Small Business Insurances
It can be difficult to determine which kind of Insurance you need for your small business. Different types of insurance have confusingly similar names; your state, town, or county may have its own insurance requirements; and many industries have coverage specific to them.
Insurance is one of the most neglected small business responsibilities. Not having the appropriate insurance for your small business is a mistake because a disaster can shut down your company permanently, or at least wreak havoc on your assets.
The Insurance Information Institute (III) in New York City estimates that about 40 percent of small business owners have no insurance at all, because many falsely believe they can't afford coverage. The truth is a small business can't afford not to have adequate insurance. Without insurance, you're unnecessarily putting your livelihood at risk. That's also why many landlords, suppliers, and other entities you work with will probably require you to have coverage.
If you're having difficulty determining which kind of insurance your business should have, you might want to check with the following agencies:
- The county or city clerk
- A local chapter of your industry association
- The state insurance office
| | BUSINESS OWNER'S POLICYBOPs were originally designed for small businesses, often retail, such as stationery or hardware stores. Today, BOPs are available for a broad range of businesses covering most major industries and professions. If your business has more than 50 employees, or very high sales volume, you may not be eligible for a BOP and will have to purchase a package with the same elements at higher limits. GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCEGeneral liability insurance will cover your business in case of bodily injury to someone or damage to someone's property that occurs on your premises. For example, this type of insurance would cover you should a client trip over a loose phone cord in your conference room and break an arm. Similarly, if you were to accidentally knock over and break an expensive antique at a client's premises, your general liability policy would reimburse the client for the damaged property PROTERTY INSURANCEBuilding - This coverage is sometimes referred to as "real" property. It protects you should something happen to your building. Be sure to analyze your policy to see exactly what it includes - these policies typically cover damage caused by fire, lightning, wind, vandalism, or the weight of snow on your roof. Some things such as earthquakes, hurricanes and even general wear and tear are often excluded. Personal property - This covers a business for loss of, or damage to, the property inside its building, such as files, office furniture, inventory, materials, etc. Check to see if your policy includes your computers and your phone system; your insurer may consider these to be "special" property and require additional coverage PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCESome states and professions require this coverage by law; for example, doctors are required to carry malpractice insurance, which is a form of professional liability coverage. In other cases, companies you do business with will require you to have it. For instance, computer consultants bidding for corporate contracts often must prove they have errors and omissions coverage, since errors in their work can put a corporation's computer system out of commission. It is also a common requirement in government services contracts. Even if you are not mandated to have it, it is wise to carry a policy if the service you provide could inadvertently harm another person. The professions for which it is recommended or required include, but are not limited to, computer technicians, systems analysts, accountants, hairdressers, lawyers, and consultants. A good place to start your search for professional liability coverage is your trade association, since it will be familiar with the requirements for your profession. Often, these industry groups offer specialized liability coverage, or if they don't, can point you in the direction of a carrier that does. When you are shopping for professional liability insurance, be sure to ask if the coverage includes the cost of legal fees. Some policies are now being written with exclusions and limits on coverage for legal fees and court costs. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCEProfessional liability insurance, also commonly referred to as errors & omissions coverage, is the service equivalent to product liability insurance. It protects you financially in the case of a claim against you for negligence, errors, omissions, or wrongful acts in the performance of your duties. It includes coverage for malpractice, errors, and omissions. Some states and professions require this coverage by law; for example, doctors are required to carry malpractice insurance, which is a form of professional liability coverage. In other cases, companies you do business with will require you to have it. For instance, computer consultants bidding for corporate contracts often must prove they have errors and omissions coverage, since errors in their work can put a corporation's computer system out of commission. It is also a common requirement in government services contracts. Even if you are not mandated to have it, it is wise to carry a policy if the service you provide could inadvertently harm another person. The professions for which it is recommended or required include, but are not limited to, computer technicians, systems analysts, accountants, hairdressers, lawyers, and consultants. A good place to start your search for professional liability coverage is your trade association, since it will be familiar with the requirements for your profession. Often, these industry groups offer specialized liability coverage, or if they don't, can point you in the direction of a carrier that does. When you are shopping for professional liability insurance, be sure to ask if the coverage includes the cost of legal fees. Some policies are now being written with exclusions and limits on coverage for legal fees and court costs. UMBRELLA INSURANCEThese types of policies offer extra liability coverage that kicks in for losses when the limits of your primary liability policy are reached. Umbrella coverage often applies to either business liability or automobile liability insurance. Using an umbrella policy, you can often purchase several hundred thousand to more than a million dollars worth of extra coverage for as little as a few hundred dollars. BUSINESS INCOME/EXTRA EXPENSE INSURANCEThis is an extremely important add-on to property coverage, and is part of most BOPs. Business income coverage reimburses your business for revenues you lost during downtime caused by damage to or loss of your property. Extra expense insurance reimburses you for expenses incurred to avoid or minimize the suspension of business. Say, for example, your building roof collapses after a heavy thunderstorm. The business income policy pays for the income you lost while you could not occupy the building, while the extra expense policy covers rent for a temporary office space while your building is being repaired. PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCEProduct liability insurance protects you in case a product you produce or provide causes harm to a user or a user's property. A "product" is anything that is tangibly used, touched, or consumed. This type of insurance is recommended for every business that manufactures a product, but is especially important for companies that produce food, clothing, toys or anything else that could conceivably cause harm to someone. Most business owner's policies include limited product liability coverage. If, for some reason, you do not have this coverage through a business owner's policy and your product runs the risk of inflicting harm on other people, you may need to buy product liability separately. Similarly, if your product presents a higher risk of injury (for example, it contains a hazardous material), you may need to purchase additional coverage. EXTRA EQUIPMENT INSURANCEIf your computer equipment is not adequately covered by your other insurance, you can buy a rider or separate policy to cover it. Look for insurance that not only covers the physical computer equipment, but also damage to or loss of data. Some companies will write policies that pay for time spent on data restoration. Since some high-tech equipment is also prone to failure due to things like power surges, electrical arcing, or other forces, you may need a policy that covers types of equipment breakdowns that are not part of your regular property policy SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT INSURANCESpecial coverage may be available for equipment that doesn't fit easily into standard coverage or is used in unusual ways. For example, "off-premises" coverage can be applied to expensive equipment such as professional cameras, computers, analysis gear, or other items that are used by your company away from your premises. They would be covered in case of off-site theft, loss, or destruction. |
