plumbing and electric systems, HVAC system, heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters, and sump pumps. It also covers water tanks, fuel tanks and fuel in them, and solar energy equipment. 
  • Carpeting and window treatments. If you have carpets installed over your wooden floor or any other types of permanent carpeting, they will be covered by a standard flood insurance policy. Most policies also cover window blinds and curtains. 
  • Appliances. Flood insurance covers refrigerators, washing machines and dryers, freezers, portable window air conditioners, and dishwashers. 
  • Permanently installed cabinets, bookshelves, paneling, and wallboard. If your cabinets, for example, were damaged or ruined by flood, your insurance will pay for their replacement. 
  • A detached garage. Up to 10% of your total building coverage can be used for covering your detached garage. 
  • Personal belongings. Your furniture, electronics, clothing, and other personal stuff will be covered by flood insurance unless they are not stored in the basement.

Maanen Insurance Group – We Help You Keep Your Home Safe

If you live in Greeley, CO or any other nearby town, and you are thinking of getting flood insurance, our insurance agency is ready to help you. We are a team of professional and experienced insurance agents, who will provide you with all the necessary information and help you choose the right policy based on your budget and needs. Feel free to visit our website or give us a call if you have any questions. 

Types of Commercial Insurance

Owning a business in Greeley, CO is exciting and rewarding as individuals get to see the fruits of their investment as the business grows. And to protect this investment, a business owner must make certain decisions in the business’s best interest. One of those decisions is insuring your vehicle. Here at Maanen Insurance Group, we are invested in helping clients understand the different types of commercial insurance. As discussed below, here is what you need to know.

General Liability Insurance

This type of commercial insurance provides cover for your business against damage like bodily injury and property damage. For instance, if a customer gets injured at your workplace or their property gets damaged, this type of insurance will cover things like medical expenses and the cost of repairing the damage caused.

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance covers the building and any equipment inside from perils like vandalism, theft, and fire. If your business is exposed to any of these risks, this policy helps cover the cost of repairing or replacing damaged property.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

You may want to consider workers’ compensation insurance if you have hired employees to assist you in running the business. It helps cover medical expenses if an employee suffers a work-related injury, including things like ongoing care and medication. It can also cover funeral expenses if an employee passes on due to an injury or illness related to work. Should an employee decide to sue you for damages, this policy helps cover the legal fees you will incur.

Commercial Auto Insurance

If you use vehicles while running business operations, you should consider getting this type of commercial insurance. It provides cover for medical expenses if your driver gets injured in an accident and covers repair or replacement costs for the vehicle after an accident.

Every day, business owners in Greeley, CO, continue to be exposed to various risks, and the only way you can minimize the impact of a loss is through insurance. Here at Maanen Insurance Group, we can help you choose the right type of commercial insurance depending on your business needs. Contact us today for assistance.

Home Security Technology Options

Home security systems have come a long way from the days of the night watchmen who would walk neighborhoods ensuring homes were locked. With new technology and lower prices, Greeley, CO homeowners have many home security options available to them. Here is a list of some different home security technology options available for homeowners. 

Once you select a home security system, give us a call at Maanen Insurance Group for additional information about protecting your home.

Full-Service Systems

Several companies offer full-service systems, which include central monitoring. Many of these systems have remote access, video surveillance, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, and medical emergency alerts. Some even offer home-automation tools for controlling heating, cooling, and appliances while you are away from home. 

DIY Systems

If you are tech-savvy, there are starter packs you can purchase and set up in your home yourself. Using DIY security products allows you to create a personalized security system using different products and monitor yourself. 

Smart Cameras

There are many styles of smart cameras available, including those attached to flood flights and doorbells. These cameras can be set to record continuously or set to active when they sense motion. In addition, recordings from these cameras can be accessed through specific apps. 

Home Automation

Setting up your home to be controlled by your phone when you are not home can be used as a deterrent. For example, switching lights on and off, turning on televisions and radios can deter burglars by making it look like someone is home. 

Keyless Entry Systems

Doors can be set to unlock using a code or with a smartphone. Keyless locks allow you to grant access to someone without the need to leave a key outside for burglars to find. 

Homeowners in Greeley, CO, have many options available to use to protect their home. For additional information about homeowners policies and safeguard your home, call Maanen Insurance Group.