Deciphering Car Insurance Basics

Car insurance is a critical safeguard that protects you from potential financial losses related to your vehicle. Essentially, it’s a contractual agreement where you pay the insurer a certain premium, and in return, the insurer agrees to cover certain financial losses during the policy period. Various types of coverage are available, including liability, collision, and comprehensive insurance, each offering different levels of protection.

Navigating Car Insurance Laws in San Antonio

Texas law mandates that all drivers possess car insurance. Specifically, each driver should maintain minimum coverage, often referred to as 30/60/25 coverage: $30,000 per person for bodily injury, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage.

Unpacking Factors That Influence Car Insurance Rates in San Antonio

A range of factors can affect your car insurance rates, including your age, driving history, and vehicle type. As a first-time buyer, you may face higher premiums due to your limited driving history. However, rest assured that safe driving over time often leads to lower rates.

Identifying the Right Car Insurance Provider in San Antonio

With various reliable car insurance providers in San Antonio, you have plenty of options. Look beyond the price, considering each company’s reputation, customer service quality, and claim filing process. Remember to compare quotes from different providers to ensure you secure the best value.

Strategies to Save on Your First Car Insurance Policy

Look for opportunities to save on your first car insurance policy. Many insurers provide discounts for good students, defensive driving course completion, or cars equipped with safety features. You could also consider a higher deductible for a lower premium, but this would mean more out-of-pocket expenses in case of an accident.

Understanding Your Chosen Policy

Car insurance policies can seem complicated, but understanding your policy’s terms and coverage is crucial. Feel free to ask your provider any questions if something isn’t clear.

Post-Purchase Considerations

Once you’ve secured your policy, keep proof of insurance in your vehicle – it’s a legal requirement in Texas. Familiarize yourself with the claim filing process to ensure a smooth experience should an accident occur.

Taking out your first car insurance policy in San Antonio can be straightforward when you’re equipped with the right knowledge. At SOGO Insurance, we aim to make the process even easier, offering comprehensive coverage tailored to your needs. Ready to hit the road with confidence? Get in touch with us at SOGO Insurance today, and let us help you protect your new ride.

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Sole proprietor insurance is a critical component of any successful business venture. As a sole proprietor, you are personally responsible for your business’s debts and liabilities, which means that your personal assets could be at risk if your business encounters financial difficulties. With insurance for sole proprietorship, you can protect both your business and personal assets from potential financial burdens, giving you the peace of mind you need to focus on growing your business.

Liability Protection

A major advantage of having sole proprietor insurance is the liability protection it provides. General liability insurance covers claims of bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury that may arise from your business operations. By investing in insurance for sole proprietorship, you can ensure that your business is protected against costly legal fees and potential damage to your reputation.

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance, offers protection against claims arising from professional mistakes or negligence. This type of insurance for sole proprietorship is particularly important for businesses that provide professional services or advice, as it helps protect your business and personal assets from potential legal disputes.

Asset Protection

Commercial property insurance is another vital component of sole proprietor insurance. This type of insurance for sole proprietorship covers your business’s physical assets, such as buildings, equipment, and inventory. In the event of a disaster, such as a fire or theft, commercial property insurance can help you recover your losses and quickly resume business operations.

For those running their businesses from home, home-based business insurance is an important consideration. This type of insurance for sole proprietorship covers the additional risks associated with operating a business from your residence, ensuring that both your personal and business assets are protected.

Business Continuity

Business interruption insurance is a crucial part of sole proprietor insurance, as it provides coverage for lost income and operating expenses when your business is forced to temporarily close due to a covered event. By investing in insurance for sole proprietorship that includes business interruption coverage, you can minimize the financial impact of unforeseen events and maintain your business’s stability.

Enhancing Credibility and Trust

Having sole proprietor insurance can also help enhance your business’s credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of clients and vendors. By demonstrating that you have taken the necessary steps to protect your business and personal assets, you show potential clients and partners that you are a responsible and professional business owner.

Securing Your Business’s Future with Sole Proprietor Insurance

Securing a comprehensive sole proprietor insurance policy from SOGO Insurance is an essential step in protecting your business and personal assets. With the right insurance for sole proprietorship policy, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you are prepared for the unexpected challenges that may come your way. Don’t leave your business and personal assets vulnerable, contact SOGO Insurance today to find the perfect insurance solution for your sole proprietorship.

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Read on for important tips on how to step up Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in your workplace.

What Do Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Look Like in The Workplace?

