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How to Absolutely Rock Auto Garage Safety

June 13, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

Rocking? Auto Garage Safety? Really?

Well, yeah, really. I mean, auto garage safety might not seem like the coolest, sexiest topic you’ve ever heard of, but I bet you want to keep your employees safe and working, right? And your customers happy and, you know, not suing you?

That got your attention? Good. Because that is what can happen if you have a slack, corner-cutting business that doesn’t take safety seriously.

According to these lawyers, over 15,000 on-the-job injuries happened to mechanics in 2015 alone. And they would know, because suing employers for workers comp related injuries is how many lawyers make a living.

So put on your gloves and adjust your oh-so-attractive protective eye gear, because it’s time to get our safety on.

And don’t forget to check out the MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP OF ALL at the end of the blog.

I can’t believe my boss made me wear this.

Eye Safety is Out of Sight

No one likes wearing those super hip safety goggles, or even the slimmer safety glasses. But eye accidents are no joke, and they can happen at any time in a busy auto body shop.

According to the disturbingly (but honestly!) named PreventBlindness.org, “[m]ore than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day.” 10-20% percent of those injuries will end up causing vision loss.

And 90% could have been prevented by wearing eye protection.

So it may not be the coolest thing around, but letting your people work without eye protection when they are doing anything that sends metal, liquids, or dust flying into the air is just asking for trouble.

Especially when a permanent disability like blindness could result. You know what phrase has lawyers licking their lips? “Permanent disability.”

Keep your people safe and happy by requiring eye protection when working on a vehicle. It may not be super hip, but it is super important. If you need more info, check out the OSHA standards on eye and face safety.

Skateboard almost sanded… glad I don’t have to wear this at work.

Breathe the Safety In

Mechanics deal with a lot of substances every day that are hard to take – in the lungs that is.

Gasoline, vehicle exhaust, paint fumes, motor oil, lubricants, dust and fine powders from sanding or scraping – the list goes on and on of things that can be inhaled at a garage.

If your auto body shop or service center doesn’t have a policy on masks, then you are asking for a whole world of hurt. Often these injuries build up over time and you don’t know they are there until it is too late.

Masks come in all shapes and sizes and are incredibly inexpensive. Even slipping on a simple particulate respirator can do wonders for a person who is working with hazardous substances or floating debris from body work.

A common problem is that some of your employees may be used to not wearing anything over their mouths when working on a car or truck. Habits of a lifetime die hard, so make sure your safety rules are in place and are upheld.

This is another area where injuries can end up disabling someone permanently. And that’s the last thing we want to happen to our people.

According to Healthline.com, humans should avoid:

Don’t stand by exhaust pipes.
Don’t stand around gas fumes.
Don’t operate engines in enclosed areas.

Um, does that sound like a job description to you?

Maybe I’ll just reach in there and…

When Safety Fits you like a Glove

Working on cars and trucks is a hands-on kind of thing. You can’t sit back and type on a computer or have a nice conversation with a classic Mustang to fix it’s engine.

And the stuff you’re touching is often dangerous. One site says:

Car repair can also be brutal on the hands. Mechanics routinely grab pieces of hot, sharp metal, often dripping with nasty chemicals. A recent study reported that 28 percent of auto mechanics had experienced more than 20 cuts on their hands in the previous year.

Skin conditions from repeated exposure to harsh chemicals is normal. Cuts and bruises are commonplace. And it isn’t that unheard of to know someone that is missing a finger.

Safety gloves should be a standard feature in an auto body shop, yet they are almost never seen. They can prevent wear on the skin, help stop burns and small cuts, and even prevent electrocution if they are made of the right material.

Some of your employees will think you’re crazy, especially if they are doing something that requires a delicate touch or feel. Luckily, there are gloves that are thin enough to allow them to do their work while still offering some basic protection.

The bottom line is that you need to protect hands in this business, no matter how silly it may seem.

And the most important way you can help your employees is…

Let me show you what I mean by “squirrelly.”

Safety is a Trained Behavior

The men and women in your garage create habits based on how they are shown to do their jobs. Left unsupervised, they will make up their own ways of doing things, or do it like they did in their last job (or like they do at home!).

Training is the #1 way of preventing injuries in an auto body garage. No matter what kind of shop you run, how many people you employ, or how many locations you have, the right training program can help make your people safer every day.

Having a set of standards for how tasks are performed can help limit injuries from improper lifting, dangerous and risky repair techniques, tool usage, and equipment malfunction.

Instituting safety training can also help your staff get used to wearing protective gear, cleaning up hazards, and preventing unsafe environments.

A checklist like this one can help you see what you may or may not be doing for safety. Creating a safety or prevention program could save you not only the emotional stress of a workplace accident, but a ton of money if something happens and you are sued.

Teaching your mechanics and staff to use safe techniques for all tasks makes it less likely you will be dealing with a workers comp claim.

Or a lawyer.

Are You Covered if Something Happens?

If something does happen, are you covered fully by your workers comp policy? Have you talked to your agent about it recently?

What if a customer gets hurt on your property. How would that be covered on your Garage Insurance policy?

You owe it to yourself to speak with one of the Garage Insurance experts here at Alliance Insurance.

Chase Smith and Cody Jackson have helped businesses just like yours stay safe while helping their employees steer clear of accidents and injuries.

Click the link below and schedule a time to talk now.

The Best Advice for Helping Your Kids Make Healthy Choices on a Budget

June 13, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

One of the many challenges parents face in today’s culture is raising kids to make healthy choices. However, many of us don’t think of being healthy as something you need to teach children. Here is important budget-minded advice to help you promote your child’s health.

Be a Great Role Model

As a mom or dad, you are the first one your children look to for how to perform. The choices you make in how you live your life bear the biggest influence on the decisions your children make, now and in the future.

As explained by Iowa Food and Fitness, your actions and attitude will speak louder to your children than anything else. Evaluate your example carefully. For instance, do you eat a healthy breakfast every morning? Do you drink water throughout the day, or is soda your beverage of choice?

When you talk about healthy eating, do you do so in a positive manner? Are you a stress eater, or do you eat when you’re bored?

Start with your own eating habits, and make sure you choose balanced meals with good nutrition. Select healthy snacks, drink water, and instead of eating sugary desserts choose yogurt or fruit for your sweets.

