Fresno, CA
Agents & Brokers
Challenge
“I love insurance. Some people think, ‘Oh, it’s boring,’ but it’s not boring when you’re helping people. And with Hourly I can help even more people find the right coverage.”
When she was a teen, her mother’s restaurant nearly shuttered its doors after a $50,000 fine for not having workers’ comp insurance. Today Belen’s agency in Fresno, CA is committed to insuring small business owners like her mom—and she’s using Hourly to do it.
When Belen Sanchez’s mother was fined $50,000 for not carrying workers’ compensation insurance, it forced her restaurant to the brink of bankruptcy.
At the time, Belen was just sixteen years old. She watched her mom take out a massive loan to pay the fine. To financially survive day-to-day, her mom worked more than 60-hour weeks. Although Belen was only a teen who occasionally helped out at her mom’s restaurant, Belen wished there was more she could do.
“I had no idea what workers’ comp was back then,” said Belen. “A lot of small business owners are like my mom and won’t bother getting workers’ comp. They don’t realize that they need it. They think, ‘Nothing bad will happen. My employees won’t sue me if they get hurt because they’re family. I don’t need that kind of insurance.’ I’m here to tell you that’s not the case.”
It’s been twenty years since her mother’s workers’ comp debacle but the experience left an indelible mark on Belen. She now owns and operates the Belen Sanchez Agency in Fresno, CA with her personal mission to get more small businesses insured. In April 2022, she made good on that promise and partnered with Hourly, an insurtech startup that connects workers’ comp insurance, payroll, and time tracking in real-time.
“Many of my clients remind me of my mom when she was just starting her own restaurant,” said Belen, explaining that many of them are immigrants looking to start their own businesses. “I don’t want them to be without insurance. Hourly helps me make sure they get the proper coverage.”
It was Hourly’s easy-to-navigate platform that convinced Belen it was a great match for her clients. Knowing that many of her clients didn’t fully understand workers’ comp, Hourly’s mobile platform made it more accessible to them. They could see how workers’ comp connected to payroll right from their phones. She was immediately impressed with Hourly’s platform and knew she had to get it into the hands of her clients as soon as possible.
“It’s a great tool to get more people insured but it’s not just about getting clients covered,” said Belen. “It’s about showing them why insurance is important and how they should have all their boxes checked as business owners. With Hourly, I’m preventing them from making mistakes that could cost them their entire livelihoods.”
With Hourly, Belen is fulfilling the promise she made to herself long ago—to make sure more small business owners like her mom have workers’ comp.
“One little thing can just ruin you as a business owner,” she said. “Having the peace of mind that you’re insured properly is important. If my mom had something like Hourly, she never would have gotten fined $50,000 for not having workers’ comp. The platform is easy to use and understand and won’t break the bank. I’m proud to offer Hourly to my clients.”
Are you an independent agent interested in working with Hourly? Please visit hourly.io/agencies to learn more and see if your agency qualifies.
Our pledge is simple: if our platform doesn’t meet your needs, we will refund 100% of your subscription cost for the first 90 days of service.
