Good for them! For those small businesses who are being threatened by their insurance company if they open, I’d suggest that you take your business elsewhere. These insurance companies are willing to cover the big box stores. If they don’t want your business, then don’t give it to them. Bear in mind that the insurance companies are flush right now because claims are way down. They are still taking your premium checks. They should cover you opening your business.
“It is really hurting business and it will take months to recover. I’ve fielded over 40 calls from customers asking if we’d reopen,” Mallow said. “We’ve been able to pay our bills.
Hattori said she thinks “the whole insurance thing is really poor information.”
“I talked to another business owner and asked them if they had actually talked to their insurance agent. She said no. I feel fear is just perpetuating insurance fears. So there’s no insurance issues whatsoever. As long as you pay your premiums you are insured,” Hattori said.
“If you got to Walmart they are insured. In my shop if you want to buy yarn why would my insurance have anything to do with it? The safety factor is like tenfold more serious in a store like that. In my shop there is no fear. I am a small business owner; why would I want to put my customers at risk, put myself at risk? Without customers I don’t have a business. If I don’t have fear my customers don’t need to have fear. If people are sick I think most people stay home when they are sick anyway.”
“We could get sued if we do something” probably ranks in the top 5 excuses for not doing something. Another one is “We could get sued if we don’t do something.”
I have a friend involved in the supply side of construction business, which has been considered “essential.”
She dealt with a supplier on the retail side who had the following practices from day one of the “stay-at-home” order. I assume some good lawyer or insurance company made these recommendations.
1) Doors locked during business hours.
2) No walk-ins, appointments only.
3) Everyone (even known customers) present ID.
4) ID is copied.
5) ID is attached to a waiver form – includes information like name, date & time & duration and purpose of visit.
6) Includes declaration of health status – not tested positive, not symptomatic, etc.
7) Customer signs that they understand recommendations of Stay At Home order as it relates to catching the virus. Of course, one recommendation is to stay the hell home.
Good business practices would compel owners to not have employees on duty that have tested positive or have symptoms. And the policies of this business puts them in the position of being able to quickly figure out who might have had contact with an employee who tested positive after the encounter, and inform them, probably faster than the health department can do their contact tracing.
Seems like a bit of extra work, but it is a reasonable work-around. Amazing what can be accomplished when intelligent thought and logic are applied to complicated situations.
Our municipal Attorney dispelled many of these awful,liberal,insurance scare tactics as well.
I am especially disgusted by local liberals scarring business on this because they will not cow to petty tyrancy.
Kevin, might be the same lawyers in the other post you & I just commented on.
I give a lot of leeway to business leaders who know their business and weigh the risks. For example, if you are a sole proprietor with non-perishable inventory, own the building, and cash reserves, then perhaps the risk is not worth it. If you have 6 employees, can’t make the rent, and your inventory is rotting in the freezer, then the risk/benefit equation is different.
I will say that this is an error I have seen for years in some business leaders. Just like policy makers, the job of a business leader is to weigh all of the projections, risks, benefits, knowns, unknowns, etc. and make a decision in the best interests of forwarding the business’ goals – whether they be financial or other. It’s the job of lawyers and insurance agents to advise the leaders of the potential risks. But in the end, the leader must make the decision. Too often, business leaders (and political leaders) give lawyers or insurance agents a veto power over decisions. That is the sign of an immature leader.
This weakness is more common in corporate America than in small business, but it is too common all over.
For the most part, Walmart is self insured, so I don’t see how it would affect other insurance policies.
But this is a scary time for insurance companies as well.
Who knows how many claims will be filed if a customer even thinks they got the Chinese virus from a business. And after that, how much will they have to pay in damages, if found liable.
This is a rational place for government to step in with some tort reform to limit liability.
Part of weighing the risk is the consideration of setting up your business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC).
It protects your personal assets from liability.
Try suing a defunct business with no assets left.
And some smart owners also put their brick and mortar assets into a separate LLC.
A business “leader” who doesn’t listen to their lawyer and their insurance agent? Yeah, they won’t be a business owner for very long.
jjf,
What lawyer is this business owner listening to?
