On Feb. 18, we featured GreenGuardian Insurance on Ewing's first Pro Tips Tuesday chat on Facebook.
Kim Birk from GreenGuardian and Mike Bigelow from Ewing joined us to share some GreenGuardian and insurance knowledge. Check out the Q & A below for insurance insights for landscape businesses.
Ewing: So what is GreenGuardian Insurance?
GreenGuardian: GreenGuardian is an insurance program designed for Ewing customers in the landscaping industry.
What types of coverage does GreenGuardian provide?
GreenGuardian can provide general liability, auto, inland marine, workers compensation, property and health insurance.
What about Errors & Omissions?
Yes, we do provide that coverage too. E&O helps cover the coverage gaps that are in all standard GL policies.
Which are the most common types of coverage for a landscape business?
The most common types of insurance are general liability, workers compensation, and auto. If you are in business, you need general liability. If you have employees, you must provide workers comp (except in Texas).
Are there any types of coverage that are often overlooked by landscape companies that they should consider?
Contractors are exposed to unique risks through their design, build, and maintenance activities. Errors and Omissions, like faulty materials or mistakes made by a worker, are excluded from most general liability policies in the fine print. We recommend contractors protect themselves from these exposures with Errors and Omissions coverage in addition to a general liability policy. Pollution is also often overlooked and covered within the Errors and Omissions.
Does the number of employees a landscape business has, or other factors, impact the types of coverage they should have?
The number of employees does not have much of an impact on coverage needed, but the activities that a company performs do. One exception to this is with health insurance. The Affordable Care Act requires companies to provide health insurance for FT employees if a company has over 50 full time equivalent employees.
What type of benefits do customers have through GreenGuardian that they wouldn't have with another insurance provider?
GreenGuardian offers Ewing customers specialized coverage specifically designed for needs of green industry contractors. We also have exclusive markets, and a team of insurance advisors that have years of experience with landscape contractors. This team provides exceptional service and advice not commonly accessible to small businesses.
What are some strategies landscape companies should have for controlling their insurance costs?
There are many strategies a company can focus on to manage their risk. This is best answered on an individual basis after a risk control analysis is conducted with a GreenGuardian advisor. Some broad examples would be experience modification reduction, loss prevention, and return to work programs.
Thank you Kim and Mike for answering our questions! Looks like our hour is almost up. Is there anything more you want to make sure Ewing customers know or learn today?
Make sure you know what your policies cover. You might be surprised. Work with an insurance provider that knows your industry and is willing to understand your company.
Thank you for having us. For more information visit www.mygreenguardian.com.