Business Insurance: What You Need To Know

Protect Your Business Against:

• Lawsuits
• Property damage
• Vandalism
• Theft
• Employee injuries and illnesses
• Loss of income

There are different types of business insurance covers available to companies, including property insurance, general liability insurance, product liability insurance, and worker’s compensation. Businesses should invest in insurance policies tailor-made to their specific coverage requirements.

For example, commercial gym owners should choose the right liability insurance cover to protect against likely claims such as customers’ injuries or negligence claims against their business, any of which can lead up to astronomical costs.

What is Business Insurance?

It refers to a variety of insurance policy options tailored to protect businesses and organizations against financial loss. Every industry and business model has its unique risks, so companies must tailor their insurance coverage to meet their specific needs. When selecting business insurance policies, business owners evaluate all the factors relevant to their company, including the following:

• The size of the company
• The nature of the services or products offered
• The number of employees working
• Working conditions at the company
• Types of materials handled
• Types of work vehicles used

How Much is Business Insurance?

There is no one-size-fits-all business insurance cost. Instead, the rate depends on several factors such as

• The type of coverage you select
• The industry you operate in
• The size of your company, i.e., the number of employees you have
• Square footage of your business premises
• The company’s loss history
• Location of the business
• Years in business
• Source of coverage since insurers charge differently for equivalent coverage

Most businesses have general liability insurance, whose cost relies on industry, company size, and square footage. Whereas professional liability insurance costs typically factor in the number of employees, specific business’ potential for loss, and workers’ employment status.

The number of employees you have determines the amount you will pay to protect them. Also, full-time employees cost more in insurance costs than part-time ones, while subcontracting will cost you even less.

What Does Business Insurance Cover?

Different business insurance policies offer different types of coverage. Therefore, as a business owner, you need to select the covers that best protect your business interests, depending on your specific business type. The following are some common types of business insurance covers:

1. General Liability

General liability insurance covers your company for any claims that involve property damage, medical expenses, or bodily injury resulting from your general business operations, products, or services. Most, if not all, businesses need general liability insurance to protect against common risks.

2. Property Insurance

Property insurance covers the damage, loss, or theft of commercial property and its contents (like equipment or furniture) due to events such as natural disasters, vandalism, accidents, storms, or fire. However, property insurance does not cover mass-destructive events like earthquakes or floods. If you operate in an area at risk for these events, you may require a separate policy.

Another exception to this cover is high-value and expensive personal property that a rider (additional to the policy) usually covers.

3. Professional Liability

Professional liability (or errors and omissions) insurance protects your business against negligence, mistakes, failure to perform, and malpractice related to the services you provide to clients. Professional service providers such as lawyers, accountants, physicians, or personal trainers often use this type of insurance cover.

4. Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation covers business employees who get injured or become sick while working on the job. Most U.S. states require businesses to provide workers’ compensation insurance if they employ a particular number of workers. It’s best to look into your state’s specific workers’ compensation requirements before hiring employees.

5. Cyber Insurance

Cyber insurance protects against damages resulting from cyber threats, data loss, and online breaches. If you store digital data, like customer’s credit card information, you may need this coverage to support recurring payments.

6. Commercial Vehicle

Commercial vehicle insurance covers your company vehicles and their drivers in case of accidents, collisions, liability, damage to property, and personal injury. Personal policies do not extend to work vehicles. Therefore, you need to take commercial vehicle insurance to cover all vehicles used in your daily business operations.

7. Product Liability

Product liability covers businesses that manufacture, produce, and sell goods against losses due to defective products that cause harm or injury. The insurance company can tailor the cover to specific products made or sold by your company.

8. Loss of Income

Loss of income insurance covers your business in the event of emergencies that cause you to lose revenue. In such cases, the cover will reimburse you for specific ongoing expenses stated on the policy, including payroll, business taxes, or mortgage payments.

How to Get Business Insurance

Getting business insurance that matches your specific needs is easier when you approach the process in small steps. Follow the steps below:

• Do Your Research: You don’t need to become an insurance expert, but having a basic understanding of the available insurance covers and costs will help you make informed decisions with or without professional assistance.
• Assess Your Business: Businesses have unique needs depending on the industry, type of products or services offered, or even size. For instance, an online trainer may get a general liability policy, but one with a gym or CrossFit box may require a comprehensive business owner’s policy (BOP).
• Shop Around and Get Quotes: Insurance prices and benefits vary significantly, so shop around and compare rates, benefits, and terms for offers from different agents.
• Review and Purchase: Review a copy of the quote with your insurance broker, lawyer, or request a follow-up call from the potential insurer.
• Review at Renewal (Annually): Always review your insurance cover annually at policy-renewal to make the necessary modifications to match your current business state. A lot can change in a year, for example, hiring new employees, selling or acquiring commercial property, downsizing, or increased business risk.

Over to You

Learning about your business insurance needs and how to get the right amount of protection isn’t as complicated as it sounds. You can contact an insurance broker for help if you feel overwhelmed or use an insurance marketplace. Still, if you already know you want to work with a broker like Nexo Fitness Solutions, for example, you can contact us directly for help.

Nexo Fit partners with gym owners to help them grow and become successful. From insurance protection and equipment financing to marketing and advertising, we are ready to help.