ART OF INSURANCE
Outside The Box :
24 / 7 Ball Sports And The Art Of Insurance
Businesses , regardless of what industry they are in , need to have some sort of insurance to cover them from exposures . That insurance , of course , is only part of an overall plan for risk management , along with safety programs and the like . For some companies , those risk management programs are a little bit more complicated . With COVID thrown into the mix , things can get very dicey , and finding the right professionals to assist with the process is the easiest way to ensure that everything goes smoothly . Nesbit Agencies has longstanding relationships with top insurance professionals and providers who can assist with even the most complicated risk management issues .
One business with such a complex situation is 24 / 7 Ball Sports out of Mankato , Minnesota . The founders , Matt Mangulis and Mike Brielmaier , started the company to provide a place for the community and families to continue physical activity ( especially during winter ) during a time when COVID had shut down public facilities in the area . After a successful launch , they have seen surrounding communities begin to support them as well and even assist with some local events .
24 / 7 Ball Sports is a membership club providing 24 / 7 turnkey access to members and features inside areas for ball sports such as fast-pitch , slow-pitch , soccer , and baseball ( among others ). Included in the facility is a variety of training equipment including turfed areas , pitching lanes , and batting cages . Members have automated entry 24 / 7 , so families can go inside and work on their own schedules in an organized way in the facilities . 24 / 7 Ball Sports also provides training tools and individualized training programs through trainers on the staff , should members so desire .
Not having been business owners before , the founders had no experience with risk management outside of basic safety plans that would be in place for all sports . That included selecting and purchasing insurance . They did what anyone new to
business ownership would do : picked up the phone and started calling around town . Unfortunately , they did not have much luck . Their company was unique in a number of ways and , add to that COVID restrictions and other regulations , it was no surprise they were not able to find anyone to help at first . However , a local Farmer ’ s agent was able to refer them to Jeff Staloch with Nesbit Agencies .
After learning about 24 / 7 Ball Sports and their business model , Jeff got on the phone and began calling his industry contacts looking for the right fit . He had a company in mind that Nesbit works with regularly , West Bend . West Bend has a specialty lines department called NSI , and they have an underwriting team that was able to provide guidance on what to provide 24 / 7 Ball Sports in terms of not only policies but also things like waivers for parents and kids to sign before taking part in activities and safety programs .
One of the largest benefits that Nesbit brings to the table , aside from their network of providers and contacts , is the holistic approach that they take to risk management . Preventing risk , handling issues as they occur , putting the right programs in place , and taking a proactive approach are all aspects which come together to form a cohesive whole .
Once the underwriters spoke with Jeff , he went back to the company to begin putting in the pieces that needed to be in place before coverage started . Fortunately , Matt and Mike had the majority of safety programs already in place and were very easygoing when it came to the implementation of new measures for risk mitigation . Bringing their enthusiasm for the business to the risk management table , Matt and Mike made handling everything go smoothly from start to finish .
When it comes down to it , one of the largest takeaways from the story of 24 / 7 Ball Sports is that businesses can still start and thrive in a COVID and post-COVID environment . Not only that but the unique risk challenges that COVID may bring to the table from
WITH JEFF STALOCH
Jeff Staloch has over 14 years of experience in the insurance business , primarily focusing in the areas of agri-business and commercial risk management . Jeff currently works closely with his team at Nesbit Agencies to help develop risk management plans for the agriculture , manufacturing , construction and hospitality industries .
Jeff also loves working with startup companies of all kinds . It can often be difficult to obtain insurance for some businesses when they are starting up and he likes the challenge of coming up with insurance solutions so entrepreneurs can worry less about managing their risk and focus on running a successful new business .
Jeff ’ s favorite part of his job is helping his clients come up with the most cost effective insurance solutions so their business can thrive . He can be reached at jstaloch @ nesbitagencies . com or 507-625-5558
an insurance standpoint are not things which should deter would-be owners from trying to start companies . On the contrary , these types of issues are precisely why insurance professionals should be brought in for assistance . In the case of Nesbit Agencies , that assistance goes beyond simply providing policies and acts as a holistic approach to the entire business designed to mitigate risk from top to bottom .
For more information about 24 / 7 Ball Sports , visit them online at www . 247ballsports . com .
To find out how Nesbit can help with your risk management program , you can reach out to Jeff Staloch at 507-625-5558 or jstaloch @ nesbitagencies . com or visit Nesbit online at nesbitagencies . com . +
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