What’s more, sticking to a healthy diet doesn’t have to derail your entire budget; Food Network has a list of meals that you can make for your family that cost under $10 apiece, and all of them look delicious.

Finally, get your children involved in the meal-making process by allowing them to use smaller appliances like microwaves and easy-to-use toaster ovens so they can contribute.

Taking Supplements

Children need vitamins and minerals just as much as adults do in order to stay healthy. Most kids can ingest the required daily amount from eating a balanced diet.

However, you may need to give your child supplements if they’re eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, have a certain condition that requires more nutrients, or are picky eaters. Search for a buying guide online that recommends affordable options.

Other supplements may be necessary for your children’s health. Evidence indicates that CBD has shown potential for relieving anxiety disorders.

If you have a child dealing with anxiety, CBD gummies might be a good option; due to their gummy texture and taste, your child might tolerate gummies better than CBD oil.

Ask your child’s doctor or therapist about recommended options first. It’s also a good idea to do some research online and compare the top brands and prices before buying a suitable brand for your child.

Physical Fitness

Another important aspect of good health is fitness. All of us require exercise to be healthy, including children, and it’s important for you to set an example. Also, as a parent, it’s up to you to provide opportunities for your kids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should encourage your children to participate in activities that are enjoyable, age-appropriate, and varied. Kids require activities that build their bones, strengthen their muscles, and work them aerobically. Some experts suggest exercising alongside your kids.

Exercising together is a great way to set an example while also enjoying family time. You can go for walks after supper, turn on upbeat music and dance together, and even make household chores or yard work into a workout by amping up the pace.

Playing Outdoors

Time spent in the great outdoors is another key to health and well-being. Some of the benefits to children of spending time in nature include improved imagination, less risk for behavioral issues, and reduced risk for obesity.

Children who play outside appear to be less inclined to have depression or anxiety issues and experience better cognitive development.

Time in nature fosters healthier relationships and encourages children to have better social skills. Unfortunately, with the increased use of electronic devices children spend less time than ever outdoors.

What’s more, in this day and age, many parents are concerned about public parks and safety for their children. It’s up to you to find safe opportunities for outdoor play.

One way to encourage your child to spend time outside is by installing a swing set (Walmart has swing sets for the little ones for as low as $75.19) in your own backyard.

It provides your youngster with a safe and convenient place to enjoy nature and be active. However, make sure you select a swing set model suitable for your child’s age and abilities, as different play sets offer different sizes and features.

You should also take an inventory of your backyard to ensure you are providing a safe environment. For instance, Highlights recommends removing lawn equipment, poisonous plants, and other hazards, or securing them where they are inaccessible.

Decks and patio areas should be safe and sturdy. Make repairs to loose or broken boards, address raised nails or screws, and ensure slats in fencing are close enough to prevent injuries.

Also, if your child shows an interest in a particular sport, don’t hesitate to foster that enthusiasm. Find local leagues, help them find other kids their age to play with, and get them the gear they need.

Of course, since equipment can cost quite a bit of money, it’s important to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth; for example, if they’re playing soccer, look at online reviews to find the best soccer cleats within your price range.

You can also look into second-hand gear by shopping at retailers such as Play It Again Sports.

Take steps to help your children make healthy choices. Be a good role model, opt for reputable supplements, and provide opportunities for your child to spend time outside.

Your kids can grow to be healthy, happy adults with the great foundation you lay now, and you can do all of that without spending a lot of money in the process!

Like this blog? Check out more great tips from Amanda Henderson at her site safechildren.info.

Image by annaharmsthiessen from Pixabay

New Car Lot Vs Used Car Lot in Garage Insurance

May 31, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

New Vs Old in Garage Insurance

If you sell cars and trucks for a living, you probably already have a problem with me describing your lot as “old” or “new,” whether we are talking about garage insurance or, well, anything really.

Admittedly, this isn’t the right terminology – you have franchise lots that sell both, and independent lots that do both, or some businesses that only sell used or previously owned vehicles.

But whatever we call them, there is a difference in how they have to get insurance for their businesses. That’s what we need to talk about today – what is different between franchise car dealers and used car dealers when it comes to garage insurance.

Nobody knows I’ve been around the block once or twice.

Garage Insurance for Franchise Lots

If you are a franchise lot owner or manager, you know that you are sitting on a gold mine – but you only half own the gold. The name brand recognition, branding and advertising you get from your franchise partner is everything, but it comes with strings attached.

Even more confusingly, the rules change with each different company. Sometimes you own the cars, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you own rights to this or that, sometimes you down.

There are times when you feel like the king of your own castle, and others the manager of a retail store.

This divided set of honors and responsibilities continues in insurance.

Some companies will prefer to cover the new model vehicles themselves. This means that you won’t have Garagekeepers or Garage Liability on those vehicles.

You will still need both of those coverages on older model or previously owned cars though! So find out what your particular franchise rules are and get the right amount of Garagekeepers and Garage Liability for your business.

Of course you will still need coverage for the rest of your amazing dealership: Business Property for your structures like your showroom, offices, and all other buildings on your lot, then your business property that is portable, like your office equipment, marketing materials, and service department gear.

You won’t want to be sued, either. So you’ll need to get General Liability insurance to protect you from lawsuits and injuries on your lot.

Workers Comp is also a necessity, and having something like EPLI and Cyber Liability would be a good idea as well.

The bottom line is that most of what you do will be similar to your independent dealers out there. But the big piece is whether or not you will be providing insurance for the new cars out there on the lot or not.

Vanity helicopter photo. Totally worth it.

Garage Insurance for Used Car Lots

For all my people out there buying and trading, wheeling and dealing, owning everything on your lot on wheels and being responsible for everyone out there in a polo shirt in the sun shaking a customer’s hand – this is for you.

While your franchise brethren may have some help and assistance with insurance for newer vehicles, you bear the sole responsibility for keeping your cars, buildings, employees and customers free from risk. Fun!

But you also have the freedom to market, mark up, deal, name and run it like it is your own – so that should help make up for it.

When it comes to insurance, you’ll need the same things as the other guys – Business Property, General Liability, Workers Comp, etc.

The main difference is that you will need to insure ALL of the vehicles on your lot.

As an independent dealership, you will need to have your own Garagekeepers and Garage Liability coverage to make sure that your cars and trucks are protected from damage, and from accidents while being driven.

There is also the discussion of scale. While there are some massive independent dealers that specialize in used cars and trucks, the majority are smaller than those other guys who only sell one type of car (per lot, anyway).

Some independent dealerships are made up of just a few people, while others are as big as any dealership out there. A few new modern dealerships are more tech start ups than the old model, and sell all their stock online.

No matter your size, garage insurance can scale with you and protect you depending on your situation.

Enjoy! And all sales are final.

Talking to an Agent

The only way you really know exactly what you need is by talking to an agent.

If you are a franchise dealership, you need to go over the specifics of what your franchise agreement is and who owns what. Then discuss the size and scope of your business and what your needs are based on your size.

If you have a service center then you definitely need to make sure that part of your business is adequately protected, including Employee Tool Coverage.

For the independent guys, make sure you value all of your stock correctly to adequately prepare yourself for accidents big and small. The last thing you want to do is assume you are sufficiently covered and have a hurricane prove you wrong.

Also, you need to go over liability in a different way, particularly if you have an unconventional site with more or less foot traffic. And you may be more likely to stumble into a problem like copyright issues or slander if you are doing your own marketing (and making fun of the competition on social media).

Let’s Wrap it Up

That’s why you need to speak with one of the Garage Experts at Alliance Insurance.

Someone like Chase Smith, who has helped some of the biggest dealerships, tire dealers, and mechanics in the Piedmont Triad area.

Or someone like Cody Jackson, who has helped dealers big and small, as well as auto body shops from busy to single man operations.

If you need garage insurance, it’s time to talk to someone like them. Otherwise, you’ll never know where you aren’t covered.

Or how much you could be saving.

Click the button below to set up and appointment now.

5 Tips to Make Your Rowhouse Energy Efficient

May 22, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

An Energy Efficient Rowhouse? Is that a joke?

I get the skepticism. My rowhouse? We are talking about 100 year old homes that often weren’t updated until the last twenty years. Before that it was Uncle Mike promising he would make something better and now your bathroom lights go out when the kitchen blows a fuse.

But there are ways we can improve the efficiency of our rowhouses (or rowhomes, I will use them interchangeably in all my blogs on the subject). There are a few sure fire hacks or tricks that can make your home consume less energy, as well as some investments that make your carbon footprint go down – just like your electric and gas bills.

What are they? Let’s get into it and see how we can save you some green while making you more, well, green.

Slimming black or eco-friendly reclaimed wood?

First: Seal up your rowhouse sanctuary.

The first tip is to eliminate ways for air to get in or out of your home. While there are plenty of reasons that this is a good idea (water damage, anyone?), it is one of the main ways that your home can become an energy hog.

The reason is pretty simple. In the summer, hot air can creep in and make your AC work overtime to fight against this constant invader. And in the winter cold air will seep through and drag temperatures down, making your furnace gobble up gas like there’s no tomorrow.

The primary offenders for these kinds of leaks are windows and doors. Let’s start with windows.

Windows in rowhouses usually leak because they are either old and not updated, or brand new but poorly installed.

If they are old, chances are the putty that holds the panes has deteriorated with age, letting air slip under or even between the panes of glass. If you bought your rowhome with all of the original windows and doors, this is a distinct possibility.

It’s also possible that the frame of the window itself is a little warped and that the sliding part of the window is not flush with the exterior pane, making it leaky.

Luckily there are ways to fix it, like in this article. Make sure that you find the source of the leak and either use a seal or caulk the source of the leak, stopping this drain on your pocketbook.

With doors, the issue is usually with a gap on the top, bottom, or side of the door where cold or hot air can sneak into your rowhouse. Again, the issue usually starts with an old door or a new, poorly installed one.

Most of the time the answer is as simple as installing a weather strip to stop the gap and prevent outside air from getting in.

Making sure you control the air that comes into and out of your home can help keep your temperature nice and even, making sure you aren’t overworking your AC, HVAC or furnace and saving you money. A sealed up rowhouse is an energy efficient rowhouse.

And they are the original windows. How cool is that?

Second: Go with the flow.

Speaking of HVAC systems, those of you with air ducts running through your homes need to make sure that they are clean and allow air to move freely.

Even if you have an old forced air vent (and if you have a rowhouse chances are your home did at some point) you need to make sure they are clear and free.

Dirty, clogged or stopped up air ducts prevent the flow of air and make your system work harder for the same result, wasting electricity or gas and making your energy bill a bottomless pit.

You probably are expecting me to just tell you how to clean your air ducts, right? Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy.

Just sticking a vacuum cleaner down a vent isn’t going to do the trick. According to the NADCA, “Failure to clean all components of the system can result in recontamination of the entire system, thus minimizing the benefits of cleaning.” Yikes.

The absolute first thing to do is MAKE SURE YOU CHANGE YOUR FILTER REGULARLY. While there are a ton of reasons you should do this, for this blog just know that it is the easiest way to make sure your ducts have a way to get out the dust, pollen, animal hair and human hair that floats around all the time.

So change your filter at least every 90 days.

For the rest look for a duct cleaning company in your nearby area, or just schedule a complete HVAC maintenance by your preferred company. This is a good idea in general as they can find lots of other ways your system could be burning through more energy than needed.

Which leads me to my next point…

If you think this is cold you should see my rowhouse.

Third: Replace your old HVAC or furnace.

I know you don’t want to hear that. I didn’t when I had to replace mine just months after I bought my rowhouse. But the fact of the matter is you may have to if you have an inefficient system.

Tell me this – are you freezing in the winter even though your thermostat is set to 70? Or are you sweating in August as your system never quite gets to the generous 75 you’ve got it set at?

Then odds are your system is old, or worse, has a leak.

For old furnaces and systems, inefficiency is just part of the game. According to Green Home Guide, “If your furnace was built before 1992 and has a standing pilot, it probably wastes 35 percent of the fuel it uses, and it is probably near the end of its service life.”

To a 100 year old rowhome, 1992 is like yesterday. Investing in a new HVAC system may seem like a lot, but if you factor in how much you will save on energy costs over the life of the new unit it could absolutely be worth it.

And if you have a leak, well, that could mean exploratory construction (cutting holes in walls, knocking through floors or ceilings, etc) to find the leak. And repair could end up costing more than a new unit itself.

