Insights

Myths About Nonprofits: How to Protect These Organizations
There are about 2 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. With their entrepreneurial spirit and mission-guided purposes, these nonprofits play a tremendous role in our society. Nonprofits champion humanitarian goals, advocate charitable causes, lead the forefront in scientific research, serve as guardians for the environment, and more. Take note, though, that despite their significant contributions, there are still some misconceptions about nonprofits even...

MiniCo Insurance Announces Two Strategic Leadership Promotions
Rick Krouner and Jim Henry have been tapped to lead MiniCo's Specialty Programs and National Programs divisions. MiniCo Insurance Agency (MiniCo) is pleased to announce two leaders stepping into strategic leadership roles. Rick Krouner, formerly President of MiniCo’s Casualty division, has been named President of MiniCo’s Specialty Programs...

Jencap Creates Strategic New Role for Their Programs Division
NEW YORK, NY (January 13, 2022) – Jencap Program Administrators (JPA), a division of Jencap Group LLC (Jencap), is pleased to announce the newly created executive role of Chief Revenue Officer. Mike Schofield, formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of MiniCo Insurance Agency (MiniCo), a JPA company, will assume this new...

Planning Ahead for Tornadoes
Tornadoes are one of the most devastating weather events in terms of property damage and potential for injury and loss of life. While tornadoes can occur anywhere, the United States experiences the highest number of any country. As of mid-December 2021, there were over 1,000 confirmed tornadoes in the U.S. including 14 events that resulted in...

Instagram Stories: Creative Ideas to Try
Are you always seeing Instagram stories at the top of your newsfeed but never know what to post for your agency? A creativity roadblock can be frustrating. Instagram gives you a lot of fun creative options, but it can be overwhelming at first because not everything is quite as simple as it seems. Smoke and Mirrors There’s no magic trick to...

Reexamining Corporate Culture In The “Great Resignation”
Corporate culture is a determining factor in the success of every business. It influences how your employees interact and communicate with customers and each other, how they conduct assigned tasks, how they behave while at work, and how they solve problems and address conflicts. As the United States approaches the two-year anniversary of the...

How to Build A Social Media Calendar
It’s important to have a routine schedule with your social media presence. One of the best ways to do that is by having your own social media calendar to keep your thoughts and posts organized. There are many sources that can help you plan, but the last thing anyone needs is another app on their phone. Using programs you likely have on your...

Self-Storage Lease Agreements Protect Your Clients
A self-storage lease agreement (or rental contract) is one of the most important elements of your self-storage operation's risk management program. It is the most critical document executed between the business and the tenant in terms of protecting the facility's interests. The lease agreement formally establishes the relationship between the...

How to Get onto Instagram’s Explore Page
Instagram’s Explore page isn’t anything new, but it is unique to other social media platforms. It’s essentially a page full of content from Instagram accounts you don’t follow that the algorithm thinks you will be interested in. Being featured on the explore page is independent to a user’s interests and engagements. Every explore page is unique...

MiniCo Insurance Agency Named Best of Business in Self-Storage Commercial Insurance for Tenth Year
For the tenth consecutive year, MiniCo Insurance Agency has claimed the top spot in self-storage commercial insurance among voters in the self-storage industry. MiniCo Insurance Agency has been selected by readers of Inside Self-Storage magazine as a Best of Business winner in the category of best commercial insurance for the tenth consecutive...

MiniCo Insurance Agency Announces Rebrand as a Jencap Company
MiniCo's new brand reflects its association with parent company Jencap Group, LLC (Jencap). Under the Jencap umbrella, MiniCo is now one of the largest program administrators in the United States. MiniCo Insurance Agency, a leading program administrator offering specialty programs for a variety of industries, today announced the company's...

MiniCo Insurance Agency Introduces Architects And Engineers Professional Liability Insurance
MiniCo Insurance Agency now offers an Architects and Engineers Professional Liability Insurance program to provide errors and omissions (E&O) coverage for a vast spectrum of architects, engineers, construction managers, and other professionals serving the construction, manufacturing, and environmental industries. Professional liability...

MiniCo Insurance Agency Adds Artisan Construction, Landscaping, And Nonprofit Social Services Programs
The specialty programs have moved over from MiniCo's Jencap affiliate company NIF Group, Inc., as part of the newly formed Jencap Program Administrators division. MiniCo Insurance Agency has joined forces with its Jencap affiliate company NIF Group, Inc., as part of Jencap Program Administrators, a newly formed program division under the Jencap...

