Category: Uncategorized

Learn how to keep your stress in check with laughter!

Stress is inevitable; it’s a normal part of life, especially in the workplace. With projects, deadlines, meetings and maintaining office dynamics, it’s easy for work to become a cesspool for stress. However, too much stress is detrimental to your health. It can cause serious health complications such as heart disease, obesity, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression. While there are many ways to help manage your stress, from exercise to meditation, perhaps one of the best medicines for stress is laughter. Check out how laughter can contribute to alleviating your stress and improve your overall health.

Increased Oxygen

When you laugh, you pull in more oxygen. The more oxygen your body has, the better able your muscles, heart, and lungs can function. As the body absorbs oxygen, your brain releases mood-boosting chemicals called endorphins, creating the feeling of happiness.

Reduces Tension

It’s no secret that stress is bad for your health. However, laughter can help you to relax and unwind. Just as laughing increases activity in your heart, muscles, and lungs, it helps to increase stimulation. The more circulation, the better able your muscles can relax, which reduces your stress.

Boosts Immune System

The more stressed you are, the weaker your immune system becomes. In fact, a pessimistic outlook on life has various ill effects on your health. Change your negative perspective for a more positive one. The more that you laugh, the more positive you become; so much so that your positive thinking can help to release neuropeptides that work to fight stress and illness.

When it comes to your workplace, it’s imperative to manage your stress. Get the relief that you need with a little laughter and the right health insurance. For assistance with employee health benefits, contact the professionals at Stromsoe Insurance!

Decide on which ride is best for you.

Don’t ever judge a book by its cover! Conventional wisdom might suggest that a bright and attractive coupe might be more to insure than your run-of-the-mill family sedan. However, it’s always important to remember that a lot more goes into calculating car insurance premiums. Aesthetics are just the tip of the iceberg; statistics play a heavy part, as well.

What’s the difference between a coupe and sedan?

This definition is actually fairly simple! A sedan is typically referring to a vehicle with four doors, while a coupe suggests just having two doors. The word coupe actually stems from the French word for “cut” referring to the traditional way that original coupes “cut out” the rear seating areas completely.

Recent coupe models now have the best of both worlds.

They have two rows of seating while also keeping the sleek two-door appearance that drivers love. The coupe is starting to change to appeal to a larger market by increasing backseat legroom. However, sedans almost always offer a roomier backseat than its counterpart.

How well does your car protect its riders?

A car’s safety features can help keep passengers safe while also helping you cash in on discounts on your premium. The idea that you’ll be less likely injured in a crash is both important to you and your insurance company. Theoretically, if your coupe tends to protect passengers more efficiently than a rival sedan, the coupe could pay less for coverage.

How expensive is it to repair or replace your vehicle?

Accidents are far more common than we’d like to admit. It’s the insurance provider’s responsibility to try to make things correct again. Because of that, insurers will consider how pricey repair and replacement costs may be after a major accident. Whether it’s a coupe or sedan is less important than the overall cost of replacement.

Now that you know what type of factors play into the cost of insurance, be sure that you secure the right policy for your needs. At Stromsoe Insurance, we’re dedicated to giving each driver the coverage they can count on. Visit us today to get started.

Part of keeping your home safe is protecting it with reliable homeowners insurance.

You may think that you know exactly what is in your home. However, when it comes to the aftermath of a disaster, and you have to list which items you’ve lost, valuing your personal property from memory is harder than you think.

For this reason, home insurers ask homeowners to complete a thorough home inventory of all possessions. By having a physical list and photographic evidence of home contents, insurers can match coverage to the value of items accurately. Also, filing a claim is made that much simpler!

Here’s how to get started!

Put It On Paper

Write down a list of all of your belongings. The written description should include the date of purchase, original cost, and any improvements. Write down serial numbers for TVs, computers, and electronics, as well as keeping receipts along with the paperwork. As you sell or buy new belongings, ensure to add or remove the items from this list.

Shoot It

If you have a video camera, use it to establish additional documentation of your home and belongings for insurance purposes. Recording valuable items may be used as evidence in the case of theft, fire, or damage. As a rule of thumb, scan all rooms, shoot close-ups of all valuable items, and provide auto-commentary of details that may not be visually apparent. Store this tape in a locked file cabinet and upload it to the computer so that you have a digital copy.

