Travelers Supports Small Business Saturday

As one of the largest insurers of small businesses with a national network of agents, many of whom are small business owners themselves, The Travelers Companies, Inc. this week announced its support for Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to bringing attention to the important role small businesses play in communities across the country.

Published on November 23, 2011

“The ultimate drivers of economic growth and prosperity are innovation, economic risk taking and investment, the majority of which come from small businesses,” said Marc Schmittlein, President and CEO of Travelers Small Commercial. “For every $100 spent in locally owned, independent stores, $68 remains in the local economy. It’s easy to see that small businesses have significant influence on the well-being of communities across the country.”

Travelers’ commitment to Small Business Saturday, which falls on November 26 of Thanksgiving weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is just one component of the company’s overall support of small businesses. Travelers also offers small business tips and resources to its customers and to its network of more than 13,000 independent agents, including business continuity planning, disaster mitigation techniques and other resources to manage risk and limit business interruptions.

“As an independent agent, I feel good knowing that Travelers is committed to seeing small business owners like me succeed,” said Ted Dyste, President of Dyste Williams, a Travelers agent in Minneapolis. “Many of our clients own small businesses, which are an important economic driver in our community. Travelers provides the insurance and risk management expertise small business owners like me need to compete in a challenging economic environment.”

Travelers also advocates for small businesses through a national series of symposia, “Small Business – Big Opportunity,” hosted by the Travelers Institute to raise awareness of and identify solutions to issues affecting entrepreneurs. The cornerstone of the events includes conversations with small business owners, public policy leaders, regulators, economists and lenders to discuss business challenges, including risk management, business continuity planning, regulatory requirements, and other issues that impact small business growth and job creation. The next symposium will take place on November 30 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

“Travelers is committed to helping small businesses succeed and influencing public policy leaders to improve the business environment,” said Joan

Woodward, Travelers Executive Vice President of Public Policy, who also heads the Travelers Institute. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and we understand it is essential to have state and federal policies that encourage entrepreneurship and fuel job creation across the country.”

Facebook, Google, Twitter and other innovators have also collaborated on Small Business Saturday to offer a toolkit designed to increase online sales at small businesses. The business owner toolkit is available at facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday.