When you first started your business, you accepted a certain level of risk. After all, you never know what could come up or how it might affect your business. Fortunately, there are insurance policies to protect you from any unforeseen circumstances. This makes it incredibly important for you to have the necessary coverage to protect your business. If you don’t, you could find yourself in a scary situation down the road.
There are a wide range of small business insurance products designed to help protect your business. However, making sure you have the right insurance coverage can be confusing. So, to help make sure you’re protected, we’ve compiled 5 types of insurance we would recommend for all small businesses.
1. BUSINESS LIABILITY INSURANCE
Business liability insurance, or commercial general liability insurance, is absolutely necessary for any business. It offers your businesses protection if you, your employees, products, or services cause any harm to a third party. Basically, you’re protected if you or your business are found responsible for causing bodily injury or property damage to a client.
2. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INSURANCE
Property insurance should be another priority for your business. It helps protect you in case of fire, theft, or vandalism. It can help protect your physical location, whether you own, rent, or lease a space. Property insurance can often also cover your inventory, your business materials, as well as your physical workspace. Damage to your physical property can cause a massive set back for your business, so make sure you have the right coverage.
3. PRODUCT LIABILITY OR PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
Depending on the services your business offers, you will need either product or professional liability insurance (or maybe both). Product liability insurance is meant for businesses that manufacture products for sale. If your product fails or malfunctions in some way, this will help protect you.
On the other hand, professional liability insurance is for businesses that provide a professional or creative service. An example would be a financial consultant or a lawyer. This policy will protect you in case you have a client who claims your services have caused them a financial loss. This is also often known as errors and omissions insurance.
4. BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE
Nobody plans for a natural disaster to disrupt their business, but they can and do happen and they can be costly for your business. Business interruption insurance will help cover your business for any lost income as a result of natural disasters like fires or earthquakes. This is especially important for businesses that rely on their physical locations.
5. BUSINESS OWNER’S POLICY
The business owner’s policy (BOP) bundles together all the commercial insurance needs of your business. This policy allows you some flexibility so you can choose the insurance coverage that best suits your business. You’ll also end up saving money because you’re paying into one policy rather than multiple policies.
Of course, business insurance is never one-size-fits-all. Not all of these insurance policies will work for every business, and some businesses may find they need additional coverage. For example, you may need a commercial auto insurance policy or cyber risk coverage as well. To make sure you’re always getting the best coverage for your business, make sure to speak with an insurance professional from a commercial insurance brokerage like Cornerstone Insurance.
There are a wide range of insurance policies that small businesses need, and it’s important to make sure you have the right ones for your business. At Cornerstone Insurance, our insurance brokers can set you up with the best policies for your needs so you can focus on running your business. Give us a call to get an insurance quote today.