Store It

Once you’ve captured all of your belongings on video and paper, you’ll want to store these files safely. If your home burns down, a home inventory will be of little use if it burns down with it. First, make a digital copy of both and email them to yourself. Secondly, keep the papers and video film in a fireproof box safely in the home or outside of the property.

Update It

Once you have established a complete inventory of your property, it should be easy to update it periodically.

PLUS, we have an app for that!  Contact our team to find out more about our awesome mobile application to help walk you through your entire home inventory process right from your smartphone – Call 951-600-5751 Today!

Now that your home inventory is complete, contact Stromsoe Insurance today to get your reliable homeowners insurance.

Shopping for your business’s insurance policy? Here’s what you need to consider first.

No two businesses are alike. Similarly, no two companies share the same risks and threats that can impact the stability, finances, and staff. Buying business insurance for your small company can be a frustrating process. Finding the right policy can feel like you’re looking for a needle in the haystack. In actuality, giving up and settling for a mediocre policy can do more damage to your business than it can good.

Before you select one with a low premium and minimum coverage, here’s what you need to know about buying business insurance.

Look past the premium.

Expenses are important to your business, and you will want to keep to a minimum. For small business owners with limited budgets, it can be tempting to make a decision based on the price. Keep in mind that you’re purchasing insurance to protect your business. Always look at a policy to ensure that it doesn’t leave out coverage you may want later on and that it has high enough limits to suit your company.

Evaluate the policy for gaps.

The defining details of each policy are inclusions (covered events) and exclusions (events that your insurance won’t account for). Pay attention to these items because they determine the terms of your coverage. For instance, when reviewing coverage for commercial auto insurance you’ll want to check that you have insurance for bodily injuries, property damage liability, collision coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection.

Understand limits and deductibles.

Your policy limits are the stated amount that your insurance provider will pay for a specific event, instance, or claim. Your limits ultimately decide the extent of protection your business receives for liability lawsuits and other losses. While you check your limits, ensure that your deductibles are well within your business’s monthly budget.

Skip the search of finding the right business insurance in your area to suit your needs – contact Stromsoe Insurance to find out how our protective policies can meet your business’ needs.

Make these delicious green smoothies to keep you healthy and energized all day long.

As summer comes to an end, it means less time being spent outside and less daily exercise. Luckily there exist some foods that naturally boost our energy and even clean and keep our gut healthy. Smoothies are a great way to ingest these foods because they are easy to take with you on-the-go, and you can cram a lot of nutrition into every glass. Making the perfect smoothie is subjective, of course, but we find that blending the ingredients well, and keeping it simple usually get the trick done.

Gut-Healing Green Smoothie (Serves 2)

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 banana (frozen, if you want)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds
• 2 cups of kale leaves
• 2 1/2 cups of water
• 4 tablespoons of hemp seeds

Nutritionally Packed Green Smoothie (Serves 2)

• 1 cucumber (chopped)
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1 tablespoon ginger (peeled and grated)
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 1/2 cups of water or almond milk
• 2 pears (peeled and chopped)
• 4 cups of kale leafs
• 5 ice cubes

Post-Workout Green Smoothie (Serves 2)

• 1/2 of an avocado
• 1 banana (frozen, if you wish)
• 2 cups of baby spinach
• 2 scoops of protein powder
• 2 cups of cold water or almond milk

The best way to prepare these ingredients is to place them inside of the blender and mix until it is smooth and creamy. If you like pulp, then mix it for less time to get the little pieces of fruits and vegetables swimming around.

Decide on which ride is best for you.

Don’t ever judge a book by its cover! Conventional wisdom might suggest that a bright and attractive coupe might be more to insure than your run-of-the-mill family sedan. However, it’s always important to remember that a lot more goes into calculating car insurance premiums. Aesthetics are just the tip of the iceberg; statistics play a heavy part, as well.

What’s the difference between a coupe and sedan?

This definition is actually fairly simple! A sedan is typically referring to a vehicle with four doors, while a coupe suggests just having two doors. The word coupe actually stems from the French word for “cut” referring to the traditional way that original coupes “cut out” the rear seating areas completely.

