Tag: business liability insurance

When it comes to protecting yourself and your business against the uncertainties in life it is good to know you can rely on commercial business insurance.  As the owner of any business no matter how big or small you will face risks that you didn’t even know existed before becoming an entrepreneur.  Before cutting the ribbon on your new business it is imperative that you meet with an insurance agent that specializes in commercial insurance coverage.  They will be able to help you identify and define the risks within your industry as well as your specific needs.

Insurance for your business takes the risks involved and transfers them to a third party that you pay for.  It works just like insurance policies that you have on your home and automobiles. The insurance company chooses a set amount of money to charge for policies depending on the amount of coverage that is needed and the determined likelihood that it will be needed. Business insurance is risk management for owners.  If a loss occurs the business owner will establish a claim with the insurance company and their losses will be covered.  Without this coverage a business owner would be on their own to cover the loss occurred which could possibly bankrupt your business.

When it comes to insurance for your business there are several types of policies to consider.  An insurance agent will help you determine exactly which insurance policies are specific to your business.  From commercial property damage to professional liability this article will provide you with a brief description on what each does to support your business.

Worker’s Compensation

A worker’s compensation policy covers lost income as well as medical expenses to an employee if they sustain an injury or work related illness.  This policy pays to sustain the employee while hiring someone to cover the work that is in need of being done while the employee is healing.

General Liability

General business liability insurance provides coverage against negligence, product defects, and damage to property.  General liability is important in today’s lawsuit happy climate.  The protection provided to the business is to cover lawsuit expenses, medical payment and any other expense occurred in preventing loss to your business.

Commercial Property Damage

Property damage insurance provides coverage and compensation to business owners in case of loss due to natural causes including from weather created issues, fire damage as well as theft.  The coverage not only covers the physical business property and structure but also loss of equipment and materials that allow your business to function and exist.

Professional Liability

When it comes to certain professions professional liability is a must.  This type of insurance is provided for consultants, attorneys, tax advisors and other service industries. If you give advice or offer services of technical advice professional insurance protects you and your business against lawsuits stemming from that advice.

These are the four most basic types of coverage offered to business owners.  More in depth coverage may be needed or wanted.  This can be determined by consulting a local commercial business insurance agent.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com/business.php.

Insurance for General Liability:  All businesses should have at least basic general liability insurance.  This is true even if you run a home based business or consultant.  Liability insurance policies provide coverage for litigation and damages that are caused as a result of you, an employee, product or service.  This includes property damages as well injury to one’s person.

Insurance for Property: A property insurance policy should be purchased to cover your building as well as any business property including office equipment, tools and inventory. Separate coverage should be considered to protect against fire, theft, vandals and such.

Interruption Insurance: This is a policy that can be purchased by business owners that covers the business in situations where there is an interruption that does not allow the business to operate.  This insurance protects the potential earning power of the business when service or products are unable to be provided.

Auto Insurance For Commercial Vehicles:  As you insure a car for your personal benefit your work fleet also needs coverage.  Commercial auto insurance is used to insure vehicles that are used in the line of work from damage as well as collision.  When employees use their personal vehicles to complete business related tasks it is important the business owners have insurance that covers the business in case the employee does not have adequate coverage.

Insurance for Workers Compensation:  Workman’s comp, as it is often referred to protect employees who suffer from work related injuries or who are hurt on the job. This insurance provides for a replacement of the employees’ wages as well as medical benefits.  Workers compensation protect the business owner and company from legal complications.  Providing workman’s’ comp benefits alleviate employers risks from future litigation arising from the incident.

Error and Omissions Insurance:  Also known as professional liability insurance the policy provides coverage for litigation and damage that is the result of services rendered improperly.  This coverage is different from general liability insurance.  Professional liability insurance is tailored to specific trades and professions.  Services professions such as lawyers, accountants, real estate professionals, insurance agents, hair salons, technology providers and more should all be sure to have adequate error and omissions insurance.

