Insure My Food Truck Founder, Denny Christner, was recently named a 2014 "Power Broker" by Risk & Insurance Magazine for his work and dedication to helping the gourmet food truck community. Below is the article featuring Mr. Christner:
Gourmet food trucks have been rising in popularity, giving hopeful restaurateurs a chance to get into the business without the cost and risk of opening a storefront location. But the niche is chronically underinsured. Denton Christner, vice president of BayRisk Insurance Brokers and founder of InsureMyFoodTruck.com, sought to fill the gap.
By mid-2012, he helped build a program addressing risks specific to food truck operations, incorporating loss of business income coverage, equipment breakdown and spoilage. Christner and his team now serve more than 400 mobile food vendors in multiple states. His website receives between 60 and 125 quote requests per month and has so far attracted almost 8,000 unique visitors.
Much of the site’s success grew from social media promotion and interaction. Christner connected with clients on Facebook or Twitter before meeting them in person to learn about them socially, which builds a stronger bond. Clients also were served quickly — getting full policies, certificates and identification cards within 48 hours — thanks to the company’s digital platform.
“On his website, he has a spot where you sign in and fill in the blanks and within 24 hours you get a certificate for endorsing another insurance for the day, which some locations require,” said Alan Jong, president of Slightly Skewed, a food truck in Sacramento, Calif. “The 24-hour turnaround is a great solution because sometimes I’ll get a call asking me to bring my truck down to a location in two days.”
There may be no better example of the innovation and fresh air the insurance industry craves than the work Denny Christner has done with BayRisk. By insuring hundreds of gourmet food trucks, Christner has not only displayed a sharp eye for new business, but has helped to cover a sector of the economy that speaks to new generations. If insurance is an enabler of commerce, then Christner is an enabler of good taste.
He also breaks the mold by using modern channels of communication with his clients: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Promoting and advocating for his always-on-the-go customers via social media speaks to his ability to adapt traditional business models to modern demands. That demonstrates a level of media savvy not typically seen from seasoned brokers.
And Christner is also serving the insurance industry and the economy in other ways. He has served on the Young Brokers & Agents Committee of Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of California and chaired that committee in 2011. In that leadership position, he hosted events geared to younger agents that encouraged them to discuss their progress and offer mutual support. Christner has also accepted a board position with the IIABCal in 2014.
“I continually engage young professionals and those entering the workforce to consider an insurance profession,” Christner said, calling the field personally rewarding, but often overlooked by young talent.
Full version of the article can be found here: http://www.riskandinsurance.com/2014pb-gaming-hospitality/