A quick overview of business insurance
Purchasing business insurance — with its complexities, industry jargon, and intricate legalities — isn't exactly a task most people relish. That's why we wrote this business insurance overview -- a briefing of all the things a business should know. In fact, even inexpensive office products tend to get a far more thorough pre-purchase evaluation than business insurance does.
But unlike a copier or a new payroll service, business liability insurance is a purchase that, when not investigated properly, can literally mean life or death for your company. Because research gets short shrift, some firms are left underinsured, while others end up over-insured on unnecessary or overlapping coverage. BuyerZone is a great way to compare business insurance quotes between multiple insurance companies.
The basics
Although it may seem overwhelming, most smaller firms can limit their investigations to three basic types of protection: property, general liability, and workers compensation insurance.
Property insurance protects against physical damage or loss in the case of theft or other catastrophes.
General business liability insurance is a form of insurance designed to protect owners and operators of businesses from a wide variety of liability exposures. These exposures could include liability for accidents that occur on the employer's premises, for products sold by the insured, or a dissatisfaction with work completed by the insured.
Liability insurance often comes in the form of a Commercial General Liability policy, also known as a CGL.
There are also specialized forms of liability insurance. For example, Workers' Compensation is form of liability insurance that protects a firm against claims from job-related injuries or illnesses.
Often businesses can bundle property and liability insurance needs into a Business Owners Package Policy, also known as a BOP. (Workers' compensation, however, is typically a separate purchase.)
Befriend a broker
Almost always, the broker is the liaison between you and the insurance company. Brokers make a living out of matching businesses up with appropriate insurance. Finding the right broker for your business — one who looks for low premiums as well as fully understands the risks your company faces — is a bit of a challenge, but well worth the time spent to make sure you have the proper type and scope of policies.