You’ll have to figure out if this is a good fit for you. But chances are, if you have an old, inefficient unit or a leaky one, you already know who you are. And that’s why you’re reading this.

Fourth: Get a smart thermostat.

Smart everything is all the rage. Smart phones, smart watches, smart cars. Why not homes? Why not rowhouses?

Smart thermostats are the easy way to do that without having your home look like Bill Gates’ humble Xanadu 2.0 (But if you can hook that up, go for it – I MEAN THE POOL HAS UNDERWATER MUSIC).

There are many options out there currently, but I chose the Nest. The great things about these devices are that they not only change your temperature but they monitor and learn your habits.

No, not in a creepy dude-in-high-school-who-won’t-take-the-hint way, but in a super data-driven practical way. Smart thermostats adjust the temperature when you aren’t around to conserve energy, saving you money for nothing.

They also have a built in “eco mode,” which is basically like setting your phone on “airplane mode” when you want to save some battery. It sets it to temperatures that won’t push the system and makes it run as little as possible.

You can also control your temp from your phone, giving you an additional degree of functionality that makes sense in today’s tech-savvy modern world.

Even in your 100 year old rowhouse.

Fifth: Upgrade your appliances.

I know, I know, I’m telling you to spend more money. But hear me out.

If you’re home has recently been flipped (and I’ll do a blog on the problems with flipped homes soon), you probably have new, energy efficient appliances. That’s great! But for everyone else, you may be throwing money down the drain – or into your dishwasher.

Older appliances were made when gas was cheap, coal burning seemed like a great idea, and standards were lower. In today’s world, they seem like poorly constructed devices that waste natural resources, including your bank account.

Upgrading your refrigerator or your dishwasher or your washer and dryer can save you a tangible amount per month that will add up as the year rolls on. These machines are smarter in the way they use energy, but also usually do their jobs better and with more conveniences.

So when you’re at the local mega hardware store (or your amazing local store like family-owned Brannock & Hiatt in Mount Airy, NC or an old school, family-owned hardware store like PC Smith & Sons in Saugerties, NY, or a cozy local joint that totally gets rowhouses like Henry’s here in Philly) and you see that sexy new washing machine, tell your partner that you want it because it’s super practical.

And get one with the Energy Star symbol to know for sure it’s energy efficient.

Better made, more efficient, more functional, and better looking. What’s not to love?

I feel so… efficient.

Let’s wrap it up.

Being energy efficient saves you money, protects the environment, and shuts up your hippy friend Jenny who will at least go back to talking about goat yoga or something.

Doing these things will also put less wear and tear on the appliances and systems in your house, further saving you money down the road.

If you’ve done one or all of the above, stop and give yourself a pat on the back (or better yet have someone do it for you). Congratulations! It must feel good to be more responsible with your money.

Another way to save money? INSURANCE. (You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)

Take two minutes and have a helpful expert at Alliance go over your rowhouse to make sure you’re getting the best and most efficient care you can get from a risk management perspective.

By clicking the link below you can set up an appointment or fill out a quick form to make sure you have the right coverage and the most discounts for your rowhouse. Shouldn’t you treat your homeowners insurance at least as well as you treat your dishwasher?

So go ahead. Click. We’ll be here waiting (but we’ll power down our PCs when you aren’t clicking to save electricity).

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The Problem with Employee Tools in Garage Insurance

May 17, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

Employee tools are a big problem.

Wait, just employee tools? If you are an auto dealer or own an auto body shop, you are probably swimming in tools.

Tools are everywhere, and depending on what kind of shop you run, or what kind of cars you sell, you may have entirely different sets for different makes and models – or for different employees.

While most shops or service centers have their own gear, it is incredibly common for employees to have their own set that they have slowly built up over years of work and investment. They are often a good mechanic’s pride and joy.

And they are almost always incorrectly insured.

So let’s get into why that is and how to save you – and your employees – from a big hole in your coverage.

Well tooled up.

The gap in your Property Coverage.

This may shock you, but here it is:

YOUR EMPLOYEE’S TOOLS ARE NOT COVERED BY YOUR GARAGE INSURANCE POLICY.

Why, you ask? For one simple reason. They aren’t owned by the business. Your business property coverage that is a part of your garage insurance policy covers the stuff your business owns. Period.

If your employee owns their own tools, it does not belong to your business and isn’t covered by the policy. Make sense?

Let’s look at an example of what could happen if you don’t have a solution to fix this hole in your coverage:

A thief breaks into the service center of your auto dealership. First they grab the towers from the computers the service center use, then they force open the garage door and load every tool that isn’t tied down. They slam shut their plain white van and roar off into the night before the police arrive.

Hope you have good coverage!

Your policy will reimburse you for what you’ve lost for just about all of it. The data inside the computers could be a problem (I hope you have Cyber Liability Coverage!). But the biggest problem are tools owned by your employee.

Unless they have their own insurance, those things are gone, with no reimbursement.

How expensive are employee tools?

You probably know this, but it is worth reiterating. One source said:

A tool budget remains part of your professional life, industry training manager Mark Larsen told WCTI News Channel 12 in North Carolina in a 2011 interview. Larsen estimated the value of tools a technician keeps to be around $25,000. Wards Auto puts the figure at $50,000. According to Lake Area Technical Institute, mechanics add to their tool collection throughout their careers to accommodate changes in technology and improve productivity.

One of our own agents spoke with a mechanic who claimed to have over $100,000 of tools that were only his, not his employers. If you have several mechanics, each with their own tool set, this hole in coverage suddenly becomes a much bigger deal.

What you can do about it.

Luckily for you, there are options to help plug this hole and keep you and your employees safe.

Most policies have the option of adding a new layer of coverage to the policy creatively called EMPLOYEE TOOLS COVERAGE.

This will protect you from the embarrassment of telling your mechanics that while your stuff was covered, theirs wasn’t and they have lost it all.

This coverage starts with very low limits however! You have to make sure to increase this amount in order to cover just one of your employee’s tools. And I don’t have to tell you how expensive a good tool set can be!

Employee tools can be safe and secure – but knowing that they will be replaced in case of an accident will make you and the guys under the hood feel a lot better.

Can’t paint a work of art without the right brush.

Let’s wrap it up.

Now you know about this common pitfall and how to avoid it. You may have already had this hole covered as a part of your garage insurance policy, but do you have enough employee tool protection?

