Stories and answers
What your business needs, what it should cost, and what real claims look like, in plain English.
Fire is now the costliest claim a small business files, The Hartford finds
The Hartford says its average small-business fire claim reached $80,000 in 2025, up from $35,000 ten years earlier. Here is what to check on your own policy.
2 min readProperty insurance is getting cheaper. If your bill went up, ask why.
A broker survey found commercial property premiums fell 6.3 percent in the second quarter of 2026. Your own renewal may not follow the average, but it is worth asking.
2 min readYour broker may have a new owner. Here is what to ask.
Insurance agencies are still being bought and sold, mostly by private-equity-backed firms. A sale does not change your policy, but it can change who serves you.
2 min readWhat a burst pipe really costs a shop
Water and freezing damage is one of the most common small-business claims, and The Hartford puts the average at $34,600. The bill is more than the pipe.
2 min readWhy insuring a work truck keeps getting more expensive
While property rates fall, commercial auto premiums rose 4.5 percent and umbrella rose 5.3 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to a broker survey.
2 min readWhat insurance does a restaurant need?
Most restaurants buy a handful of policies. Here is what each one pays for, and the gaps that surprise owners.
2 min readBreak-ins get the attention. They are among the cheaper claims.
The Hartford found burglary and theft the most frequent small-business claim in 2015, and also the cheapest of its top ten, at about $8,000.
2 min readIs workers' comp required in my state?
In nearly every state, yes. Texas is the main exception for private employers, and it comes with strings attached.
2 min readFour in ten small businesses will file a claim in the next ten years
The Hartford's analysis of more than one million policies found most claims are modest, but a lawsuit can change the math quickly.
2 min readHow to read your insurance renewal notice, one part at a time
The renewal notice is the one letter each year that tells you what you are buying again. Here is what each part means and what to question.
2 min read