Talk to Your Insurance Agent About Options for Your Business
Starting a small business can seem like a good idea. Due to high unemployment rates, many job seekers resort to accepting the first job they are offered. This often results in worker dissatisfaction due to not liking co-workers, supervisors, or the work itself. By starting a company and working for yourself, you set your own hours and provide a service or product in which you have an interest. Plus, if you do not like your boss, you have only yourself to blame. A common mistake that people make when planning to start their own business is failing to take into account the need for specific safety measures. Sit down with an insurance agent before opening a business to find out what types of insurance you may need.
One very good reason to have insurance for your small business is that people are litigious. Slipping and falling in a big box store is the ideal situation for an opportunistic plaintiff, but any company will do just fine when it comes to collecting on an alleged personal injury. A general liability policy will protect you from possible bankruptcy resulting from legal fees, judgments, and settlements stemming from an injury at your business. Obtaining a general liability policy is probably less expensive than you think, and an insurance agent can help you find coverage for only what you need based on your location and the type of organization you are operating. Another strategy used by the professional plaintiff is to file a lawsuit if they are involved in an accident with a company vehicle. If your business transports employees, products, or equipment in its own vehicles, those vehicles should be insured. Alternatively, non-owned auto liability coverage will offer protection in the event that employees using their own cars on company business are involved in an accident and lack adequate insurance coverage.
A business owner's policy may be a good option for you if you are concerned about premium costs. This type of policy bundles together some of the most popular types of coverage into one package at an affordable premium. An owner's policy often includes business interruption, property, vehicle, liability, and crime coverage.
Finally, you may want to consider a new type of coverage known as data compromise. Given the very public data breaches that occurred during the 2013 holiday season, it might be a good idea to discuss with an insurance agent whether or not you could benefit from this type of coverage. If you have non-public information about your clients or employees, you are responsible for protecting that information from being stolen. Some policies allow you to quickly respond to a breach by informing affected customers, credit monitoring services, and good faith advertising expenses, which can help restore your reputation following any unwanted attention.
Starting a business is a significant investment, and having appropriate insurance plays an important role in protecting that investment. Not insuring your company can be far costlier than annual premiums in the event of an accident, crime, or other disaster.