And did you even know this was a problem?

It’s time to talk to an expert and see what other parts of your policy aren’t up to snuff. Click the button below and let’s get you set up with a Garage Expert who can walk you through exactly what you have – and what you’re missing.

You – and your incredibly valuable employees – deserve to have those tools insured. Let’s make it happen.

How to Ace Dealer Insurance in North Carolina

May 10, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

Need Dealer Insurance in North Carolina? You’ve come to the right place.

Whether you are starting out with a small patch of pavement and a few cars or you have six different lots with six different car makers, you need dealer insurance – or as we call it, garage insurance.

And while for most of you this coverage isn’t an option, as you have to have it, you kind of, well, HAVE to have it. It’s so important to protect yourself from a risk that could knock you out of business entirely.

So let’s break down exactly what a great dealer insurance policy looks like and make sure you’re in good shape.

After all, we know what you guys deal with every single day. We feel you. So let’s get to it.

Sure. I’ll explain the warranty again.

Dealer Insurance Basics

There are certain coverages that make a dealer insurance policy different than a regular business policy, and we will get into exactly what those are – and why you need them.

Business Property Insurance – This protects your STUFF, from the building you walk around in, to the auto shop that fixes the dings and bumps that happen as a result of doing business, to the office chairs and computers and ridiculous inflatable tube men that flag down hungry customers from the street.

This amazing protection helps you stay safe from things like: fire, weather (wind, hail, storms, etc.), vandalism, theft, and more. Without it you could be high and dry after something like a hurricane blows through.

And my North Carolina dealers know that isn’t anything to scoff at. So make sure you have all of your buildings insured to their maximum value.

And all your stuff insured for as much as it would cost to replace it all in one shopping trip.

THIS PROTECTS YOUR STUFF.

General Liability Insurance – This protects you from accidents and lawsuits that others claim you are responsible for. And in today’s world, that could be a lot of things. As I’ve said in my blog on How To Cover Your Net Worth, lawsuits happen daily, and for a variety of reasons.

Over 40 Million are filed in the U.S. every year.

So it’s just naive to think that it couldn’t happen to you.

It also helps if someone gets hurt on your property. This is usually when someone slips and falls or is hit by something, regardless of whether they are a customer or not.

THIS PROTECTS YOU FROM WHAT YOU DO TO OTHERS.

Garage Liability Insurance – Now we are talking about coverages that are specific to dealer’s like you. Garage liability is a part of dealer insurance that helps protect you from accidents that occur while you are using a non-owned vehicle.

This is for the times you have someone else’s vehicle and you get into an accident, one that you are responsible for. There are two common instances when that might be the case.

The first is when you are doing work on a customer’s vehicle in your service department. You often need to test drive or otherwise move the vehicle, and any accidents that happen while you or an employee are driving can land you in serious trouble.

Garage liability covers you for that.

The second is if you are driving your customer’s vehicle to move it while they are test driving, or if you have a valet service. Either way the car is in your temporary possession and you would be responsible for any accident that occurs – if it’s your fault.

Stop posing and get back to work, Larry!

THIS PROTECTS YOU FROM ACCIDENTS WHILE YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER’S CAR.

Garagekeepers Insurance – This part of dealer insurance protects you from the physical damage done to a car you don’t own. The circumstances are usually like the ones for garage liability, but with a key difference.

Just like in garage liability, this covers non-owned vehicles – usually your customer’s. But it protects physical damage, so you really don’t have to be driving the thing around at all.

If someone can say it is your fault the car or truck got damaged, and you were the one in control of it, they can ask you to pay for whatever happened.

But that’s where Garagekeepers steps in and helps out. It pays for dents, scraps, bang-ups and everything up to a total loss.

If you’ve got the right coverage!

THIS PROTECTS THE VEHICLES OF OTHERS WHILE YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF THEM.

Business Auto Insurance – And last but certainly not least, we have this HUGELY important coverage.

This protects vehicles THAT YOU OWN. Finally!

It acts like a regular auto insurance policy in many ways, but is much more flexible in the kinds of cars and trucks it can cover – and can offer WAY more protection. Usually millions of dollars worth.

Business auto can do all kinds of things, from cover business-owned work vehicles to fleets of rental cars to cars you are selling to, well, just about anything else.

If you own the cars, this covers them.

THIS COVERS CARS YOU OWN.*

*Yeah, that’s a bit redundant. But whatever.

That’s a lot of insurance.

I know! Isn’t awesome?

You may not think so. But it really, really is. Insurance only exists when there is a risk of something bad happening. If you’re a car or truck dealer, you “deal” with a lot of risk every single day. You’re part retail shop, part auto body shop, part rental shop, part sales office, part finance office, part everything-else-that-you-do-that-I-can’t-think-of.

You seriously do a TON. You’re several business rolled into one, and you’ve probably never thought about it like that.

Each of those separate businesses have their own risks. Customers can get hurt. Cars you own can get damaged. Customer property can be stolen. Your employee can write a nasty thing about a competitor and they can sue your business (it’s true).

And of course there is the thing that started the whole insurance ballgame: a fire can break out. In a building, in a car, anywhere.

So all of this coverage helps you stay in business rather than paying for it all yourself. Dealer insurance, or garage insurance, is a package of policies that surround you like a suit of armor and keep you safe.

It’s more than just piece of mind. Not having the right insurance is like leaving your dealership unlocked and the keys sitting in the front seat of each car.

It’s just common sense.

That was fun! I hope it didn’t have LoJack.

Let’s wrap it up.

If you’re reading this, you’re a responsible business owner – or your policy cancels tomorrow. Either way, you deserve to have someone look over your business and help you stay as safe as possible.

All the while saving you as much money as can be.

If you’re a North Carolina dealer (or anywhere, really), set up a time to speak with one of our Garage Experts about getting you the protection you deserve so you can not worry and keep your eyes on the road ahead.

Big or small, your dealership has too much at stake to not have this conversation.

Click below to set up a time, and let’s get you covered.

How Much Does Garage Insurance Cost in North Carolina?

May 7, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

Garage Insurance doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Even if it gives you million dollar coverage. There are a few factors that go into how much garage insurance will cost you, and we will go over the main ones to show you just how affordable it really can be .

