Good Neighbor Stories

State Farm support of SkillsUSA helps students soar

Wed, 04 May 2022 07:10:08 -0500

Mark Carr turned his high school vocational technical training into a successful State Farm® career as an appraiser on the estimatics team in P&C Claims. Mark is a 23-year employee who began his automotive career installing windshields in a body shop. He worked his way up to a body tech position, foreman and then eventually as an auto estimator with State Farm.

Mark is telling his story of success to high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled, and service occupations – including auto collision repair.

As part of the State Farm^® support of SkillsUSA, Mark is sharing in the mission to prepare students for success in a non-traditional educational environment. Taking a pathway other than a customary four-year college degree, Mark says skills training can, “open doors for new opportunities and financial reward.”

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit national education association with a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, and citizenship and character development. It also provides training for career and technical education instructors to enhance their industry knowledge and teaching skills.

Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA, says, “State Farm has served as a strategic partner with SkillsUSA for 30 years. With the support of State Farm, SkillsUSA annually serves more than 20,000 career and technical education teachers, ensuring they have the most current technical skills and student engagement strategies to deliver the SkillsUSA mission on the local level.

“We appreciate State Farm for investing in these critical professionals who guide our students’ futures while helping to shape the future of our nation.”

For information on skilled and technical job opportunities at State Farm, please visit State Farm Careers.

Tips for setting up – and protecting – your small business

Mon, 02 May 2022 09:50:40 -0500

Baker Miriam Vilchez always dreamed of creating a business, spending hours perfecting her baking skills even while working full time. To get feedback on her business idea, she brought a freshly baked cake to her local State Farm agent, Cristel Noel. Noel was impressed by the cake's flavor and presentation, and discussed the plans Vilchez had for her business – and how her insurance needs as a small business owner would change.

Unfortunately, just as her plans were coming together, Vilchez was laid off from her full-time position due to the pandemic. She had to take several part-time jobs, putting her dream on hold. But she didn’t want to wait much longer. Determined to turn her passion into a business, Vilchez contacted Noel about what she would need to do to start her bakery from home.

“Cristel and her team have always taken the time to understand my needs and my situation so they can present insurance options for my specific plans,” said Vilchez. “I appreciate and value that kind of commitment.”

From opening day, Vilchez has baked cakes for birthdays, holidays, and other events. She gained referrals from loyal customers, and her business has blossomed. In 2021, she was able to buy more equipment, allowing her to bake at a higher capacity. Today she works full-time creating her beautiful cakes.

If you dream of starting a business, you are not alone. According to the Census Bureau, over 4.4 million new businesses were created in the U.S. in 2020 – the highest on record, with half a million new businesses begun in January 2021 alone. As a result, State Farm has experienced a 30% increase in home-based business insurance policies in the past two years.

Whether you’re still planning, or you already own a small or medium-sized business, here are tips to help ensure that your business will grow and thrive.

Develop a plan.

No business can get off the ground, get financing, or grow without a solid business plan. Creating a good business plan – and adapting it as needed – takes research, and assistance from others. One great resource for all things small business, including writing business plans, is the Small Business Administration.

Make it official.

Every locality has different regulations regarding starting and operating businesses. Because such regulations involve legal and tax issues, you’ll need expert advisors to address your specific situation. You may find qualified consultants by contacting professional associations in your industry for recommendations.

Find connections.

Start building a network of people who can offer advice and assistance – even if they’re in a different field. Learning from others who have been in your shoes is very helpful, especially when you’re starting out. If you’re a woman, veteran, minority or live in an area undergoing renewal, you may also be eligible for programs to assist you with funding and more through the Small Business Administration and other organizations.

Protect your investment.

Whether you have a separate location or home-based business, you need to protect your investment by insuring it.

If you’re starting a business from home, you may need to add an endorsement to your homeowner’s policy, which covers business property while it’s used or stored inside your home. Alternatively, you may want to consider a business insurance policy which provides broader coverage, including liability insurance in addition to covering your business property. This could be used to insure a business operated out of your home or a separate location such as an office or storefront.

Consider a business insurance policy if you:

Provide services directly to customers while in your home or at another location. Businesses such as tax preparation or hair services, etc. may require additional specialized liability coverage. Plan to have $5,000 or more worth of business property kept at your home-based business location.
Rely on the income from your business to support your household.

Your investment is not just a building or inventory – it includes yourself, your employees, and your customers. For many small businesses, unexpected events can disrupt the normal flow of business. What if you’re injured or sick? What if a client is injured in your home? In addition to health and life insurance, disability and liability insurance may be needed to protect your income, and with the help of a State Farm agent, you can plan for all of these when getting your small business off the ground.

To get a conversation started about your business insurance needs, visit:

Business insurance at surprisingly great rates

Seguro para negocios a precios tan buenos que sorprenden

Katie Ellis has an “awesome State Farm story”

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 07:00:00 -0500

Katie Ellis had seen better days. It was 2015, they were unemployed and having trouble making ends meet. That trouble included being late on their auto insurance bill from State Farm^®, which led to a call from now-retired Arizona agent Shar Roos.

