Hartford Small Businesses Center Online

NU Online News Service, July 24, 11:52 a.m.EST?The Hartford Financial Services Group, a provider ofsmall business insurance, has unveiled its new Web site, sb.thehartford.com, to helpentrepreneurs educate themselves about insurance before theybuy.

According to Hartford, Conn.-based The Hartford, the SmallBusiness Insurance Center explains the different types of coveragesfor small businesses, translates insurance jargon into plainEnglish and provides tools to help analyze specific coverage needs,minimize risk, and even develop a disaster recovery plan.

"Small business owners have told us they want to research aproduct or service before meeting with an independent agent, sothey can ask the right questions," said Jim Ruel, senior vicepresident of small business insurance for The Hartford. "Our Website provides the tools and information they need to make educateddecisions regarding their insurance and risk management needs."

According to Mr. Ruel, The Hartford worked closely with smallbusiness owners and insurance agents on the Web sitedevelopment.

Key features of the small business Web site include:

? Coverage Analyzer?which provides a customized checklist ofcoverages business owners should consider, based on their type ofbusiness.

? Test Your Risk IQ?which lets visitors test their knowledge ofcommon risks. A customized report provides both a score and anexplanation of the correct answers to each question, as well aslinks to additional information on relevant topics.

? Disaster Recovery Planning?This helps smaller firms jumpstartthe process of preparing a disaster recovery plan. The sectionprovides an interactive risk assessment tool, planning worksheet,disaster planning tips and other resources from loss controlexperts.

? Insurance Jargon Translator?which provides legal definitionsand plain English translations of insurance terms.

? Protection Match Reports?which lets small business ownersreview a list of coverages by key category or receive a customizedreport of coverages based on their specific needs.

? Find an Agent?Once business owners are ready to talk to anagent about specific coverage needs, they can access a list ofindependent insurance agents in their areas.

The Hartford is one of the nation's largest investment andinsurance companies, with 2001 revenues of $15.1 billion. As ofMarch 31, 2002, the company reported assets of $184.9 billion andshareholders' equity of $9.0 billion.