What is one tip for small businesses to obtain sufficient insurance coverage?

To help small business owners with having enough coverage, we asked CEOs and business leaders this question for their best pieces of advice. From exploring dental options to asking your employees about their needs, there are several ways that may help you ensure enough coverage for years to come. 

Here are ten tips to ensure sufficient coverage: 

• Review Business Needs
• Consider Retirement Plans
• Explore Dental Options
• Go With What the Contract Says
• Talk to More Than One Broker
• Ask Your Employees About Their Needs
• Retain an Insurance Broker
• Research What is Required by Law
• Explore Cyber Insurance Policies
• Opt for Overall Coverage

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Review Business Needs

Determining whether you have sufficient coverage depends on your business needs. Every business is different. Some factors to consider are the value of your business in terms of revenue, assets, and liabilities. You should also consider how many employees you have and the type of work they do. However, when in doubt an umbrella commercial liability policy might be right for you. These policies generally increase your liability coverage to provide additional coverage for most business liability claims.

Brandon K. Berglund, Berglund Insurance

Consider Retirement Plans 

I definitely would recommend that small businesses look into some type of retirement plan. Your business is your financial lifeline and while it can be easy to want immediate results, you’ll want to also look into a way to help you when you decide it’s time to retire. To obtain full coverage you’ll want to cover everything from disability insurance to preparing you and your employees for retirement. Small businesses will have a variety of options for them from Safe Harbor 401(k) to simple IRA. Knowing those options and selecting the best one for you and your business will help you make sure you have full coverage on all ends. 

Chris Abrams, Abrams Insurance Solutions

Explore Dental Options 

It can feel easy to make sure you have insurance for your business, but it’s equally important to make sure that you’ve got your health covered. You’ll need a variety of types of insurance while running your business. When you’re looking into business health insurance, don’t forget to explore the dental options. You and your employees will be happy to have it in case of emergencies, implants, and for regular cleaning as these are important steps for preventative care. Medical bills can be costly, so make sure that you’re carefully reading the coverage options and get the best options for whatever your budget is.

Henry Babichenko, Eurodenture 

Go With What the Contract Says

In the past, the thing that inspired our marketing agency to obtain insurance coverage was when client contracts called for the coverage. For example, one client agreement required that our agency have a $2M limit on Professional Liability (E&O). When determining what is “sufficient” coverage, I recommend using client contracts as a guide to meet external vendor requirements and ensure good coverage.

Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

Talk to More Than One Broker 

Insurance is confusing, and it can be easy for small business owners to take the path of least resistance when they look to protect their business. To make sure you’re comfortable with the choices you’ll have to make, try talking to more than one broker. While the first broker you come to may be great, or come highly recommended, it’ll be good to have someone to compare them to. You’ll also get more than one opinion on any sticky topics, which may help you understand what you really need.

Elliott Brown, OnPay Payroll

Ask Your Employees for Their Needs

It’s important to understand the needs of your employees when selecting insurance coverage options. One of the ways to do this without overstepping is to send an anonymous survey with questions inquiring about problems with current coverage options, their desired must-haves in an insurance plan, and other basic questions! This helps you see what your employees truly want and need in a plan and you can tailor your options to match those as much as possible!

Brandon Brown, Grin

Retain an Insurance Broker 

As a small business owner myself, I highly recommend not spending time shopping around for the best insurance rates. Let an insurance broker do it for your company. An insurance broker can shop for the best insurance rates for the specific needs of your small business. Retaining an insurance broker will save your small business time and money.

Tate Meagher, Meagher Law Office, PLLC

Research What is Required by Law 

Your insurance needs, in my opinion, will vary depending on a number of things, including your industry, specialty, and business assets. Purchasing business insurance may not only be a wise investment, but it may also be a necessity for your small business. You may be obliged to carry particular coverage depending on your industry, state, clients, and lenders. If you rent a commercial space, for example, your landlord may require you to get a general liability policy to protect yourself from third-party lawsuits alleging bodily harm or property damage. For business property owners, mortgage lenders frequently have similar requirements.

Eric Carrell, SurfShark

Explore Cyber Insurance Policies

Ensure to investigate cyber insurance policies that may be a wise expense to cover up gaps in coverage when obtaining sufficient insurance coverage. Most policies cover damages and losses sustained due to certain types of cyberattacks, as well as personal liability. Ensure you are protected by a policy that includes the right coverage for your needs while keeping your liabilities and operational costs low. Check out our list of best cyber insurance companies to learn about different policies that may be best suited for you. Ensure that your cybersecurity plan includes penetration testing and continuous monitoring and a plan for how to respond.

