Meet Tim Verduin of Region Insurance Group in Crown Point

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Verduin.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Not everyone dreams of going into the Insurance Industry when they’re young, but for me it was a natural fit because my father had worked in the industry. I remember riding in our truck together, talking about policies, perils and liability limits. Typical man to man talk, you know? So after college, it seemed like a natural transition for me to follow in his footsteps. After 10 years in the industry, I was feeling a little frustrated because I felt like my colleagues weren’t working as hard or as efficiently as I was. I couldn’t help to think that I could run my own operation and do it excellently. I was also attracted to the freedom of working for myself and creating my own job security in order to be able to provide for my family… So it didn’t take long for me to take on the financial risk of buying out my book of business from my former agency and starting Region Insurance Group. It’s been a tough road, full of late nights, sleeping at my office (to save me my commute back to Chicago), and forgoing a salary for quite some time, but the risk has been worth it! We’ve been growing, seeing the fruit of our labor, and feel very thankful and blessed. Being an entrepreneur and running a small business is no walk in the park, so it’s given me a new and profound appreciation for my fellow business owners out there.

Has it been a smooth road?
Starting a new business is anything but easy- but so worth it. I started the business right before my wife and I got married. I remember being so anxious during our honeymoon- checking emails and taking client calls, there was no one else on staff yet to help me out!

We established the business in NW Indiana, even though we were living in the city. So that meant very long commutes, stressful traffic, and sometimes sleeping in my office during late nights or when I simply didn’t have the energy to drive back to the city. It was tough being away from my wife so much. Being an entrepreneur is also a big financial investment, and often times for the first few years, you’re just trying to keep capital in the business and get your balance sheet in the black before you even think about taking a salary. In order to grow, you need to invest in employees, so I was paying my first employee before I could even think about taking a salary for myself. These are all short-term pains, and business owners have to have the patience and the grit for the long term vision!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Region Insurance Group – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are an independent insurance agency. Unlike a captive agency like State Farm or Farmers, we are an independent broker that has contracts with multiple insurance carriers. This means that we quote and have access to the products that all these different carriers offer. This means that when a client needs a quote, we can get multiple rates and put them with the carrier that is most affordable and competitive! We do all types of insurance from personal home and auto policies to commercial policies.

We are best known for our customer service, as most recently as being a husband and wife team! We really strive to do the simple things well like calling people back right away and taking the time to explain policy questions. They really are super simple things that should be no-brainers, but are things that many agents get lackadaisical on because it can be tedious and time consuming. We really strive to form great relationships with our clients, getting to know them and trying to care for them like we would our own family. We’re also big doughnut fans here at RIG, so whenever our clients refer a new client to us, we express our gratitude with a gift card to coffee and donuts 🙂

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We love the beauty of the city, riding our bikes along the lakefront, playing softball in Clarendon Park with our team, The Dugout Donuts, and the food. Especially the donuts 🙂

The thing we like the least are the high costs of doing business with high rent/property taxes and business taxes. This is why we established our business in NW Indiana, even though we service the greater Chicago-land area.

Contact Info:

• Address: Region Insurance Group
  9800 Connecticut Dr.,
  Crown Point, IN 46307
• Website: www.regionins.com
• Phone: 219-213-2306
• Email: tim@regionins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regionins/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regioninsurance/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RegionIns

Image Credit:
I Love Insurance: Memes.com

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