Having a diverse workplace doesn’t automatically mean that the workplace is equal and inclusive. Just because there are people of all backgrounds in a workplace doesn’t mean they feel welcomed or appreciated. 

A diverse and inclusive workplace makes employees feel equal no matter who they are or what they do in the organization. Everyone should feel equally involved and supported in the workplace.

If your workplace looks like this, you’re doing a fantastic job. But you can always do more to make diverse employees feel welcomed.

How Do I Know if Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Are Missing in my Workplace? 

Lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion can be very obvious. But still, in some cases, it’s hard to find exactly what’s missing and how to read the signs.

The most significant sign to look out for is when diverse employees leave for other jobs. Diverse employees will look for another workplace where they feel valued and included.

Another sign is the leadership team lacking diversity. According to the US Census Bureau, over 75% of managers are white. The executive level of management is 85% white. If there’s no diversity in leadership, diverse employees may feel like there is no space for them at the top. As a result, employees will leave, causing a high turnover rate for diverse employees at your company.

There is also conflict in the workplace if diversity is missing. If someone doesn’t feel welcomed or appreciated, their emotions toward the workplace become negative. Having unhappy employees will also decrease their work productivity. If work productivity is dwindling in employees, there might be a problem. 

How Can You Change Your Workplace to Step up in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? 

You can do many things to learn how to step up diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in your workplace. The first thing you can do is ask and listen to your employees about their feelings. When employees feel heard and validated, they’re more likely to be happy in the workplace.

Here’s a list of a couple of things you can do to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace:

• Make DEI strategy a priority.
  • Making DEI a priority will make diverse employees feel heard and appreciated, reducing employee turnover and saving your company money.
• Conduct pay equity reviews and make adjustments as needed.
• Create a mentorship program.
  • A mentorship program that uplifts diverse employees will lead to meaningful change in employees as they feel a greater connection to the company. This will create a pipeline of well-trained and engaged employees wanting to advance with the company.
• Host DEI training sessions often.
  • Ensure employees gain meaningful insights from these training sessions by bringing in subject matter experts, creating a safe space, and having crucial conversations.
• Ensure that all benefits are inclusive. Programs as well.
  • Every person in the company should have equal access and opportunity to the benefits and programs offered. Benefits or programs shouldn’t be exclusive to certain groups of people. 

You can do hundreds of things to improve your DEI strategy, but you have to listen to the needs of your diverse employees first.

Need help figuring out where to start? 

Contact SOGO Insurance’s employee benefits experts to learn about our comprehensive benefits package. These packages can include group health insurance, disability insurance, and Professional Employer Organization services. As our client, we want to ensure you have access to these resources that support your staff. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take advantage of these incredible benefits. Take the first step today and contact SOGO Insurance to learn more about what’s available to you.

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What is Group Health Insurance? 

Group health insurance is a health plan purchased by an employer that provides health coverage to employees and their families. Like many things in life, the total cost usually comes out lower when a group plan is purchased due to a bulk discount. As a result, group health insurance plans are often less expensive than having employees buy individual health insurance policies, and when you’re dealing with a health crisis, any savings helps. 

Your basic group health insurance policies usually cover many needs, including health insurance, dental & vision, and life insurance. (Side note: These are the three primary insurances people tend to look for when applying to jobs, so setting up a solid plan is also helpful in the hiring process.) 

Health Insurance

Group health insurance policies usually include HMOs (Health Maintenance Org), PPOs (Preferred Provider Org), or HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) as options to receive medical care. Of course, with varying levels of convenience, the expense of these can also vary. But regardless, if you can offer health insurance as part of your employee package, your employees will feel a sense of relief for every bit of help they can receive in a medical crisis. 

Vision & Dental

You can’t work very hard with a vision impairment or tooth infection, so providing essential vision & dental can be hugely helpful to your employees. We can set this up in two different ways for your convenience: 1) employer-sponsored or 2) voluntary plans that still provide benefits to your employees at an extra cost. If you set it up, employees will be grateful for access to optometrists and dentists for their needs. 

Life Insurance

We look at it this way: no one likes to plan for death, but it is inevitable, so you might as well get ahead of the game and secure a plan to help support your family after you’re gone. Employees will appreciate access to group life insurance plans to help them with this planning. Premiums are split between employers and employees, and add-on benefits are available to extended family members for an extra cost. As a bonus, most employers receive nice tax breaks for offering group life insurance to their employees, so get signed up for group life today. 

All these benefits and more are available through SOGO Insurance. Call our helpful agents as soon as possible to discuss what’s suitable for your business model. 