Katherine Brown, Spyic

Opt for Overall Coverage

Get a Business Owner’s Policy to ensure that your business receives sufficient insurance coverage. A Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) is a type of insurance package that covers all the various types of policies that you will require for your business. This will be easier and usually cheaper to purchase all the insurance you require in this bundled form.

Omid Semino, Diamond Mansion

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How can an email marketing campaign avoid spam filters?

To help you avoid your email campaigns getting sent straight to the spam folder, we asked business leaders and marketing experts this question for their best email tips. From avoiding spam trigger words to choosing the right email providers, there are several tips for email marketing campaigns to avoid spam filters.

Here are nine email marketing campaigns that avoid spam filters: 

• Send Email at Optimal Times
• Send Direct Mail
• Avoid Spam Trigger Words
• Make Unsubscribing Easy
• Get Permission
• Segment Mailing Lists
• Warm Up Your Email Account
• Carefully Choose Your Email Provider
• Clean Up Your Mail List

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Send Email at Optimal Times

Studies suggest that B2B emails for the “9-5” office employees are best sent mid-week around 10 AM. However, make sure that you balance being relevant and being annoying. It is a delicate line on the marketing end of your business. You want to make sure you’re keeping your customers up-to-date about new services, or products, or sales, but you don’t want to bombard anyone and they see it. Sending a marketing email in the middle of the week and sticking to a schedule for emails operates best. This allows you some freedom if you need to send out a special promotional email without crossing the too-much line.

Anastasia Avgerinou, Comidor 

Send Direct Mail 

One thing Mailchimp began doing several years ago was offering customers the ability to send postcards to their mailing list. There’s a reason why Mailchimp made postcards available: to help customers improve their deliverability rates. It’s easy for an email campaign to get caught in a spam filter or an inbox. By sending direct mail to accompany an email campaign, marketers can extend the effectiveness of their communication and ensure the recipient gets the message. 

David Wachs, Handwrytten

Avoid Spam Trigger Words

As the client services manager at an SEO company, words really matter to me. Words also matter when composing email marketing campaigns. Certain words and phrases, such as ‘free,’ ‘best price,’ ‘cash,’ ‘no obligation,’ have been blacklisted, which will send your email campaign straight to spam. Remember those emails we used to get that offered a free prize in the subject line in return for following a couple of steps listed in the email? Spam trigger words were usually collected from emails such as these and should be avoided.

Kayla Centeno, Markitors

Make Unsubscribing Easy 

If a customer who wants to opt-out of your communication can’t easily find a way to unsubscribe, they’ll often simply mark your emails as spam. So, make sure your emails have a clear “unsubscribe” button. If your correspondence is marked as spam often enough, your emails could automatically be flagged as spam when it’s sent to subscribers that actually want to receive your emails. This is because spam filters weigh campaigns with a “spam score,” and if the score becomes high enough, it’s automatically filtered into the spam folder. Each time your campaign is marked as spam, its spam score increases.

Vincent Bradley, Proper Wild

Get Permission

First and foremost, only email people who have signed up for your email list. Not only is permission important for your marketing strategy, but it’s also required by many mailing services. If customers have expressly signed up for your email list, they’re more likely to interact with your campaigns — and the more they interact, the less likely it is that your correspondence will end up in the spam folder.

Tyler Boyd, Squeeze

Segment Mailing Lists

Instead of sending the same email to your entire list, try segmenting your list and targeting the campaign to those you know will be interested. By doing so, you will increase the number of recipients who open your campaigns and decrease the number of people who delete them, sending positive signals to email providers about the validity of your campaigns.

Oliver Andrews, OA Design Services

Warm Up Your Email Account

When you’re ready to implement a new marketing campaign, don’t use a brand-new email account. Nothing will set off spam filters faster than a never-before-used email address instantly sending out hundreds of messages. If you have the time to plan ahead, start sending out a few emails slowly to establish your account. Or, better yet, use an email that has already been put to use. Many companies create an email account specifically for their marketing endeavors.

Travis Killian, Everlasting Comfort

Carefully Choose Your Email Provider

You might think that the different email marketing service providers out there are all the same. But that’s far from being the case. The email marketing tool you use plays an important role in the deliverability of your email campaigns. So, it’s critical that you do your research, find out which platform has the highest deliverability rate, and invest in it. Also, consider using an SMTP tool to whitelist your domain and make sure your emails land in your users’ inboxes. 

Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

Clean Up Your Mail List

Low opening rates and lack of engagement from your subscribers might hinder the trustworthiness of your company’s domain, decreasing the deliverability rate. To avoid being blacklisted, assess your emailing KPIs such as CTR and response rates. If necessary, use more captivating call-to-action text and email subjects. As the option of last resort, unsubscribe inactive accounts.

Rebeca Sena, GetSpace.Digital

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What is one type of email automation campaign every small business should consider building?

