The Hartford Introduces Online Center for Small Businesses

The Hartford Financial Services Group unveiled its new Web site sb.thehartford.com to help entrepreneurs educate themselves about insurance before they buy. The content-rich, interactive Small Business Insurance Center explains the different types of coverages for small businesses, translates dense insurance jargon into plain English and provides tools to help analyze specific coverage needs, minimize risk and even develop a disaster recovery plan.

“Small business owners have told us they want to research a product or service before meeting with an independent agent, so they can ask the right questions,” said Jim Ruel, senior vice president of small business insurance for The Hartford. “Our Web site provides the tools and information they need to make educated decisions regarding their insurance and risk management needs.”

According to Ruel, The Hartford worked closely with small business owners and insurance agents throughout the Web site development process in order to tailor the content and navigation to best meet the needs of the small business insurance shopper.

“Recent studies have found that many small businesses owners under-insure their business because they’re unaware of the various exposures facing their companies,” said Ruel. “We hope business owners will take advantage of the tools and resources on this Web site to better understand what they can do to protect their businesses.”

Key features of The Hartford’s small business Web site include:

• Coverage Analyze: By asking a series of questions involving real-world scenarios, the coverage analyzer provides a customized checklist of coverages business owners should consider based on their type of business.
• Test Your Risk IQ: By taking a brief quiz, visitors can test their knowledge of common risks. A customized report provides both a score and an explanation of the correct answers to each question, as well as links to additional information on relevant topics.
• Disaster Recovery Planning: To help smaller firms—who tend to be under-prepared for disaster—jumpstart the process of preparing a disaster recovery plan, this section provides an interactive risk assessment tool, planning worksheet, disaster planning tips and other resources from • • The Hartford’s loss control experts.
• Insurance Jargon Translator: For anyone who has ever struggled to figure out what various insurance terms actually mean, this feature provides legal definitions and the plain English translations.
• Protection Match Reports: Small business owners can review a list of coverages by key category or receive a customized report of coverages based on their specific needs. They’ll also find a checklist of factors to consider when shopping for insurance.
• Find an Agent: Once business owners are ready to talk to an agent about specific coverage needs, they can access a list of independent insurance agents in their area via the agent locator.

“We think small business owners will find sb.thehartford.com a fast, convenient and efficient way to educate themselves about their business insurance needs,” added Ruel.

Topics Agencies Commercial Lines Business Insurance