Customer service persuaded this business owner to act - bizjournals:

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It was September 2004. In the hearft of one of the heaviest hurricane seasons that rattled the insurance industrh in Florida foryears afterward, Flowersw Lown, and her husband Jesse had just closed on a building for their new commercia l upholstery and interior decorating business, “We waited several weekx because no one was writin policies,” said Flowers Lown, the company Though she talked to many she said was the only insurer that said it coulfd provide coverage within a few which allowed the couple to closw on their building. It was the reliabilitt and response that were the most importanyt to Flowers Lown when finding insurancse for hersmall business.
The professional relationship with aNationwid agency, , also played a key role in her keepinb the same insurance for the following years as A Cut Above Interiors grew. “If I have a question, I can call righg now and I don’t get a 1-800 number, I get a live she said. As a small-business Flowers Lown said she used to disliker the thoughtof insurance, but finding a company that was willing to educate a business owner was very In addition to the liabilityy and property insurance that a business ownet needs, health care insurance was a large challenge for Flowerz Lown. “It is very hard for a small-businessd owner to get affordable healthcare coverage,” she said.
Flowersd Lown eventually switchedthe business’a health care insurance to Aetna from COBRA Continuationb Health Coverage. During that switch, Flowere Lown said she received a number of but it was oneindependentg agent, Garland Hudson from , who came to her offices and educated her on the coverage that led to the switch. Duringy difficult times or when businesesis slow, it can seem easiee to cut insurance to reduce expenses, but Flowerd Lown has never considered it.
As someon who is contracted for upholsteru projects for everything from businesses and individual s to the cityof Jacksonville, Flowers Lown said she not only requiresa her business to have full coverage, but every subcontractoe she hires must have their own liabilitty coverage. To become a small-business “you’re giving up benefits in workingb for abig company,” she said. “On the othe hand, you don’t want to spen life with a compangyou don’t enjoy just because of the It’s a leap of faith and the determinationj that I can find the right coverages on all of this and pursure my dreams.
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