Muskegon, MI area business owners can rely on the team at Janis-Shunta Insurance for all of their commercial insurance needs. If you are interested in learning more about how an umbrella policy can help protect your business, give us a call today.

How area business owners can benefit from having umbrella insurance

When it comes to protecting the hard work it takes to build and maintain a successful business, the sky’s the limit. We understand that owning a business takes a lot of dedication and want to ensure that you have the protection you need.

Umbrella policies are an effective tool when it comes to protecting your business. The main benefit that business owners receive from these policies is increased protection. Primary commercial policies have limits, and once they are reached, the policy is considered to be exhausted. 

This means that it will no longer provide coverage. Having an umbrella policy can be a lifesaver if your policy reaches this stage. You can enjoy additional protection above and beyond your primary policy and avoid personal financial responsibility. While insurance doesn’t always provide complete coverage, having robust policies can help minimize any risk of liability for the company and its principals.

If umbrella insurance is right for you, there’s no time like the present to learn more about the available options!

Let us be your commercial insurance partners.

Janis-Shunta Insurance is here for the Muskegon, MI area business community. If you seek a partner to help you with all of your commercial insurance needs, we are here to help! Umbrella insurance fills a vital need in any company’s insurance portfolio. Schedule an appointment today to learn more about this important tool!

At Janis-Shunta Insurance we know deciding on what type of insurance your business needs can be an overwhelming task. After all, there are many different insurance products out there, and depending on your business operations, you may need more than one.  

General Liability Insurance for Muskegon, MI Business Owners 

Also known as Business Insurance, this is an essential insurance policy every business owner needs. Liability insurance protects your business in a few different ways. Let’s look at these examples. 

If you operate a business where customers come to your location, General Liability insurance can offer protection from lawsuits stemming from a slip and fall injury. Yes, if a client falls in your office or while walking up to your office, you will more likely be responsible for any resulting medical bills. 

Let’s say your customers don’t come to you, but you go to them. General Liability insurance will offer protection if you or an employee damages a customer’s property. An example of this would be if a painter oversprays a vehicle in the driveway or spills paint on an expensive area rug. As the business owner, it would be up to you to replace or repair these items.  

You may want to consider adding a property policy to help cover the things you use every day in your business.

Bottom Line, Your Business Needs Protection 

At the end of the day, a commercial insurance policy is the best thing you can do for your business. The risk advisors at Janis-Shunta Insurance will take the time to get to know you and your business to ensure you are protected. Don’t leave your business unprotected another day. Our insurance experts are ready to help you today!

Whether you own or rent, a condo combines some of the best aspects of a large space for yourself and living in a more central location, like downtown Muskegon, MI. While owners and renters have different types of insurance policies, Janis-Shunta Insurance has general answers that will help both.

What Type of Damage Did the Storm Cause?

This question is the first step to determining if your insurance policy will cover the damage.

If a storm brings heavy rains that flood the area, then neither condo nor renters insurance will cover the damage. Flood insurance is a special type of insurance that is managed on a larger scale since floods can be devastating to a wide area. Both owners and renters can purchase flood insurance to cover that risk. A mudslide caused by water-logged ground falls under another type of insurance for earth movement, so typical condo or renters insurance won’t cover it.

Otherwise, water damage from the storm may or may not be covered. With specific examples and an existing insurance policy, we at Janis-Shunta Insurance can work towards finding a clearer answer for you.

Fires sparked by a thunderstorm are likely to be covered by an insurance policy, but circumstances may change the outcome. Two of the more common exceptions to fire damage coverage are arson and acts of war, and a thunderstorm is neither. The details of your policy and other factors will also weigh on the claim decision.

For colder storms, hail damage coverage can be part of a standard insurance package, but that changes depending on the area and the individual provider’s plan structures. Muskegon, MI is no stranger to hail, so that might influence whether it’s included. Other ice and snow damage will usually be covered as long as you take reasonable steps to prevent damage.

Condo insurance, also known as HO-6 insurance, while not legally required, is often required by the HOA and mortgage provider. It’s worth periodically reviewing your coverage to make sure you are adequately protected. 

Review When:

• Moving in is a good time to take a home inventory and assess your coverage needs. 
• After a major remodel, you may wish to review your coverages. 
• Expensive purchases may need protection beyond usual limits.
• Before you travel or relocate for a while, consider a vacant or unoccupied policy.

What’s Included?

There are four basic types of coverage included in condo insurance:

1. Liability and medical payments: If an injury happens to a visitor in your unit, this coverage can pay medical bills and cover legal expenses if you are sued. It can sometimes cover animal bites or damage you accidentally cause to another’s property. 
2. Personal property: There are two primary types. Actual cash value pays current value even if it’s less than the original purchase price; this is the more affordable option. There is also replacement cost, which pays out based on the current average cost to replace. 
3. Loss of use: If displaced for repairs during a covered claim, this can pay for a hotel, meals, and laundry for the duration. 
4. Dwelling/Building property: This varies depending on what your HOA carries with the condo’s master policy. Through your HOA, you may have coverage as follows:
   1. All-in/all-inclusive covers all items built into your unit, including upgrades. You would not necessarily need to pick up additional coverage to protect your appliances and fixtures.
   2. Single entity covers only fixtures original to your condo; your upgrades would not be covered. 
   3. Bare walls include only the walls, floors, and ceiling.  
5. Optional coverage: This can include flood, vacant or unoccupied coverage, identity theft coverage, and water backup coverage. 

