Clay Shirk, Alkeme Commercial Insurance

10/13/2026

Work hard, play hard! A great Seattle trip consisting of recharging the mental battery (physical battery, not so much), being a tourist, and of course, an IOWA VICTORY! An awesome time was had in the PNW, what an incredible stadium and campus.

Added bonus - we found a neighborhood bar that had a treat station set up for dogs passing by on walks! 🐶🐾

10/02/2026

Do you or your employees drive their personal vehicle to run errands for the business? Many personal auto policies will exclude coverage for business-related driving, creating a significant risk exposure. One accident on the way to the Post Office in a personal vehicle could produce a high dollar claim that you may or may not be covered for.

If you're curious whether or not you're covered, shoot me a message or give me a call. We can do a quick policy review and make the proper recommendations.

Call now to connect with business.

09/23/2026

While I was attending Marion Leadership in Action last Friday, my SFD teammates were out supporting Putts for Prevention and Foundation 2. Great event and great cause!

09/23/2026

My goal as a commercial insurance agent is to be a risk consultant—not a salesperson.

Insurance is only one piece of a business's overall risk strategy.

I want to partner with my clients to identify where their biggest risks actually exist and then build a strategy around those risks.

For every significant exposure, we should be asking:

• Can we avoid the risk?
Eliminate the activity or exposure altogether.

• Can we mitigate the risk?
Put processes, safety programs, training, technology, or other controls in place to reduce the likelihood or severity of a loss.

• Should we transfer the risk?
Use insurance, contracts, or other mechanisms to transfer the financial consequences to another party.

• Should we accept the risk?
Sometimes the cost of transferring a risk doesn't make sense. In that case, let's understand the potential loss and develop a plan to absorb it.

There isn't a universal answer.

The right strategy for a 10-person contractor may be completely different from the right strategy for a 100-person manufacturer, restaurant group, or transportation company.

My job isn't simply to find a policy and tell you what it costs. My job is to understand your business, identify your risks, and help you decide how those risks should be managed.

Sometimes that means buying more insurance. Sometimes it means buying less.

And sometimes the best solution has nothing to do with insurance at all. That's the kind of relationship I'm working to build with my clients.

Risk first. Insurance second.

09/11/2026

I'm hoping my Hawkeyes can get back into the win column in this rivalry! Who are you picking??

09/10/2026

One major trend we've been seeing quite a bit recently is businesses using today's softer market to buy back coverage that was restricted during the hard market—higher limits, broader property terms, lower deductibles and expanded cyber/D&O coverage.

If you're not proactively reviewing your program with your Agent, you most certainly are not taking advantage when market conditions soften. Give me a call and I'll conduct a full review of your policies to ensure you have the right coverages, limits, and deductibles in place.

09/01/2026

Did you know that every business with employees and Worker's Compensation has their payroll hours allocated to different job class codes? And did you know that class codes have different price rates based on their risk exposure?

When is the last time you reviewed how your payroll hours are classified, and how much they are costing you?

Reach out today and I'll do a full review of your business and policies.

Please click the link to complete this form.

08/25/2026

It’s officially back-to-school season! 📚✏️ Between school supplies, sports schedules, activities, and getting everyone back into a routine, there’s a lot happening this time of year.

For business owners, it’s also a great reminder to check in on your business insurance. Are your coverage limits, vehicles, equipment, employees, and operations still accurately reflected in your policies?

A quick review today can help prevent surprises down the road. Give me a call and make sure your coverage is keeping up with your business. 🏫➡️💼

08/14/2026

Ready for a no obligation coverage review for your business? Follow the link below and complete the questionnaire - Your answers come directly to me and are, of course, confidential.

Please click the link to complete this form.