In case you missed it: Check out “PEO Services: Crucial for Every Business” to understand what packages can help your company grow by performing simple tasks vital to a business staying compliant with federal and state laws.

The post Reflections During Breast Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on SOGO Insurance.

Payroll Assistance & Payroll Taxes

Processing payroll plays a crucial role in your company. One little mistake can mean employees’ frustration and unintentional legal trouble. PEO programs can process payroll, manage tax deductions, and verify employment when necessary. In addition, time-tracking and PTO requests can also be easily handled, which is mainly helpful for hourly employees in your business. 

Risk Management

Did you know a PEO can even help with risk management? Employer liability issues such as legal claims, internal employee relations, and even terminations are touchy subjects that are not to be dealt with lightly, so why not have a backup assistant? In addition, lawsuits and other legal issues can all be kept track of in the PEO program. If you’re a new business, you can even get assistance writing an employee handbook to help avoid legal troubles from the get-go. 

Employee Benefit Tracking

Benefit coordination is a full-time job of its own. As the owner of a small or midsize business, you will not have time to keep track of benefits like medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as all the other types of opt-ins, like life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, and even HSA plans. With a PEO, you can confidently offer these insurances knowing everything is being organized and cared for. 

Human Resources Guidance 

You might be reluctant to hand over much of your human resource organization to software; however, the PEO programs available are backed by humans that are just a phone call or online chat away. Employees can contact helpful agents of the PEO program to ask questions, get help with enrollment, or any other HR-related items. They can trust that they are in expert hands at the simple click of a button if needed. 

Recruiting and Hiring

Some PEO programs can help you recruit and hire the latest, most-qualified talent available on the market, which is way better than posting and managing online job postings that anyone and everyone can freely apply to. We’ve heard of hiring nightmares coming to life when you rely solely on copy-and-pasted online efforts rather than assigning someone to handle the recruitment and onboarding process. So please don’t give up access and convenience to your future stellar employees. 

For your insurance and PEO needs, contact SOGO Insurance to get started on your plan today. We help all industries, including real estate and property management, IT and computer services, trade-based industries, nonprofits, and more. Find out what works best for your business by chatting with our helpful agents. 

In case you missed it: Check out “Free HR Resources at Your Reach” to learn how you can better manage and help your company with complimentary HR resources from SOGO Insurance.

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1. Brush Up on Basic Employment Law – The United States Department of Labor makes things easy for business owners to access and understand the most basic employment laws that stand as the backbone of your current hiring process. Since Texas is a “Right-to-Work” state, some people assume that employment laws are not pertinent. However, Texas businesses face litigation daily in response to unpaid wage claims, child labor laws, and discrimination. Therefore, it’s essential to gather information on wages, workplace safety, and EEOC law. The last thing you want to spend your startup business money on is expensive litigation, so do your research before stepping into any potentially dangerous territory. 
2. Get Your Employee Handbook Together – We get that putting an employee handbook together might not be the most exciting part of the hiring process. Still, it’s essential to protect your new company and yourself from losing all your hard work. If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, gather templates and begin placing the information you believe is essential for your new employees. Be sure to include company policies, the employment laws you need to reiterate, and the contact information for someone who can help answer your employee’s questions, should they arise. If you don’t have the time to manage HR questions, remember that SOGO Insurance offers advice on potential PEO and HR Services tailored for your company. 
3. Prepare Your Benefits Package – Prepare your benefits package while remembering the highly-competitive job market swirling outside your office building. Since the world changed after COVID-19 measures, employees are looking for even more benefits than just free breakroom coffee. As lovely as the Starbucks Blonde K-Cups are, your employees will be looking for employee benefits such as health insurance packages, disability coverage, and more. If you’re not sure what your new business can afford, call our agents to get free quotes on affordable packages that work for you. 
4. Reach out to SOGO Insurance for Questions – Don’t forget that we’ve been in your shoes. We are a family-owned company who have been offering our expertise to the San Antonio area for over a decade. We know the stress and excitement of starting a business, and we can assist in your planning efforts to ensure your business is covered to the best extent possible. 

Hiring employees shows the growth and health of a company, and we share in your excitement for your growing business needs. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you stay organized and ahead of the game. 

The post Hiring New Employees 101: The Basics appeared first on SOGO Insurance.

Construction Safety Week was officially created in 2014  for workers in this specific industry to take a solid week to focus on curriculum teaching the most important aspect of a construction job. Historically, in the last 20 or so years, safety has been more of a priority than it was, say, even 100 years ago; however, the latest numbers recorded are higher than ever on construction-related deaths across the United States. The 2019 count was over 1,000 deaths, which is up over 5% than it was in 2018, which can be relayed to an increase in more dangerous tools and projects in the workforce. 

