Carl Niedbala

Startup Risk Tips: Know When Business Insurance Kicks In

Q: When is my company actually covered by our insurance policies?

3 Risks an On-Demand Services Company Needs to Consider

Update: We’ve released a new whitepaper examining the Sharing Economy industry. We dive into the insurance landscape, legal climate and how to approach risk management for companies in this sector. You can download the report here! Food for thought: on-demand services company risk profile The on-demand services company (think Uber, Makespace, Fly Cleaners…) is taking over the

2 Sneaky Ways Business Insurance Adds Value for Startups

Startups that Give us More to be Thankful For (UPDATED)

Last year we did a post on startups out there that are giving people more to be thankful for.  Here’s an update on those companies:   

Under the Hood: Creating Your Business Insurance Quote

So you’ve gone through the process of applying for insurance on the Founder Shield site.  In the the interest of transparency, here’s how we create your business insurance quote and how your insurance policy becomes a reality: 1. We review your submission internally As soon as you click submit, our team is alerted to review your

Startup Risk Tips: Admitted / Non-Admitted Insurance Policies

Q: What’s the deal with “admitted” insurance carriers vs “non-admitted” insurance carriers? Insurance quotes are a pain to read.  If you’re not in the industry, most of the terms might seem like complete jibberish.  One term that comes up is the whether the policy is with an Admitted or Non-Admitted insurance carrier.  Here’s the deal:

5 Important Tools for Hiring Employees for Your Startup

Scaling up a startup through increased hiring is an exhilarating phase in its growth journey. It’s not unusual for venture-backed companies to exponentially expand their workforce year after year. To ensure a smooth hiring process without spiraling out of control, here are key considerations under the umbrella of best HR practices for startups. 1. Employee

Updated 2014 Data Breach Notification Costs by State

Data Breach Notification Costs Cyber liability costs are soaring these days for all kinds of businesses (startups included).  Most people think of these “costs” as those related directly to the data breach: legal defense fees, settlements with users and 3rd party vendors, and forensic costs. Loss attributed to data breach notification costs can go under the radar.

Office-Sharing Can Save Startups. Here’s How.

  By now we are all acclimated to the sharing economy model. We share our cars, our homes and our dog sitters. Sharing your office may not be the first thing that comes to mind as the next sharing economy service, but it should be, especially if you’re a startup. It might even save your

The “Dos” &”Don’ts” of Buying Startup Company Insurance

Buying startup company insurance can be a daunting task.  The insurance market is fragmented and there is no shortage of products out there.  The industry is not exactly tech savvy either, and many brokers still employ tools as archaic as fax machines in their practices.  Just finding where to start can be a hassle! When

Insurance for Internet of Things Companies

Insurance for Internet of Things Companies — what you need to know The Internet of Things space is exploding right now and shows no signs of slowing down.  In fact, some sources estimate that there will be 200 billion connected devices on the planet by 2020.  The current global market size is estimated at $4.9

How a Data Breach can Destroy Your Startup [Infographic]

  Our friends over at egress sent us this really great infographic that shows the current state of cybersecurity and data breach issues surrounding costs, incidence rates, and those most effected.  The numbers are based on data collect by the UK-based Department for Business Innovation & Skills, but in an ever-growing global economy, they certainly

Cyber 101: Data breach Notification Laws and Costs

**This is a guest post by Scott Smedresman of Sorin Rand.**

The Top 3 Startup D&O Insurance Lawsuits / Claims

D&O Insurance is one of the most important types of insurance for startups.  You’ll undoubtedly see it on the term sheet of the vast majority of institutional investors because it’s a big risk exposure for both you (the founder) personally and your investors.

Startup CEOs & Cyber Security: Track your Tech!

Why startup CEOs should care about cyber security The data breach that Target suffered around Thanksgiving last year has finally worked its way up to the top of the organizational totem pole.  A couple of weeks ago, Target’s CEO Gregg Steinhafel lost his job a result of the cyber security shortcomings or liabilities that cost the company

Startup Internships: What Founders Need to Know

**This is a guest post by Scott Smedresman of Sorin Rand.**

Vibram Shoes: how to put your $4M foot in your mouth

  “Barefoot” running shoes have trended hard over the last few years.  Vibram is the company behind this revolution with their “FiveFingers” shoe product.  They touted the shoes as having a full range of benefits including: Strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs Improve range of motion in the ankles, feet, and toes Stimulate neural function important

Data’s a Risky Business: 2014 Data Breach Costs are Soaring

  Every year (or at least the last 9 years), an independent research organization called the Ponemon Institute does a study on the state of data security and 2014 data breach costs.  Its purpose is to determine the predominant causes of and costs related to data breaches.  The Institute takes into account many factors beyond legal-related

Death of a Co-Founder: The Importance of Key Man Life Insurance

Key Man Life Insurance can be touchy subject for most startup founders.  Most of the time it’s a “just-don’t-think-about-it” situation, and the only time the idea even comes up is when it appears on the Series A term sheet.  Entertaining the thought of losing a co-founder is one of the last things any entrepreneur wants to

Announcing Disability and Ancillary Benefits Coverage

  Founder Shield is happy to announce that we now offer a full suite of Disability and Ancillary Benefits insurance!  Here’s the high-level overview on both: Disability Insurance Disability insurance is usually required for all companies with employees.  It’s just like Workers Comp insurance…you need it!  Disability insurance covers your employees when they are unable

Beware! WordPress Security Issues Discovered

In a somewhat ironic twist, popular cybersecurity blog Krebs on Security recently suffered a cyber attack.  The site, just like ours and at least 60 million others out there, is built on WordPress, and the attack illuminated some troubling WordPress security issues.  So what exactly happened and how can you prevent this from happening to

How a Startup Insurance Policy is Born

At Founder Shield, we pride ourselves on getting our clients in front of underwriters immediately.  But as we present our clients to underwriters for quoting, we get a lot of questions about what’s going on under the hood.  To clear the air, here’s a quick and basic overview of the process and to tools that