Chicagoland SIA Blog

Facing an E&O insurance claim is a lot like an IRS audit. It’s something you really want to avoid. It’s time-consuming, unsettling and uncomfortable. In today’s litigious business environment, it’s a great time to review some of the most effective ways to reducing your E&O risk as well as provide a strong defense in the event a claim is made against you:

What are your agency’s goals for 2022? If you’re looking to make some new goals for a new year, we have some ideas. Here are some ways to help your agency to grow and succeed in the coming year:

Running an insurance agency is no small feat. If you ask the U.S. Small Business Administration, they’ll tell you that one-third of all new companies fail in the first two years. Half of all new businesses make it four years, and only 40 percent survive for six years or more. So how do businesses survive? And more importantly, how do they thrive? A recent study by Gallup found that a business’s ability to make it over the hump has much to do with leadership. Although there are numerous factors that influence success, Gallup found that the quality of an organization’s leadership has more to do with its longevity than any other factor. In its research, Gallup has found that companies that survive over the long term have leaders that share the following key characteristics:

Did you know that slips and falls are two of the most common causes of injury during the winter months? Rain, ice and snow all can dramatically increase the likelihood that you or one of your employees will end up injured. One of the best ways to avoid a serious injury? Walk like a penguin. It’s easy. Simply spread your feet out a bit to increase your center of gravity and take small steps. Next time you are out on an icy sidewalk, try it. Here are some other suggestions to help prevent wintertime slips and falls:

Gym memberships. Yoga classes. Weight loss competitions. Healthy snacks. Support groups for smokers wanting to quit. Fun runs.

Think you don’t have time to exercise? Think again! If you want to be more productive, whether at home or at work, then you may want to make time each day to exercise. Studies show that regular exercise can help boost productivity while a sedentary lifestyle can make people less productive in all areas of their lives. A Harvard study also linked regular exercise to a host of other benefits, including sharper memory, greater creativity and quicker learning!

We all want to be more efficient, right? Yet research shows that many of us are going about it the wrong way. Here are some ways that research suggests can help us be more efficient at the office.

What do Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Warren Buffet and Mark Zuckerberg have in common? They are all successful introverts. It’s estimated that one-third to one-half of the world’s population is comprised of people you would describe as “reserved or shy.” Yet research shows that many leaders have difficulty effectively managing and leading more inner-oriented employees. Here are four ways to adapt your management style to bring out the best in your agency’s introverted employees:

Do you often come into work early, leave late or work in the evenings and/or on weekends? You’re not alone. Americans on average spend 47 hours a week at work, more than any other industrialized country. Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers! Four in 10 Americans said they work more than 50 hours every week, with two in 10 working more than 60 hours each week.