Insurance policies for new businesses tick upward

By Sam Easter

Michael Conlan, an adjunct sculpture instructor at the University of North Dakota, decided to take a risk last year. In his younger days, he was a skateboarder, and now his 14-yearold son – headed to high school next year – is one, too.

So, in the fall, he opened Flow Skate Shop in downtown Grand Forks. He said his son didn’t want to be tethered to the nearby mall anymore, or have to make the long round trip to Fargo for its dedicated skate shop.

“We just said, hey, why not? We’ve got a little bit of time on our hands. It’s the middle of the pandemic, let’s give it a shot.”

There are countless people like Conlan, all making big changes as the pandemic has reshaped American life. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s count of new business applications, 2021 was a record year in the upper Midwest, just like much of the rest of the country. Across Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota combined, application numbers jumped 11% between 2019 and 2020; they jumped another 22% in 2021.

It’s all made for an interesting two years for insurance providers, who have felt nearly every effect of the pandemic – including workfrom-home ripple effects to the far-flung influence of surging inflation. DJ Colter, an agency owner with American Family Insurance, points out that the change is notable.

“I had clients reach out to me here in the last week – she’s a psychiatrist, they’re looking to start her own practice (working) from home,” Colter said. “And she’s like, hey, I know that if I have someone come to our house, it’s a different liability if they get hurt.”