Small Business Month

C M Y K 11 S M A L L B U S I N E S S M O N T H - S U p p L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I p E g F r E E p r E S S - W E d N E S d A y , O c T O B E r 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 By Holli Moncrieff for the Free Press L ife is hectic. We all have enough things to worry about — and insurance shouldn't be one of them. That's why the folks at MIG Insurance Group Ltd. do everything they can to make clients' lives a little easier. "We make sure we're accessible in a way our clients want, and we're good at being responsive to people," says Susan Gilbert, who co-founded the company with husband Brian Gilbert in 1995. "When we add a feature to our business, we're thinking about what would make a difference to our clients. We understand what their needs are and how they'll need to be protected if something happens," Susan says. "We've made sure we're providing our customers with online access and we offer them different ways they can connect with us." For example, MIG's Never Forget Your Insurance program provides an online portal The industry has changed a lot since Susan gilbert and Brian gilbert founded MIg Insurance group Ltd. 20 years ago, but they're proud the thriving company has remained a Manitoba-owned family business. Photo by Darcy Finley PRoteCting youR WoRld MIG Insurance Group delivers peace of mind that gives clients 24/7 access to their policy documents. Clients receive email reminders when it's time to renew, along with information and advice on new products. "We're the only ones in Manitoba who offer this service. You can slip onto your portal and check your deductible any time. It's one more way we work with you to protect your world," Susan says. "We know our clients want this option, but we're not offering this to replace the face time with them. We don't want people to feel like we're pushing them to online solutions." As an independent brokerage, MIG's goal is to provide the best insurance products for each client, including business, home, auto, agricultural, life, disability and group insurance plans. "The fact that we are locally owned makes us able to be a bit more agile than other companies," Susan says. "We have a holistic approach to meeting our clients' needs and we pride ourselves on being forward thinking." MIG has a lot to celebrate in its 20th-anniversary year. A small family business that grew into a big success, it now has nine locations across Manitoba — including five in Winnipeg — and more than 40,000 customers. "Our industry has changed a lot over the years. Lots of Manitoba brokers have been bought by international organizations," says Brian Gilbert, MIG President and CEO. "We're extremely proud to be one of the largest Manitoba-based and operated insurance brokers." The Gilberts have worked hard to ensure that clients receive the same level of service whether they're in St. Claude, Winnipeg, Winkler, Portage la Prairie or online. "People don't want to buy insurance, but they have to," Susan says. "We try to make it as uncomplicated as we possibly can." Building a strong team was critical to the company's success and growth, she adds. "It's tough to do everything yourself when you have nine locations and are geographically spread out, but it's also hard to step back when it's your baby. To move forward, we needed to learn to count on our team. We hire high-quality employees who build relationships with our clients." The ultimate goal is to make sure clients are prepared for every possible outcome. "If something happens to our clients, we want to get them back in the financial position they were in before the loss as quickly as possible," Susan says. "We want our customers to be able to relax and live in the moment, knowing they are financially protected against loss." Learn more at www.miginsurance.ca. ❚ "People don't want to buy insurance, but they have to - we try to make it as uncomplicated as we possibly can."

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