January 2024 Newsletter: Insurance Tips for 2024

Your insurance tips for 2024 are here.

It’s January, which means many of us are still emerging from the post-holiday haze and pretending we haven’t already forgotten our New Year’s resolutions. 

January often gets a bad rap. It’s hard to follow a month of glitter, gifts, and endless cheese – especially this year since Mother Nature has opted to kick off 2024 with deep freeze temps and relentless snow. 

But, truthfully, January isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. This is the month of fresh starts, new plans, getting down to business, and setting priorities for the rest of the year. 2023 is now behind us, and a whole slate of new possibilities and opportunities await.

Of course, making the most of those opportunities requires a bit of risk-taking, and having the right policies and procedures ahead of time can help you and your team move quickly, and without worry. To that end, let’s talk a little insurance.

So, get ready to put down the snow shovel and get the year started: we’ve pulled together some insurance tips to help you make the most of the year ahead.

Let’s get into it.

• What’s Going On?
• Insurance Tips
  • What Business Insurance Do You Need?
  • Legal Requirements for Businesses
  • Industry Risks
• What’s New from Embroker

What’s Going On?

5 Reasons to be Optimistic About the 2024 Economy  — CNN

Everyone expected 2023 to be a year all about recession. And then it, well, never happened. Or did it? There are still risks and challenges aplenty, but there are also reasons to be optimistic about the economy in 2024. 

Predictions About Cybersecurity Challenges in 2024 — Forbes

Last year saw no shortage of news about cybersecurity threats. As this article points out, that’s not going to change in 2024, with attacks becoming more sophisticated and targeted thanks to AI.

Small Business Trends that Will Impact Your Sales in 2024 — U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Want to make 2024 the year your small business really takes off? Then, you’ll want to pay attention to the changing trends of consumer expectations.

Insurance Tips for 2024

1. Find Out What You Need

Whether you’re facing new or long-standing risks, figuring out what kind of insurance you need can be confusing and overwhelming. We get it. 

But don’t let that deter you from getting insured. Insurance is absolutely, without question, essential when it comes to running any business of any size and in any industry. 

No two businesses are exactly alike. So, there’s no simple go-to answer for what type of insurance your business needs. After all, a venture-backed startup, law firm, and financial services professional will all have unique risks and requirements. The size of your business, location, whether you have employees and how many, the types of products you sell or services you provide, commercial property, and work vehicles are just some of the factors that need to be considered when purchasing business insurance.

The bottom line of business insurance is that it’s about assessing and managing your business’s specific risks. So take the time to carefully consider the types of accidents, disasters, and lawsuits that could affect your business. And don’t forget: your insurance needs will inevitably change over time. As your business grows, keep tabs on your needs and potential threats at every stage.

Want to delve more into figuring out the type of insurance policies that would best suit your business? We’ve got you covered! Here are some resources to help get you started:

• What Types of Business Insurance Does Your Company Need?
• The Ultimate Guide to Small Business Insurance
• Tech Company Insurance in the Digital Age
• Protect Your Firm with Insurance for Law Firms 
• Why Does Your Business Need Insurance?

2. Be Aware of Legal Requirements for Your Business

Every business owner has a ton on their plate when it comes to running a successful business. That means that some things slip through the cracks. 

But, legal requirements for your business cannot be one of those things — that’s a surefire way to find yourself in hot water.

One of the first steps in purchasing insurance is to determine if there are any insurance policies your business must have by law. Small businesses can contact their area’s Small Business Association chapter for assistance.

If you work in the legal field, you’ve undoubtedly heard of legal malpractice insurance or legal professional liability (LPL). This insurance covers a lawyer if they are accused of malpractice or negligence (which happens more often than you’ll want to hear, especially if you’re a solo attorney). It’s a valuable form of protection for lawyers, yet strangely, it isn’t required by all states. But even if you don’t purchase legal malpractice insurance (and we highly recommend that you do have it), lawyers must still stay compliant with regulatory requirements at the state and federal levels.

Thinking you’re in the clear with legal requirements because you don’t provide professional services? If you have employees, then think again. There are employee benefit requirements that are mandatory for nearly all businesses with staff. 

Here are a few more resources to help you understand your insurance requirements:

• The Ultimate Guide to Workers Compensation Insurance Requirements by State
• What Does It Mean When a Business is Licensed, Bonded, and Insured?
• Who Needs Construction Insurance?
• The Ultimate Guide to Data Breach Laws by State

3. Know Your Industry’s Risks

Here’s the thing about risks: they aren’t all doom and gloom. In fact, there are plenty of opportunities that can come from taking risks. But knowing which risks could jeopardize your business and which may lead to growth is a hard distinction to see. 

Every industry has unique and specific risks. But those risks won’t impact individual businesses in the same way. 

To identify industry risks, it’s worth doing industry-specific research, speaking to others in your field, conducting a SWOT analysis, and monitoring the news. It’s important to know the factors that could and have impacted your industry to identify potential risks.  

It’s also important to remember that risks are constantly changing and emerging. Look no further than the cybersecurity threats that are flooding the news cycle. Even just ten years ago, many of us rolled our eyes at the mention of “hackers.” Now, they pose a legitimate risk to all businesses.

Whether you’ve launched a startup, run a financial services firm, or your own law firm, there are threats to your business that other companies don’t need to worry about. Being aware of those risks and having risk management procedures in place ahead of time will help ensure they don’t jeopardize your organization. 

Want to brush up on a little risk-related reading? Here are a few resources to help you identify your industry’s risks:

• Embroker’s 2023 Risk Index Report
• Law Firm Risk Management: What Are the Biggest Challenges Law Firms Face?
• Big Risks for Small Businesses
• Assessing Climate Risk for Startups
• Creating an IT Risk Management Plan for IT Consultants

What’s New at Embroker

Events, Stories, and More

Our New Insurance Program for Financial Services Pros

This week, we announced the release of our new Insurance Programs for Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Tax Preparers. With this new program, built on our Embroker ONE platform, financial services professionals can get reliable, tailored coverage without the hassle. Check out the full announcement in the link above.

Partnership with SecurityScorecard

We have an exciting new partnership with SecurityScorecard, a well-known authority in cybersecurity ratings. What does this mean for our clients? A streamlined insurance application process and continuous cyber health monitoring. Oh, and did we mention that companies with an A grade from SecurityScorecard can be eligible for up to a 10% discount on their tech errors and omissions/cyber liability policies?

We Won’t Fall into the “Lack of Focus” Trap – Embroker CEO

In this article from Insurance Business, our CEO Ben Jennings discusses his priorities since moving into the position last summer, what we’ve been up to at Embroker, and the insurtech landscape.