“It was embarrassing, telling her I was having trouble finding a job,” said Katie. “But she was incredibly nice and just wanted to know if there was anything she could do to help.”

“She asked me what kind of work I was looking for and what types of things I’d done in the past,” remembered Katie. “I mentioned I’d worked in a call center, she kind of paused for a second and then said ‘I may have an idea…’”

“I thought she was kidding, but she told me State Farm was looking for people to work in their Phoenix call centers and if I wanted to apply, she’d give me a referral and send me all the information I needed.”

Katie got the job and began their State Farm career.

“I was so grateful to Shar for suggesting this and giving me that referral,” said Katie. “It literally changed my life.”

Since then, they became an underwriting service assistant, helping agents and their staff members.

“I got a call one day from Shar,” said Katie. “We got through the call and right at the end I said, ‘Oh by the way, I’m working here because of you!’ And she was like, ‘Wait, you’re not Katie Ellis, are you?’”

“She didn’t have to do what she did, but I’m glad she did, because I’ve been here for seven years and I’m planning on being here for a lot more.”

State Farm and Disney Team Up to Create Good Neighbor Magic

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 09:00:03 -0600

State Farm^® and The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) today announced a new multi-year relationship spanning the Disney Parks and Resorts and Disney Advertising Sales businesses. The collaboration of these two nearly 100-year-old iconic brands – whose shared values represent being good neighbors and helping people realize their dreams – will allow both to engage in new and important ways together.

“State Farm is honored to team up with Disney on exciting new experiences and opportunities that are only made possible with a good neighbor and a little magic,” said Rand Harbert, chief agency, sales & marketing officer at State Farm. “Both brands strive to help people realize their dreams. Together, we’ll work to do good and spread joy in communities across the country.”

“Our long-standing collaboration with State Farm represents the epitome of best-in-class relationships,” said Rita Ferro, President Disney Advertising Sales. “The creative executions our two brands have deployed across our media businesses throughout the years consistently raise the bar, and we’re excited to extend that relationship across several parts of our company in unique ways.”

Born just one year apart, State Farm and Disney are beloved and iconic brands, both deeply rooted in fostering a sense of community, improving lives and giving back. These common values will drive how the relationship comes to life over the coming years.

“We’re thrilled to welcome State Farm into a strategic alliance,” said Tiffany Rende, The Walt Disney Company Senior Vice President of Marketing Partnerships, Alliances and Card Services. “Our companies share so many of the same values, and this enhanced relationship provides us with the perfect opportunity to collaborate, making magic with upcoming projects that we know our guests and consumers will enjoy.”

Beginning this year, consumers will see this alliance take shape in the form of collaborations on exciting events and sponsorships such as an event during the Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World^® Resort, Good Neighbor Month celebrations in September, the 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend sponsorship and more.

State Farm will also sponsor two venues located at Walt Disney World^® Resort, State Farm Waterview Park at Disney Springs and State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

In addition, State Farm will be the presenting sponsor of the upcoming Disney Parks planDisney Podcast and the presenting sponsor of the popular “Five Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend” segment of the weekly D23 Inside Disney podcast.

State Farm and Disney have additional exciting announcements planned and will unveil more throughout 2022 and beyond.

Good Morning America!

To celebrate the alliance between State Farm and Disney, Good Morning America helped State Farm surprise a Good Neighbor family in High Point, N.C., with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort. The mother-daughter team, Lakisha and Laila Ratliff, started a lemonade stand to give back to the less fortunate. Proceeds from the pair’s drink sales are used to create care packages for those in need. In addition to the trip, State Farm also awarded Laila and Lakisha a $10,000 check to donate to a charity of their choice and a juicer to support her small business.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes Disney Parks, Experiences and Products; Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution; and four content groups—Studios, General Entertainment, Sports and International—focused on developing and producing content for DTC, theatrical and linear platforms. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $67.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2021.

State Farm® to play prominent role in NBA All-Star 2022

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 06:37:57 -0600

All-Star Saturday Night

After Covid-19 related cancellations in 2021, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night (ASSN) is back, as part of the 75th NBA All-Star 2022. State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET (televised on TNT) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Featuring the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night is always one of the highlights of the NBA All-Star.

New Commercial Spots

This season’s State Farm “Challenge Your Assumptions” campaign continues with two new commercial spots: 2K Gamers and Clipboard. The campaign challenges fans’ commonly held assumptions as a parallel to assumptions they might hold about the company’s home and auto rates, when in fact State Farm has Surprisingly Great Rates.

The spots feature point guard Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns, and introduce Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, Twitch Streamer & YouTuber GoldGlove, and Phoenix Suns Coach Monty Williams, also coaching Team LeBron in the All-Star Game.

State Farm Assist Tracker

During the All-Star Game, the NBA and State Farm® will donate $1,900 for every assist made, with the total amount split between the two-Cleveland based beneficiaries.

The Kent State I Promise Scholars Program provides higher education opportunities and wrap around support for underserved I Promise students in Northeast Ohio, while the Greater Cleveland Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio annually serving more than 400,000 people and providing life-saving food benefits to those in need.

In total, nearly $1 million will be donated to both organizations.