The Prevent365 Approach: 365 Days of Protection vs. 60 Days of Renewal

Most insurance agents follow a predictable playbook: They show up 60 days before your renewal, scramble to find you quotes, place your coverage, and disappear until next year. During those 60 days, the focus is entirely on insurance policies: finding the best price, comparing carriers, and locking in coverage before your renewal date hits.

But here's the truth that most agents won't tell you: Insurance is the least effective form of risk management.

Don't get us wrong: insurance is absolutely essential. You need it. But if insurance is your primary strategy for managing risk, you're starting at the wrong end of the problem. You're reacting after incidents occur, paying for claims that could have been prevented, and missing opportunities to truly protect your business.

At Winter-Dent, we flip this entire approach on its head with our Prevent365 program. Instead of starting with insurance policies, we start with your business: identifying risks, implementing controls, and building a culture of safety that works year-round, not just during renewal season.

Why Traditional Insurance Approaches Fall Short

The traditional insurance model is fundamentally reactive. Here's how it typically works:

#1 The 60-Day Renewal Cycle

• Your agent contacts you 60 days before renewal
• They gather updated information and shop your account
• You receive quotes, compare options, and make a decision
• Coverage is bound, and your agent moves on to the next renewal
• You don't hear from them again until next year's renewal approaches

During those remaining 305 days of the year, you're largely on your own. And when incidents happen (workplace injuries, property damage, compliance violations), you're in reactive mode, managing the aftermath and watching your costs climb.

#2 The Averaging Problem

Traditional insurance processes lump companies together based on industry codes and basic metrics. Your business gets "averaged" with every other company in your sector, regardless of your actual risk profile.

If you've invested in robust safety programs, created a strong culture of compliance, or implemented proactive risk controls, underwriters typically don't see it. You end up paying premiums as if you're an average performer in your industry—even when you're far better than average.

#3 The Hidden Cost Trap

Perhaps most importantly, insurance only addresses a fraction of your total risk exposure. When an incident occurs, your insurance policy might cover the direct costs: medical expenses, property repairs, legal fees. But these direct costs typically represent only 20-25% of the total impact.*

The remaining 75-80% consists of hidden costs that no insurance policy will cover:*

• Lost productivity while employees recover or positions remain unfilled
• Time spent investigating incidents and completing paperwork
• Cost of training replacement workers
• Schedule disruptions and project delays
• Damage to employee morale and company reputation
• Regulatory compliance efforts and potential fines
• Lost business opportunities and competitive disadvantages

For every dollar your insurance covers, you're likely spending $4-6 in hidden costs.* And that's what makes reactive, insurance-first approaches so expensive in the long run.

The Prevent365 Philosophy: Prevent, Contain, Insure

Winter-Dent's Prevent365 program turns the traditional insurance pyramid upside down. Instead of working backward from insurance coverage, we work forward from prevention, following a three-tier approach:

Prevent: Target Root Causes Before They Become Problems

The foundation of our approach is prevention. We invest the most time and resources here because preventing incidents is always more effective (and less expensive) than paying for them after they occur.

This means going beyond surface-level symptoms to identify and address root causes. When you're experiencing high workers compensation costs, we don't just shop for a better insurance rate. We dig into why injuries are happening in the first place. Are there ergonomic issues? Training gaps? Safety culture problems? Equipment maintenance concerns?

By targeting these root causes, we help you prevent incidents before they happen, protecting both your people and your bottom line.

Contain: Limit Exposure When Issues Arise

We live in the real world. Even with the best prevention efforts, incidents will occasionally occur. When they do, effective containment strategies limit the impact and prevent small issues from becoming major problems.

This includes robust return-to-work programs that get injured employees back to productive (if modified) duty quickly, aggressive claims management to prevent minor injuries from turning into costly long-term claims, and rapid response protocols that address issues before they escalate.

Insure: Use Strategic Coverage Only for What Truly Can't Be Controlled

Insurance occupies the smallest portion of our risk management pyramid, but it's still critical. Once we've addressed what can be prevented and contained, we help you secure strategic insurance coverage for the risks that truly can't be controlled.