Most dealerships and auto mechanics in North Carolina worry that starting a new garage insurance policy will be too expensive. Even if they’ve had a policy for years there is always the fear of the unknown, that another company or another agency might not give them as good a deal as the person they have been with forever.

And sometimes they are right. Loyalty can be a factor in insurance pricing, as I’ve said in other blogs. But so can having the right coverage and knowing what your policy does – and how that affects the cost.

I’m going to use an example, what I’ll call Ideal Body Shop, as our baseline to give you pricing. I’ll give the total cost at the bottom (so scroll down there if you want, cheaters).

So let’s get into it.

First: Number of locations and buildings.

If you have multiple locations and several buildings, you have more to insure. Each building represents a risk that could be harmed and need repairs, so an insurance company is going to look at that and say that will cost more.

Plus it’s simple math. Each building has a value, so the more buildings you have the more value you have. Value can be lost – that’s the whole reason you have insurance to begin with.

If you have a business that only has one location in a new, fire-resistant building, your premium will be incredibly low for the Garage Business Property part of your garage insurance.

But if you have three locations and one of them is in old, wood-framed historic property in a great part of town, you will be looking at a much higher cost – despite how cool your building surely is.

In fact, you can think of this just like you would personal insurance. If you have a 2004 Toyota Camry, you won’t pay as much for insurance as you would if you had three of them – or if they were Audis.

NUMBERS: Let’s say Ideal Body Shop has one location in an industrial area in a North Carolina city, with a fantastic fire-proof structure, and enough space to work on two vehicles. How much would that cost? A little over $700 a year. Not bad, right?!

A basic garage insurance policy doesn’t have to cost a ton, but it is incredibly reasonable when you are small to medium size – and (shameless plug here) if you go with an independent agency that has the right carriers ready to help.

There is no engine.

Second: Amount of coverage.

You get what you pay for. And if you want more coverage, you typically have to pay for it.

While this is true generally, one of the keys to understanding amounts of coverage in insurance (especially liability) is that this isn’t always, “more equals more.”

Getting the first million dollars of liability coverage is generally pretty reasonable. And getting more than that is even more reasonable. The way pricing works, two million dollars of coverage isn’t twice the price of one million dollars of coverage. It’s less.

So it is to your advantage to tack on extra coverage after what you think you need on things like liability to really get the most value out of your insurance.

That being said, adding more (or better depending on the type of coverage) insurance is always more expensive. Insurance is a business, after all, and they have to make profits to pay claims and grow.

But garage insurance should NEVER be about getting as little coverage as possible. One accident could wipe you out and destroy all of your hard work and effort.

Instead, make sure you get the RIGHT amount of coverage. At Alliance, we never recommend getting more coverage just for the sake of getting it. But we also never sell minimum limits on anything. Finding that sweet spot that gets you enough coverage to protect you from 99% of what life throws at you while making sure you aren’t overpaying for anything is what we excel at.

No one should have too little. But no one should pay too much. Simple.

NUMBERS: Ideal Body Shop has $2,000,000 in aggregate General Liability, with $2,000,000 in Products/Completed Operations coverage, $1,000,000 in Personal and Advertising Injury coverage,with $1,000,000 per occurrence. All of that only costs a little over $750 a year. #bargain

The only one that gets to turn this off is you.

Third: Claims history.

There is using something and abusing something. Garage insurance is certainly meant to be used, but not used so much that it looks like bad management at best and at worst, fraud.

Insurance companies know that accidents happen, and that having the occasional claim is simply a risk when you are in business. In North Carolina, there will be hurricanes, there will be electrical fires, there will be slips and falls. Nothing is perfect.

But accidents can be prevented, or at least minimized. The best businesses have safety programs in place to reduce employee injuries, they make sure that there aren’t slick spots or obstacles that can lead to customers falling, they make sure the wiring is updated and repaired to prevent fires.

These are the kinds of businesses that get the best rates. Companies love to insure them because the represent the best risk – but also because this usually means they are honest, upright and successful. Who wouldn’t want to do business with someone like that?

So if you want to keep your cost down for your garage insurance policy, be as safe and error free as possible to get the best prices out there.

NUMBERS: Our friends at Ideal Body Shop have a perfect record with ZERO claims in the last five years. The result? Their total premium for a full Garage Insurance package policy with all of the coverages we’ve discussed in other blogs gives them a yearly premium of just under $1,500.

Millions of dollars in coverage for less than what many people pay to insure their home.

Claims free, NBD.

Let’s wrap it up.

How much are you paying? When is the last time you had someone look over your policy? Do you have enough coverage? Too much? Too little?

Are you in the sweet spot of just enough coverage to prevent disaster and not too much to save a ton of money?

If you don’t know the answer to ANY of these, then you need to talk to an expert.

Click the button below to schedule a time with a Garage Insurance Professional. It’s time you had more than just an agent.

You deserve an advocate in the insurance industry.

Let us be yours.

Click me.

3 Workers Comp Tips for Garage Insurance in NC

May 3, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

Workers Comp? But you know all about that?

Right? Well, you probably think you do. But there are some important things you may not have considered that could be incredibly important to how your business is protected from employee accidents and injuries. Let’s dig a little into Workers Comp and see what you’re missing.

The first thing we should discuss will be WHAT you are doing to prevent accidents.

The second thing is WHO has your workers comp coverage.

The third thing is WHEN your last quote was with your agent.

What do I mean? Let’s check it out.

Tip #1 – Preventing Accidents

That sounds too easy. But the sad fact of the matter is that all too often we see clients ignore pushing safety at the workplace because they think it is only another expense, or that they are too small for it to make a different.

They couldn’t be more wrong. The only real way you can make your workers comp insurance less expensive is by avoiding claims!

One of the primary ways that Workers Comp price is determined is by experience modification factor. And one of the ways that it determines price is by how long it has been since you’ve had a claim.

The fewer claims (or injuries on the job), the less you pay. Simple.

Making sure that your shop is up to OSHA’s standards and that employees are trained in the safety practices that will keep them safe are the only ways that you can chip away at the cost of workers comp for your auto business.

Think it’s impossible, or at the very least too difficult? One shop in Arizona actually made an entire web page about safety to educate their customers and other businesses! CHECK IT OUT.

Other organizations in your area may have resources to help you stay on top of safety requirements . CHECK THIS OUT.

The bottom line is that there is no better way than to control the cost of workers comp insurance than by instituting a safety program and keeping your employees from injuring themselves on the job.