Spring Maintenance Tasks for Risk Management
Winter storm season can bring low temperatures, high snowfall, icy conditions, and the hazards that result from extreme winter weather to many areas across the country. As spring gets closer, warmer temperatures bring additional challenges for property owners. It's important for self-storage business owners to make a plan for spring inspections...

Customer Feedback is the Lifeline of the Insurance Agency
Customer service and customer feedback are two things that can make or break an insurance agency. Customer service is something you have direct control over. However, even seasoned insurance agents with the best customer service skills can’t control the customer feedback that is received. Turning customer feedback into positive reviews and...

Is Cold Calling Dead?
There are hundreds of different ways to communicate to a prospect today, more than at any other point in time. It seems like a new app or communication tool is introduced every day. Telephone calling has been a tried-and-true communication tool for marketers for many years, but is it still relevant today? With all these different forms of...

Discover the Correct Type of Website for Your Agency
A lot goes into building a website. Have you noticed how different types of companies have websites formatted in a specific way for their industry? This is because the most important reason for having a website is to convey important information to your audience quickly and with ease. Some businesses have a lot of services and products, which can...

Why Your Clients Need Collectibles Insurance
As long as items hold value, there will be insurance coverage to protect them, and there are many different types of insurance needs. It’s your responsibility as an agent to offer your clients appropriate coverage for their valuables. If any of your clients are collectors – and millions of people are – collectibles insurance is a great way to...

Self-Storage Squatters │ Potential Signs to Look Out For
Self- storage facilities generally have a list of items in their rental contracts that are prohibited from being stored in rented units. Tenants are prohibited from storing flammable items, hazardous materials, and food, to name just a few. Most of these restrictions are due to the damage that they can cause, such as accidental fires or unwanted...

MiniCo Insurance Agency Named Best Of Business In Self-Storage Commercial Insurance For Ninth Year
For the ninth consecutive year, MiniCo Insurance Agency has claimed the top spot in self-storage commercial insurance among voters in the self-storage industry. MiniCo Insurance Agency has been selected by readers of Inside Self-Storage magazine as a Best of Business winner in the category of best commercial insurance for the ninth...

Cybersecurity and Cyberattack Facts
Accidents happen. No matter how careful you are, an online security breach can happen to anyone. According to a report by the Ponemon Institute, only 24% of breaches resulted from human error and 25% from a system glitch. Malicious attacks were responsible for 51% of breaches in 2019. Big Impact Data breaches can be costly events. The United...

Floods and Electrical Safety
Over the past five years, all 50 states have experienced floods or flash floods, and, on average, more deaths occur due to flooding each year than any other weather-related hazard. Safety precautions during floods should include considerations for electrical safety. Guidance from the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) includes the...

Electrical Safety in Older Buildings
Workplace injuries and fatalities related to electricity totaled over 2,060 in 2019 according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). Last week, we discussed the organization's tips including overtaxed wiring prevention, extension cord safety, and ground-fault circuit interrupter usage. The EFSI has two additional tips regarding...

Electrical Safety Checklist
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), there were 166 workplace fatalities and 1,900 non-fatal workplace injuries related to electricity in 2019. To increase electrical safety awareness and prevent electrical fires and electrocutions, the ESFI offers the following tips. Don't Overtax Wiring: Avoid overloading power...

Safety After a Tornado
Once a tornado has passed, it is important that you take steps to stay safe while navigating the debris and damage left behind. Here are some tips to keep in mind. Get Help Cover your mouth with a cloth to avoid breathing dust. If you are trapped, try to send a text, bang on a pipe or wall, or use a whistle to summon help. If you are not...

Surviving a Tornado
Do you and your self-storage employees know what to do if a tornado strikes? Here are tips to help survive during a tornado. Find Safe Shelter Evacuate employees and customers to the closest safe shelter. Take Additional Cover Shield your head and neck with your arms and surround yourself with items such as furniture, blankets, or mattresses....

Tornado Warnings
Forecasters are predicting an active tornado season, so it is important for self-storage businesses to be prepared. Tornadoes can destroy buildings, flip cars, and create hazardous flying debris, and they can happen anywhere at any time. If you are under a tornado warning, follow these important steps. Inside: Go to a safe room, basement, storm...