The difference is that we're now placing insurance from a position of strength. Underwriters see a business that has identified, measured, and actively managed its risks. This translates into better pricing, improved terms, and access to preferred markets.

The Four Stages of Prevent365

Our Prevent365 program follows a structured four-stage approach that builds on itself, creating increasingly sophisticated protection for your organization.

Stage 1 - Diagnose the Root Cause

Everything begins with understanding. Before we can help you reduce risk or improve your insurance position, we need to know what's really driving your costs and where your exposures are hiding.

Our Prevent First Assessment is a comprehensive 60-day diagnostic that examines every dimension of your risk profile:

• Safety programs and workplace practices
• OSHA compliance and recordkeeping
• Historical claims patterns and loss trends
• Employee handbook and HR policies
• Cyber security posture
• Current insurance coverage and gaps
• Compliance with industry-specific regulations

Importantly, we conduct this assessment between renewal periods, not during the renewal scramble. This gives you time to address issues and strengthen your risk profile before carriers evaluate your account.

The result is a clear picture of your risk landscape, including both challenges to address and strengths to showcase.

Learn more about the Prevent First Assessment →

Stage 2 - Differentiate Your Business

You're not like every other company in your industry. But does your insurance underwriter know that?

In this stage, we help you stand out from the crowd by documenting and showcasing your risk management excellence. We de-average your company, presenting a compelling story that demonstrates why you deserve better pricing, terms, and market access than your industry peers.

This includes:

• Strategic positioning of your unique strengths and safety initiatives
• Documentation of proactive risk controls and improvement efforts
• Comprehensive presentation packages that go beyond standard applications
• Active advocacy to underwriters on your behalf

When carriers see documented evidence of your commitment to risk management—backed by data from our assessment—you become a preferred risk rather than just another account. This opens doors to better insurance outcomes and even alternative risk financing options like group captive insurance programs.

Discover how to differentiate your business →

Stage 3 - Go Beyond the Policy

No matter how comprehensive your insurance coverage, there are critical risks that policies simply cannot address. This stage focuses on implementing the proactive controls that protect your business where insurance can't reach.

We help you put strategies in place across six key dimensions:

• Safety initiatives: Comprehensive workplace safety programs, training, and culture development
• Process improvements: Operational optimization that eliminates vulnerabilities
• Compliance management: Staying ahead of OSHA and other regulatory requirements
• Human capital protection: Strategies to retain key employees and minimize workforce disruptions
• Risk assessment: Continuous evaluation of emerging threats and opportunities
• Strategic planning: Long-term risk management aligned with business goals

This is where we deploy powerful tools like OSHAlogs for OSHA recordkeeping, AutomateSafety for training deployment, ComplianceCheck for regulatory adherence, and LightDutyWorks for return-to-work programs.

The result is protection that extends far beyond your insurance policy, addressing the hidden 75-80% of costs that insurance never covers.*

Explore what going beyond the policy means →

Stage 4 - Build for Impact

The final stage is about creating lasting resilience and aligning your risk management with your organizational values and vision.

Building for impact means:

• Protecting employee lives and well-being (not just covering medical costs)
• Creating financial stability through reduced total cost of risk
• Developing organizational resilience that withstands market changes
• Maintaining strong legal and compliance positions
• Enhancing market reputation and competitive position

This stage is where everything comes together. Companies that reach this level often qualify for advanced risk financing solutions like commercial comp captives, benefit from industry-leading safety performance, and create sustainable competitive advantages.

Most importantly, risk management becomes a strategic enabler of business success rather than just a cost center to manage.

Learn about building for long-term impact →

Who Benefits from the Prevent365 Approach?

The Prevent365 program isn't for everyone. It's designed for businesses that:

• Are committed to continuous improvement: You're not content with the status quo and actively seek ways to enhance operations and reduce risk
• Focus on sustainable savings: You want cost control that lasts, not just this year's lowest quote
• Value employee health and safety: You believe protecting your people is both the right thing to do and good for business
• Think long-term: You're building a business for lasting success, not just managing quarter to quarter
• Are ready to be proactive: You want to prevent problems rather than just insure against them

This approach works particularly well for businesses in industries with significant workplace safety considerations: construction, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and others where workers compensation and risk management consulting are critical to operations.