Tip #2 – Who’s got your back?

Many auto dealers and auto body shops get insurance when they first start a business, or at least when they get big enough to buy the policies required by law. Workers comp is no exception. And if you’re like most mechanics or born salesmen, the last thing you want to think about is insurance.

After all, you didn’t become an insurance agent, did you?

We encounter people all the time who set up their workers comp insurance with either their initial agent years ago or, even worse, someone they just found online for the cheapest possible and then promptly forgot about them.

Do you know who does your workers comp insurance? Can you picture them in your mind? Have you spoken with them in a few weeks? Months? Years?

Garage insurance is best when viewed as a package, a collection of policies that all compliment one another. Without that great overview, it is easy to miss certain things. You also find that an agent really get’s to know you and can assist you better with that knowledge.

I like to think of a package policy as a suit of armor. While one piece of coverage or policy covers the head, another covers the chest, and the legs, and so on. Having different people cover different parts of your body is just a confused mess.

So reach out to your primary agent and see if they do your workers comp. Don’t have a primary agent? That could be your problem right there.

Which leads us to our last tip.

Tip #3 – Get a Workers Comp review. Now.

When is the last time your primary agent actually looked over your review? Last year? A few years ago? EVER?

You need to get a regular workers comp review every three years? Why? Because your experience modification factor can change in that time, and if you aren’t checking in with your agent to see if there is good news, you may be missing out.

Not only that, but there may be other changes with your business that could affect the price AND what the coverage does for you – such as number of employees, payroll, etc.

And the crazy thing is that this may not take that much out of your day. You can usually do this through a five minutes phone conversation and a quick email of your current documents. That’s it.

There really is no excuse for not checking up on this every few years and making sure you are insured properly – and for the right amount.

Let’s wrap it up.

Three simple things can make a dramatic different. You take incredibly good care of your business. Taking care of your employees and your workers comp insurance are natural extensions of that same care.

Some of you reading this won’t have talked to your agent in quite a while. Or you found something in here (or in our other garage insurance blogs and videos) that made you realize that maybe you need a second opinion.

You owe it to yourself to check in with one of our agents who specialize in garage insurance to see exactly what you’ve got – and what you’re missing.

Click on the link below to schedule a time to talk with one of them today. It could be the different between you saving some money, or avoiding a massively expensive claim.

SCHEDULE NOW

The Nuts and Bolts of General Liability Insurance

May 1, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

General Liability: Because you never know what can happen.

Odds are you’ve checked out the other blogs I’ve written that are specific to dealerships and auto mechanics such as Garage Liability, Garagekeepers and Garage Property. If you were wondering if that was it, if those were the only pieces of coverage you need, the answer is simple: nope. You need General Liability too.

FOR A QUOTE CLICK HERE

General Liability is the true safety net for any business, but especially for those in the auto industry. The exposure to risk is huge, combining aspects of retail, industry, and transportation. What other business has risk from all three of these separate industries?

Let’s take a deeper look at the role of General Liability for dealers and mechanics and see how it protects them.

The Basics

General Liability Insurance for Garage Owners protects your business from accidents and incidents that you are responsible (or liable) for. It protects you from a ton of things that can happen in the day to day running of your business, including coverages like:

Premises and Operations Exposure –

This protects against things that can happen on your property to your customers – or anyone else that walks on the lot or into your shop.

Think of slipping and falling or any other kind of way people could get hurt on your property. This covers their medical expenses and your legal fees if they sue you.

Personal and Advertising Injury –

This coverage protects you from things like libel, slander, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, or any number of other examples of legal trouble. If you act in way that someone else take offense to and they take you to court, this is the part of the coverage that protects you and helps pay for legal fees and damages.

Products-Completed Operations Exposure –

This is a mouthful of a protection that boils down to this: if you perform faulty or defective work that hurts another person or their property, this is the coverage that protects you.

For the auto business, a good example is if you repair someone’s vehicle incorrectly, and they get into an accident because of it – this part of General Liability will cover the damages.

What is not covered.

General Liability does a lot to protect you from harm. But it doesn’t do everything. Luckily, most of what it doesn’t do is covered by other policies or types of garage insurance coverage. Items not covered include:

As you can see by the links, each of the above examples are covered by another policy type. Garage insurance should include all pieces of coverage in order to fully protect you from risk.

There is of course one big exception. If you engage in criminal activities, no insurance will cover you. Period. Luckily you’re a stand up person, so we don’t have to worry about that!

Why you need this.

For most businesses, General Liability is the coverage you need the most.

People think that insuring their stuff is the real reason they need insurance. And that makes sense. Stuff is tangible, real, and can get stolen or burn in a fire.

But a skateboarder suing you after kick-flipping off of your loading dock and breaking his leg is more likely than someone stealing your expensive gear.

And no, it probably doesn’t matter that they weren’t supposed to be there.

It’s also likely that getting angry online and leaving a nasty message on someone’s Facebook wall can get you a lawsuit. You may not have meant it when you said, “Terry Bull Auto Parts installs garbage into your car,” but I guarantee their lawyer will tell a jury that you did.

(If there is a Terry Bull Auto Parts, this was only an example. Please don’t sue us.)

While there is a limit to the amount of accidents that can happen to your stuff or your employees, there is simply an unlimited number of things that can bring about a General Liability Claim.

As we say around here, “Anyone can sue anybody for any reason.”

So make sure you not only have General Liability, but that you have enough of it. Get more than you think, as lawsuits can cost you an arm and a leg. And if someone get’s hurt in an accident that your faulty worked caused, damages can run into the hundreds of thousands.

Or millions if people die.

Let’s wrap it up.

Get General Liability. And get a lot of it.

This is a non-negotiable piece of protection that can be the difference between you staying in business or going under. And the list of things that it protects you from are endless.

If you aren’t sure how much coverage you have, or if somehow you don’t have this coverage at all, we need to talk.

Click the link below to schedule a call with an agent who knows this coverage like you do vehicles – inside and out.

Because when it comes to liability, you don’t want to be on the road with your breaks out.

SCHEDULE HERE

The Nuts and Bolts of Garage Business Property Insurance

April 26, 2019 John Purroy Jackson

Garage Business Property: Protects Your Stuff

That’s it in a nutshell. While other coverages can be somewhat confusing when it comes to what they do and do not cover, Garage Business Property is more straightforward.

