By John Lack,
In today's ultra-competitive business world, companies are always looking for a competitive advantage. This includes improving products or services and expanding into new ventures that bring value to the company's business model. Knowing your industry and then adding a little bit of creativity can develop a uniqueness about your company that can stand out and increase your chances of being ahead of the competition.
After being in the construction industry for 37 years and holding every position from journeyman carpenter to owning a commercial general contracting firm, I never thought I would be working for an insurance carrier. In fact, sitting down with my insurance agent to review my policy each year was as close to the insurance industry as I thought I would ever get. But now, after being in my role as Construction Specialist at Acuity Insurance, I see it is a perfect fit. One of my main tasks is teaching construction to the insurance industry from a contractor's perspective, and the outcome could not be better for your business.
I feel that I'm still in the building industry. However, instead of using concrete, steel, wood, brick, or drywall to create a physical building, I am educating agents, contractors, and Acuity to bridge relationships and understanding. Because the insurance company is part of the contractor’s team for success in managing their business risk, it is critical the insurance company has a contractor’s perspective of the industry and truly understands the business to ensure proper coverage is in place.
As Acuity’s Construction Specialist, educating the insurance industry on the processes, procedures, building standard practices, and areas of risk for a construction company brings understanding, helps in developing policy coverage, and also brings a level comfort to the underwriters when looking at a contractor. For the insurance industry, having access to my years of construction experience has shown to be of great value. It also helps improve agent relationships with their contracting clients.
Most contractors want to expand their business and move into new ventures or find better and more efficient ways to work their current business. At Acuity, we understand this and provide many free resources to our insured policyholders to help them achieve their goals. Here are some of our resources:
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We staff highly trained loss control professionals who work directly with you to help improve safety, prevent accidents, and protect your most valuable assets—your employees.
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Our M.A.S.H. program is a 24/7 nurse hotline for workers with non-emergency injuries. This service, which is free to everyone who has a workers’ compensation policy with Acuity, can help reduce your workers’ compensation expenses.
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Acuity’s OSHA 10-hour training is offered at no cost to our insureds and is taught by authorized trainers at locations throughout our operating territory.
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Our exclusive online educational materials, including videos, loss prevention articles, tool box talks, and much more, are available anywhere at any time and will help your business with sustainable growth.
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We have a diverse team of seasoned insurance professionals who continually focus on understanding the state of the construction industry. As the company's Construction Specialist, I draw from my decades of construction experience to train and advise the team on industry topics.
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No more surprises at audit! We understand your workforce may fluctuate throughout the year. AcuitySmartPay is a pay-as-you-go program that allows seasonal businesses to pay more premium during busy times and less when it’s slow.
We strive to build long-lasting relationships with contractors. With 40,000+ contractors placing their trust in us, and an impressive 96% customers claims satisfaction, our focus is you.
This article was written by Acuity Insurance's Construction Specialist, John Lack. For more construction business tips visit: acuity.com/contractor-focus
SOURCE: https://www.acuity.com/acuity-focus/2018/contractor-focus/best-practices-in-construction