Key Person Insurance:  Coverage under key person insurance provides compensation for any financial losses that come about from the death or incapacity of a key member in the business.  If one person is responsible for the majority of revenue brought in to the company this coverage is a necessity.  If one person’s work, knowledge, skill set or contribution is unique and consider irreplaceable without incurring loss or expense to the business; key person insurance can carry a business through a period of time and financial loss.

When it comes to insurance, policies, protection and coverage needs for your business it is wise to seek advice from a reputable business insurance agent.  An agent that is familiar with your industry is more likely to know the needs associate with your company providing the exact bundle of business insurance that is needed.  This also helps to ensure that you are not over insuring your company and in turn wasting valuable financial resources.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI including Brighton and Howell, contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your business and personal insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com

As you open a business no matter how big or small there are a ton of questions that run through your head.  I bet business insurance is one of those things that comes to mind. When it comes to owning your own business you will take a lot of risks and you will make a ton of mistakes.  Don’t let insurance coverage for your business be one of them. When it comes to insurance for your business there are a million questions you need to ask to ensure that you are substantially covered.

The first question you need to answer is in regards to equipment and goods used while outside of the actual business premise.  Your business insurance coverage should cover business equipment whether on site or in transit to a tradeshow.  You will want to make sure your coverage is all inclusive when it comes to where the equipment is located.

Question your insurance provider to make sure that you are covered under circumstances from theft to a flood.  It is important that the insurance policy for your business covers expenses that are man-made as well as natural occurrences.

Do you need to contact your insurance agent when you make upgrades to your equipment or your premise?  It is important to understand your policy and the intricate details.  If additions to the premise or upgrades in equipment need to be reported the agent for the insurance to cover them that it is essential that you address that before you make the purchase so that it is covered.

With the policy that you have purchase does it cover replacing the building if it is fully destroyed? Are you required to build in the same spot or are you allowed to build in an area that is more suitable than the last one?

Does your policy cover a loss of income if your office, warehouse or production site is destroyed?  What about if it is partially damaged or if your business is severely affected by the damage be it man-made or a natural disaster. It is dire that you completely understand the coverage that you purchase.

When considering purchasing a policy make sure that it covers in case of a breach of data.  When you take client information and payment via credit or check you need to make sure that your client’s information is protected.   Data protection is a newer policy to consider but is so important in the age of technology that we are currently living in.

Questions are important especially when it comes to your business and the insurance plan that you have on it.  Your business is your source of income.  Income creates the means that support your family and livelihood. It has never been more important that when buying business insurance to understand what you are getting in return for the money you are paying. If you have any questions regarding the insurance coverage to your business ask your agent questions.  Your insurance agent is there to help you understand and to clarify your business insurance policy.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI including Brighton and Howell, contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your business and personal insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com

No matter what size business you own whether it is small, medium or large purchasing business insurance is crucial.  Risks are inevitable when it comes to owning a business.  Insuring your company helps limit your exposure to these risks.  Selecting the correct insurance policies is also important when it comes to insuring your business.  Avoid the following mistakes when it comes to obtaining a business insurance plan that covers all of your business needs.

Protect Your Business’s Financial Situation With The Right Insurance Coverage

The size of your business does not dictate whether your business has risks that need to be insured.  All businesses regardless of size has the possibility of facing risk.  A good insurance agent will find the risks in your company and offer insurance to protect against them.  Risk comes in many forms and can be man-made or natural.  Risk involves the things outside of your control.  Risks that are natural include weather related risks such as flooding, hurricanes etc.  Man-made risks involve theft, vandalism, data loss and so on.

When your insurance agent evaluates your business exposures they will take into account all of the man-made and natural risks that could occur in your industry with your company.  They will look at who your customers are, the product or service you offer and evaluate any and all potential risks that could factor into your business.  From here the insurance agent will present you with the policies that they believe are in your company’s best interest to purchase.  Having insurance for the risks involved in your business is sensible.

Don’t Underestimate How Important Insurance Is For Your Business

All businesses have risk.  Don’t underestimate or think even for a minute that your business is exempt.  Even if the risk is small you need to purchase coverage to meet the need. Even if you think your company can financially withstand risk insure your business needs.  The cost of the insurance outweighs the financial risk to the business all day every day.

