PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS. planning for the unexpected

Transcription

1 PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS planning for the unexpected

2 Please refer to the last page of this brochure for important information you should know before acquiring any of the products detailed in this brochure.

3 Safeguarding the future of your business How far ahead can you predict the future? No matter how well you run your business, there will always be things beyond your control. A product recall, an injured executive, a factory fire, employee fraud. Bad luck? Yes. But without a solid risk management plan in place, events such as these can take their toll on a business. Building a business takes time and hard work. So it s essential to have some assurance its ongoing viability won t be compromised by unforeseen events. nab, through its wholly owned subsidiary companies, is able to offer a broad range of solutions to help protect you and your business, and to further ensure your employees well-being. After all, good staff are one of the best buffers you have against the unexpected. This brochure discusses some of the issues you may need to consider and suggests ways we might be able to help you develop a sound business protection strategy. If there are solutions that interest you, come in and talk to us and we can go through things in more detail.

4 Protecting the assets you depend on General insurance How quickly could you get back on your feet if something happened to the assets you rely on to do business? What if an accident damages machinery? A burglary cleans out your inventory? Computer crime hits your network? Repairing or replacing assets will be costly in itself, even without taking into account losses from interruption to your normal business. nab can arrange a comprehensive range of cover, with business insurance solutions provided by CGU Insurance Limited. As well as protecting the assets of your business, they can help lessen the effects of interruption to your operations. There s flexibility to choose different covers to create a package that suits your business particular needs. You can cover physical assets like buildings and furniture, tools, plant and technology. Or, you may want specialist cover for glass products, cold-stored goods or pressure equipment. Liability s a big concern these days. How do you minimise your exposure to the damage that could result? We can arrange solutions for both public and product liability that you may want to consider. What if your company is the subject of a taxation investigation? Your resources will be stretched, but there are ways we can help here too.

5 Do you have other specific needs? Almost certainly. Through our relationships with CGU and Aon Risk Services we can offer a comprehensive risk assessment of your business. From there a policy can be structured to meet your individual needs. Keep your business up and running, even if you aren t Business protection insurance What price do you place on knowledge and experience within your business? They re not tangible assets, but they re just as critical to your operations. It s not something you want to think about, but what if you, or a key employee, were unable to work due to illness or a disability? How can you protect your business from losses that might be suffered in the resulting disruption? And how do you ensure the business gets back to business as usual as quickly as possible? Through MLC, nab offers a range of insurance options to provide a broad range of cover in the event that you or a key employee is disabled or dies. The benefits are designed to help your business keep going through a difficult time. They include maintaining cash flow to help ensure accounts can be paid and your credit rating can be preserved. Compensation for loss of revenue and costs associated with replacing the key employee can also be arranged. And if there s a change of ownership as the result of an owner s death, illness or disability, cash can be provided to help both the continuing and outgoing owner (or their estate) through that process.

6 The MLC Personal Protection Portfolio provides a number of options you might want to consider as part of your business protection plan. The level of cover you might want depends on the nature of your business and its management structure, but packages are quite flexible and can be arranged around your needs. The stage of life your business is in will be a consideration as well. As circumstances change, you can upgrade or change the benefits you want accordingly, subject to the underwriting requirements and guidelines of MLC. If you think we might be able to assist with arranging cover for you and your key people, the next step is to organise an insurance review. Our Wealth Management Specialists can help you identify your business protection needs and recommend the appropriate covers to address these needs. There s no fee payable for the review, and no obligation on you to implement any of the recommended covers. Protecting the interests of your employees Attracting and keeping quality staff is essential to the long-term success of your business. You invest a lot of time and money hiring and training employees, and there s a significant impact if you lose them through injury, illness, or dissatisfaction with their job. How can you protect against this and at the same time increase your employees loyalty to the company? nab, through MLC, has a number of insurance, superannuation and employee benefit solutions you may like to consider. They can help ensure your employees well-being, and also help differentiate you from your competitors, making you an employer of choice.

7 Insuring employees to help your business stay healthy Group insurance People need to know you care. This isn t just a feel-good notion. It s good business sense. When people feel looked after, they generally feel better about the company and they re more motivated. Providing employees with insurance protection to assist them financially if things go wrong in their lives is a fairly strong signal you value them. And it can also have direct benefits if staff do suffer illness or injury, any assistance provided is likely to help them recover faster and get back to work sooner. nab, through MLC, can offer you group life insurance to suit the needs of your business and employees. Options include life cover, terminal illness cover and total and permanent disability cover. Depending upon the covers selected, employees can also be given peace of mind that, if they contract a critical illness, suffer a permanent disability or die, a lump sum will be payable either for their own benefit or that of their nominated beneficiary, depending on the situation that applies. The MLC Group Insurance also offers salary continuance cover for employees suffering temporary disability that prevents them working. Up to 75% of their salary can be payable as a monthly benefit, so there s less added stress as they recover from their disability. For pre-retiree staff, this could mean the difference between continuing to work or retiring early, rather than dipping into their nest egg to sustain them while they re unable to work.

8 As well as covering staff for everyday risks like injury and illness, the MLC group salary continuance cover also provides cover for work-related accidents away from the workplace, which aren t covered by worker s compensation. This provides you and your employees with a greater amount of flexibility. Superannuation solutions that benefit everyone Superannuation Do you see the superannuation contributions you have to make as dead money? If so, you could be missing an opportunity to turn things to your advantage. Like insurance and other benefits you may offer staff, such as providing access to advice and education, the superannuation plan you provide can help set you apart as a more desirable employer. What factors are important in choosing plans? Security and investment growth for a start. Other features, like flexibility and investment choice are also important. And from your viewpoint, a minimum of hassle and time costs in managing it all. nab can help you deliver greater financial security to staff with a choice of business superannuation solutions from MLC. For a comprehensive corporate superannuation solution, MLC Masterkey Business Super can reduce your administration costs, while providing your employees with choice and flexibility across investment and superannuation options.

