Small Business Insurance

How To Get The Right Business Owner’s Policy Insurance (BOP) Coverage and Save on Business Liability Insurance Costs A business owner policy provides comprehensive coverage for various risks that may arise from claims and lawsuits. It safeguards the tangible assets of your business, including inventory, equipment, and the building itself. This policy offers protection against incidents such as fire, theft, vandalism, and bodily injury. What Is a Business Owners Policy?     Business Owners Policy (BOP), takes the guesswork out of purchasing the right package of insurance coverages for your business. A BOP bundles several types of coverage in one package, similar to how a homeowners policy works but is designed for small and mid-sized businesses. Most business owner’s insurance policies combine the following types of coverage in one convenient bundle: Commercial General liability coverage (protection from claims of property damage or bodily injury) Property Insurance (to protect physical assets) Insurance for several other types of loss, including lost income, advertising damage, and more As well as dozens of other insurance coverages that cover common exposures for small and mid-sized businesses. General Liability Insurance for Less with a Business Owners Policy A BOP’s General Liability Insurance (sometimes called Commercial General Liability Insurance) protects you from the cost of defending yourself or paying the damages if an employee, contractor, customer, or other business-related third party claims that your business caused them bodily injury or harmed their property. Your BOP may also offer a variety of other types of coverage, including Personal and Advertising Liability, Completed Operations Liability, Contract Liability, and Liquor Liability. Property Liability Insurance for Less with a Business Owners Policy The BOP’s Property Insurance typically insures damaged or lost property for its replacement value. This means that your reimbursement would cover the cost of replacing the property, without any deduction for depreciation based on the age of the property. It also acknowledges that your business might be held legally responsible for damage to someone else’s property while it is in your possession. When your customer’s property is in your “care, custody, or control,” it is normally covered as if it were your property. Business Interruption Coverage for Less with a Business Owners Policy Depending on its terms, your BOP might cover income you lose or expenses you incur as a direct result of a property loss covered by the policy. For instance, if you’re forced to close shop and move to a new office because of a fire, you may be eligible for reimbursement on the revenue you lose during the time you can’t conduct business in addition to reimbursement for moving costs. Additional Liability Insurance with a Business Owners Policy Business owners interested in increasing their insurance coverage limits can buy additional coverage to supplement their Business Owners Policy. Known as Business Umbrella Insurance, this type of coverage may make a BOP even more effective. Qualifying for a Business Owner’s Policy In order to qualify for the discount business insurance a Business Owner’s Policy offers, your business must meet certain criteria. Generally speaking, a business does not qualify for a BOP if: Is involved in highly specialized or high-risk operations Occupies large premises Needs business interruption coverage lasting longer than 12 months Needs higher limits of liability than a Business Owners Policypackage offers While a Business Owners Policy can help many businesses save money, it generally isn’t a good fit for businesses with higher liability risks. For high-risk companies, the coverage limits offered by a standard BOP are usually insufficient. Even if a Business Owners Policyis a good fit for your business, keep in mind that not all BOPs offer uniform coverage; be sure to check with your agent whether your BOP meets your business’s needs. Business Insurance Is Confusing, Time-Consuming, And Costly. We Fix These Problems.     Business Owner’s Insurance Policy Although a BOP is a convenient insurance option for small to midsized business owners, it does not cover professional liability, commercial auto insurance, and workers’ compensation. Comprehensive cyber liability insurance is also excluded from most business owners’ insurance policies. Here are a few examples of insurance coverages that can be added to a BOP: Crime coverage—Although it is minimal, crime coverage can be added to a BOP to cover losses as a result of crime, such as employee dishonesty and computer fraud. Typical crime coverage ranges between $1,000 and $5,000. Data breach coverage—This coverage is commonly added to BOPs to help remedy the following losses resulting from data breaches: Notifying impacted individuals Hiring crisis communication consultants Defense and settlement costs from associated lawsuits Replacement of lost income Extortion and ransom payments Errors and omissions (E&O) coverage—Businesses that provide services for a fee can be sued by customers who claim that they were harmed because the business failed to perform its job properly. E&O coverage pays for any judgment for which the insured is found legally liable, up to the policy limit. It also covers legal defense costs. Who Should Purchase A Business Owner’s Policy? Businesses that have the following characteristics are ideal candidates for a BOP: Operate in a physical location, whether home-based or outside the home Have assets that can be stolen, including products, cash, furniture, and digital property Are at high risk of lawsuits Employ less than 100 employees and have less $5 million in sales The following types of businesses frequently purchase BOPs to protect from losses not covered by general liability insurance: Manufacturers Religious organizations Apartments Restaurants Technology consultants and solutions providers Wholesalers Retailers Benefits Of Business Owner’s Policy As a business owner, there is no shortage of things that you need to manage on a daily basis. Whether it’s supervising employees, connecting with new clients or anything in between, there is only so much time in the day. That being said, it’s nice to have the peace of mind that you and your business are covered in the event that an insurance claim is brought against you. A business owners policy (BOP) is a good option for small and

