“Current State Farm driving data and claims experience show a considerable decline in miles driven and fewer accidents,” said Jason Bloom, Vice President – Agency/Sales. “As a result, we’re looking for ways to continue supporting our D.C. customers while we monitor and adjust to trends.”

Customer rate reductions will vary based on their individual renewals. Customers are encouraged to visit with their State Farm agent about individual policies, coverage and any opportunities for discounts, including Drive Safe & Save.

“My children took balloons to a whole new level,” said Fataima Ahmad, owner of Balloon Zoom.

Ahmad is referring to her daughters: Anna, Leila and Noor. Ten years ago they went to a party, saw a balloon twister, and decided to try creating their own inflatable fun. The rest is history.

“Even at ages five, seven and nine - they had an amazing knack for twisting,” Ahmad said. “We started a small business. Word got out, and the party bookings began.”

Balloon Zoom blew up. Over time, it's evolved into a high-end balloon décor business that builds everything from balloon columns to organic balloon walls. Anna is now a college freshman, but Leila and Noor are still actively involved in balloon builds.

“We run it out of our home,” said Ahmad. “Balloons in our family room, dining room and hallways is a regular thing – consider it part of the décor.”

As the business grew, so did the need for insurance.

“Now that we’re working with corporations, universities, hotels – a certificate of insurance is often required,” said Ahmad. “We got a lot of insurance quotes– but wanted someone we could talk to in the neighborhood, not in a city faraway. Someone that knows us personally.”

They met State Farm agent, Sonia Ntuk.

“Like us, Sonia is a local small business owner,” said Ahmad. “We can always stop in. She’s taught  us so much.”

“It’s an honor to work with small business owners and help them get the coverage they need,” said Ntuk. “Like Balloon Zoom, many small business are home-based. But, homeowners insurance doesn’t necessarily cover a small business.”

What if…

• a customer gets hurt on your property?
• an employee making a delivery (in your car) is in an accident?
• your inventory gets stolen?
• you cause property damage to a business that hired you?

“They call me the 'Worst Case Scenario Person',” said Ntuk. “But, a small business owner works hard for what they have. It should be protected.”

Of State Farm customers who own a small business,

40% have no small business insurance.

Yet, the average claim a small business owner faces is over $22K.

It only takes a little bit of time to make sure you have what you need,” said Ntuk. “Together, we develop a plan for your financial security.”

Wise Words:

“I think back to the advice the girls were given when they started: If you want to do something, go for it, and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” said Ahmad. “Having insurance gives us peace of mind to do more and be more.”

As for the future?

“Balloon Zoom is growing, and the girls and I are growing right along with it,” Ahmad said. “We can’t wait to see where we go next.”

“Together, we’re making dreams soar,” said Ntuk.

Spotlight on State Farm Agent, and small business owner, Sonia Ntuk

Inspired by her father (a 30+ year State Farm agent), Ntuk opened her office in 2015.

“It’s rewarding to be a small business owner,” she said. “As a State Farm agent I hope to set a positive example for other women in the industry, including my own 19-year-old daughter. To all the women out there, you can be the boss and decide how you want your small business to look. Have faith, be fearless, and help others. You CAN do it!”

Bloomington, Illinois (October 21, 2016) – State Farm is introducing a new coverage endorsement in several states to help fill insurance gaps for its policyholders who use their personal cars to provide rides for a Transportation Network Company (TNC), like Uber and Lyft. The TNC industry is rapidly changing the livery/taxi industry by using the latest mobile technology to facilitate rides for hire. With these new transportation services in the marketplace, drivers are exposed to new risks.

Insurance provided by TNCs may be limited in scope and coverage. Personal auto policies generally do not extend coverage to the use of personal cars as taxis or livery vehicles, including their use in TNC services.

To adapt to changing customer needs, beginning Monday, October 21, 2016, State Farm will offer a Transportation Network Company Driver Coverage endorsement in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia.

The effective date for new and renewal for all states except GA: October 21, 2016. The effective date for new and renewal for GA: November 21, 2016

Ten jurisdictions obtained the endorsement earlier this year: Alabama, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Tennessee and Wisconsin .

"Adapting and innovating to our customers' changing needs is critical," said Vicki Harper, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist. "This new product is an example of our commitment to our customers and provides them coverage, and peace of mind, when they use their personal cars to provide TNC services."

TNCs may provide high liability coverage limits while a paying passenger occupies the driver's vehicle or when the driver has been connected with a passenger and is on the way to pick that person up. But TNCs tend to provide a much lower limit of liability coverage when drivers are just available for hire and may not provide the drivers with any medical payments, comprehensive, or collision coverages at all. The TNCs may not be providing coverage for injuries to the driver or coverage for any damage to the driver's personal car.

The new, optional State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement enables a policyholder to have his/her personal auto policy fill in the coverage gaps left by TNC-provided insurance. This cost-effective endorsement provides the driver with the full liability coverage limits carried on his/her auto policy during the period of time when the driver is available for hire, and provides the driver with all other coverages applicable to his/her auto policy during all periods of TNC driving.

Customers in these states who drive for a TNC should contact their local State Farm agent to learn more about the new State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement.

How do we manage these risks effectively? What behaviors are the most critical to a safe driving experience? And how can we encourage drivers to take personal responsibility for adopting more of these safety-conscious behaviors?

Engaged Driving occurs when drivers actively devote sufficient attention to actions critical to safe driving. It’s our goal for all drivers to have this level of engagement at all times. That’s why State Farm chose to name this safety effort the “Engaged Driving Initiative.”

When it comes to tackling safety issues, at State Farm we employ the Research to Action business model. The  Engaged Driving Initiative will be no different.

We will first consider if there are research gaps we need to address in order to truly understand the problem. Once identified, we will engage in the research, enabling us to better understand the full nature of the issue of distracted driving. This will ultimately help us develop solutions that will improve safety for everyone who shares our roadways.

Distracted driving is a very complex issue, and there has been a great deal of research conducted to learn more about the problem. Some research involves in-vehicle cameras, others use driving simulators. Some experts do observational studies while others study crash data or conduct surveys.

We believe there is value to studying distracted driving from all these perspectives.

Based on our success with past safety initiatives, we knew our Engaged Driving research had the best chance for success if we reached out to others with a broad range of perspectives and areas of expertise. But how best to identify and reach the people and groups with the most to contribute to this effort?

For this, we turned to the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). As an international, multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to motor vehicle crash injury control and prevention, AAAM was the perfect partner to help us bring together a panel of experts to identify the current state-of-the-science and identify gaps needing further investigation.

Engaged Driving Symposium: March 31, 2014

To launch the Engaged Driving Initiative, and in recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, State Farm sponsored the Engaged Driving Symposium in Washington, D.C. on March 31, 2014.

The AAAM with support from State Farm, gathered a panel of top experts representing a broad range of expertise in the field of safe driving. The panel spent the past year preparing research reports on the latest science around distracted driving. At the symposium, they told us where there are gaps that need further exploration.

These experts shared their findings at a small, professional Engaged Driving Symposium on Monday, March 31st, in Washington, D.C. We made the symposium available to everyone in a free, live webcast during the event.

The full symposium is also available on-demand: Engaged Driving Symposium (March 31, 2014, Washington D.C.)

The symposium coincided with the release of a special issue of the AAAM journal, The Annals of Advances in Automotive Medicine, containing peer-reviewed papers authored by this group of experts. The full journal or individual papers can be downloaded for free at www.aaam.org.

Employing the Research to Action business model, State Farm is using the body of research contained in the journal and presented at the Engaged Driving Symposium to guide us in our next steps toward tackling the dangerous problem of distracted driving.