9 There s no need for you to play middleman when staff need information about their accounts, either. The MLC online system provides staff with the ability to view their accounts whenever they want to. So they have greater access and control and your accounts people can get on with other work. With the electronic system, your super guarantee contribution requirements are also far easier to manage. Maybe a straightforward superannuation plan is all you re looking for. In that case, The Employee Retirement Plan (TERP), with a single investment fund and standard insurance might suit, providing you with a simple way to meet your workplace superannuation obligations. Smart solutions to attract and retain staff Employee benefits programme These days, as things become more competitive, employers need more innovative ways of attracting and keeping staff, with minimal impact on the bottom-line. nab, through MLC, can offer a fully outsourced employee benefits programme which can be tailored to suit the needs of your business. The Your AdvantEdge programme offers a comprehensive range of services to enhance the lifestyles of your employees and their families. Members have exclusive access to special deals and discounts on entertainment and subscriptions, travel and purchasing services, and online shopping, as well as discounts on a wide range of general insurance options. The programme is supported by a comprehensive website and an information hotline, which makes it easy for your staff to get information or have queries answered about Your AdvantEdge benefits and services.

10 Important information This brochure has been published by National Australia Bank Limited (nab) ABN as an information service without assuming a duty of care. The advice contained herein does not take into account any person s particular objectives, needs or financial situation. Before making a decision regarding the acquisition or disposal of a financial product, persons should assess whether the advice is appropriate to their objectives, needs or financial situation. Persons may wish to make this assessment themselves or seek the help of a financial adviser. No responsibility is taken for persons acting on the information provided. Persons doing so, do so at their own risk. General Insurance CGU Insurance Limited ABN ( CGU ) of 485 LaTrobe Street, Melbourne Vic 3000 is the issuer of National Business Insurance. Information about National Business Insurance is contained in the current Product Disclosure Statement ( PDS ), a copy of which is available from the nab Insurance Service Centre on freephone You should obtain a PDS relating to National Business Insurance and consider that disclosure document before making any decision about whether to acquire or continue to hold the product. To acquire the product you must contact your nab banker who will arrange for a CGU representative to contact you. National Australia Financial Management Limited ABN ( NAFM ) of 800 Bourke Street, Docklands Vic 3008 is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Australia Bank Limited. In arranging National Business Insurance NAFM acts as an agent for CGU and receives commission. Neither National Australia Bank Limited nor any other company in the nab group of companies (including NAFM) guarantees or accepts liability for National Business Insurance. Aon Risk Services Australia Limited ABN ( Aon ) of 4/440 Collins Street, Melbourne Vic 3000 is a licensed insurance broker. If insurance cover is arranged by Aon they will advise you of the relevant product issuer. NAFM will receive commission from Aon for introducing you to their broking services. Business Protection Insurance, Group Insurance & Superannuation MLC Limited ABN ( MLC ) of Miller Street, North Sydney NSW 2060 is the issuer of MLC Personal Protection Portfolio and MLC Group Insurance. MLC Nominees Pty Limited ABN of Miller Street, North Sydney NSW 2060 is the issuer of MLC MasterKey Business Super and The Employee Retirement Plan. The offer of an interest in each of these products is contained in the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or other disclosure document, copies of which are available upon request by phoning for MLC Personal Protection Portfolio, for MLC Group Insurance, for MLC MasterKey Business Super and The Employee Retirement Plan or on the MLC website Before acquiring a financial product a person should obtain a Product Disclosure Statement ( PDS ) or other disclosure document relating to that product and consider the contents of that disclosure document before making a decision about whether to acquire or continue to hold the product. To acquire the product you must complete the application form attached to the relevant disclosure document. MLC Limited and MLC Nominees Pty Limited are wholly owned subsidiaries of the National Australia Bank Limited. An MLC Personal Protection Portfolio policy or an MLC Group Insurance policy does not represent a deposit with or a liability of National Australia Bank Limited or any other member of the nab group of companies (other than a liability of MLC as insurer). Neither National Australia Bank Limited nor any other member of the nab group of companies (other than MLC as insurer) guarantees or accepts liability in respect of MLC Personal Protection Portfolio or MLC Group Insurance. An investment in MLC MasterKey Business Super or The Employee Retirement Plan does not represent a deposit with or a liability of National Australia Bank Limited or any other member of the nab group of companies and is subject to investment risk including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. Neither National Australia Bank Limited nor any other member of the nab group of companies or appointed investment managers, guarantee the capital value or performance of MLC MasterKey Business Super or The Employee Retirement Plan (with the exception of the MLC Cash Fund and the Benefit Protection System which are guaranteed by MLC Limited). Employee Benefits Your AdvantEdge is operated by GWM Adviser Services Limited ABN ( GWMAS ), a member of the nab group of companies. Information and offers are current as at the time of printing (February 2006) but may change or be withdrawn without notice. GWMAS may receive commissions or other benefits from suppliers of products and services in relation to sales made to Your AdvantEdge members.

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12 Like to know more? Tell us more about your business needs, and we can suggest some appropriate solutions. Talk to a Business Banking Manager, call am 8pm EST, Monday to Friday or visit national.com.au Hearing impaired customers with telephone typewriters can contact us on National Australia Bank Limited ABN NAB02565 (02/06)