Don’t Get Swayed By Low Priced Insurance Policies

Low priced policies are not always the most cost effective options in business insurance.  Low premiums may cover only the minimum risk in your business.  Consider that, do you want only the minimum of coverage?  Think about business insurance like you would health insurance.  When considering health insurance coverage for your family would you ever consider purchasing only the minimum?  The answer is a resounding NO! If you knew your son or daughter was at risk for cancer you would never choose the minimum coverage.  Think about your business the same way.  Everyday your business is at risk of something be it a man-made or natural disaster.  Insure accordingly.

Only Purchase Insurance From An Agent With Industry Knowledge

As you know by now purchasing insurance for your business is a challenge. It requires diligence and research.  Find an agent and insurance agency with a solid track record of settling claims and servicing clients.  Credibility is important when it comes to finding an agent to insure your company.

Insurance is an important part of life and business.  Avoid these pitfalls and mistakes when covering your business risks.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI including Brighton and Howell, contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your business and personal insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com

What type of insurance needs does your business have?  Below you will find a brief explanation of different types of insurance protection for your business.

Asset Protection: Asset protection provides insurance coverage for the premise of your business, equipment, vehicles and contents as well as business equipment.   As with all insurance policies there are different policies that are in effect for different assets.  Your liability insurance might cover certain assets such as the premise and equipment used to do business but will need a separate asset policy plan to protect your vehicles and their contents from theft or accidents such as fire or flood.

Key Person Insurance: When it comes to small businesses most often the loss of one key staff member could be devastating to the overall business activity. In most cases this refers to the owner of the small business.  If the business is wrapped around the owner’s skills and abilities without that key person the business will be drastically affected.  The revenue will decrease and the value of the business most likely collapses as well.  With insurance covering the businesses key person, partners and shareholders are covered from an overwhelming loss.

Product Liability: Product liability insurance is purchased to cover legal actions sought to collect from death, injury or damage that has been caused by the product that your business produces.  A special add on policy to your product liability insurance is recall liability which covers losses that happen when a product is recalled.

Professional Indemnity: If you are in the business of offering professional advice, indemnity insurance can be purchased to provide personal protection against claims arising from your advice. Professional Indemnity is usually purchase by providers of medical and legal advice as well as financial institutions as well as contractors.

Public Liability: If you or one of your employees is liable for injury, death, damage or negligence to a third party on the premise of the business public liability insurance will cover you from financial claims to your business.  If an employee causes an accident on site you will be covered from liability with this type of insurance.  It is also important if someone is hurt on your premises, public liability insurance will help with legal fees as well as settlement costs.

Revenue Protection: Revenue protection covers your if there is a disruption in business leaving you unable to protected against loss of revenue in situations such as floods, fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Workers’ Compensation: This is the coverage that will protect your employees as well as you from hardship financially if injured while working or a work related injury that has developed over time.

Risk Management: Insuring your business is one part of planning for the adventures that can help when you own your own business.  The other part is preventing, managing and reducing the risks in your business.

• Asset Maintenance: Take care of your business assets, including machinery, vehicles and office equipment.
• Computer and Data Loss: This includes backing data up on a regular schedule, supplying surge protectors and preventing the installation of software or data until it is checked for viruses.
• Premise Maintenance: Regular inspections and maintenance of the building and areas throughout the building will create a safer environment.  This includes the interior and exterior of the building.
• Security Risks: Adding an alarm system and entry access systems are a few ways to detour the wrong people from accessing your business.
• Theft and Fraud: Security cameras, regular inventory and a system of checks and balances with all finances will help prevent theft internally as well as from external sources.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com/business.php

There are so many benefits to owning your own business.  On the other hand there are some major drawbacks as well.  One major disadvantage to owning your own business, especially a small business is the risks involved.  When it comes to the risks involved in owning your own business there are a few ways to deal with it.  The first and worst method is to just accept all the risk and face the consequences when something happens.  The second method is to approach risk and to eliminate and manage as much of it as you can.  The third approach in handling the risk involved in business is to purchase an extensive and all encompassing insurance policy.

