Owning your own business, being your own boss – it’s the American dream. But with that dream comes a lot of hard work and to-do lists that often seem never ending.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners face higher costs, lower
brand recognition and much more limited budgets than Fortune 500 giants like
Walmart or BP. However, with these challenges also come a slew of opportunities,
such as increased flexibility and more mission-driven decision making.
The most successful small businesses and startup companies use
these 10
Things Every Start-Up Needs To Know to their advantage and plan for the
long-term fortune of their companies. All too often the grind of the day-to-day
operations causes business owners to make common, but crucial oversights.
Here are four key areas every small business owner shouldn’t overlook:
1. Disaster Preparedness
It doesn’t matter how strong your business plan is, you will
always need to plan and prepare for potential circumstances beyond your
control. If your business is in Northern Wisconsin, where snowstorms in April are
more common than we like to admit, have a plan and protection in place for
natural disasters like a roof collapse or office flood.
2. Succession Planning
Succession planning is one of the top business practices that
gets pushed to the side in the small business daily grind. It can be a tricky
subject to broach, especially in a family business, so we shared a few
succession planning tips to get started and retire sooner.
3. Specialized Insurance Coverage
Workers’
compensation and commercial property insurance are key to nearly every
small business, but have you thought about equipment
breakdown coverage? This extra layer of protection may be just what you
need to take care of a costly repair or downturn. You don’t have to break the
bank on insurance—there are many ways to keep
your business insurance affordable.
4. Technology Security
In an increasingly digital world, technology security cannot be
overlooked. Setting up the right infrastructure for your company is key, and cyber
liability coverage protects it from hackers and threats.
Whether you’re just starting a business or planning for the future, our team of Rural Mutual agents are here to help. Contact an agent near you.