By Adding a Personalized Touch, EZ CERT Makes Insurance Compliance as Seamless as Possible

Since its inception in 2014, EZ CERT has understood the importance of the franchise and franchisee relationship. That’s why, year after year, the company has made it a top priority to help franchisors protect their brand by ensuring that franchisees have the insurance coverage they need.

EZ CERT also recognizes that certificate tracking systems for franchise brands are nothing new. But according to Doug Groves, principal at EZ CERT, it’s the expertise his team brings to the table that really helps its services stand out above the rest.

“Sure, there are insurance modules in Franchise Management Software Systems, but that doesn’t replace the insurance expertise our people bring to the table by being familiar with a certificate and interpreting it,” Groves said. “Having a system without a dedicated professional working it and understanding it just doesn’t offer any additional protection to the brand. We believe that’s EZ CERT’s advantage.”

EZ CERT has a team with a combined 50-plus years of insurance experience—including insurance customer service representatives, insurance consultants, insurance agents and multi-franchise area developers. Together, EZ CERT’s team helps brands monitor insurance coverage for every location and compiles reports to effectively track compliance whenever it’s needed. EZ CERT also monitors each location for potential coverage errors and works ahead of the calendar to inform each franchise locations when it’s time to renew.

“EZ CERT outsources this whole compliance process. We have the dedicated system in place—our team of experts does the tracking and the reporting. Which means the brand no longer needs to expend personnel time on this task,” Groves said. “This ultimately frees up more time for the brand to focus on doing what they do best rather than being bogged down by the intricacies of insurance compliance and certification.”

As a franchise operation grows by adding more and more franchisees to its system, so too do the risks associated with inadequate or subpar insurance coverage. EZ CERT helps to reduce those risks by ensuring that every location is adequately insured by the brand’s specific FDD requirements. Based on the reports that EZ CERT’s expert team produces, the franchisor can also analyze compliance on a case by case basis. Then, a brand has the option to turn to EZ CERT’s affiliate, Program Insurance Group, to increase compliance if there are any issues.

“What brands appreciate most about their partnerships with EZ CERT is that it enables them to eliminate the payroll burden of tracking internally, increases brand compliance, and allows their franchisees access to better insurance coverage and price,” said Taylor Close, brand manager at EZ CERT.

Once there is an agreement in place with EZ CERT, the company starts the onboarding of a brand to analyze where they are at internally. Do they have a franchisee list? Do they have certificates on file? And are the certificates current? EZ CERT then helps to gather current certificates and begins the process of putting together a comprehensive report for the franchisor. And that, Groves said, is what truly sets EZ CERT apart—the company works with every single brand on a personal, individual level. To date, EZ CERT has served more than 12 brands and counting.

“There are very few services available that equally benefit franchisors and their franchisees the way EZ CERT does,” said Heath Groves, brand manager at EZ CERT. “Every single brand needs to ensure that its franchisees are insured to protect itself. We’re here to make that daunting task as easy and seamless as possible.”