Companies interested in advanced solutions like commercial captives or group captive insurance especially benefit from the Prevent365 methodology, as these programs require the strong risk management foundation we help build.

365 Days of Protection vs. 60 Days of Renewal Chaos

Here's what makes Prevent365 fundamentally different: We're with you all year long, not just during renewal season.

Traditional agents spend 60 days on intense renewal activity, then disappear for 305 days. They react when incidents occur, with no structured improvement process between renewals.

Prevent365 provides year-round partnership and support. After a comprehensive initial assessment, we work proactively with you throughout the year on risk management, prevention, and structured improvement.

Our employee-owned (ESOP) structure means we're incentivized by your long-term success, not transaction volume. When you need help, we're there. When renewal time comes, you're presenting from a position of strength rather than scrambling at the last minute.

Real Results: What Happens When You Flip the Pyramid

When businesses embrace the Prevent365 approach, the results go far beyond reduced insurance premiums:

• Fewer Incidents and Claims: By targeting root causes and implementing proactive controls, our clients prevent incidents before they happen. This means fewer workplace injuries, less property damage, and reduced liability exposures.
• Lower Total Cost of Risk: Remember that 80% of hidden costs? By preventing incidents rather than just insuring them, you dramatically reduce your total cost of risk, not just your insurance premiums.
• Better Insurance Terms and Pricing: When you do buy insurance, you're doing so from a position of strength. Carriers recognize your risk management excellence and reward it with better pricing, improved terms, and fewer restrictions.
• Improved Workplace Culture: Businesses that prioritize prevention create safer, healthier work environments. Employees feel valued and protected, leading to better morale, reduced turnover, and improved productivity.
• Stronger Market Position: Your reputation as a well-managed, safety-focused organization becomes a competitive advantage. You attract better talent, win more contracts, and build stronger relationships with customers and partners.
• Access to Advanced Solutions: Companies with strong risk management programs qualify for sophisticated insurance solutions like commercial captives and group captive insurance programs, which can provide even greater control and cost stability over time.

Ready to Flip Your Approach to Risk Management?

If you're tired of the traditional insurance cycle, it's time for a different approach.

Prevent365 offers prevention first, strategic containment, and purposeful insurance coverage. It's 365 days of partnership rather than 60 days of transaction. It's addressing root causes rather than just treating symptoms.

Every Prevent365 journey begins with our comprehensive Prevent First Assessment, a 60-day diagnostic conducted between renewal periods. This process uncovers the hidden drivers of your insurance costs, identifies improvement opportunities, and documents your existing strengths. There's no cost for an initial consultation—it's part of our "help before the quote" philosophy.

After the assessment, we develop a customized Prevent First Service Plan with clear strategies for addressing risks, implementing safety programs, and positioning you for better insurance outcomes. Then we work alongside you throughout the year to differentiate your business, implement proactive controls, and build lasting resilience.

Let's start with a conversation about your business, your challenges, and how Prevent365 can help you build the protection your organization truly needs.

Our Commitment: Humans Helping Humans

At Winter-Dent, our mission is simple: "To create healthier, safer, and more productive workplaces, ensuring that employees return home safely to their families and that businesses thrive within a strong, healthy community."

Insurance is a tool we use to achieve this mission, not the mission itself.

We're not just selling policies. We're building partnerships with businesses that want to do better. We're helping create workplaces where employees feel safe and valued. We're supporting organizations that are building something meaningful for the long term.

Our employee-owned structure means every member of our team has a stake in your success. We're not incentivized by transaction volume or commission rates. We succeed when you succeed—when your incidents decrease, when your costs stabilize, when your business thrives.

This "humans helping humans" philosophy isn't marketing language. It's how we operate every single day.

*Percentages represent typical ranges across industries. Actual costs vary significantly by incident type, industry, company size, and geographic location.