Business insurance is there to safeguard you against the everyday risks you can face while running a company. Companies assess their insurance needs based on possible risks, which can differ according to the environment in which the company functions.
Business Insurance can provide cover for your business premises and contents, against loss, damage, or theft, also offering protection against financial loss experienced from an insured interruption to your business.
It is usually broken down by the following types of protection:
- a) Material damage loss for your physical assets
- b) Financial loss due to business Interruption
There are many different types of Business Insurance cover options, each designed to protect different areas of a business’ operation.
Types of Business Insurance
There are many different types of business insurance available, the right coverage depends on your business and the nature of your work. Whether you own a marketing consultancy or garden design service, you will require a tailored package with various covers including public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance. Cyber and data insurance is popular among professionals who use computers, from business and IT consultants.
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Professional indemnity insurance can protect your business when things don’t quite work out as you planned. For instance, a customer might claim there is a fault with a service you delivered leading to a negligence claim.
While you always have the best intention when it comes to what you do for your customers, Professional indemnity insurance protects you from the cost of unexpected mistakes like these.
With professional indemnity insurance, any legal fees and compensation expenses will be covered, so you can continue with business as usual.
Professional indemnity insurance is a valuable cover for any business that provides a professional service, especially if this service rests on giving business advice.
Public Liability Insurance
Any person can claim you if they feel their property has been damaged as a result of your business activities. Having public liability insurance in place provides the reassurance you need for unexpected circumstances, as there are several factors you just can’t plan for.
Even if you are not at fault, public liability insurance is there to ensure your finances are not impacted as a result of third-party property damage claims, all legal and compensation fees will be covered.
Commercial public liability insurance protects your company from such third-party claims. Although it is not a legal requirement to have this type of business insurance, it safeguards you against liability claims.
Employers’ Liability Insurance
Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for most businesses. If you employ one or more members of staff, you are legally obliged to have this cover in place and you could face a fine if you fail to do so.
This insurance protects if one of your employees becomes ill or injured as a result of work. Employers’ liability doesn’t just cover full-time or part-time employees.
It is also a requirement if you enlist the help of volunteers or employ people on a casual basis, even if it is a friend helping at the weekend. You might also consider legal protection insurance as another layer of cover for employment disputes.
Personal Accident Insurance
Taking out personal accident cover will help to protect your business financially if you or a member of your team suffers an accidental injury leaving them unable to work. Personal accident insurance is designed to minimize the impact of a core employee who can’t come to work for over two weeks, or longer.
Directors and Officers Insurance
Getting director’s and officer’s liability insurance protects you if any claims are made against you in your role as a company director.
Directors have responsibilities that go above and beyond your average employee, which are both a reward and a risk if something goes wrong. Directors and officers insurance is also known as management liability insurance and it protects from claims made directly against you, from a health and safety matter to a negligence claim from discontent shareholders.
Product Liability Insurance
Product liability insurance offers another layer of cover alongside your public liability insurance and is suited to businesses that design, produce or supply products. In the circumstance that a product causes damage to a third party or their property, you could be held liable.
If this were to happen, you might face compensation costs and legal fees associated with a claim.
Business Equipment Insurance
No matter the size of your company, business equipment insurance is useful. It protects all the vital instruments you require for the day-to-day operation of your business.
Business Equipment Insurance safeguards the assets you keep and use on-site, such as computers, desks, and photocopiers. If something happened to your equipment, it could be difficult for you to continue business as usual with insurance in place; you can get the replacement you need quickly.
Protect your tools and technology on the move with portable equipment and tool insurance, covering the tools you need to do business, wherever you are.
Equipment Breakdown Insurance
Equipment insurance covering the breakdown of your business appliances is essential for protecting your company against unforeseen expenses. From large machinery to your usually trusty photocopier or even a network server, problems with the running of these items can cost both time and money.
You will invest in the best equipment possible to ensure the smooth running of your business, but you can’t predict when things might go wrong. Equipment breakdown insurance protects your business against sudden and unexpected mechanical or electrical failure.
Tools Insurance
Tools insurance covers industry-specific tools. It is essential for those people that rely on their tools day in and day out for getting the job done. Whether you are a handyman, carpenter, or electrician, tools insurance will protect you from the cost of tool loss or damage, making sure you get replacements or repairs for your tools fast, so you can continue with the job at hand.
Self-Employed Insurance
Running your own business takes a great deal of hard work and dedication and comes with unique risks that are why it is so important to invest in comprehensive cover. Tailored self-employed insurance will provide you with the comfort of knowing what you have created is protected from these risks.
