Good news story: The value of having a trusted Ausure insurance broker on your side.
We all know bad things happen. Fires, theft, floods or cybercrime can destroy businesses and livelihoods. Having the right insurance cover in place to help protect your assets and minimize risks is vital. It is often when devastating events happen, that people realize just how valuable their insurance broker can be.
Victorian business owner Mark Mason shares his story:
‘’Albeit emotional, it gives me great pleasure to write this testimonial 18 months after a fire destroyed my small business, Stihl Shop Drouin.
It has been an exhausting and emotional journey with many challenges; without the industry knowledge, skill set and hard work of the team at Ausure Insurance Brokers Gippsland (Sale), particularly James Stevens, my outcome would have been considerably different.
An outstanding Insurance Broker and intelligent businessman,’’ this Ausure broker “has managed my business insurance needs for many years and I have always felt extremely confident with his stewardship and advice with these matters.
Our annual reviews are an important part of this process and James left no stone unturned when diligently attending to my specific requirements.
His work was put to the acid test on 4th July 2019.
On the day of the fire James was on-site before I was, helping staff with crucial decisions, meeting with Insurance agents amongst others, and helping out where possible in a truly practical and hands-on manner. My staff and I are extremely grateful for his early presence and assistance that day.
James stayed late that day and discussed with me in detail the steps required moving forward, I was overwhelmed and anxious, James offered support beyond expectation.’’
Mark reports this Ausure insurance broker has continued to offer ‘’that same level of support, patience and understanding throughout this entire 18-month journey, as always leaving nothing to chance and helping me every step of the way.’’
‘’Humble, pragmatic and professional best describes James in my opinion, I am extremely grateful for his sound professional advice leading up to our business fire and for his hard work, knowledge, support and encouragement since.
His patience and understanding of my plight made so much difference, the balance between offering professional advice and personal counselling at times was difficult to determine.’’
Mark Mason says this is what makes an Ausure insurance broker such as James Stevens stand out:
“He genuinely understands and cares about his clients’ best interests and personal welfare.
Thank you to James and everyone else involved in my insurance claim at Ausure Insurance Brokers, I could not recommend this team of professionals more highly!’’
How can you ensure your business is protected?
We interviewed local Ausure insurance broker James Stevens in Victoria who assisted Mark Mason:
What insurances did you advise for Mark? And how did this help him get back on his feet?
‘’I first dealt with Mark when he was insured via another provider,’’ reports Stevens. ‘’He had a very basic business policy then, so in 2013 we made some key suggestions for improvements to his cover.
Thankfully, Mark agreed to take Business Interruption as an additional cover in his policy. We had discussed this in previous years, however, that year was the first time he had selected this cover.
Each year, we sat down together to review his policies and update the covers as required. The Property and Business Interruption sums insured were always discussed at length to ensure adequate levels of insurance were maintained.
When the loss occurred in July 2019, we engaged LMI Group to assist with handling the claim on Marks’s behalf. Once they had begun to prepare his claim, it became apparent that the covers were adequate and there would be no co-insurance applied by the insurer.
Mark is now back trading in his old location after operating from temporary premises and is optimistic about the future of his business going forward.”
Business Interruption insurance can help make sure a business keeps running smoothly after an unexpected event. How did Business Interruption cover help in this specific case?
‘’This cover enabled the insurer to progress payments at various stages (2-3 monthly) over the indemnity period. This meant Mark could continue to trade in temporary alternative premises as damage to the building was repaired.
Progress payments were made initially on the property loss to enable payment to creditors and purchase of new stock once he commenced trading.’’
What other insurance covers were essential?
‘’Adequate Property and Business Interruption insurance were vital in Mark being able to re-establish his business after the devastating loss he experienced.
The use of LMI to assist in preparing the claim on his behalf was also a deciding factor.
I have no doubt that without this, the outcome would have been vastly different.’’
How can you prepare to protect your business?
Consult a professional insurance broker today. Your local Ausure adviser can help ensure you and your business is adequately protected. If something happens, your Ausure broker provides the backup assistance needed to progress claims as smoothly and expertly as possible.
Having a trusted Ausure broker on your side can make a tremendous difference to the outcome of a claim.
Get insured right. Talk to a local Ausure insurance broker today by completing the form below or finding a broker here.
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