Author Topic: New Orleans - Paying It Forward  (Read 7512 times)

Offline Gilligan

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Re: New Orleans - Paying It Forward
« Reply #30 on: September 10, 2021, 09:11:49 PM »
Plan to go move the boat back to our marina tomorrow.


Offline brandon

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Re: New Orleans - Paying It Forward
« Reply #31 on: January 25, 2022, 05:13:38 PM »
Hey, so things have finally come to a close with this situation and I wanted to give huge thank you's to Gilligan, Alex, Pierre, GSG, M&R, and everyone else that helped us out. It was a massive learning experience. Running a production shop with bands on tour for four weeks without power was a nightmare but we did it. I was in between Pensacola to the East of New Orleans to Lafayette to the West living and printing for a month. Plus sending jobs out all over the place. I really don't want to do it again but I did learn a lot. Plus we became friends with another shop here in New Orleans that we now have a mutual aid situation worked out so that is great. So thank all of you. Much appreciated.

But regarding insurance I learned "Business Interruption" really does not do anything. Thankfully I had a decent clause for "Utility Interruption" and that saved us and somehow triggered the Business Interruption. We were not flooded or have any damage except the loss of power for four weeks which caused our CTS to dry out. To be fair that was replaced asap by GSG and M&R and was 100% covered. Then once the Utility Interruption hit it's max which it did it triggered the Business Interruption. At a point about 2 months in I stopped phone conversations with the insurance company and only did email as I kept getting different explanations. To this day I still do not understand some of the answers given and I don't think they do as well. And after 5 months I think they were just annoyed with me so we settled for 89% of what I believe we should have received. I might have been able to get the rest but after 5 months I have way too much other stuff going on. Plus redoing our current policies and adding new ones.

I would like to stress to the shops on here I would look at your policies and definitely get Utility Interruption and set it high whatever your definition of that is. Then take a look at your current flood policy. If you don't have one or think you don't need one be careful. My brother lives in Longmont, CO very high elevation and a few years back half the town was submerged. And by the way flood policies across the country are changing dramatically and doubling in price as I know ours just did. If you don't have it I would highly suggest it before summer hits.

But anyway THANK YOU all for all the help and support and everyone that also just simply reached out. I and everyone here does appreciate it.

Offline bimmridder

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Re: New Orleans - Paying It Forward
« Reply #32 on: January 25, 2022, 05:40:32 PM »
Having been through a little disaster myself, I can say there are some really wonderful people and businesses in the printing world. Without them I wouldn't be printing anymore. Without preaching, this is a good time to put together an Emergency Action Plan to try to make yourself ready for any number of disasters that may occur. We learned a lot when we had our experience. And thanks again to all who help us back then. I know how humble  you feel right now, Brandon. I'm glad you made it through!
Barth Gimble

Printing  (not well) for 35 years. Strong in licensed sports apparel. Plastisol printer. Located in Cedar Rapids, IA

Offline Gilligan

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Re: New Orleans - Paying It Forward
« Reply #33 on: January 25, 2022, 06:04:32 PM »
If anyone needs a REALLY amazing insurance agent, I have one!

She's 100% legit and will fight and make sure you get what you are being told you get and she will tell you what you don't need!

I have a piece of (abandoned) property that we let the insurance lapse on.  So the bank was like "we will have to force place insurance on this if you don't cover it!".  Called my girl and she said, "Let them.  It will be for less than what I can write you for because they will only cover what you owe and not full value."

She was obviously correct and saved me some money... while completely screwing herself out of a commission that she could have EASILY taken while telling me how she was "taking care" of me because I let it lapse.  She doesn't do that.

She's gone over my mom's policy with another agent when she was up for renewal because she didn't understand somethings and saved her some money by telling her what she could get rid of.  Of course this did win my mom over to change to her next time she could... but she did it because she's just awesome!

Anyway... if you need her info just holler... or google.  Kristen Willis - All State in Youngsville, LA

Tell her Kevin at Acadiana T-Shirts sent you and she will absolutely take care of you!

Offline brandon

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Re: New Orleans - Paying It Forward
« Reply #34 on: January 26, 2022, 09:49:00 AM »
Having been through a little disaster myself, I can say there are some really wonderful people and businesses in the printing world. Without them I wouldn't be printing anymore. Without preaching, this is a good time to put together an Emergency Action Plan to try to make yourself ready for any number of disasters that may occur. We learned a lot when we had our experience. And thanks again to all who help us back then. I know how humble  you feel right now, Brandon. I'm glad you made it through!

Hey, yes, we are actively going over plans and having a meeting about it next month before Mardi Gras hits. But to be fair when I relocated back to New Orleans from my shop in Seattle I made the decision to not focus on local and use the internet for sales. It has paid off and we are about 91 percent online sales out of State. I did that knowing if we did relocate the local thing would not hamper us. So a large part of the plan is this Spring starting to scout new locations away from any body of water. I am very serious about this. I have lived my entire life next to either the Atlantic, Pacific, or the Gulf and I am over hurricanes and tsunami warnings. I know there is always something somewhere but I would rather be closed due to extreme snow and cold for a week knowing I have a shop and house not under 12 ft of water. Huge difference there. And you are correct Dave - you can be on top one day then two States over the next having fingers crossed everything you own is not gone for good. It is very humbling and again a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that helped.

Kevin - I might be chatting with you soon. You can never have too many policies!!!