Recap: Business Disaster Plan

Name: Vargas & Vargas Insurance
Address: 1133 Washington St, Dorchester, MA, 02124
Telephone: 617-298-0655

Posted on April 10, 2018May 25, 2018 by cvargas

“One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” – Arnold H. Glasow

Massachusetts business owners: Did you see our post last week about business disaster plans? You never know when an emergency may strike, so the time to prepare is now. Create a disaster plan or refine your existing plan. Here are just a few tips from your Boston business insurance agency:

Create and practice an evacuation plan in case there is an emergency during business hours.
A communication plan is critical for disseminating information with employees about a disaster that has happened, and what they are expected to do during recovery.
Make an inventory of all of your business’s physical property in case of a loss.
Businesses that rely on digital data need a thorough and secure backup and recovery plan for files.
Having the right commercial insurance is critical – speak to your Massachusetts business insurance agent to check your policy for gaps.

If you need help with your business insurance policy, call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. We can get you a free business insurance quote or review your existing policy to make sure that you have coverage that will protect you thoroughly in case of an emergency. And program our 24/7 emergency line into your phone just in case you ever need to reach an agent outside of normal business hours: 617-322-5289.

Creating a Business Disaster Plan

Posted on April 2, 2018March 26, 2018 by cvargas

Most people are prepared for a disaster at home, they have an evacuation plan, a point of contact for the family, an emergency kit, and a home inventory for insurance purposes. Have you ever given any thought to creating a similar plan for your business?

Businesses aren’t immune to disaster, so it is critical that you have a plan – just in case the worst happens. You will need to take a few steps to formulate your plan depending on the disaster, and make sure that you share these plans with your employees so that everyone knows how to respond in case there is an emergency.

Evacuation Plan

If there is ever an emergency during business operations, your employees should know how to evacuate safely. Post evacuation maps through the building, and practice emergency drills throughout the year. If your business hosts customers, instruct employees on how to help them evacuate in a safe and calm manner.

Communication Plan

Disasters don’t always happen during regular business hours. If a disaster happens when no one is working, you will need to inform all employees about what has happened, and the steps that they need to take, including whether they will be expected to work from home or an interim location. Your communication plan may involve an email blast or a phone tree – or both!

Physical Property

If your business were affected by a fire, would you know exactly what was destroyed? Probably not. This is why it is critical to have an inventory of the physical property in your business. List everything that your business owns. This will include things like your furniture, electronics, décor, and even inventory. Then it will be up to you to keep this inventory up to date as you upgrade or purchase new items. Ask your Massachusetts business insurance agent what details they recommend recording about each item.

Keep a copy of your business’s full inventory list in an offsite location, which could be a safe deposit box, your personal property, or even in the cloud. This ensures that you will have access even if something happens to your business’s location. You may even want to keep an updated copy on file with your Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent for safe keeping!

Digital Data

Many businesses nowadays rely on digital data. If a disaster affected your computers, would you be able to recover? Make sure that all of your critical information is backed up to a secure location in the cloud so that losing your computers wouldn’t cripple your business. You can also ask your business insurance agent about digital liability insurance and equipment breakdown insurance for your digital business.

Off-Site Disaster

Your business would certainly be affected by a fire or flood, but think outside of the box: what if a disaster affected one of your suppliers, or an important client? Think about the possibility of losing each of these parties and create a back-up plan in the event that something happens. Being prepared ahead of time will greatly cut down on your response time if an issue arises.

Insurance Prep

Having the right Massachusetts business insurance is a crucial part of disaster recovery. If your business is affected by a fire, flood, theft, etc., your business insurance will help to put you back on track to getting back to normal – but only if you’re carrying the right types of coverage.

Talk to your insurance agent about whether your business is prepared to deal with the aftermath of potential disasters. A Vargas and Vargas Insurance rep can help you evaluate your commercial insurance coverage to ensure that you have all of the coverage that you need.

This means something else for every business, which is why we tailor business insurance policies to each of our clients. You may want to consider building coverage (including flood insurance), property and inventory coverage, tenant’s improvements coverage, coverage for extra expenses, and additional coverage to rebuild a damaged or destroyed building in compliance with building codes. As discussed above, digital liability insurance may also be something to consider. For added protection, our Massachusetts insurance experts may recommend an umbrella insurance policy for your business, especially if you are at an increased risk for liability issues.

