We've teamed up with the folks below to bring you insight and advice on managing your small business. From finances and insurance to competitive strategies, our experts have you covered. Got a question? They're here to help. Ask away!
Tom Shriver, Vice President, NetQuote
Small Business Insurance Expert
With almost 20 years of insurance industry experience, Tom Shriver has seen the impacts to small businesses when disaster strikes the uninsured or under-insured. Prior to joining NetQuote, Tom spent 17 years with Farmers Insurance Group, holding numerous leadership positions in both the corporate office as well as field management. Tom joined NetQuote, the nation’s No. 1 online insurance shopping site for consumers and small businesses, in 2005, where he leads national business development efforts to build and enhance sales processes and NetQuote relationships with national business partners.
Tom understands the insurance needs of small businesses from both sides – having worked for 10 years in the field, helping agents and brokers run their local businesses. His intimate knowledge of core business challenges – increasing sales, serving customers and reducing overhead – is augmented and enhanced by his deep knowledge of insurance coverage and financial issues.
Tom operated district offices in Fargo, N.D., and Denver. In North Dakota, Tom consolidated two business units while expanding the distribution in major populated areas. He provided leadership during three catastrophic events, including the Red River flood of 2007, and increased sales by 150 percent. In Colorado, he recruited and trained new insurance agency owners on running their local businesses. During that time, Tom also directed marketing strategy for the largest business unit in Colorado ($35 million in annual written premiums). In Colorado, Tom transitioned 13 sales offices to a new financial services platform, which included licensing agents with the National Association of Securities Dealers and completing product and sales training.
At the corporate level with Farmers Insurance Group, Tom directed marketing activities for five states, which included 42 district managers, more than 950 agents and a marketing staff of 17. His management experience in different business settings ensures invaluable small business insurance insight for small business owners.
Randy Williams, Adjunct Professor, University of Denver
Small Business Expert
Randy S. Williams has worked with owner-managed firms for more than 20 years. He has published and spoken before industry groups on the subject of planning for business owners. He is an experienced executive leading and supporting companies from pre-revenue through IPO. He has successfully worked with turnaround situations as well as mergers and acquisitions.
Randy understands the world of the owner-managed business, whether it’s a business with one employee or 200 employees. He understands that there are two types of people in the business world – those who have to make payroll next week and everybody else.
In addition to his responsibilities as President of ProLevation, a consulting and business advisory firm, Randy is also an Adjunct Professor in the MBA and Executive MBA programs at the University of Denver, where he teaches entrepreneurship and business planning. The part-time MBA program at DU was recently ranked 6th in the nation. He has watched a number of his students successfully launch businesses from his classes.
The result is that he oversees and/or prepares more than 60 business plans each year. Industries include businesses such as restaurants, law firms, CPA firms, manufacturing companies, hotels, travel services, leisure companies, Internet companies, garden nurseries, environmental consulting, property management, construction, nonprofits, international, various service businesses as well as others.
He offers services for entrepreneurs seeking to form a company, improve ongoing operations, and how to successfully exit businesses to get top dollar for their life’s work. Randy is a CPA (Texas) and holds a Master of Taxation degree from the University of Denver and a Master of Business Administration degree in marketing and finance from Southern Methodist University.
