January 2020 | James Page Insurance

How to Create an IT Disaster Plan for Your Business

Help your business bounce back after an IT emergency.

Today, businesses are reliant on data, digital systems, and hardware. In fact, without a functional IT system, your business’s operations would probably come to a screeching halt. This is why it’s so important to have a plan for dealing with unexpected IT emergencies. To ensure that your business can recover from a major system failure, here are some of the steps that you should take now.

Know Your Risks

To develop an effective IT disaster recovery plan, you need to know which cyberthreats to prepare for. One of the best ways to determine your risks is by working with a cybersecurity auditor. They will be able to review your security systems and protocols to identify weaknesses in your plan. Additionally, the auditor can help you develop risk mitigation strategies to address your most pressing cybersecurity risks.

Back-Up Your Data

Backing up your company’s data frequently will minimize your losses during a major IT disaster. To ensure that your backups are effective, you need to determine which files need to be backed up, where they will be backed up to, and who is responsible for handling the backups. When you have a secondary cache of your business’s most important information, an IT disaster will be much less damaging to your company’s operations and reputation.

Create an IT Disaster Recovery Team

Should an IT disaster strike, you need to take action immediately. This is why it’s important to put together a response team ahead of time. Your IT disaster recovery team should consist of IT and operations employees who are always ready to jump in should an issue arise. Each team member should have a designated role to avoid miscommunication and inefficiency. By having a ready-made team to deploy, your business can minimize the losses associated with an IT disaster event.

These are some of the suggestions that you should try to create an effective IT disaster recovery plan for your business. Want another way to protect your company from disaster? Then make sure you have the right business insurance in place. For assistance with all commercial coverage needs, contact the experts at James Page Insurance today.

January 30, 2020/by jamespage

How To Deal With Rude And Bad Neighbors

Personal

Living with rude and toxic neighbors can be a source of major stress. However, you don’t have to sit back and simply accept your bad neighbor’s discourteous behavior. Instead, take these steps to deal with rude and toxic neighbors and potentially build a positive relationship with your neighbor.

Tips for Dealing with Rude or Toxic Neighbors

Here are the 3 important steps that will help you to handle a bad or a rude neighbor.

1. Make Sure You Are Not the One at Fault

While it’s easy to assume that your neighbor is just toxic, it’s important that you stop and think about how your behavior may be affecting them. Often a neighbor’s actions are actually a form of retaliation for your own inconsiderate behavior. So, before you confront your neighbor, carefully think about your conduct and determine whether you may be the one at fault.

2. Be Friendly

You can’t resolve neighborly disputes if you don’t actually know your neighbor. This is why you should make an effort to be friendly and actually introduce yourself to them. As you build a relationship, it will be easier to bring up the problems that you are having with their behavior. By maintaining the relationship and fostering open communication, you can address current issues and prevent future problems from ever arising.

3. Don’t Make Bad Assumptions

When dealing with a bad neighbor, it can feel like they are purposely doing things to annoy you. However, this is probably not the case. More often than not, your neighbor is a good person who is just oblivious to how their behaviors are negatively affecting you. So, rather than storming up to their front door with accusations at the ready, try to be courteous and introduce issues in a non-confrontational manner. This will give your neighbor a chance to apologize and reflect on their actions, without the whole situation becoming hostile.

These are some of the suggestions that you should try when dealing with rude, toxic, and bad neighbors. Looking for ways to deal with troublesome insurance policies? Then turn to the experts at James Page Insurance. We provide affordable home, auto, life, and business insurance. Our dedicated team is eager to assist you with all your insurance needs. Click here to call or contact us to get started today.

January 23, 2020/by jamespage

Dispelling Common Myths About Electric Cars

Archive, Lifestyle, Personal

Don’t believe these lies about electric vehicles.

As electric cars become more popular, so do the misconceptions about them. Sadly, these mistruths often prevent drivers from giving these eco-friendly vehicles a fair chance. To ensure that you aren’t making unfair assumptions about electric vehicles, here is the truth behind some of the most common myths.

“They Don’t Have Enough Range.”

Many drivers believe that electric cars cannot hold their charge long enough to travel long distances. In reality, the average American drives about 40 miles a day. Even the shortest-range electric vehicles can travel double that on a single charge. Generally, electric vehicles have the ability to get anywhere from 150 miles to 310 miles on a single charge.

“They Cost Too Much to Maintain and Repair.”

Many drivers write off electric vehicles because they believe that they are too expensive to maintain and repair. While it’s true that electric cars do require unique parts and specialty technicians, this cost is offset by the fact that they do not require as much maintenance. Unlike standard cars, electric vehicles do not require regular oil changes or tune-ups. Additionally, electric vehicles have fewer moving parts that require servicing or replacement. Because they are so low maintenance to own, electric vehicles are also very cost-effective.

“They Are Too Slow.”

Many drivers hold the belief that electric vehicles are glorified golf carts. However, you may be surprised to learn that most electric cars are actually quicker than standard gasoline-powered cars. This is because an electric motor generates 100% of torque instantly. This means that electric vehicles can actually reach their top speeds in a fraction of the time it takes gas-powered cars to get there.

This the truth behind common electric car myths. Interested in getting an electric vehicle? If so, then make sure you protect it with the right auto insurance. For assistance with all your car coverage needs, contact the experts at James Page Insurance today.

January 16, 2020/by jamespage

Why Your Home Insurance Rates May Have Gone Up

Archive, Personal

Factors leading to home insurance premiums increases.

As a homeowner, you understand why your insurance rates increase after filing a claim. However, it’s important to know that your claims history isn’t the only thing that affects your rates. Here are some of the other factors that can cause your homeowners insurance premiums to increase at renewal.

Increased Likelihood of Extreme Weather Events– In recent years, the number of wildfires, windstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other extreme weather events have increased significantly. As the frequency of these damaging events increases, insurance companies must increase their rates so they can keep up with resulting home insurance claims.
Increasing Local Crime Rate– When calculating your premiums, your home insurance provider will look at the local crime rate to determine how likely you are to become a victim of theft or vandalism. If your local crime rate has increased over the past year, then your insurer will consider you a higher risk to insure. As such, they will also increase your premiums.
Increasing Cost of Repairs and Replacements– As the cost of emergency cleanup services, skilled trades, personal belongings, and home values increase, so does the amount of money that insurance companies have to pay to address policyholder claims. Insurance companies will increase policy premiums to offset the higher cost of claims.

These are some of the reasons why your homeowners insurance rates may have increased this year. Do you have additional questions about your home coverage? If so, then contact the experts at James Page Insurance. Our dedicated team is eager to assist you with all your home insurance needs today.

January 9, 2020/by jamespage