Why You Might Need to Bond Your Business

With so many reported burglaries and “stranger danger” scares in the news, many people feel very uneasy about letting strangers into their homes. However, electricians, plumbers and contractors — among others — must enter the home in order to perform their jobs. While word of mouth referrals may help customers feel at ease in terms of the professionalism of a business, a surety bond can help give customers the peace of mind of knowing that the money they invest in a project will lead to delivered results.

What does this mean? If you signed a contract to remodel a family’s kitchen, they will expect the job to be completed as agreed upon. If your business breaches the contract or goes bankrupt mid-project, you could be in big trouble. However, being bonded can help sort out similar dire situations.

A bond is essentially a guarantee that the job will get done according to expectations as detailed in the contract. If something goes awry, the bond insurer is there to cover any necessary expenses for the project to be completed.

In fact, bonds are so vital for establishing a trusting relationship between business and customer that many construction professionals are required to purchase a bond before they can obtain a business license. This helps limit the industry to trustworthy professionals, which is beneficial to property owners.

What type of bond does your business need? There are many types available, each designed to serve a specific occupation. Speak with your independent insurance agent to determine the right coverage for your needs.

Prove your professionalism to potential customers. Call Americo Direct Insurance at (214) 374-9997 for more information on Dallas bonds.

You Need Commercial Insurance to Protect Your Business

Large companies hire people to manage the risks associated with the business. However, owners and manager of smaller companies often have to handle risks themselves — along with taking care of the day-to-day issues of running an office and directing staff. Commercial insurance is the ideal solution. What can it do for your business?

1. Property Insurance: Just as with personal property, your business property needs to be protected against loss, liability and damage. Consider if you have any of these types of property that need coverage:
2. Equipment Breakdown Insurance: When you have jobs to do, the last thing you need is your equipment to break down. This type of insurance covers the sudden and accidental breakdown of machinery, boilers, equipment and often electronic equipment — such as computers and phones. Coverage usually includes reimbursement for property that may be damaged as well as expediting expenses — such as faster shipping costs for new parts. The coverage can also cover loss of business due to the breakdown.
3. Employee Theft Coverage: Unfortunately, your employees may not always be trustworthy. This crime coverage will protect you against losses you may experience because of an employee's dishonesty.
4. Accounts Receivable Coverage: In case of loss or damage, financial records of what customers still owe your business may be lost. This type of additional insurance will pay all the amounts owed to your company which cannot be collected because of the lost documentation. Collection expenses may also be covered.
5. Liability Insurance: This type of insurance protects your business assets if your company is sued for something the business did (or failed to do) that caused bodily injury or damage to another person's property. Liability coverage also pays attorneys' fees and other costs for defending against the lawsuit, whether your company is at fault or not.
6. Cyber or Internet Coverage: Many businesses think they have enough firewall and cyber protection in place, but the risks to businesses in this arena are escalating. This type of insurance covers crisis management and hiring a public relations firm if there is a data breach. The insurance can cover the costs of repairing computer systems that have been hacked.
7. Employment Practice Liability Insurance (EPLI): This insurance provides an attorney if a suit is brought against your business for wrongful termination, sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination.

Get the coverage you need. Call Americo Direct Insurance at (214) 374-9997 for more information on Dallas business insurance.

Picking The Right Location For Your Business

Quality, sought after employees tend to be selective with where they choose to work, making it imperative that you do everything you can to make your business an attractive place of employment. One of the ways you can appeal to workers is by choosing a top-notch location. What do employees want out of a workplace? Everyone has different tastes, but some factors are preferred by most individuals. They are as follows.

Facility

People are attracted to visually appealing places. Your building should be attractive, clean and in good repair. This doesn't necessarily mean that you need a brand new, state-of-the-art building. Older buildings can be well maintained and decorated nicely to provide a similar atmosphere. In addition, many studies have shown that the condition of the bathrooms contribute to a person's employment decision.

Parking

Morning commutes are frustrating enough without the hassle of searching for a parking spot. Your building should have ample parking, which also helps prevent tardiness. For some businesses, assigning parking spots is an ideal solution to ensure that everyone has a place nearby.

Public Transit

Some individuals prefer using public transportation to get to work. A workplace located near bus/train stops opens up more commuting options.