My insurance has said nothing about this issue. Agent told me I am covered for the operations I “signed up for”.
Get better insurance if you have crappy insurance company.
Further insulating offenders from the jury system is a terrible idea. Litigation and trial by jury are one of the few remedies left to citizens.
Kevin, so you’re saying Owen invented this straw man for some reason?
jjf,
No, I am just tired of local liberals dispensing horrible legal and business advice.
Those who hold utter contempt for the free market, know nothing of the free market.
Go on, Kevin! Tell me about your favorite free market theorists, and which of their books you’ve enjoyed the most.
More credentials to attack. Jealous Johnny must have gotten to a new chapter in his strategy book.
Jason, how come you didn’t get upset when Kevin accused me of not understanding free market economics?
Let’s compare bookshelves, please.
Milton Freedman, Free to Choose
F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom
Anything by Thomas Sowell, especially his stuff on Education.
Now I have to relay my favorite Thomas Sowell Quote: (Because it applies so well to the libs on this group)
“Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”
Anyone know how many businesses opened in Hartford? I heard two. But that could be enhanced information that was shared me.
I see the Hartford Conservation and Gun Club will be open this weekend.
“Saturday Noon till 5 PM, Sunday Noon till 5 PM, Reservations can be made after 2 PM today & Sat & Sun after 9 AM. New COVID-19 Rules in Place”
>Jason, how come you didn’t get upset when Kevin accused me of not understanding free market economics?
I don’t know, maybe because Kevin is sowing FUD, discord, hatred, and trolling like you are. Just a guess though. What does your bookshelf tell you?
We all know that should be “Kevin is NOT”
Haha
No need for editing, j. You had it correct the first time.
“We all know.” Such self-reliant masters of independent thought.
Nord,
Bearing false witness again?
k:
Not at all. You have a monopoly on that. And do a fine job of it.
Nord,
Again, a quoted example?
You just throw smear out there with no evidence. Everytime I ask this you come up with nothing.
We did get into it about PC language a few days back, but that turned into a problem with you denying human rights abuses of leftist ideology. So that was your issue with truth, not mine.
k:
We have had this same discussion numerous times. But I’ll give you some specific examples once again. Write them down so you don’t forget.
You have called me a murderer, communist, fascist, socialist, have said I deny human rights abuses, that I wish more folks to die, or that I want small businesses to go bankrupt. All are absolute lies and fabrications on your part. And I didn’t even mention all the pseudo scientific nonsense you promote.
Deny away!
But Le Roi! Those aren’t lies, they’re just like his opinion, man. Of which he’s absolutely certain, and which don’t need any evidence.
Johhny, I’d appreciate it if you would join the conversation with substantive thought instead of jeers. See how that works? You want it except when you don’t. You want to call out people for doing it, until you want to do it yourself. See the problem here? Don’t look at me, I’m far more consistent here than you.
And yet I call Kevin by his name.
And yet you’re still a colossal waste of time.
Sure enough, Jason, you’re consistent.
That’s why I said “Don’t look at me”. When one of us talks, the other should listen… Johnny.
As a wise man once said about k, mar, and j:
“Often wrong, never uncertain”.
Nord,
Those are not quotes, just your erroneous spin.
k:
“A rose by any other name…….. “.
or
“If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it is probably a duck”.
Waffle, spin, deny, hold your breath, stomp your feet. Do whatever you want, but you have called me all of those and more. I pity your insecurity.
Nord,
Then an actual quote, not pretend, should be easy to find.
Says @JakeMadtown :
Went right over your head, eh k?
Right, Le Roi. Tell me 1 thing you were right with, in the last 3 months.
So, how many of these supposed Chinese virus cases resulted in hospitalization. That is the most important indication.
Nord,
Just trying to hold you to standard of evidence.
mar:
Keith Hernandez isn’t a murderer. You can’t win a conservation. My dog is smarter than trump.
k:
Try again.
Nice try Uneducated Le Roi. If that’s the best you got, I hear Central Wisconsin Center has openings for you.
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/cwc/index.htm
Hey mar, I was right, you were wrong. Bigly.