Moorestown Man Begins Anew Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

MOORESTOWN, NJ — At a time when people are out of work and struggling to pay their bills because of the coronavirus pandemic, everyone can use some help knowing where they can cut down on some of the bills they pay.

That’s where Joe Hays comes in. With Goosehead Insurance, Hays helps people analyze their insurance policies and shop around for the lowest possible premiums. He recently helped one person save more than $2,600, he said. But Hays just opened his business. In March. So …

“I thought it would take off,” said Hays, who opened Goosehead Insurance on Deacon Alley in Moorestown on March 1. “ … The pandemic has slowed me down a little, but I have been able to build some relationships. … Business is taking off, and it’s the kind of business that flourishes in hard times.”

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Actually, Hays’s business hasn’t taken the hit many new businesses have seen during the pandemic, but the decision to open would be considered a daring leap to begin with.
Consider this: Hays worked for the same company for more than a quarter-century. Hays, a Moorestown resident for 13 years, was a senior executive and partner at an investment management firm for 26 years.

Making the move to an entirely new career after spending so much time with one company can be a frightening prospect, especially when one has a wife and two children, as Hays does. At the same time, they are the reason he decided to make the switch.

“I was traveling a lot,” Hays said. “ … I started looking at different things. I wanted to be grounded in the community more. I have two boys, and I couldn’t coach their teams.”

His sons, Anthony and Dominic, are now in high school. He wanted to be there for them and his wife, Dina. He also wanted to do something professionally where he could help people. He said Goosehead Insurance fit that bill.

He said the company, which is based in Texas and recently expanded into the northeast, offers more choices than their competitors and the ability to shop around.

A full description of the services offered by Goosehead can be found on the company website, but as an example, Hays said he recently saved a customer with a home, three cars and two motorcycles more than $2,600. Without Goosehead, Hays said that customer may have had to go to multiple sources to save money. He noted it’s also important to shop around for insurance prices every few years.

“People think they’re rewarded for staying with the same carrier for a long time, but their rates go up slightly every year,” Hays said.

That can result in someone who pays thousands more than they originally intended 10 years into their policy, Hays said. That's the kind of help Hays was hoping to provide when he made his decision to change careers.

Hays can be reached at 856-454-3119, by email at joseph.hays@goosehead.com and through his Facebook and his website.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.