Neighborhood

Lunch breaks are the perfect time to grab a bite and run an errand or two. A workplace located near restaurants, grocery stores, dry cleaners etc. provide immense value to your employees, who can save valuable time in the evening by getting a few things done in the afternoon. Many people also enjoy having a gym close to the office for morning or evening workouts.

The right location should be paired with the right coverage. Call Americo Direct Insurance at (214) 374-9997 for more information on Dallas business insurance.

Keep Your House Environmentally Fit With These Composting Tips

If you’re looking to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, or if you’re interested in gardening, you may have read about composting. Compost is a nutrient-rich soil additive created when plant and animal matter decomposes. With a little help from waste-conscious humans, the process of composting at home can be a great way to educate whole families on how to live a more “green” lifestyle.

According to statistics from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), household yard clippings and food waste make up somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of the waste Americans annually throw into landfills. Once there, these organic materials take up landfill space and release greenhouse gases such as methane. One way to help keep these materials out of landfills is to compost this waste at home, rather than throwing it away. The EPA provides a list of items that you can compost, and some you shouldn’t.

Composting Payoffs

Organic material recycling has a number of rewards for your yard, greater community and overall carbon footprint. By dedicating a little time and space to proper composting, the EPA says you can start enjoying the following benefits:

- Keeping items out of landfills: This is probably the most well-known effect of composting. As mentioned above, anything you compost instead of throwing away saves space in your local landfill.

- Soil enrichment: By adding fresh compost to your garden, your soil becomes enriched with the nutrients shrubs, plants and flowers thrive on to grow strong. In addition, it enables moisture to reach thirsty roots. And, by keeping your yard and garden healthy, compost acts as a natural guard against soil erosion.

- Reduction in added chemicals: When you regularly add compost to your soil, you reduce your dependency on chemical lawn fertilizers and pesticides. Think about this win-win situation: You add scraps you were throwing out anyway to a compost pile, and — voila — you simultaneously save money and your garden from unwanted chemicals.

- Healthy bacteria production: Another byproduct of composting is the creation of good fungi and bacteria. These essential ingredients to the decomposition process encourage the microorganisms necessary to sustain long-term garden and soil health.

Composting Methods

There are various methods of composting, but for home use, two are likely the most practical:

Soil microbes: In this method, you moisten your materials and put them in a pile or bin, in a dry, shady spot near a water source, and wait for the items to decompose. The EPA says this can take anywhere from two months to two years.

Vermicomposting: If you’re not a fan of worms, this probably isn’t the method for you. In vermicomposting, you put red worms into a covered box lined with leaves, newspaper or dirt, according to the EPA. The red worms eat fruit and vegetable scraps you put into the container, and they leave behind droppings that the EPA says can be used as a natural plant food. Because this method takes less space than the compost piles or bins needed for soil microbes, people who live in apartments may opt for vermicomposting.

Where to Compost

If you’re using the microbe method, turning yard and kitchen waste materials into compost is simply a matter of providing the right space, air and moisture. However, depending on where you live, the amount of waste you’ll be composting and how far you plan on traveling to add items to the compost pile, you have three basic composting options:

- Outdoor piles. An easy way to begin composting is to simply start a compost pile in a shady spot in your yard. Just add yard clippings and approved table scraps in alternating layers. The EPA says you can surround your pile with chicken wire or nail wood beams together to create a small fence.

- Outdoor bins. The EPA says that a compost pile may work for yard waste, like dead leaves, but if you’re going to compost food waste, you should use a bin in order to keep small animals from raiding your compost bin for dinner. You can either buy a bin or build your own; just remember: Any bins you dedicate to composting must have holes or openings to allow for air movement, to help avoid any unpleasant smells.

- Indoor bins. If you don’t have space outdoors for a compost pile or bin, you may want to consider indoor composting. Like an outdoor bin, you can either buy a special indoor composting bin or build your own, according to the EPA, But, if you’re keeping your bin indoors, it’s even more important to make sure you maintain it in order to help avoid rodents and odors.

For vermicomposting, you can either buy or make a bin for your red worms. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln says you can turn an old drawer into your composting bin, or use a plastic storage container, making sure the lid loosely covers the bin and is not tightly latched. You’ll need to line your bin with moistened bedding for the worms, such as shredded cardboard or paper.

Now that you’ve selected and set up your compost pile or bin, it’s time to start composting!

For information about Dallas home insurance, give Americo Direct Insurance a call at 214-374-9997.