Build your cover to include policies such as public liability insurance and professional indemnity and remember it is a legal requirement to have employers’ liability insurance if you have one or more employees. Your home insurance might not cover business property, so if you work from home, include office contents insurance in your business insurance policy too.
Commercial Building Insurance
If you own the building you operate your business from, you should invest in commercial property insurance. Once this cover is in place, you will have the benefit of knowing you are protected if the property becomes damaged in the event of a flood or fire, for instance.
It is important to note that this type of business insurance only protects the building itself. The contents, such as the office equipment you might have, will need to be covered by office contents insurance.
Business Interruption Insurance
The prospect of losing income is discouraging for any business owner, especially if this happens due to events outside of your control. Business interruption insurance offers protection against loss of income resulting from circumstances such as a fire or flooding rendering your office unusable.
This type of business insurance is invaluable for unexpected situations that cause damage and will keep your company afloat by covering you for loss of income and the costs you incur.
Business interruption insurance, or business income insurance, offers protection against loss of income resulting from material damage caused to property. This type of business insurance is invaluable for unexpected situations that cause damage and will keep your company afloat by covering you for loss of income and the costs you incur.
Crime Insurance
As technology advances, crime cover is becoming an increasingly vital business insurance policy to have. The kinds of crime businesses fall victim to are also changing all the time, meaning crime insurance is a fast-evolving type of commercial cover.
Remain one step ahead of crime and cover your business for these unforeseen situations. Invest in one of these policies and your business will be covered if you are the victim of theft, damage to property, or fraud.
Cyber and Data Insurance
As businesses become more reliant on computer systems, cyber insurance has emerged as an increasingly essential business insurance policy to have.
Cyber and data insurance protects businesses against increasingly complex risks online. These cyber-threats have become more relevant meaning protecting your data and your business has never been more important. Put a comprehensive cyber insurance policy in place and you will be covered for the time and money it takes to fix a data breach or hack.
How Much Does Business Insurance Cost?
The cost of your business insurance depends on the nature of your work, the type of insurance you need, and your cover levels. Businesses that are perceived as risk will usually pay a higher policy price. Simply Business offers good value policies from leading providers. The most straightforward way to get a price for your business insurance is to run a quick online quote.
The amount you pay for your insurance is called your premium. Insurers calculate your premium based on several things, including the work you do the size of your contracts, and the cover types and cover levels you choose.
As with other types of insurance, business insurers calculate how likely you are to make a claim and how much a claim could cost, meaning that businesses that face higher levels of risk will usually pay higher premiums.
When you are buying insurance, it is essential that you answer all questions accurately and that you choose a high enough level of cover so that you are protected if you need to make a claim.
What Does Business Insurance Cover?
Different types of business insurance cover different risks. Public liability insurance covers compensation claims made by a member of the public, while professional indemnity insurance covers you if you are sued by a client. Employers’ liability insurance covers compensation claims from employees.
Each type of business insurance is designed to cover a different set of risks that you face in the course of running your business. Public liability insurance can cover your business if a member of the public makes a claim against you for injury or damage. Your insurance can cover the cost of legal fees and compensation payouts, up to the limit of your policy.
Professional indemnity insurance can cover compensation claims made against you by a client because they believe you have given bad advice or made a mistake in your work. This can include things like mishandling client data.
Employers’ liability insurance can cover compensation claims lodged by an employee for injury, illness or damage that they have suffered due to their work. You can also choose to cover things like your business building, contents, equipment, tools, and stock in case they are damaged or destroyed.
Do I Need Business Insurance?
If your business has premises, you have purchased items to run your business or you have stock items, then you need to protect these with the right Business Insurance cover:
- Businesses that own stock.
- Consultants that use portable valuables like laptops.
- Property owners
Could This Happen to Your Business?
It is very easy to say expect the unexpected but there are times when even the most prepared business person is left floored by the brevity of criminals and the power of Mother Nature.
Here are a couple of claims examples:
Unwanted Trade
Working on a commercial building locked up his excavator before leaving the worksite at the end of the day. The next morning when the site was opened his machine worth $42,000 was nowhere to be seen. A double whammy no excavator and potentially a contractual penalty for delaying the work. The insured’s claim was dealt with quickly and he was able to purchase another excavator in time to avoid all penalties.
Flood of Claims
Heavy rainfall and flash flooding caused severe damage to a café owner’s business. The owner was forced to close his business and repair the damage. The insured’s policy covered this sort of damage and the business owner received $6,000 for building contents, $4,500 for loss of income, $600 for lost wages, $16,450 for repairs, and $470 for the appraisal cost.
