Month: June 2014

Why Your Business Needs Cyber Liability Insurance

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

As business owners, you constantly make decisions about which physical assets are necessary to insure. However, do you ever consider cyber insurance to protect the non-physical assets, and most important aspect of your business? Business owners rarely understand just how catastrophic a data loss can be. Technology offers a great deal of conveniences, but also poses a lot of risks. We rely on technology for almost everything nowadays, and need to take the necessary precautions by purchasing cyber insurance.

There has been a steady increase in the number of cyber insurance policy purchases, especially within the last three years. People are starting to realize that hackers will always be a step ahead, and cyber insurance is the only way to protect your business from a data breach. Breaches are becoming increasingly more common, and it only takes a few keystrokes for a hacker to gain access to all of your personal and private information.

However, it is not just hackers who can be responsible for your data loss. Almost two-thirds of data breaches are due to human errors and system glitches. Even if you encrypt your files, you have not done as much as you can to protect your business from a breach. Right now, only about twenty percent of businesses have cyber insurance. In a few years, cyber insurance will become a norm. Keep in mind that just because you do not own a large-scale company, does not mean you have a decreased risk for data breaches or cyber-crimes. The majority of breaches take place at smaller companies with less than 100 employees.

Stromsoe Insurance Agency is ready to help you protect your business, contact them today about commercial insurance. Stromsoe Insurance Agency is sure to meet all of your insurance needs!

Keep Your Kid’s Brains Active During Summer

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Children across the country are bursting through school doors, overjoyed to start their summer break. While it is great to give the kids a chance to recharge at the beginning of summer, it’s smart to make sure they spend time doing summer activities that keep their brain active. There are many fun, yet stimulating projects you can do with your kids all summer that you both will love. Here are a few examples:

  • Summer Reading Programs: There are many libraries throughout the country that offer summer reading programs. These programs are designed to help children find books that interest them enough to keep pursuing reading as a hobby. If an outside program does not sound like a good fit for your child, you can always propose an award system, which will reward them for spending a certain amount of time reading each day.
  • Indoor or Outdoor Science Exploration: Before going on a family camping trip, have your kids learn about what they might see at the location. If your family is not one to take vacations very often, look into purchasing a science kit. These kits are often disguised as toys, and the kids won’t even think of it as a learning tool!
  • Games That Make Them Move: Video games have been a controversial topic in the parenting world. However, games that require the kids to get up, and be active can actually improve their attention skills. Consider games such as Dance Dance Revolution, or Guitar Hero to help stimulate their brains. Board games are always a fun alternative if you are not sold on the game console idea.

As a parent, the last thing you want is your child to go back to school in the fall, and have to play catch up. It is important to make sure that the children actually enjoy the activities you choose, so that they will remain engaged.

Stromsoe Insurance Agency and their experienced insurance professionals, offer quality commercial and personal insurance policies. Stromsoe Insurance Agency is sure to meet all of your insurance needs!

Protect Your Home From A Garage Door Break In

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

How well do you lock up your house before leaving in the mornings? Do you check all the windows and doors? What about your garage door? If not, then you should because your garage door is one of the easiest points of entry into your home. Thieves are aware of this, and have already mastered how to get inside in less than 8 seconds, using only a wire coat hanger. Homeowners rarely take the steps needed to protect their home from the infamous garage door break in. The steps are relatively simple, and can protect you from losing your valuable possessions. But first, let’s examine how exactly a robber would go about breaking into your home through the garage door:

  • Step 1: Loop the wire hangar through the release mechanism cord, or the mechanism itself, and open the door.
  • Step 2: If an alarm system is installed, go inside and hide in the garage, and close the door.
  • Step 3: Wait for the authorities to come investigate the scene, while a friend plays look-out in a car up the street. Security will find nothing out of the ordinary, and will only do a quick inspection.
  • Step 4: The friend tells you when security has left, reopen the garage door, and load up the car with someone else’s belongings.

This is how easy it is for a stranger to get inside your home. Luckily there are only a few things you need to do to protect home:

  • Acquire a piece of wire cable. Hook it through the top and bottom holes of the release mechanism and disable it.
  • Or secure a zip tie around the entire mechanism, also disabling it.
  • Detach the release cord entirely.

