PALO ALTO, Calif., June 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Small businesses have been described as the backbone of the American economy. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, there are over 30 million small businesses operating in the United States. In an effort to support and unite small businesses during an extraordinary time, Next Insurance, the leading digital business insurtech company, premiered its inaugural brand campaign, Built By Business. The initiative is meant to help put individuals across the country, from cleaners to contractors and painters to welders, back to work.
The stories of the Built By Business entrepreneurs are featured in the advertising campaign which is entirely built by small businesses. Prior to COVID-19, Next Insurance had planned to produce its first national advertisement. Once it became clear that small businesses were being forced to close their doors, Next reallocated more than $250,000 and hired 50 business owners impacted by the pandemic to help build the campaign. These entrepreneurs were paid to create commissions in-line with their craft to inspire others, give back to their communities and recreate an expression of the company’s name in everything from paint, to cake, to tattoo artwork.
“First and foremost, we stand by small businesses. This should be a time of unity, so when our customers were experiencing hardship, it didn’t feel right for us to spend our dollars on a large production. Instead, we decided to use the budget to put people back to work,” said Next Insurance’s CMO, Melanie Chase. “We decided that if our brand is designed for small businesses, it should be built by them. This initiative brings to life the mission of our company, to help entrepreneurs thrive.”
At the heart of the Built By Business campaign are the stories of entrepreneurs, the self-employed and small businesses, and focuses on the invaluable products and services they provide to their communities.
One of those stories belongs to Mark Linen: He opened his bakery, Brotha Bakes, just six months ago, using recipes he learned from his mother when he was growing up. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, like all small businesses, momentum and revenue slowed. As part of the Built By Business campaign, Next Insurance commissioned Mark to bake 220 cakes which were donated back to first responders in his community.
“Brotha Bakes was just getting started when the pandemic hit, so the opportunity to participate in Built By Business was mind blowing,” said Mark Linen, owner of Brotha Bakes. “What really stood out to me about the experience was that I was able to donate what I produced to hospital workers in my community. Giving back is really important right now and truly underlines the intention and spirit of the project.”
Another of those stories belongs to Hyatt Stengle: Hyatt is a contractor who works on everything from home remodels and new backyard decks, to helping her clients organize cabinets. Her business had slowed down during shelter-in-place, but she’s taking the time to work on projects around her own house. As part of the Built By Business program, Hyatt was hired to create a planter box in her backyard that spelled out ‘Next’.
“Small business owners have a unique passion for their craft and ultimately want to do what they love to do: build, create and innovate,” said Hyatt Stengle, owner of Hyatts Helping Hands. “Being hired by Next Insurance to create something for the Built By Business campaign was such a unique and collaborative opportunity. It’s not every day that you know the people at your insurance company, let alone work on a project with them!”
Built by Business was announced in April, not long after Next Insurance became the first company in the US to provide a 25% reduction to its policyholders' general liability, professional liability and commercial auto premiums. That relief followed an industry leading call-to-action by Guy Goldstein, Next Insurance’s CEO, for others to do their part and help small businesses where possible.
Chase said, “Mark and Hyatt represent the resilience of American business owners and entrepreneurs. Our customers are facing adversity with grit and determination and Next Insurance is humbled to stand with them as they restart their businesses in earnest.”
Next Insurance plans to continue the Built By Business campaign over the coming months and will be highlighting more entrepreneurs as the country returns to work. To watch the stories or learn more about the campaign, go to nextinsurance.com/builtbybusiness/ or follow #BuiltByBusiness.
About Next Insurance
Next Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, digital and affordable coverage tailored to the self-employed. Next Insurance offers policies that are easy to buy in 10 minutes or less and provides 24/7 access to services such as Live Certificates of Insurance, Additional Insured, and more, with no extra fees. Revolutionizing a historically complicated insurance industry, Next Insurance utilizes AI and machine learning to simplify the purchasing process and drive down costs by 30% compared to traditional policies. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, has received a total of $381 million in venture capital funding and has been recognized by Forbes Fintech 50 and Forbes Best StartUp Employers. For more information visit NextInsurance.com. Stay up to date on the latest with Next Insurance on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and our blog.
Press Contact:
Kerry Ogata
kerry.ogata@nextinsurance.com
301-717-4224
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b13cec56-235e-4dfc-96c1-909d6af225d4
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ef78309-a9e0-47e5-a1e0-c575f605d5fb