Romanov Report 56 - Aug 29, 2007
Torstar, one of the largest multi-media companies in Canada, has purchased InsuranceHotline.com.
Since I started InsuranceHotline.com in 1994, many companies have approached me about selling the business. I declined all prospective buyers as their intentions were to change InsuranceHotline.com from an unbiased quoting service into a marketing vehicle to sell their own insurance policies.
It was very important to me to know that Torstar would maintain InsuranceHotline.com's position as the only truly independent insurance rating guide for drivers.
Torstar's businesses include the Star Media Group led by the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper, and digital properties including TheStar.com, Toronto.com, LiveDeal.ca, Workopolis and Olive Canada Network. Torstar also owns Metroland Media Group, publishers of community and daily newspapers in Ontario.
This means InsuranceHotline.com now has the ability to reach far more people than I could on my own and even more people will learn about how they can save $100's, even $1,000's on their car insurance.
2 GREAT things have happened Now that Torstar owns InsuranceHotline.com
1 Torstar is maintaining InsuranceHotline.com's "unbiased quoting service" which will continue to provide you with the lowest rates. 2 Torstar wants to promote your testimonials on TV and in the newspaper.
Telling Your Story: If you have a story to tell about how InsuranceHotline.com saved you money, or an insurance horror story you think people should hear about, please send us an email.
GEMS of Information
I will be staying on to continue to bring you "gems of information" and will expand on the savings and services Torstar can bring to you.
With that in mind, I would greatly welcome any suggestions you may have on what other things we can offer to help you save money:
Speeding
Ontario imposes $10,000 fines for speeding
Effective September 30th, if you're caught driving 50 km/h or more over the speed limit you'll be treated like a street racer.
Penalties: That means police can issue a roadside 7-day license suspension and impound your vehicle for 7-days, which you'll have to pay for to get your car back.
Fines: If convicted, you could face fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000.
Your Insurance Rate: For a Toronto driver, this means your insurance rate could skyrocket to over $16,000. This is because 50 km/h and over is now considered to be a major ticket. The license suspension will also count against your insurance rate.
Note: Even if you go to court and win, the licence suspension may remain on your driver's abstract, and that alone will affect your insurance rate for 6 long years.
"Free" Home Insurance
Here's how drivers can get home insurance for "Free":
When you find the lowest car insurance rate on www.InsuranceHotline.com,
ask the insurance rep for a home quote. There could be up to a 15% discount that can be applied to your auto premium, which is often enough to cover the cost for your home, condo, or tenant insurance:
Working From Home: If you're operating a business from home, you can get insurance coverage for your business"¦CHEAP! As cheap as $10 a year.
People with home businesses often don't get insurance because they fear what it might cost.
A cheap way of obtaining coverage for your home business is to get it added to your home insurance policy. It will cover you for:
- Liability Insurance. For example if you're receiving a package, and the courier slips and falls on your steps, you are covered for their medical expenses.
- Books, computers, hardware, software.
- Tools, stock or inventory.
Your insurance representative can give you an exact quote. But first to find which insurance company has the best rate for you, click on the link below:
Entrepreneur Special
I started InsuranceHotline.com as a home business and grew it worthy of Torstar.
The top 5 strategies I used to grow InsuranceHotline.com into the largest, and truly unbiased quoting service in Canada were:
Focus on Revenue Generation: The website was built to mirror my off-line business model with a strong focus on revenue generation over the web.
Search Engine Optimization: I used various search engine optimization techniques to move the website to the top of the search engines (e.g., Google).
Affiliates: I developed key affiliate partnerships to generate revenue.
Advertorial Advertising: I used an advertorial format to deliver my message and encourage people to visit the website.
- Multi-Media Marketing Strategy: I promoted InsuranceHotline.com through a variety of media channels.
I enjoy helping entrepreneurs with their business pursuits.
If you're interested in receiving more information about how I used these strategies to grow my business, click here.
Lee Romanov
President
InsuranceHotline.com
Now Get Back to Work