Hail Season and Your Roof
Hail storms can cause catastrophic damage to self-storage facilities and often result in repairs or replacement of the entire roof or the damaged portions of the roof. For property owners in areas prone to hail storms, this is an expected, if decidedly unwelcome, potential peril. Here are some recommendations to help protect your facility from...

Hail Season Preparation
The impact that catastrophic hail and wind events have had on property owners and the insurance industry would be difficult to overstate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded 4,611 major hailstorms in 2020. Those storms affected more than 6.2 million properties in the U.S. resulting in losses of nearly $14.2 billion...

Vehicle Breakdowns in Winter Weather
It's cold, there's snow and ice on the roads, and your vehicle has left you stranded. What should you do next? Here are some tips to stay safe until help arrives: · Before departing, consider your route. If you're going to be traveling through an area with limited cell phone coverage, be sure to let someone know when and where you'll be driving....

Driving in Winter Weather
Before heading out on the roads during winter months, it's important to be prepared to drive safely for specific road and weather conditions. Here are some tips: · Prior to departing, clear snow and ice from your car including the windshield, windows, mirrors, lights, reflectors, hood, roof, and trunk. · Keep your headlights on while driving to...

Check the Forecast Before Driving in Winter
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates nearly one in four weather-related vehicle crashes involve winter weather conditions. Checking the weather forecast before heading out on wintry roads is an important way to reduce risk. Here are some tips: · If the forecast calls for nasty winter weather, staying put may be the safest decision. ·...

Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter Driving
Winter weather can make driving hazardous. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly one in four weather-related vehicle crashes involve snow, slush, or icy roads. One important way to reduce risk when driving during winter weather is to prepare your vehicle in advance. Here are some tips: Assemble a winter survival kit and keep...

Securing a Snow-Removal Company
Winter weather brings colder temperatures, which often mean snow and ice. At a self-storage facility, snow and ice can mean slippery walkways, wet floors, and roofs that need to be cleared of snow accumulation. Consider contracting with a reputable, insured, and licensed snow-removal company. These companies contract with businesses to remove...

Minimize Holiday Stress with Customer Service
The holiday season is a joyful time, but it can also be stressful. The combination of holiday expenses and obligations, foul weather, cold and flu season, financial pressures, and end-of-the-year work deadlines can get the best of anyone at one time or another. Factor in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and this holiday season may be even more...

Reporting Claims
If your self-storage property has suffered damage due to a storm, fire, or other event, it is important to file an insurance claim quickly. It is equally important to provide complete information in your claim report. This will enable your insurance agent and insurance company to process your claim as quickly as possible. Claim reporting...

What is a Man-In-The-Middle Attack?
In order to protect your self-storage operation from cybercrime, it helps to understand the most common threats and tactics used by cybercriminals. This week's topic is man-in-the-middle attacks. What is a Man-In-The-Middle Attack? Also known as an eavesdropping or hijacking attack, a man-in-the-middle, or MITM, attack lets hackers secretly put...

What is Ransomware?
In order to protect your self-storage operation from cybercrime, it helps to understand the most common threats and tactics used by cybercriminals. This week's topic is ransomware. What is Ransomware? Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or computer files until a sum of money is paid. It freezes...

What is Phishing?
In order to protect your self-storage operation from cybercrime, it helps to understand the most common threats and tactics used by cybercriminals. This week's topic is phishing. What is Phishing? Phishing is the preferred tool of cybercriminals, accounting for 93 percent of all breaches, which are...

What is Malware?
In order to protect your self-storage operation from cybercrime, it helps to understand the most common threats and tactics used by cybercriminals. This week's topic is malware. What is Malware? The word "malware" is a shortened version of the term “malicious software.” Malware works by infecting a computer to...

What is a Password Attack?
In order to protect your self-storage operation from cybercrime, it helps to understand the most common threats and tactics used by cybercriminals. This week's topic is password attacks. What is a Password Attack? A password attack often uses an automated system in which different password combinations are used to try to gain...
Stay Informed
Want to receive information from MiniCo on timely marketplace trends, hot new program launches, and valuable industry expertise that will set you up to win? Sign up to receive email communications.