Architecture can be a fascinating thing. Buildings and high rises have jagged edges and interesting changes in structure that draw the eye to be aesthetically pleased. This also means that there are more construction hoists, crane operators, taller levels, more steelwork, and generally more dangerous structures all around. In order to make these more interesting features, even in the interiors of a building, special equipment and tools are used, such as large-format marble pieces, special stains, and lumber saws. Equipment operation can lead to workplace injuries and even deaths, so another reinforcement of workplace safety can help deter those. 

Dangerous tools and more dangerous projects are definitely worth mentioning during Construction Safety Week, but one uncommon aspect that the industry would like to focus on this year is mental clarity. Outside distractions and personal dilemmas can distract workers from paying attention during a dangerous task. Imagine making a peanut butter jelly sandwich while there is a tiger in the kitchen with you. What seems like a simple task can be daunting when outside reasons are making your adrenaline kick in. 

Now, more than ever, Project Managers, Construction Superintendents, and C-level leadership are being encouraged to reach out to their employees and do mental health check-ins along with performance reviews. Divorce among parents, problems with children in school, aging grandparents, mortgages, groceries, and bills are common issues that creep into the brain during sometimes-monotonous work, and the best way to keep this from happening is to check in with mental health professionals or counselors. Some construction companies have a designated HR employee to review these situations and find help where they can to keep the employee distraction. 

In case you missed it: Check out “April Showers Bring May Floods” and make sure the incoming storms won’t ruin more than your weekend winery plans. 

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The city of San Antonio extends this notion even further, with family-friendly celebratory events like Fiesta and the San Antonio Rodeo. If you’re here, you’re family. But not everything can be sunshine and rainbows all the time, as we all personally know.

Mental Health in your employees is important

You’d be hard-pressed to find an employee or friend who hasn’t had a tough go at life in the past few years in one way or another. Sometimes life comes at us at 80MPH in some form of heartache or trouble, and cleanly separating work from the heart isn’t as easy to do as it sounds. 

The nicest, happiest-seeming people can be carrying a weight you’re not even aware of, simply because they’re able to put their “work” hat on and leave the emotions out of it, but the minute that person hops into their car at the end of the day, the weight of the world is back on their shoulders until tomorrow morning.

When a tough life event comes knocking on the door, it’s very difficult for some to even find the time or resources to deal with the issue, leaving them helpless and dealing with it during work hours. You might even see a spike in absences while the employee is struggling to deal with the emotions or paperwork of their specific problem. This can affect their emotional well-being, decreasing their productivity and morale. 

This is where employee assistance programs can come into play, and we’re here to help you sort out exactly what you and your team need. 

Employee Health Benefits go in hand with Employee Assistance Plans

Did you know employee assistance programs can reach into areas you and your HR team might not be totally prepared to navigate on your own? Marital problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and death of a close family member are only a few of the topics that can creep into the lives of your employees, but it doesn’t have to be a dead-end road. 

Securing an employee assistance program gives your people the ability to seek counseling services and take the weight off their shoulders and hand it over to qualified professionals who are trained to help handle these situations. A simple phone call can direct your employees to resources that reduce and mitigate issues, leaving your employee the option to focus once again on their job at hand. 

As a business owner, you can secure an employee assistance plan with added compensation and benefits that suits your company’s exact needs. Some plans offer referrals for help, while others offer direct treatment, so it’s important to discuss the difference with your SOGO agent. 

Understanding the legal differences between the two can save you some serious headaches down the road. At SOGO, we’re family, and we’re proud to offer policies that support your work family too. Take the load off your team and secure a plan today. 

In case you missed it: “Is Pet Insurance Worth It In Texas?” breaks down the potential risks you might face with having a beloved fur-friend in this great state. Besides looking out for rattlesnakes in the yard, you’re likely to run into some Texas-sized veterinary bills if you’re not covered properly. Call our agents to discuss your pet insurance options before your pet digs up some trouble. 

The post Employee Assistance Plans Make For Happy Employees appeared first on SOGO Insurance.

Group Health Insurance

Of course, starting off with group health insurance is the perfect place to lay down a foundation that attracts well-qualified employees to your organization. Dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, short and long term disability, and long term care insurance are even more options to consider when planning for your employee benefits budget. Of course, when dealing with any genre of insurance, businesses are held to legal standards that can be confusing and overwhelming, so having backup help on the administrative side of things is key to avoiding fines, and even lawsuits. SOGO can help you secure the perfect plans for your growing business, and protect you from costly mistakes that small business owners can unintentionally make when curating a benefits package. 