Garage doors with windows are the most easily targeted. The robbers can see into your garage and examine how your release mechanism works, but your home is still at risk if it doesn’t have windows. Keep your home safe, and ensure that you will never become a victim of a garage door break in. If you have any insurance related questions, Stromsoe Insurance Agency! Stromsoe Insurance Agency is sure to meet all of your insurance needs!

How To Beat The Heat Illnesses In The Summer Heat

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

We look forward to summer for so many reasons. It is now warm enough to lay out, take walks, have BBQs with close friends, and so much more. However, these hotter temperatures bring along with them the threat of heat illness. The term heat illness can be used to describe anything from muscle cramps, life-threatening heat stroke. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heat illness, and be aware of the outside temperature range that could put you at risk. Here are a few types of heat illnesses:

  • Heat Cramps: Someone experiencing heat cramps will likely start to experience muscle cramps in their calves or feet. Their muscles will feel tight, and skin will feel hot.
  • Heat Exhaustion: An individual with heat exhaustion will experience fatigue, nausea, dizziness, fainting, headaches, and a slow heartbeat. Their skin will feel cold and clammy. This condition requires immediate attention but is not a life-threatening ailment.
  • Heat Stoke: If a person is experiencing heat stroke they will require medical attention immediately, as it is a life-threatening condition. The person will feel nauseous, dizzy, tired, have a fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and may not be conscious. Their skin will feel hot, flushed, and dry as sweating has shut off.

To prevent the occurrence of any of these illnesses, it is important to stay hydrated, and be in the shade whenever possible. Here are the temperature ranges that you should be aware of when spending the day outside:

  • You should take extreme caution in temperatures above 90.
  • Temperatures above 98 are considered dangerous.
  • Extreme danger is defined as temperatures above 108.
  • Remember that with any percentage of humidity in the air, your risk will only go up. Be sure to facture in humidity when considering the day’s conditions.

Keep yourself safe this summer, and make sure you take the necessary measures to prevent heat illness. If you have any insurance related questions, don’t hesitate to contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency!

Why All Pool Owners Should Purchase A Pool Safety Net

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Swimming pools are a godsend during the blazing hot summer months. As a pool owner, if you have small children or animals, it can be hard to monitor their whereabouts for every second of every day. If you are unable to do this, they risk a tragic fall into your pool. However, situations like these are easily preventable with one convenient purchase! Invest in a pool safety net, and reduce your worry of a pool-related accident.

Pool nets are made of a polyethylene rope that is secured to a covering of open squares. The rope is then fastened to a number of anchors that surround the perimeter of the pool. It stretches to provide a secure barrier, without ruining the beautiful look of your backyard. It is easy to use, and requires mere minutes to put on or take off.

The squares are a perfect size. They are small enough to prohibit the entry of a toddler’s head or body, and too large to walk on. Only their arms or legs will be able to fit through the squares. In this case, the toddler will not drown, and will likely begin to cry, alerting an adult of their whereabouts. Safety nets are available in a variety of colors that are sure to complement your backyard’s color scheme. The safety net can conform to even the most unique pool shapes, and can accommodate things like waterfalls, rocks, and planters. Limit your liabilities, and make the responsible decision to purchase a safety net today. You won’t regret it!

If you have any insurance related questions, don’t hesitate to contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency! They employ experienced insurance professionals, and offer quality commercial and personal insurance policies. Stromsoe Insurance Agency is sure to meet all of your insurance needs!