To help small businesses with building out email automation campaigns, we asked marketing professionals and PR experts this question for their best advice. From thank you emails to abandoned cart reminders, there are several considerations that may help improve your small business’ email marketing strategy. 

Here are nine email automation campaign types for small businesses: 

• Send Out Thank You Emails
• Asking for Reviews/Feedback
• Combine Bulk Campaigns and Advertising 
• Pass Along a Happy Birthday
• Send Out a Fun Quiz
• Push Welcome and Check in Emails
• Remind Customers of Upcoming Sales
• Dispatch Transactional Emails
• Remind Customers about Abandoned Carts

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Sending Out Thank You Emails 

Handwritten cards should be one automation campaign that is built into a small business’ strategy. Nothing says “We care” more than a personalized handwritten note thanking the customer for their support. You’d be amazed at how far a handwritten note can go in creating a connection with customers. Handwrytten has sent out more than 2.5M handwritten notes for companies, and we always love hearing how well the simple gesture improves customer experience. 

David Wachs, Handwrytten

Asking for Reviews/Feedback 

Email campaigning can feel like a huge time suck, but it’s really worth it in the end as it builds trust with current and potential customers. It also keeps your name out there. Consider automating a feedback form or email. Use it after someone’s made a purchase with you to assess how they like the product or what their experience was like. For example, we also have classes for various lash and brows procedures, and hearing back from people who take the class helps us assess any weak spots and shows that we care about our customer’s success Getting this sort of feedback can help you re-evaluate any business goals or product processes you have that should either be continued or be updated. 

Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Combine Bulk Campaigns and Advertising

Sending bulk emails is the practice of internet marketing which consists of sending mass emails to your customers and email subscribers. Combining your bulk campaign with your other advertising efforts will ensure that more eyes get to the information you want people to see. For example, if you publish a new piece of content for SEO efforts, send out an automated bulk email to let people know. 

Bailey Mills, Markitors

Pass Along a Happy Birthday

I’d recommend automating emails to send out to current and past customers/clients for their birthday. I’d recommend having the email automatically sent out 5 days before their birthday, as they may get quite a few of these emails on their actual birthday (or the day before). These emails keep your company on the mind of current and past customers/clients and it’s very important for any business to continue to market to current and past customers/clients.

Tate Meagher, Meagher Law Office, PLLC

Send Out a Fun Quiz

Everyone loves a fun quiz. Find a way to implement a quiz into your email automation. Get creative. These emails are the ones that usually receive the highest open rates and click-through rates. They are pretty easy to have automatically sent out as well. It improves engagement and leads.

Bari Medgaus, Stabili-Teeth

Push Welcome and Check in Emails

Building an engaged email list is one of the most valuable things a company can do. Creating a robust welcome email automation should be top priority. It shouldn’t be a set of emails all about you, it should offer valuable content or offers to engage your readers. From sending them relevant articles and tools to help them with their number one struggle to an email offering a special offer. This is also your chance to show your brand personality and help them get to know you a little better. They can unsubscribe at any time so the goal of this automation is for them to love what you send so much that they look forward to, and open every future email you send.

Tanya Gagnon, Miss Details

Remind Customers of Upcoming Sales

Build email automation campaigns to remind people of holiday sales. People enjoy getting excited about holidays whether it’s the 4th of July or Christmas, and of course, everyone appreciates a sale. You can send an email leading up to the holiday sale and another one as a reminder closer to when the sale ends.

Mike Pasley, Famous IRL

Dispatch Transactional Emails 

One type of email automation campaign that every small business should consider building is a transactional email campaign. This is a campaign that triggers every time there is a transaction. This email includes a summary of the transaction, shipping details, and a thank you note for doing business with the company. These can be really helpful for the consumer and can help build brand loyalty with the account. These types of emails are also very effective, receiving more clicks and opens, and generating more revenue as well. 

Jason Butcher, CoinPayments

Remind Customers About Abandoned Carts

One campaign that every business should consider building is an abandoned cart email automation campaign. This campaign would automatically follow up with people who abandoned their cart and didn’t finish checking out on your website. This campaign would be really effective at getting people who almost bought, to go back to the website and use a 10% coupon to save on the item that they almost previously bought.

Chris Gadek, AdQuick

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How is your small business benefiting from local SEO? How are you measuring that benefit?

Being a local business comes with a lot of perks. However, it can be discouraging to feel like you have to go up against the big-name brands. The continued growth of your business is important and could benefit from local SEO work. 

To help local businesses rank better for their local SEO, we asked small business owners and business professionals this question for their best insights. From increasing website traffic to building your community, there are several benefits that may help you rethink your SEO strategy and continue the growth of your business. 

