The other day I was going through my emails at work and I notice something that I hadn’t really noticed before. In the past couple months, I have received numerous emails from clients asking what different insurance policies cover and what additional coverage they need. After replying to each individual email, I came up with the great idea to create a template that briefly explains the different kind of business insurance policies a business owner might need.
What Types of Business Insurance Are Available?
The main types of business insurance you should consider include:
- Property and Casualty Insurance: Property insurance covers the physical location of the business (even if it is rented or leased) and its contents from things like fire, theft, flood, and earthquakes—although read the terms carefully to make sure they include everything you need. Casualty insurance, on the other hand, covers the operation of the business, but the two are usually grouped together in policies.
- Commercial Auto Insurance: Commercial auto insurance covers your business for loss or damage to vehicles used by your business and for damage to others caused by your business vehicles. Note that vehicles used for business are not covered under your personal auto insurance policy even if a vehicle is used for both business and personal purposes.
- Liability Insurance: Liability insurance covers you in the event someone sues you for negligence, which can occur, for instance, if someone falls on your property.
- Product Liability Insurance: Product liability insurance covers your business for damages caused by a product designed, supplied, or manufactured by your business.
- Business Interruption Insurance: Business interruption insurance can make up for lost cash flow and profits incurred because of an event that has interrupted your normal business operations.
- Health Insurance: Health insurance provides health coverage for you and your employees.
- Life and Disability Insurance: Life and disability insurance covers your business in the event of the death or disability of key owners, partners, or employees.
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance: If you have employees, you must, by law, participate in workers’ compensation programs; workers’ compensation insurance covers employees if they are injured on the job.
I get it! Trying to find the perfect coverage at an affordable price is extremely difficult. If you are a new business owner or even a business owner who hasn’t gotten any insurance before, it can be complicated. Not knowing what each term means in a policy is frustrating. That is why I provided a brief description of the basic policies that business owners frequently purchase. Never be scared to call a professional and ask them for more advice. And always make sure you are reading the exclusion page on your policy. You want to make sure you are properly covered for your job. The last thing you want is for something to happen, and realize something isn’t covered under your policy.