Insure Your Toys During Summer Time

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Now that the summer months are finally upon us, people all over the country are lining up at docks to launch their WaveRunners, Jet Skis, and Sea-Doos. You have worked hard to be able to purchase your personal watercraft, so you must realize how important it is to purchase an insurance policy that will protect you financially. Here are just a few of the risks you take each time you take your watercraft out for a ride:

  • Damage due to crashing into another rider
  • Damage to another rider’s craft or dock
  • Damage done in transport due to an automobile accident
  • Negligence resulting in the injury or death of another person

Personal watercraft insurance will help protect you from situations like these. Typically, these insurance policies will continue to protect you and your watercraft, even if you have loaned it to another person. But wait! Pay close attention to every detail of your policy. There may be exclusions that will get in the way of the coverage you need. Here are a few examples:

  • Personal Watercrafts that have been adjusted to boost speed or performance
  • Using a personal watercraft after dark
  • Using a personal watercraft without a valid driver’s license

Many individuals assume that their personal watercraft is covered under their homeowner’s insurance. This is rarely the case, and when it is, often doesn’t provide adequate coverage. When searching for the policy that is suitable for your lifestyle, don’t forget to scour for possible discounts. You will likely qualify for multiple deductions that will save you a great deal of money.

If you have any insurance related questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of the top independent insurance firms in California, Stromsoe Insurance Agency! Stromsoe offers quality commercial and personal insurance policies that are sure to meet all of your insurance needs.

Wishing All Fathers A Great Father’s Day!

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Since the year 1972 we have set aside a day in June to celebrate fathers, and show our appreciation. The United States is home to more than 70 million fathers. It is a rarely known fact that Mother’s Day preceded Father’s Day by 58 years! Many people ridiculed the proposed idea of Father’s Day, arguing that their attachment to their children was not as strong as that of mothers. Additionally, both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were facing criticism from citizens who believed the holidays were simply a commercial scheme to sell unnecessary gifts to consumers. At one point, both holidays were almost completely abolished.

The great depression brought significant challenges to the effort of making Father’s Day a federal holiday. Expenses were tight, and people were not convinced that they should be spending their precious dollars on a holiday such as Father’s Day. However, during World War II, businesses used Father’s Day as a method of convincing consumers they were commemorating the troops. This had some success, and by the end of the war Father’s Day was a national establishment. In the end, it was Richard Nixon who authorized the proclamation that initiated Father’s Day into the club of federal holidays. It is estimated that citizens of the United States spend more than $1 billion dollars every year on gifts for their fathers.

The Stromsoe Insurance Agency team would like to take a moment to wish all fathers a wonderful Father’s Day! We acknowledge that we could not experience life if it weren’t for these men, and we thank you for all that you do. If you have any insurance related questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of the top independent insurance firms in California, Stromsoe Insurance Agency! Stromsoe offers quality commercial and personal insurance policies that are sure to meet all of your insurance needs.

Wishing you and your family all the best this Father’s Day weekend,

The Stromsoe Insurance Agency Total Protection Team
Nancy Knox, Tina Ostgaard, Gil Coronado, Michelle Owens, Erica Gates, Raimie Brown,
Andrea Wyatt, Jennifer Goins, Cindy & Mike Stromsoe

How to Prepare for an Earthquake

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Living in southern California comes with the possibility of experiencing an earthquake. Keeping these earthquake safety tips in mind can help make sure that you and your family stay safe in the event of an earthquake.

  • Make sure you have an evacuation plan for your home and that everybody who lives there knows it. Also make sure that you know the evacuation route of any building that you regularly occupy, such as where you work.
  • Keep a flashlight and protective shoes next to everyone’s bed in case of an earthquake at night.
  • Bolt any tall furniture, such as bookcases or china cabinets to the walls.
  • Do not hang any heavy items, such as pictures or mirrors above couches or beds.
  • Install latches or locks on all cabinet doors. Also make sure to store any heavy items in the lowest cabinet possible.
  • Know how to shut off gas and water valves in your home and make sure you have the proper tools to do so.
  • Have an earthquake preparedness emergency kit handy with emergency supplies. Make sure everybody in your household knows where the kit is located.
  • Bolt the water heater and any gas appliances to wall studs to stop them from moving around in an earthquake.
  • Brace all overhead lighting fixtures.
  • Pick safe places in every room of your house. These should be places that are away from windows or tall furniture like bookcases or cabinets that could possibly fall
  • Practice “stop, cover, and hold on” in all the safe places. If there is no sturdy furniture around, brace yourself against an interior wall and cover your head and neck.

To find the perfect earthquake insurance for your home, contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency. As an independent insurance agency, they will do the research for you to make sure you get the best policy for all your needs.