You may have read a little bit about this in our Amazingly Honest Guide to Auto Mechanic Insurance. If so, great! But even if you have, we need to dig a little deeper.

This is the coverage that protects your STUFF. It covers the building over your head, any additional buildings on your property, and the business personal property like owned tools at equipment that allow you to do what you do everyday.*

(*there is a distinction about tools, but we will get into that later)

While it is simpler in some ways, let’s get into what it actually covers so we know inside and out what this coverage does.

Well covered.

The Basics

Garage Business Property coverage covers the (wait for it) property owned by your business. That is typically divided into two parts:

Building Property – This covers your primary building that houses your business, any secondary buildings that are on your property and are owned by the business, and any permanently installed machinery and equipment.

NOTE: Surprisingly, this includes your car lift! Since it is physically attached to the structure, it is considered a part of the building and not business personal property.

Personal Property – This covers your personal, portable belongings – tools, equipment, monitors, computers, office equipment, pretty much anything that is owned by your business and not nailed down.

NOTE: But it does NOT include your employee’s tools! If your employee, not your business, owns their own tools, it is not covered under a regular business personal property policy.

This is a broad, powerful piece of coverage, so make sure you have enough of it. Property should be insured to the full replacement cost amount.

What it covers.

This coverage protects you a lot like your homeowners policy. It protects against:

Fire & Smoke
Weather – Lightning, Wind, Hail, Sinkholes
Vandalism
Vehicles – Including Cars, Trucks and Airplanes

Many policies cover more than this, but these basics are on just about every policy.

What is not covered.

There are exceptions, as we have seen in the employee tools example above. Things that aren’t covered include:

- - - - Cash, account records, or other forms of currency.
Automobiles for sale.
Illegally obtained property.
Building foundations
Any machinery or pipes below the basement level.
Land
Digital Data & Currency
Liability (That is covered by your General Liability and Garage Liability pieces of coverage)
Cars you don’t own but currently possess (that’s Garagekeepers or Garage Liability)

Many of these seem almost self explanatory when you read them, but they all have been questions asked of an insurance agent at one point or another.

Except maybe the illegal thing. Not a lot of people would ask their agent to insure their boosted cars – but you never know!

Optional or Additional Coverages

As with other garage coverages, there are options or additions to the basic protections that allow a policy to be tailored for each business. Some of those coverages are below.

Debris removal is a common addition that helps cover the costs to remove debris after an accident that has damaged a covered building. The normal amount that is paid for this coverage is 25% of the total of the full amount paid for the claim plus the deductible.

This really helps if something terrible has happened and you have to clean up and start over. Having to pay out of pocket could be painful emotionally as well as financially if there was a total loss.

Preservation of Property covers personal property that is moved from the business location in order to protect it from a covered risk.

If a hurricane is about to strike your dealership, and you move your equipment to a warehouse you don’t own for safe keeping, this protection would cover your stuff even though it is somewhere else.

Pollutant Cleanup helps cover the cost of cleaning up polluting chemicals or materials if they have been spilled, scattered or otherwise put in the earth as the result of an accident that your policy covers.

If a wind causes a tank to fall and explode, getting oil everwhere and polluting the ground, this protection helps protect you from paying it on your own.

Electronic Data coverage can be added to help restore or replace any digital material that you use for your business. This is a very important additional coverage as most people use computers for all business transactions and records nowadays.

Let’s wrap it up.

In many ways this is the cornerstone of most business insurance policies, and garage insurance is no different.

Without protection for the roof over your head, what does it matter if everything else is covered? Being a dealer or a mechanic means having a permanent location (in most cases, anyway), so protecting that location is of vital importance.

For our customers in North Carolina, we always make sure we insure buildings to their full replacement cost (how much it would cost to rebuild them), their personal property to to the full value of their equipment, and as many add-ons as needed to make sure their particular business are covered.

Costs can range dramatically from small, one room tire shops to large, sprawling dealerships with several lots and support buildings for storage and body work.

The best way to know if you have the coverage you need is to ask us. Having a simple conversation with one of our agents who knows this coverage like the back of their hand can be the difference between you paying less than you are now, as well as you having enough coverage to rebuild your business, no matter what happens.

The entire point of Garage Insurance is to make sure you can survive a disaster and stay in business, getting back to where you were before the event happened.

So let’s talk and make sure you can get there if something does happen. Fill out the form below or call us at (336) 377-9003 and let’s figure out how to make you bulletproof.

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Rocking? Auto Garage Safety? Really?

Eye Safety is Out of Sight

Breathe the Safety In

When Safety Fits you like a Glove

Safety is a Trained Behavior

Are You Covered if Something Happens?

Be a Great Role Model

Taking Supplements

Physical Fitness

Playing Outdoors

New Vs Old in Garage Insurance

Garage Insurance for Franchise Lots

Garage Insurance for Used Car Lots

Talking to an Agent

Let’s Wrap it Up

An Energy Efficient Rowhouse? Is that a joke?

First: Seal up your rowhouse sanctuary.

Second: Go with the flow.

Third: Replace your old HVAC or furnace.

Fourth: Get a smart thermostat.

Fifth: Upgrade your appliances.

Let’s wrap it up.

Homeowners Review Request

Employee tools are a big problem.

The gap in your Property Coverage.

How expensive are employee tools?

What you can do about it.

Let’s wrap it up.

Need Dealer Insurance in North Carolina? You’ve come to the right place.

Dealer Insurance Basics

*Yeah, that’s a bit redundant. But whatever.

That’s a lot of insurance.

Let’s wrap it up.

Garage Insurance doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

First: Number of locations and buildings.

Second: Amount of coverage.

Third: Claims history.

Let’s wrap it up.

Workers Comp? But you know all about that?

Tip #1 – Preventing Accidents

Tip #2 – Who’s got your back?

Tip #3 – Get a Workers Comp review. Now.

Let’s wrap it up.

General Liability: Because you never know what can happen.

The Basics

What is not covered.

Why you need this.

Let’s wrap it up.

Garage Business Property: Protects Your Stuff

The Basics

What it covers.

What is not covered.

Optional or Additional Coverages

Let’s wrap it up.

Alliance Insurance Services protects you wherever you are. See why we are a different kind of agency.

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