Recent coupe models now have the best of both worlds.

They have two rows of seating while also keeping the sleek two-door appearance that drivers love. The coupe is starting to change to appeal to a larger market by increasing backseat legroom. However, sedans almost always offer a roomier backseat than its counterpart.

How well does your car protect its riders?

A car’s safety features can help keep passengers safe while also helping you cash in on discounts on your premium. The idea that you’ll be less likely injured in a crash is both important to you and your insurance company. Theoretically, if your coupe tends to protect passengers more efficiently than a rival sedan, the coupe could pay less for coverage.

How expensive is it to repair or replace your vehicle?

Accidents are far more common than we’d like to admit. It’s the insurance provider’s responsibility to try to make things correct again. Because of that, insurers will consider how pricey repair and replacement costs may be after a major accident. Whether it’s a coupe or sedan is less important than the overall cost of replacement.

Now that you know what type of factors play into the cost of insurance, be sure that you secure the right policy for your needs. At Stromsoe Insurance, we’re dedicated to giving each driver the coverage they can count on. Visit us today to get started.

Running a home-based business isn’t easy, here’s how you can insure it to protect your business equipment.

If you run a business from the comfort of your own home, you may not have enough insurance to protect your business equipment. A standard homeowners insurance policy provides only $2,500 coverage for business equipment, which is likely not enough to cover all of your property associated with your business. As a business, you will likely need coverage for liability and lost income. You put blood, sweat, and tears into your business so insuring it is important for its livelihood.

Regardless of what insurance policy you choose, you need professional liability insurance. Here are the three basic kinds of liability insurance you should consider — depending on the nature of your business.

1. Homeowners Policy Endorsement

You may not need to take out an entirely different policy. A homeowners policy endorsement just adds protection to your already existing homeowners policy to double your standard coverage for business equipment like computers and printers.

2. In-Home Business Policy

An in-home business policy provides more comprehensive coverage than the homeowners policy endorsement. In addition to the protection for your business, this policy could reimburse you for the loss of important papers and records. It may even pay for the income you lose if your home is so badly damaged from a covered peril that it forces you to temporarily pause your business.

3. Business Owners Policy (BOP)

If your business is on the bigger side of things, as far as home businesses are concerned, then homeowners insurance policy and any add-ons won’t exactly cut it. It covers business property and equipment, loss of income, extra expenses, and liability—like the other policies, only on a much grander scale.

Whichever you choose is best for your business, it’s important to realize that not even your business is immune to dangers. Contact Stromsoe Insurance, your independent insurance agency, to learn how you can safeguard your hard work with business insurance for your small business.

Offering a selection of healthy snacks helps your team to stay on point.

You expect your staff to spend a lot of time at the office, so why not try to make the most of it? Offering tasty and healthful snacks can help keep energy, spirits, and productivity up – all at relatively little cost to your business. What kind of snacks are best for the office? Use this guide to the top healthy choices for stocking your breakroom.

Fruit & veggies

It shouldn’t be surprising that fresh fruits and vegetables are nutritionists’ top picks for healthy snacking. Most Americans aren’t getting enough servings of these crucial food groups, so by offering them, you can help your team overcome this deficit. If you’re having trouble keeping fresh produce in stock, consider unsweetened dried fruit. Packed with fiber and nutrients, this is a fantastic long-lasting option.

Nuts

Help your team fit in their healthy fat and protein by offering mixed nuts. Raw and unsalted nuts will be better for your staff’s health, but offering some roasted or salted options can help mix things up.

Sandwich or rice cake bar

Looking for something customizable? Consider setting up a whole wheat sandwich or brown rice cake bar. Your team can then load up their grain of choice with peanut butter, sliced bananas, or their other favorite toppings.

Water

Switch out the sugary drinks and caffeinated beverages for bottled water. Even being a little dehydrated can wreck havoc with our concentration and energy, so be sure to sip on water throughout the day.

So you can focus on feeding your team, let us focus on covering your hard-to-insure risks. To learn more about how our workers’ compensation programs and products have been serving thousands of insurance agents across the nation, contact Stromsoe Insurance today.