Insurance in a business is one of the best ways to protect your company from lawsuits and financial loss. Unexpected property damage, cybersecurity issues, and professional mistakes can have a devastating impact on your bottom line.
A reputable insurance agent can help you choose policies to fit your specific needs. They can also offer advice on how to structure your business to limit liability-related lawsuits against your company.
Liability
Liability insurance is a type of business insurance that protects your business from third-party claims. It can cover costs for medical expenses and property damage, as well as legal fees, settlements and judgments up to your policy’s limits.
It can also help to protect your reputation from advertising injury, such as a claim that you damaged someone’s business through copyright violations in your advertising or by saying something about another company in a newspaper interview. There are many different types of business liability insurance available, and some of them can be packaged together in a business owners policy (BOP).
General Liability
General liability, often called small business liability or commercial liability insurance, is a type of business insurance that provides coverage against third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage. It can also protect your business from allegations of defamation and slander, such as if you say something about someone in a blog post that hurts their reputation.
The cost of a general liability policy will depend on your industry, the size and type of business you run and other factors. It can cost up to $53 per month on average, according to Progressive.
Professional Liability
A business that offers professional services, such as a lawyer or accountant, needs professional liability insurance. It covers expenses for legal fees, court-ordered judgments and settlements if you are sued due to mistakes made during your service.
You should carry this type of liability insurance as a matter of course, even if it is not required by law. It can help to protect your business against a lawsuit that could destroy your livelihood.
Depending on the nature of your work, you may also need workers’ compensation insurance. It can cover medical bills and lost wages for your employees who are injured while on the job.
Your state also may have its own regulations governing workers’ compensation. Some states require it only after you hire a certain number of employees, while others require it at all times.
A business that has employees must have workers’ compensation, which can cover their medical expenses and income replacement. The cost of this coverage will vary depending on the state in which you operate, but it can be a significant expense.
Property
A business is a for-profit entity that organizes some sort of economic production. It can be a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. A business can be large, small, local or global in scope.
A property insurance plan is designed to protect your business assets from loss or damage. The coverage includes both physical buildings and on-site property, such as computer equipment and inventory. It also covers your legal liability if someone is injured while on your premises. It’s a good idea to speak with your insurance agent about a customized policy that meets your needs.
The best way to decide on a business property insurance policy is to ask the insurer a series of questions and to read the policy carefully. You may have to dig around a bit to find the answers, but the more you know about your coverages the better off you will be in the event of a claim. Having the right kind of property insurance is the key to minimizing the financial impact of an accident or theft. The smartest business owners understand that property insurance is but one part of a comprehensive risk management plan. The other parts of this multipronged approach include hazard mitigation, contingency planning and employee training.
Business Interruption
Business interruption insurance covers your business’s lost income while it is closed due to property damage. This coverage is an important addition to a business owner’s policy (BOP) and can be purchased for many different types of businesses, including retail, restaurants, hotels, service industries, manufacturing and real estate agencies.
The amount of business interruption insurance you need will depend on a variety of factors, such as the nature of your business and where you are located. For instance, a restaurant may be more likely to suffer damage from fire than an office building.
When writing your business interruption policy, make sure that you include the following items:
A business’s main location: This needs to be a permanent address where the company conducts its day-to-day operations. This can be a storefront or an office building, and you will want to list the exact address of your business as well as the name of the person who runs it.
Contributing Location: This is a location that supplies the company with things it needs to run, such as equipment, materials or parts that are essential for the company’s work. It’s also a good idea to list the locations of the company’s suppliers on your business interruption policy as dependent properties.
Short and partial interruptions: In order for your business interruption insurance to kick in, the business must be forced to close for at least a certain period of time — generally between 72 hours and a month. Partial and short interruptions are not covered by most policies.
Coverage can begin within 48 to 72 hours after the damage occurs, but this usually only begins if there is a covered loss. Then your policy will cover you until the end of the “restoration period.” This typically lasts 30 days, but it can be extended up to a year.
Extra expenses: This is for expenses that are necessary to operate the business while it is being repaired or rebuilt after a covered loss, such as rent for a temporary location, moving costs and employee training fees. The insurance will pay for these expenses up to the limits of your policy, but it is important that you know what you’re covering so you can be sure that you’re getting the best price.
Key Person
The loss of a key person in a business is a devastating event and can be a huge financial burden on the company. In such situations, the company should consider getting key person insurance to cover the financial loss of that individual and enable the company to continue its operations.
This type of insurance is especially useful for small businesses that rely on the expertise of only a few people. It is also helpful for those who have high-level executives and other decision makers, top salespeople, or employees with unique knowledge or skills.
In a small business, the loss of a key employee can be devastating and even threaten the survival of the company. In this scenario, the payout from a key person policy can allow the company to pay its bills, continue operations, and find a replacement for the lost employee.
When calculating how much coverage is necessary, it’s important to determine the value of the key person and the costs to replace them. It’s common for companies to multiply the salary of the key person by five or seven times to get a good idea of their value.
A large portion of the revenue and income of a company depends on the knowledge, experience and skills of the key person. It is also important to consider how difficult it would be to hire another person who can replace that individual in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost.
Term or permanent life insurance can be used to insure the key person of a small business. Term policies are cheaper and offer more flexibility, while permanent policies can build tax-advantaged cash value that can be used as a retirement benefit.
Key person insurance can be bought as a stand-alone policy or integrated into a company’s existing life insurance policy. It is usually a requirement for companies when they seek bank loans or investments.
The IRS does not allow businesses to deduct premium payments on key person life and disability insurance policies, but the proceeds are tax-exempt as long as the employee consents in writing that the business is the beneficiary of the policy. The IRS also does not allow businesses to take the funds from these policies as tax-exempt dividends unless the employee consents in writing that they are receiving a benefit.
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