There are advantages and disadvantages with each approach.  For instance in the first method where a business owner chooses to do nothing but accept all the risk and consequences involved the advantage is the initial savings in overhead spending.  If you don’t do anything to manage or insure the risk it will cost you nothing, to begin with at least.  The problem with this approach, especially in business is that you are risking your livelihood, the way you bring income in that supports the rest of the things in your life.  Without the ability to make money you put yourself a t risk for bankruptcy and worse; a lifetime repaying a debt that could have been avoided.

The second method of dealing with the risks of owning your own business is with managing or eliminating the risks.  This approach in handling business risk involved decreasing the risk associated with your business practices.  Risk management in short involves a regular review of company procedures and making sure that policies are in place that reduce and eliminate the risk to your staff, customers and business in general.  This could be something as simple as replacing the batteries in your fire detectors to something more complicated such as credit management and debt collection policies and procedures.

Handling risk in business with proper insurance coverage seems like a no brainer for some but others do not see the importance of paying extra premiums for special business policies.  The fact is that most businesses operate with risk.  Insuring your risk alleviates the burden of litigation and repayment from falling all on your shoulders.  Insurance premiums for businesses vary from general liability to workers compensation to product liability.  There are a wide range of insurance policies for businesses.  Not every policy applies to every business and industry.  It is important when seeking insurance coverage for your business to meet with an insurance company that provides comprehensive business insurance coverage for a variety of industries.

When it comes to approaching risk within business the best approach is most likely a combination of both risk management and insurance.  When used in combination you can decrease the risks involved in your business and hopefully this will decrease the chances of needing expensive comprehensive insurance.  A prime example of this in action is adding an alarm system to your business decreasing insurance premium costs while decreasing the chance of loss due to theft.  Owning your own business is a balancing act and handling the risk involved in business is all about a well balanced approach of managing and insuring risk.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com/business.php

Is it important that small business owners have general liability insurance?  Many smaller companies believe that they can operate without insurance.  Small companies are always looking for ways to cut costs and decrease their operating budget but cutting insurance costs is not the best way to accomplish this.  Business insurance protects small business owners from a variety of frivolous lawsuits that are brought against business owners on a daily basis.

When a lawsuit is brought against a small business owner defending the claim alone is often enough to leave a small company with a severe debt if not the need to file for bankruptcy protection.  A great way to avoid this happening to you is to purchase liability insurance for your small business. The small amount of money that is put out to cover the costs of the insurance policy annually could save your business one day.  The insurance premium that is charged will depend on the type of insurance and amount that is needed to properly insure your small business.

To find a great rate on small business insurance premiums you may need to shop around.  Be careful when shopping different insurance companies because many times a significantly lower premium also comes with a considerably inferior policy.  Not all insurance policies are created equal so be sure to know exactly what you are paying for and exactly what is covered.

The rate should not be drastically different from company to company for the exact same coverage.  Do a side by side comparison of the policies you are considering and analyze the service provided by each company.  Sometimes you will find the extra cost is worth the more personal attention you receive.  This will be especially important if you are ever in need of using the policy.

Another consideration is instead of buying several different business insurance policies to cover the various needs you have with to insure consider a business owners policy.  A BOP is a package of insurance policies related to your business industry.  The one tip you will need when purchasing a BOP is to make sure that the coverage meets all of your business needs.  If it does not cover an essential item need in your business coverage you will be better suited to look into individual policy coverage.  Buying all of your business insurance policies from one insurance company often saves you a percentage of the premium as well; this is considered a multi policy discount.

Another tip that is important when choosing a company to handle your business insurance needs is industry settlements.  Unfortunately there is a chance, a considerable chance that the insurance policy will be needed at some point during the process of operating your business.  This will give you look at what your needs are when it comes to settlements and dollar amounts that have been awarded as well as the reasons for the lawsuit and settlement.  Consider your business insurance doesn’t only cover you for costly litigation it also provides a solid foundation on which to build the success of your business.

For more information on business insurance throughout Livingston County, MI contact Cobb-Hall Insurance. We are experts in all types of insurance needs and look forward to helping you with all of your insurance needs. Check us out online at http://www.cobbhall.com/business.php