In the IT business, your knowledge and expertise is what makes your business successful. Intellectual property is extremely valuable, and protecting it should be a high priority. You trust your employees, or you wouldn’t have hired them. But even so, you never know what the future may hold. That’s...
TechInsurance Small Business Center
Intellectual Property: Protect Yourself as an Employer
Tuesday, December 07, 2010 - IT Managers
Commercial Umbrella Insurance: Do I Need It?
Monday, December 06, 2010 - General Insurance
More than just insurance “for a rainy day,” umbrella insurance is so named because it acts like an umbrella, adding additional coverage amounts over certain underlying policies. Also called “excess liability insurance,” umbrella liability insurance gives your company higher coverage...
Intellectual Property for Programmers: Works Made for Hire Vs. Your Own Software
Thursday, December 02, 2010 - Computer Programmers
Whether you’re developing software on your own or writing custom software for a client, it pays to know your intellectual property rights. For a software developer, one of the most important types of intellectual property is the copyright, which gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, sell...
Contracts to Start Your New Client Relationship off Right
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 - General Insurance
Congratulations! You’ve won the business with a new IT client and are ready to get to work. To start this new business relationship with clear expectations, it’s time to define your scope of work, set your payment and pricing terms to ensure you get paid fairly, and protect your business...
Do’s and Don’t’s for Making Professional Liability Claims
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 - IT Project Managers
You’re working on an IT project for a client, and something goes terribly wrong. Your client isn’t happy, and you know there’s a good chance that you’ll take the blame for a big financial loss. Whether you actually get sued for an on-the-job mistake or are just on the receiving...
Match Your Insurance to Your IT Business’s Risks
Monday, November 22, 2010 - IT Staffing
When you’re a technology professional shopping for business insurance , it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the large number of available options. How do you determine what kinds of coverage you really need? Start by thinking about the types of risks inherent in your IT company’s work....
Now Hiring? Start off Right with Employment Contracts
Friday, October 08, 2010 - IT Staffing
Recruiting and retaining top employees is often a challenge. Getting started with a clear understanding of duties and expectations is critical is your relationship with your employees. That’s why many companies now make employment contracts a standard part of their hiring processes for all levels...
Contracts You Need When Hiring a New Contractor
Friday, September 24, 2010 - IT Staffing
If you’re planning on using a subcontractor to perform IT work for one of your clients, you’ve got a lot at stake. Even if you carefully screen your subcontractor for experience and client references, if he makes even one critical mistake on the job, your client relationship and reputation...
IT Staffing: A Unique Set of Risks
Friday, September 10, 2010 - IT Staffing
IT staffing firms know the importance of pre-screening job applicants and conducting thorough background and reference checks. But even staffing firms that screen with care can end up facing a lawsuit. All it takes is for one temporary or permanent placement to make a mistake on the job. And that, of...
Client Contract Requirements: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Insurance?
Friday, September 03, 2010 - General Insurance
You’ve got pen in hand, ready to sign a new client contract, and then you glance at the fine print. It says that to get the work, your IT business needs to carry five different kinds of insurance. That can’t be right! Or can it? If you’ve already got E&O, general liability and small...