Preventing a Disaster

Make sure that your business is prepared for the worst, but also take steps to minimize your risk of an emergency. For tips on how to make your business safer, stay tuned to our blogs for tips!

You never plan to be affected by an emergency – that’s what makes your disaster response plan so critical. Make sure that part of your plan is contacting your Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent. During business hours, call us at 617-298-0655. If you have an emergency outside of our normal hours, you can always call our 24/7 line at 617-322-5289. Program both of these numbers in your phone now for easy access if you ever need to reach us! We can help you get the best business insurance for your Massachusetts business.

Recap: Employee Appreciation Day

Posted on March 6, 2018February 22, 2018 by cvargas

As you may remember from our blog last week, the first Friday in March is Employee Appreciation Day. So, how did your business celebrate? Did you bring in treats, or have lunch catered? More importantly, how are you going to ensure that employee appreciation becomes a regular part of your business, and integrated directly into your company’s culture?

You should show your employees that you care about them and their well-being and help them to realize that they are each important parts of the machine that is your business. Here are just a few ways to do this:

Occasionally (or regularly) cater lunch or treats for the office, or have a complimentary snack/drink station in the breakroom.
Celebrate the milestones of your employees, including birthdays, work anniversaries, and more.
Make “Thank you” something that you say often. Write employees a note of thanks, say “Thank you” when they go above and beyond the call of duty, and thank them in a meeting in front of their peers.

Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency cares for you, your business, and your business’s employees. Make sure all three of these are protected with the best business insurance from our agency. Call 617-298-0655 for a free business insurance quote, or to have your current insurance policy reviewed by one of our business insurance professionals.

Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day

Posted on February 26, 2018February 22, 2018 by cvargas

Every year on the first Friday in March, the US celebrates “Employee Appreciation Day.” It is an opportunity for businesses and business owners to acknowledge the hard work of their employees throughout the year.

The Origins of Employee Appreciation Day

Employee Appreciation Day isn’t a new holiday. In fact, it’s been around for more than twenty years! In 1995, a man named Bob Nelson created the holiday and celebrated it at his publishing company, Workman Publishing.

Mr. Nelson was also a founding board member of Recognition Professionals International, an organization that “brings awareness, credibility and accountability to employee recognition through best practices, tools, strategies, thought leadership, education and professional certification.”

Why You Should Celebrate

A business is only as good as its employees – and this goes for every type of business, from technology startups to restaurants to local stores and beyond.

It’s easy for a business to be so focused on increasing their bottom line that the people aspect of the business gets lost. Remember that your employees work hard and sacrifice a lot to do a great job for you and your business. For all of the nights that they stayed late or went above and beyond the call of duty while at work, a little appreciation goes a long way.

Treat your employees well, and they are more likely to look forward to coming in to work and put in that little bit of extra effort to make you proud. It’s also important to note that workplaces where employees feel appreciated have a lower turnover rate!

Ways to Show Your Appreciation

This day is all about recognition – your celebrations don’t have to be lavish in order to show your employees how much they mean to you and to your business. Here are just a few ideas that you can use in your Massachusetts small business:

Food is always a good place to start when it comes to showing appreciation. Bring in treats for your employees, whether it’s homemade confections, a spread from a local bakery, catered lunch (or a lunch outing), you will be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t like free food!
A small gift is also a great way to show appreciation. Purchase something for each employee or get gift cards. You can also bring in a massage therapist and give the gift of an in-office massage.
Have you considered a company outing? Come up with a few ideas and have employees vote on the activity they want. Bowling, laser tag, karaoke, an escape room – all are great options!
A blanket ‘Thank You’ is nice, but you should try to go above and beyond – recognize each employee for their individual contributions to the business. Give a specific example of a time when they did great work. It’s up to you whether you want this to be in a written personal note or spoken during an Appreciation meeting.
You can also tell your employees that you appreciate their efforts is by giving them some unexpected time off. Even just shortening the workday by a couple of hours will make a big impact and will be well worth the small amount of productivity lost.

Don’t Stop There!

Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day in March is a great place to start in showing employees that you care and appreciate them. Just remember, though, that your employees are the backbone of your business. Is one day a year really enough to say a proper “Thank You?” Make employee appreciation a cornerstone of your business by including some of the following ideas into your routine:

Encourage a culture of appreciation. Hold a regular meeting (quarterly, monthly, or even weekly) where employees are encouraged to appreciate one another. This is a great opportunity to give out an “Employee of the ___” award.
Show that you care about your employees by celebrating the milestones in their lives. This could include birthdays, work anniversaries, weddings – the opportunities are endless!
Say “Thank You” often. There’s nothing as rewarding as hearing those two simple words, so speak them frequently and honestly.

When they occur often, small acts of kindness and appreciation will make your employees feel like the valuable parts of your business that they are.

Let us help you show your employees how much you care about your business with a five-star business insurance policy. One of our Massachusetts insurance experts can review your current policy to ensure that you don’t have any gaps in your coverage. We can also check to see if you could get better or less expensive coverage from another carrier. Just call 617-298-0655 for a free commercial insurance quote or review.

Remember, we are an independent insurance agency – that means we work for you, and we will ensure that your business will get the best available protection so that you can focus on helping your employees excel and increasing your bottom line.

Moving Tips for Your Small Business

Posted on September 28, 2017September 22, 2017 by cvargas

People move from house to house all the time, but you don’t hear about businesses moving very often. If you are thinking about finding a new home for your small business, be aware that a business move provides its own set of challenges. Here are just a few pieces of advice for your move from the Massachusetts business insurance experts:

As soon as you decide that you’re moving (and have a destination), begin calling several moving companies for quotes. Spots can fill up fast depending on the time of year that you wish to move, so book plenty far in advance.
If there is any office furniture that won’t be making the move with you, schedule a pickup in advance. Many companies like Goodwill and the Salvation Army will pick up donations for free.
Begin packing as soon as you can. Non-essentials should be packed early, and make sure that you carefully label all cords for electronics so they don’t get misplaced in the move.
Before you pack any computers or electronics, make sure to do a full and thorough backup of all your information and data. This could save you a huge headache if anything gets hurt beyond repair in the move, and is just a good practice to do every so often.

It’s also important to make sure that your business’s belongings are protected during the move, so purchase insurance! And make sure to update your Massachusetts small business insurance policy with your new address once your move is complete – just call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655 to update your policy.

Business Auto Insurance Coverage Options

Posted on September 18, 2017 by cvargas

To find out if a business auto insurance policy is right for you, talk to Vargas and Vargas Insurance – your Boston insurance experts.

Does your business own or use automobiles? If you have a trailer, truck, or delivery vehicle to help you get your job done, you may need a Massachusetts commercial auto insurance policy in addition to your basic business insurance. To find out if a business auto insurance policy is right for you, talk to Vargas and Vargas Insurance – your Boston insurance experts. When you’re purchasing this coverage, your agent will help you determine if you need the following:

Collision Coverage – Pays for damage to covered automobile that is caused by a collision.
Comprehensive Coverage – Pays for loss or damage of insured vehicle that is not caused by an accident.
Personal Injury Coverage – Pays medical expenses for employees and clients involved in an accident while riding in the covered vehicle. Will sometimes also cover funeral expenses, if necessary.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage – Helps pay costs associated with an accident with an uninsured or underinsured
Property Damage Liability Coverage – Pays damages for damage to the property of others, as well as court costs if you are sued.
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – Pays damages got bodily injury to others, as well as court costs if you are sued.

In addition to these types of protection for vehicles owned by the business, we can offer Employers Non-Owned Car Liability Coverage for your business. This coverage is specifically designed for businesses whose employees drive their own vehicles for work purposes.

When you’re ready to talk about your commercial auto insurance needs, just call Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency at 617-298-0655. We can guide you through the process and get you a free, no-obligation quote that will satisfy the needs of you and your Massachusetts small business.

Guide: Starting a Small Business in Massachusetts

Posted on August 21, 2017August 17, 2017 by cvargas

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I should start a business!” Most people have, but very few actually take the required steps to establish a small business. If you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur in the state of Massachusetts, here are a few of the first steps that you should take on your journey:

Have a plan – You can’t jump into something like starting a business without a detailed plan. There are plenty of resources online that will help you create a business plan, whether you’re looking to do business online or start with a brick-and-mortar business.
Get Assistance – If it’s your first time starting a business, the path ahead may seem muddled or confusing. Get help from someone that has done it before – they will help create a plan of action to get your business up and running.
Register and Get a License – Depending on how you will be doing business, you will need the proper permits and licenses from the state of Massachusetts before you can open. This web page will help you understand what you will need, and how to obtain it. Some businesses will also be required to submit annual updates to the state.