When you are ready to ensure your Muskegon, MI condo is adequately protected, call or stop by Janis-Shunta Insurance today. We can help you find the best policy to fit your needs.

If you are a business owner, you must be familiar with the risks and uncertainties of running a business. It’s vital to get total insurance coverage for your business, and an umbrella insurance policy helps cover any gaps left in basic liability insurance policies. If you are looking for extra coverage for your commercial business, Janis-Shunta Insurance can help. We are a full-service insurance provider serving the residents of Muskegon, MI.

Is Umbrella Insurance Necessary For Businesses?

Umbrella insurance policies step in to complement other policies where coverage limits are exhausted. Commercial umbrella insurance covers similar costs like liability insurance for businesses, including attorney fees, medical expenses, and damages from lawsuits. Unanticipated things happen all the time, and it may not be possible to estimate how much coverage you need for these uncertainties. Umbrella insurance offers small and large businesses an extra layer of financial security on depleted coverage.

Small Businesses And Umbrella Insurance

Most business owners make the mistake of thinking only large businesses need additional coverage when basic policy coverage is depleted. Businesses of any size are prone to risks, and without extra capital on hand in emergencies, even small businesses could use the help. It is a better option for raising limits on existing insurance policies as you can expand the coverage across many policies and under one umbrella.

The Costs For Umbrella Insurance For Small And Large Businesses

The cost of an insurance policy for commercial purposes depends on the nature of the business, your claims history, and the limits bought. As such, large businesses with greater risks pay more for an umbrella than small businesses with low risks. The policy is inexpensive, especially for small businesses, and a worthy investment for large business owners.

Umbrella insurance acts as a surplus coverage for small and large businesses, and it comes into effect when basic liability policies can’t cover an outstanding financial liability. If you want to keep your business protected with umbrella insurance, let Janis-Shunta Insurance help. Contact us for your business’ umbrella insurance plan in Muskegon, MI.

Recreation Insurance Explained

Any outdoor recreation company in the Muskegon, MI area needs recreation insurance, a type of general liability insurance that protects businesses when individuals incur bodily injury or property damage from their operations, equipment, or products. Janis-Shunta Insurance wants you to understand how this necessary insurance covers your business from loss.

The term outdoor recreation company applies to any company operating leisure, sports, recreation, or outdoor business. That means everything from canoe and kayak rentals to a rock climbing wall needs this type of insurance. Outdoor tour guides of any type and rope courses fall into this category, too.

How Does Recreation Insurance Fit Many Businesses?

Rather than a one-size-fits-all policy, we tailor these policies to fit your business’s needs. This customization lets us serve each unique sport or recreational activity without requiring any coverage the business would not need.

When an accident happens, your company becomes legally liable for the injuries caused during participation in your business activities. This includes indemnification, punitive damage, and legal fee costs. To properly protect your business, your recreational insurance policy can include the following types of coverage:

• Accident Medical,
• General Liability,
• Inland Marine,
• Inland Marine,
• Professional Liability,
• Property Insurance,
• Umbrella Coverage.

Insurance That Grows with Your Company

Since a recreational policy gets customized, you can easily scale its coverage. Let’s say that your business starts out renting canoes and kayaks, but you decide to expand it to also rent bicycles and tandem bikes. You would need to add to your policy and that is easy to do since you can simply call us to add new coverage. The same is true of scaling the opposite way. You might only rent jet skis, for example, during summer. You can drop that coverage when you don’t need it.

Call Janis-Shunta Insurance today to learn how recreation insurance can protect your Muskegon, MI business.

If you live in a condo, there is an insurance policy that you must have as the owner of the home. A condo insurance policy contains a number of different types of coverage that are all helpful. If you don’t have your condo policy yet, give us a call at Janis-Shunta Insurance in Muskegon, MI to find out more. 

Dwelling Coverage

Like home insurance, condo insurance covers the dwelling that you are living in. However, unlike home insurance, it doesn’t cover that entire dwelling. It only covers the specific parts of the condo that you own. This generally excludes the outside portion of the condo. It may also exclude the inside portion of the outer walls. For others, it includes the systems inside the walls but does not cover the outside of the walls. If you have improved the outside of the property, you will likely need to ensure that portion as well. 

Possessions Coverage

As with home insurance, your possessions are all covered by your condo insurance policy. The coverage will pay for many items that are destroyed in an accident or disaster so that you don’t have to begin again without any belongings. When you have condo insurance, it is a smart idea to take photos or videos of what you own so that you can prove they were thereafter they have been destroyed or ruined. 

Liability Coverage

If a third party were to enter your condo and then get injured or become sick, your condo insurance will pay those medical bills that you as the owners are liable for. This is coverage that no property owner should ever be without, as medical bills can be extremely high. 

Get Condo Insurance

If you need condo insurance, or you want to switch providers, contact us today at Janis-Shunta Insurance in Muskegon, MI.