Employee Assistance Plans

Small business owners can also benefit from securing an Employee Assistance Plan (also known as an EAP) to help staff cope with mental, emotional, and other related issues that can affect their daily performance. Of course, we’re dealing with coronavirus now, but unfortunate things happen all the time to our employees and their families, and they could use the help navigating through those tough times via support lines, counseling, and other support sessions. You might be surprised how many people will utilize and appreciate an outlet for a family-related problem that isn’t necessarily appropriate to discuss at work. Providing a small but important EAP for your staff can be hugely beneficial to both the employee and you as a supervisor. 

Payroll and HR Benefits

Maybe your small business is taking off at rocket speed, but you’re not quite ready to hire a full-blown HR department. No worries. SOGO can help you secure PEO Services, or Professional Employer Organization Services, which means outsourcing your HR needs, including compliance, payroll, benefits, workers’ comp, and more. How does this affect your employee benefits package? Well, you’re able to focus on the day-to-day needs of owning a small business, all while your employees can count on reliable information and services from real-life human resources professionals. You can avoid the frustrations of dealing with issues that are time-consuming and also high-risk. 

No matter how big or small you’d like to upgrade your employee benefits package, SOGO can help you secure the best packages that make both your employees and your accounting team smile. We’ve got multiple resources available to us, giving us the upper hand in finding you the perfect fit. 

With SOGO’s dedicated, Employee Benefits Advisor, Ronnie Herrera, he can take the hassle out of employee benefits and more for developing small to midsize businesses in the San Antonio area. 

In case you missed it: “Starting Up Your Food Truck Business is No Small Fry” overviews the liabilities that can come up when you decide to hit the road with your new food truck business. SOGO is ready to help keep the grills fired up by providing food truck insurance to some seriously fine foodies on the road, including two of our popular clients: Mobile Eatery SA and La Gloria Margarita Truck. 

The post Gain a Competitive Edge with Employee Benefits for your Business appeared first on SOGO Insurance.

In this last SOGO Summer School Lesson, we’re talking about one of the most talked-about subjects when it comes to attracting, recruiting, and retaining talent in the current San Antonio hiring market. These days, employee benefits go way beyond just company lunches and holiday parties. As a business owner, you know you need to take care of your employees in order to keep them, but are you fully covered? If you don’t have a competitive benefits package, you’re going to lose out on primo talent. According to the American Institute of CPA (AICPA) in a 2018 study, “80% of workers would keep a job with benefits rather than take one that offered more money with no benefits.”

Group Health Benefits

Of course, when anyone talks about employee benefits, the first type that comes to mind is group health insurance. The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) released a study, revealing that 83% of employees say “health insurance is very or extremely important in deciding whether to stay in or change jobs.” There are several varying factors that help us figure out what type of group health insurance is best for your company, and our agents are here for you to discuss every scenario based on your precise needs. Bonus points for offering group dental insurance and group vision insurance, because healthy employees are less likely to take time off due to subtle but serious health concerns. 

Contractors and Insurance

San Antonio is home to several manufacturing, construction, and contracting businesses, so disability insurance is something business owners should consider. Workers need to know that they can protect themselves and their families from income loss if they get injured or become sick. No one really loves to talk about Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, but it’s a necessary policy to consider if your employees will need the extra coverage beyond workers compensation, just in case of a severe accident or death on or off the job site that your company manages. 

Help your employees by taking the hassle out of saving for healthcare by providing a flexible spending account (or FSA) that allows employees to set aside non-taxable funds for everyday health-related expenses and prescriptions. Employers can make lump sum contributions, letting your employees know in advance that you’re investing in their wellbeing, which will return to you in loyalty and effective production. 

Even if your business isn’t quite financially ready to take on health insurance for your employees, SOGO can help with even more types of coverage that make perfect sense for your business. Group voluntary benefits provide an excellent option for your employees to receive premiums at a “bulk rate,” at no cost to the employer.  

It’s finally time for SOGO Summer School graduation, so move that tassel from the left to the right. SOGO’s agents are all about continuing education, so stay in touch with them this summer. They can help analyze your current benefits situation you have in place, and what employee benefits you might be missing. Click around on our interactive page to see how you can benefit from several types of insurance.

In case you missed it: “Summer School Lesson 2: Risk Management” will connect you with an agent who is ready to help you analyze corporate risks and create a mitigation plan that’s just right for your business.

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