Here are ten benefits of local SEO for local businesses:

• See Results in Sales
• Get on Google My Business
• Increase Website Traffic
• Generate High-Quality Leads
• Track Success With CRM
• Build Your Community
• Boost Online Visibility
• Help Customers Support Local
• Utilize SEO Tools
• Create Specific Content

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See Results in Sales

Local SEO is a more vital strategy for small businesses than you might think. Did you know that 50% of people who did a local search on their phone went to a physical location that day? 18% of those searches also lead to an immediate sale. Google has put such an importance on local SEO that they have provided a guide on how to improve your local ranking on Google. Small businesses with local, brick and mortar locations can’t afford to NOT invest in local SEO efforts. The benefits are simple, local SEO leads people to your store and results in sales! 

Bailey Mills, Markitors

Get on Google My Business

Appliance repairs are a service that customers look for on the local level. Some customers want to avoid the big, national companies who pass themselves off as “local,” and would prefer to work with a company that is actually local to the area. That’s where small businesses can really benefit from local SEO initiatives. By getting visibility for local searches through a Google My Business profile, businesses can better connect with prospective customers in their service area. 

Alex Belladorsi, Appliance Technician

Increase Website Traffic

Since I started investing in local SEO strategies, potential customers can find me and learn more about my business and the products that I offer on my website. My main reason for investing in local SEO is to drive traffic to my website, and ultimately, get more requests for quotes. The increase in quotation requests from my websites is how I measure the success of this business strategy.

Brian Greenberg, Insurist

Generate High-Quality Leads

The highest-quality leads for my transcription business come from organic search. Clients who find me on Google are usually larger companies with longer-term projects, as opposed to the tire kickers who tend to frequent local business directories. I keep it simple when it comes to measuring my local SEO efforts: Using basic rank tracking software, I audit my rankings every month, and I aim for an overall increase in average position for my target keywords. If I see more red than green, it usually means I need to focus more on my link-building strategy.

Chloe Brittain, Opal Transcription Services

Track Success With CRM

My personal injury law office has benefited a great deal from local SEO. I have attracted numerous new clients to my office as a result of local SEO. I measure the success of local SEO by using CRM (customer relationship management) software that tracks how any lead that contacts my office found my office. This allows me to determine whether any marketing source I invest in for my company is worth the money I am investing.

Tate Meagher, Meagher Law Office, PLLC

Build Your Community

Supporting local businesses has been a consumer trend for a number of years now, and even urbanists are re-thinking the cities of the future so that most people will be able to quench their thirst for goods and services at a local level, thereby reducing unnecessary car travel and pollution. This is where local SEO, the art of optimizing your content and visibility online to a local audience, comes in. It is more than about online visibility: it is also about having local customers return and help create a real sense of community, where customers feel at home and like they’re part of something. The role of local SEO then takes a whole new meaning: by reminding local customers of your presence online with relatable content they will be coming back to you in no time.

Daniel Torres, Zety

Boost Online Visibility

I am a small business owner and have utilized local SEO for my company. I have optimized the business site for the USA. As a local business operator, I have always wanted my web pages to rank for specific search queries performed by a local group of audience. Local SEO helped me a lot to promote WeInvoice on various location-based keywords. I have gained huge traffic from Arizona, Alaska, California, Connecticut, and others. With the help of local SEO, I got a higher ranking locally without many worries. It boosts my online visibility and fetches traffic from those locations. Therefore, the conversion rate has increased after attracting the targeted traffic. Now, competition is less, and chances of clicking are massive.

Eden Cheng, WeInvoice

Help Customers Support Local

Our business thrives on local SEO. Being a watch company out of Dallas, TX we use local SEO to drive our business locally in Dallas. We find that people really want to support local businesses and will buy our watches to support a local Dallas-Fort Worth business. We find that our local SEO efforts really help raise awareness around our brand to the Dallas area. We are then able to target people who land on our website through social media advertisements. We find this to be a really effective way to convert people into buyers.

Craig Carter, Jack Mason

Utilize SEO Tools

In terms of SEO Tools for site audits, I’ve found Ahrefs to be extremely useful. It’s one of the most user-friendly options out there and provides you with a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of your website’s traffic, backlink profile, and competitor information too. If I had to pick one tool to use, I would definitely choose Ahrefs.

Brandon Brown, Grin

Create Specific Content

Our firm has benefited a lot from local SEO as it helps us to build stronger relationships for more precise reasons. As a firm operating in the niche of personal injury law, we understand the benefits of focusing on niche categories in order to grow trust. Local SEO helps us do that by allowing our audience to find a local firm with lawyers who can accurately address their needs. This is done through the creation of more specific content, using long-tail keywords, and more. While the audience reach for local SEO techniques is smaller, the value you get from that audience is very high, and our aim is, therefore, to continue using these techniques for the foreseeable future.

Peter Horne, Geoff McDonald and Associates

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