If you’re looking for someone to help you on your journey, just let me know! I have aided many Massachusetts small business owners in their journey to success, and you may be able to benefit from my assistance. And also remember, Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency is here to serve you in all of your commercial insurance needs.

Low Cost Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business

Posted on July 14, 2017July 10, 2017 by cvargas

One of the most-asked questions from small business owners is this: How do I market my business without spending a fortune? Thankfully, there are lots of potential customers out there for you, you just have to know how to find them. Here are a few tips for getting the word out about what you offer without breaking the bank:

Word-of-Mouth advertising is free! Just ask your customers if they are happy with the service that you provided and ask them to let their friends, family, and co-workers know about your business, and the word may start to spread.
Leverage Social Media – depending on the type of business you have, you can consider using many social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and more.
There are many local events going on in the Greater Boston area all year round. Ask to be an event sponsor or volunteer to help out in order to both aid the community and gain exposure for your business.
Running a contest could encourage your current clients to spread the word about your business – just make sure to spread the word both in person and on your Social Media.
Ask for reviews on Google and Yelp. If a customer is satisfied with your business, let them know that it would be a huge help to you if they would post a review of your business on websites like Yelp and Google. After all, those sites are a major influence on potential customers!
Leverage your friends, family, coworkers, really anyone that you have met in the past, typically referred to as your top 100, or executive 200, I call it working your Dunbar’s 150, leave a message below and I can share with you more details.

Here’s another tip on how to save your small business some money: talk to a Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent about your Massachusetts small business insurance. We can get you the insurance coverage you need while making sure that you get the discounts you deserve – so call 617-298-0655 today for your free quote.

What Does Commercial Insurance Cover?

Posted on June 15, 2017May 21, 2017 by agentinsure

Unlike car and home insurance, most people are not familiar with what commercial insurance covers. Here at Vargas & Vargas Insurance, serving the greater Dorchester, MA area, we want to take the time to let you know more about what this type of insurance is and what it covers. Here are a few of the things that commercial insurance covers.

Commercial Property

If you own a commercial building, commercial insurance covers this building from damage such as fire, strong winds, and storms. This type of coverage is very similar to home insurance. However, it is for a commercial building and the surrounding property instead.

Commercial Vehicles

Another thing that can be covered under commercial insurance is commercial vehicles. If your business uses cars during the course of your day, those cars and the drivers that use them are insured under a commercial insurance policy. This policy covers car theft, accidents, and injuries that may result from an accident.

Your Commercial Products

The last thing that is covered under a commercial insurance policy are the goods that are stored in the commercial building. These items are insured against things like theft and damage as well. This may include any product you have to sell or items typically found in a building, such as a warehouse equipment or computers, printers, and copy machines.

If you are looking to obtain a new commercial insurance policy or are not happy with your existing one, we can help. Give Vargas & Vargas Insurance a call today. We proudly serve the greater Boston, MA area and are here to answer questions and concerns. Let us help you find the right insurance policy that covers your business needs.

Safety Tips for Massachusetts Small Businesses

Posted on February 27, 2017April 2, 2017 by cvargas

As a business owner, safety should be your number one priority. To make sure that you always have your safety in mind, here are a few tips that you can use to protect your business, your assets, and your employees:

Businesses should be well lit to avoid both prying eyes during non-business hours, and to avoid customers having an accident due to poorly lit areas.
Store all important business documents in a safe place. This might include a safe deposit box, or a bolted down safe – just make sure that the place you choose is waterproof, fireproof, and safe from burglars.
You can’t be at your business 24/7, but it’s easy to keep an eye on things whenever you want with a security system that includes surveillance cameras.
Your employees may have ideas for how to make your workplace safer. Ask for their ideas and implement changes based on their suggestions.
Keep emergency plans simple, and keep emergency supplies convenient. These supplies should include the fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and emergency contact list.
If your business requires the use of vehicles, make sure that they are serviced regularly, and that they have a great commercial auto insurance

While it is crucial to do everything that you can to protect your business, there is always the chance that something could happen. To make sure that your business can bounce back quickly from an event like a flood, fire, break-in, or another peril, call 617-298-0655 to talk to a Vargas and Vargas Insurance agent about your business insurance policies.

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