Professional liability insurance also called , errors and omissions insurance (E&O; insurance), protects you if a client claims that your services caused them to suffer a financial loss. While general liability insurance is primarily focused on property damage or bodily injury, Many professional services companies choose to purchase E&O; insurance policies, which are typically issued in increments of $1 million and have per-claim deductibles ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. Some insurance companies are reluctant to issue professional liability insurance policies, while others specialize in policies for specific professions. Because we have access to multiple insurance carriers and work with a wide range of small business professionals, we know how to find professional liability insurance policies (E&O insurance) coverage that is comprehensive and yet fits your small business’s budget. It’s important to note that almost all professional liability insurance policies are sold on a “claims-made” basis. This means that the insurance only covers work performed while the policy is in force, and for claims actually filed during the term of the policy. If you cancel your professional liability insurance policies (E&O insurance) without arranging for an extended reporting period, your coverage would end, and any claims submitted after the cancellation would not be covered, even though the work was performed while the professional liability insurance policy was in effect. It’s also important to know that there are exclusions in every errors and omissions insurance policy. Before you purchase professional liability insurance policy, you’ll want to think about the most dangerous threats and professional risks for your business, and look for a policy that covers those specific risks. We’re happy to help with your assessment. Feel free to call our licensed agents to learn how others in your profession have protected themselves. Or fill in our online application to receive a quote on a professional liability insurance policy that fits your small business’s needs. How does professional liability insurance protect your business? Get a FREE professional liability insurance quote now!

What Is General Liability Insurance?   Commercial General Liability Insurance protects small-business owners from claims of injury, property damage, and negligence related to their business activities. The indemnity provided by a liability insurance policy helps your business owner cover the costs associated with mounting a legal defense. In addition, many small-business owners find that their clients require them to have General Liability Insurance (sometimes referred to as Commercial General Liability, or CGL, insurance) before they’ll sign a contract. This means that having the right coverage in place can make a significant difference in a business owner’s ability to land clients and bring in revenue. In the course of doing business, you interact with employees, contractors, clients, vendors, and others. Any one of them could claim that your business caused them injury or loss and take legal action against you. Whether you need to defend yourself against claims of property damage, bodily injury, libel, slander, or something else, your General Liability Insurance policy would cover you.   How Commercial General Liability Insurance Protects You and Your Business In simple terms, a Commercial General Liability Insurance policy protects your business by providing the financial resources necessary to keep it operational when unexpected events (such as a client injury that leads to a lawsuit) throw a wrench in your plans. Read on for the specific costs your CGL policy covers. Costs Covered by Commercial General Liability Insurance A general liability insurance policy provides financial protection from the risks that any business owner, no matter how careful, might incur. A typical policy covers the following expenses: The costs of defending or investigating a suit or claim against you, including court costs, witness fees, attorney’s fees, and police report costs Reasonable expenses incurred when the insurance company asks you to assist in your defense (e.g., income lost while spending a day in court) Judgments or settlements resulting from covered suits, including interest required on the judgment and the injured party’s medical expenses, if your defense is unsuccessful The premium on a court-mandated bond connected with a liability suit People Protected by General Liability Insurance A general liability policy insurance policy covers you, of course, but it also covers many of the other people involved in your business: If you have a joint venture or partnership, all of your partners, members, and their spouses are protected if they are sued for something they do in an official capacity related to your business If your business is a corporation, your policy covers all of your business’s executive officers, stockholders and directors while they are acting in their official capacities If you have subsidiaries, your policy’s liability coverage extends to any subsidiary where you own at least 50 percent of the stock Your policy protects your employees from claims that result from actions they take in their capacity as employees If you have a written agreement to indemnify a person or organization, such as a vendor, that person or organization would be protected against liability claims for property damage or bodily injury as a result of selling or distributing your products During the first 90 days after you acquire a new business, it is automatically covered by this policy. After that time frame, you would need to update your policy to continue this protection for the new part of your business People legally associated with your business, including volunteers working under your direction, are covered for liabilities that result from the work they do for you, and for the use or maintenance of your property that is in their care Specific Coverage Offered by General Liability Insurance Bodily Injury It may be difficult to imagine how your business could cause another person serious harm or even death. But it’s good to know that if you are ever held responsible for someone else’s sickness, injury, or disease, your general liability insurance policy would pay for: Medical care costs Loss of services Court-awarded compensation for deaths that result from an injury Property Damage Even if you’re careful and take precautions, it’s still possible that something your business does – or something it doesn’t do – could damage another person’s property. It’s also possible that your actions might prevent the property’s owner from being able to use it. In such cases, your business liability insurance coverage compensates for: Physical damage to the property, or Loss of use of the property It is important to note that property damage liability coverage often does not cover damage caused to client property you are working on or have in your possession. Products-Completed Operations Commercial general liability insurance policies generally include liability protection for services or products completed by your company. So if something your company manufactures or a service your company provides causes an injury, your policy would pay for any resulting legal expenses, as well as damages up to your policy’s limit. Contractual Liability Your commercial liability insurance coverage would cover liability you might take on when you enter into various contracts, such as: Easement-of-license agreements Building leases Elevator maintenance agreements Agreements to indemnify a municipality, if required by ordinance Liquor Liability If you do not manufacture, distribute, sell, serve, or furnish alcoholic beverages as a business, your general liability insurance policy will cover you if are held liable for a liquor-related accident. If you distribute alcoholic beverages occasionally, such as at a company picnic or office holiday party, you’d also be covered – as long as you don’t charge money for the alcohol. Employee Injuries It’s important to know that if an employee should sue you over an injury on the job, your commercial general liability insurance policy would not cover the damages. For this type of coverage, you need a workers’ compensation policy. Fire, Explosion, or Lightning Damage The property insurance portion of your general liability insurance covers damage you may cause to other people’s property as a result of fire, lightning, or explosion, whether you own your business property or rent it. This coverage even applies to other areas in your