Episode 35: Rising from the Embers with Anthony Deacon

During the early hours of 7 April 2021, a devastating fire swept through the premises of specialist ATV dealer, MKM Agriculture in Bedfordshire.

Owner Anthony Deacon, along with the fire crew, could only stand and watch as huge flames wiped out his workshop along with over 80 machines (both his stock and customer repairs), all the workshop equipment and tools.

Fortunately, the offices were unaffected and his computer records provided a full inventory of all the machines that has been lost.

Anthony talks me through the events of that day, the aftermath and the difficult questions he had to face from the insurance company before they accepted his claim in full three weeks after the fire.

He urges businesses to fully study, 'the last six pages' of their policy containing the exclusions and other factors that might disbar a claim - rather than the opening pages which summarise the extent of the cover.

It's a salutary tale for any business owner considering a scenario of 'What If'