posted
I need some info on business insurance. I have State Farm for my shop van.....looking into insurance for my business too. My shop is in my home, so I am looking into renters' insurance as well. My agent is looking to see if they carry sign painters. Any thoughts on this? Thanks! A
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt' on mirc chat
A PROUD sponsor of this amazing site...U can B 2!! www.letterheads.com/supporters "If it wasn't for signs, you wouldn't know where you were!!"
42 ALta Loma Benicia, CA 94510 707-746-7847 (shop) 707-550-4553 (voicemail) adrienne@splashsigns.com
Posts: 4868 | From: Port Angeles, Washington, USA | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
Adrienne Please wait for a day because my wife is in the business for over 25 years and she can answer you needs...She is very good at this type of thing and if you like to E-Mail us please do so...Her name is Linda and will give you the straightest answer needed....
When she comes home tonight I will tell her about your posting and maybe she will E-Mail you first!! But if not then please come back with all the questions you have as she likes to help us small people out!!!!
Raven/2000
------------------ Raven/2000 Airbrushed by Raven Lower sackville N.S. deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
Some points to consider: It you install a sign...have coverage if it falls and whacks a sue happy passerby. If you fall off a ladder and crash a window you are splashing..have coverage. If you drive a customers vehicle thru his garage door..have coverage. If you take up smoking and you burn a clients car seat..have coverage. I asked my agent what his company would not cover.He told me that I was covered for ANY damage I accidentally caused to customers property.My signs are covered should they fall in respect to liability..I am responsible for repairs to sign. You should check on liability for personal injury for a client if hurt on your property. Computer insurance is available..We had a lightning strike and ended up with new equipment...they took good care of us. Fire insurance on bldg and property are usually included in but ask to make sure. Shop for rates...
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I pay about 300 dollars a year for full coverage on evertything in the shop and on others posessions and sign structure liability. I also pay another 200 yearly on my truck that is considered now a work vehicle(it wasnt 2 months ago ) all in all shop insurance isnt too bad i thought it would be worse. I go through Nationwide and ... the best part of it all is i paid for 2 years of insurance because i made him 600 dollars worth of signs cool huh!
Ps. I was paying 200 a month on my truck for insurance before i clamed it as a work truck and switched insurance companies.... Good luck
------------------ Ryan Ursta Ursta Graphics 27 West Shenango St. Sharpsville Pa. 16150 "letters of Recommendation"
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Adrienne, Like you, we work from home. Not sure if this works in the USA, but we took all our Insurances to one Broker.
Now, instead of worrying about what is with whom and are we covered and where we are going to find the money to pay two vehicle insurances in the same month ... he handles the lot. Once a year he takes all our policies and shops around for the best deals. He saved us several hundred dollars on one vehicle alone this year.
House & Contents Two comprehensive Vehicle Insurances including contents, signs in transit etc. Public Liability both personal and work related Business Insurance which includes Stock,equipment and computers (even to reinstating programmes, network etc) Loss of income to to sickness or injury.
The total cost is then financed (at a reasonable rate) and paid on a monthly basis out of our bank account. Painless ... almost And if we have a claim ... we phone him. His services are covered by the commissions he gets from the various companies.
------------------ Bushie aka Jon Butterworth Jonsigns old signwriters never retire ... they just fade into the background! Toowoomba,Queensland Australia.
Posts: 4014 | From: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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I have my insurance through State Farm and they enrolled me (with my permission) into a safe driving program, which cut $100 PER MONTH off my auto insurance. I didnt *need* the program as my driving record is spotless, but they needed someone under 25 to try out their experimental training video. =)
With that nice rate cut, I decided to obtain renter's insurance which runs around $11 or $12 per month I believe, and it covers up to $30,000 worth of business and personal items in the home. I think that's a pretty fair deal.
I also hear that State Farm likes to cut checks "on the spot" instead of having to go through the whole claims process. If you decide to take the "instant money" it's less than what you are really entitled to, but sometimes it's worth not going through the hassle of a claim and having to WAIT 3 weeks for a larger check. =) Time is money to me.. I'd take $5K on the spot instead of waiting a month for $10K cause I can take that $5K and quadruple it in a month's time. =)
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
My shop insurance is through State Farm. As well as my home, motorcycles, life/health and 6 vehicles. They have been fair to work with over the last 10 years. There might be a better rate out there but since my wife works for them I pretty much have to stick with them.
------------------ Greg Gulliford aka MetroDude Metro Signs and Banners 1403 N. Greene St. #1 Spokane, WA 99202 509-536-9452
mail@metrosignsandbanners.com
Posts: 576 | From: Spokane, WA USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
OK, heres what I got back: State Farm will not cover any sign painter shops, period.... AND,,,renter's insurance starts at $194 a yr with a $500 deductable, that includes contents of my van..... My computer and fax machine would be covered, but not my plotter (most expensive piece of equiptment) because it is a business related item. And there is that $500 deductable....don't have a whole lotta things worth more than that.
So......doesn't look like I'll be getting any added insurance with SF. Had Farmers at one time, asked for coverage on my camper shell and contents, was told it had been added, truck was stolen at a job site in Fresno, got the truck back but was stripped of the camper shell and every stick of equiptment and paints I had, including the cheap radio.....I was covered right?.... NO! he never wrote it up, sorry 'bout that.....(never again)
I have personal med insurance, don't drive customer's cars and will never be a smoker. I don't have employees, don't paint windows that have a beebee hole or cracks in them and (so far) hav'nt made signs that need to be installed that might cause any damage if they should fall. Does the laws in CA require me to have biz insurance? Adrienne
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt' on mirc chat
A PROUD sponsor of this amazing site...U can B 2!! www.letterheads.com/supporters "If it wasn't for signs, you wouldn't know where you were!!"
42 ALta Loma Benicia, CA 94510 707-746-7847 (shop) 707-550-4553 (voicemail) adrienne@splashsigns.com
[This message has been edited by AdrienneMorgan (edited November 09, 2000).]
Posts: 4868 | From: Port Angeles, Washington, USA | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
This is a post from my wife LINDA... Hi Adrienne; I can only tell you how it works with insurance coverage in Canada not the USA which may be different. If you owned you own home,not renting some companies will sell you a "homerun" package which is added to your homeowners policy which will extend coverage to business property and liability. As a renter, here in Canada I don't think you can get the coverage. You need a Commercial General Liability policy which will cover damages caused by you to others and will cover your materials, signs, etc. & a tool floater can be purchased to cover your brushes, drills, etc. while on location, subject to a "locked car warranty" I can see from some of the postings that the Comm. General Liability policies etc are much cheaper in the USA. Here they start at a min. of about $750. per year depending on gross receipts & amount of contents coverage etc. I'm probably not much help to you but..... Good luck with your insurance hunting!!!! Linda
Raven/2000
------------------ Raven/2000 Airbrushed by Raven Lower sackville N.S. deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
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