Canadian small businesses don’t plan to change their insurance programs despite weather losses: poll

Small business owners in Canada were increasingly affected by inclement weather in 2009, but they aren’t prepared to change their insurance programs because of it, according to a recent Leger Marketing poll.RSA Canada commissioned the poll, which found that 98% of small business owners aren’t planning to upgrade their insurance even though 61% per cent of these same respondents lost power in 2009, reported a loss in sales or shut down the office.RSA had 122 claims from small business owners in 2009. Together, the value of the claims totaled more than $2 million in water, wind and fire damage. The Leger survey indicated that of all the weather conditions experienced in 2009, most small business owners (67%) were affected by storms. Ninety-per cent of respondents from Atlantic Canada reported storm-related damage compared to 63% in Ontario.Floods received the second highest response, with 36% of respondents from the Prairies reporting flood-related damage.